Skidding around the Learning Curve

 ♫ I'm gettin' snowshoes for Christmas!♫

Finally, the weather and our schedules coincided! Weather and work have left me ready to throttle somebody! It was definitely time for me and my man to go play outside, and it just so happens that we had some new toys to break in - snowshoes! :) 

Out of the many places we could go, we chose the Souix Charley Lake Trail. I was a little disheartened when other people had the same idea! SIGH! Oh well... Since there wasn't much snow in the parking lot, we left the snowshoes in the car. However, we had barely started up the trail when we met one of the other couples coming back out. Then we quickly caught up with the other threesome struggling in the knee-deep snow. Dan went back to the the car for the snowshoes, and now we had the trail to ourselves. That's more like it! 

I think I was still buckling up my shoes when I realized that Dan was no longer upright. Ummmm... Snowshoes aren't much good on rocks. Learning curve! No harm done (okay, a scraped shin), so we continued on our merry way. (Even if we were a bit clumsy and slow.)

Even the pine cones were having fun
leaving tracks in the snow! 

The Souix Charley Trail is one of my favorites, but we didn't have time to go very far. Just as we were thinking about turning around, we saw a sign for the Gorge Bypass Trail. Fairly certain that it would take us back to the parking lot, we couldn't resist the lure of the unknown. After a short, steep climb, we were looking back down at the river far below us. The trail meandered along at a fairly level grade for a bit, then began to turn downward. It wasn't overly steep, but it was constantly descending. At one slightly steeper spot, my feet were suddenly no longer underneath me, and I was sitting in the snow... with snow up my shirt... and down my waistband... and in my jacket. (There's that learning curve again!) The part that Dan found most amusing (since he didn't see the actual fall) was the fact that I couldn't get up! He did take pity on me and extend a hand to pull me up. 

Safely back to the car, we agreed that the snowshoes were a worthwhile purchase that would most certainly be put to use again as soon as possible. 

~ Bonus~

We spotted a few eagles on the way to the trailhead. 

Still Searching for Sheep

**SIGH** My favorite holiday is history for another year. But why waste today wishing for yesterday? With Dan's brother Barry leaving to go home to Cheyenne, we left his sister Tamsen to enjoy some rare solo downtime and took our nephew Paul with us to the Bighorn Recreational Area. 

We were still on the hunt for big horn rams butting heads, and since we didn't find any sheep up on Syke's Ridge a couple of weeks ago, we decided to stay lower. We paid our entry fee and made our way to Devil's Overlook. This was Paul's first trip to the Bighorn Canyon, but not ours. So while Paul was photographing the river and cliffs, we were scanning the surrounding terrain with binoculars looking for sheep. We did not spot any sheep, but Dan did spy an arch that we have never noticed before. After a few pictures, we returned to the road and to the hunt. 

And finally...!! A mile or two down the road, the guys spotted a young ram with a little herd. Unfortunately, the other ram in the bunch was no match for him (probably too young, also), so there was no head-butting. But they were still fun to watch.

Family photo time. C'mon, Dad, look at the camera!

Then we were on to the next destination. We have visited the Ewing-Snell Ranch before (see Starting the New Year Off Right, Jan. 1, 2016), but on that day, we didn't have time to hike. The hike was, however, today's destination. We discovered before too long that we actually could have driven halfway, but if we had, we would have missed something really interesting. As we were walking, Paul stopped abruptly and said, "What was that noise?" Dan assured him that it was too cold for rattlers, but now we heard the noise, too. The sound was coming from a pin-size hole in a mostly-buried black plastic water pipe. The misty spray had created a miniature ice-sculpture garden. So pretty! 

We soon came to the point where we could have left the car. We forded a little creek and set off into a box canyon. Before too long, though, we decided to save the rest of the hike for another day and go back to sheep hunting. (Although if Dan would have turned on the GPS a little sooner, and we had realized that we were less than half a mile from the end of the trail, we probably would have finished it.)

We traveled on to another historic ranch in the area - the Lockhart Ranch. Again, this was a first for Paul and a return visit for us. Paul was taken enough with the old buildings to take pictures of his own, and we expanded upon our first visit. The buildings were unlocked this time, so we checked out the interiors. The weather was also nicer this time, so we wandered the grounds a bit more. 

Knowing that the daylight was going to run out on us, we started for home. We took a quick detour out to Barry's Landing and discovered another trailhead to another historic ranch. But that one will have to wait for another day. I guess it just gives us another reason to come back. 

This sunset would be even prettier if it were at
9:30 rather than 4:30!

Campers Last Stand

Forget politics... I'm going camping!

Knowing that this was going to be our last camping trip in 2016, I was especially eager to get out there! Therefore, we left Thursday night right after work (yes, that is 11 pm). 

Intriguing...

Friday morning could have come just a few short hours later when we were awakened by a four-wheeler being unloaded across the road from our camper. Fortunately, we went back to sleep, so it was late morning when we set off for Sykes Ridge. Our purpose was singular ~ we were after pictures of big horn sheep in rut. We didn't get very far up the road, though, before I got distracted. There was an opening in the rock and a true arch just begging to be explored. Yes, I was the one suggesting that we climb up to it. The ascent wasn't too bad, and it was worth the effort. We found a big nest of some sort, cool crevices in the rocks, and a track in a sandy spot that was left by either a large coyote or a young mountain lion.

Whatever calls this nest home was not there. 

We eventually returned to the machines and resumed our search for the sheep. We reached "sheep territory" but found not a one. We ate our lunch while scanning the surrounding meadows and cliffs hoping to spot them, but without success. Unfortunately, fall days are short, and long before we were ready, we turned back toward the camper. On the way down the mountain, we did find some photogenic horses.

We got off to a much earlier start on Saturday morning. We had an energetic route planned for the day. Our first wildlife spot of the day was a beautiful doe. As two other deer appeared, we concluded that they were probably her fawns from last spring. As we rode up Red Pryor Mountain Road, down the switchbacks, and across Dry Head Vista, we saw more does and a dozen or so horses. By late afternoon, we were back on Sykes Ridge Road. We have seen sheep here multiple times, but not today. Despite hiking out to points and walking ledges, peering hopefully down into the valleys, we saw no sheep.

No, he's not big... yet.
Of course, if he doesn't get a little smarter about staring
at humans wearing orange vests, well...

Again, daylight ran short and we had to go. We weren't too disappointed, though, as we had enjoyed another great ride and wrapped up another successful camping season. 

Growing up, I loved the book The Black Stallion.
Well, I found him! 

A is for Apple

I am forever a lover of fall... hoodies, changing leaves, hot drinks... As much as I have come to accept (and enjoy) Montana fall for what it is, it just can't quite live up to fall in the Midwest. Therefore, when Ashley offered to fly me out to see her this last weekend, I did not debate very long before accepting her invitation. 

I flew into Milwaukee on Thursday night, and on Friday morning, we headed "up north" to Door County. Lighthouses, colored leaves, shorelines... what's not to love? One thing that I really wanted to find was an apple orchard - one of the "U Pick" kind. Ashley found me one, even if it was a little out of the way. We spent quite a bit of time wandering among the trees, relishing the sights and scents of fall. We eventually selected a couple of perfect apples and returned to where we detoured. 





As we came back to the main highway, waves were topping the breakwater, and a bright red lighthouse gleamed in the sun. So we stopped once again. I was having fun photographing the waves coming up on the sand, but I got a little too intent on the one in the lens and didn't see the one that soaked my pantlegs and filled my shoes! Oops!

Saturday morning dawned cool and damp and we debated between an indoor museum or risking getting wet at the zoo. We took our chances on the zoo. We had a pleasant afternoon, and despite the clouds, we stayed dry.

Yes, it is captive, but it's pretty. 

After a scrumptious pasta dinner at the restaurant where Ashley works, we were ready for the trip's main attraction: a Chinese lantern festival at the Boener Botanical Gardens. Besides the intricate light displays, we also enjoyed a live show with ballet, juggling, and martial arts. And - drumroll, please - homemade apple pie egg rolls with caramel dipping sauce! So very delicious! Ashley commented at this point that the whole trip was beginning to center around apples. This is a problem? 

Sunday came all too quickly, and after church and a nice lunch with my great-uncle and aunt, I was back on a plane headed west. As I arrived in Billings, I was filled with gratitude for the privilege of travel. But I was also very glad to be back home in Montana, even if the leaves are JUST yellow! 

BONUS PICTURES :)

Moonrise over a bay in Door County

It wouldn't be Chinese...

...without a dragon or two. 

Ouch!

Me and my girl <3

Mastering the Morrison Monster

Ever since we bought our first ATV four years ago, we have heard the legend of Morrison Jeep Trail. In fact, when we took our "safe rider" course shortly after we bought the machine, one of the "this is what you must never do" examples was a story about an ATV tumbling down the switchbacks on Morrison Jeep Trail. Despite its reputation, we knew that we would one day ride that trail. Someday... when we had more experience... 

When we started planning a ride for this weekend, we thought we would just go down to the Pryors again. But then a friend texted to suggest Morrison Jeep Trail. Well, if 3600 miles in four years isn't experience enough, we might as well just forget ever riding it! So we made our plans.

However, when Friday morning came around and I was still feeling apprehensive, I turned to the internet. The first video I found was a TV series episode in which the crew took a couple of Toyotas -- one with a trailer, no less -- and a BMW street bike up the road. Well then! If they made it with THAT set-up, riding it on ATV's should be a walk in the park!

We were up really early on Saturday morning, and we "circled the wagons" at McDonald's. There were six of us, with one more meeting us at the trailhead. The weather was perfect, albeit windy, as we unloaded and started up the trail. Come to find out, our new friend Karhu had been up the trail before, so we were no longer riding completely blind. The first four or five miles of the trail followed the Clark's Fork River and we were pleasantly surprised to spot a small family of mountain goats on the cliffs above the river. 

Then we turned toward the mountain side and started up. And up, and UP! We gained about 2000 ft in just two miles of swithbacks. We all made it to the top without incident and took a few minutes to catch our breath (as much as the surrounding scenery could have taken it all away again). Then it was on to the next set of steeper, but not so tight, switchbacks.

About half-way up the first set of swichbacks. 

Near the top, three very nice mule deer bucks crossed the road in front of the group. We followed them a little way before they gave us the slip. Dan had a clear view of them through the trees, but unfortunately, I did not, and I had the camera. We came back to the machines to discover that Dan had a flat tire. We pumped it up and set off again. We caught up to the rest of the group at a creek crossing. Dan's tire was already going flat again, so most of us ate lunch while Dan and Grif found the puncture in the tire, plugged it, and pumped up the tire again. 

Lunch time. Pastor Jeff House, Mike, and Karhu (aka Fearless Leader)

Storm clouds were gathering as we finished our lunch, but we pushed on a little farther. Eventually though, we decided it was time to turn back. None of us really wanted to come back down the switchbacks in the rain, let alone in the dark! We dodged raindrops all the way down. As we regrouped at the base of the switchbacks, a clap of thunder and a flash of lightning motivated us to hurry for the trucks! Alas, there was now no dodging the raindrops! We got back to the trucks soaked! (Thanks a lot, Black Cloud!) We loaded up, and as we were leaving the parking lot, we noticed a complete double rainbow stretched across the road. It was the perfect ending to another wonderful day in God's great outdoors. 

   

The Sound of Silence

 Shhh... Hear that? That is the sound of Yellowstone National Park after the tourists go home and the children go back to school. Ahhhh...

We have been planning this camping trip to Yellowstone for quite a while now. Last year, we came down early in September to try to photograph the elk in rut, but we were a little too early. The woods echoed with the bugling of elk, but there was no "action"! So this year, we deliberately went later in the month. Annnd... we missed it!

I love this little footbridge at the outset of the Beaver Pond Trail.

Beautiful scenery,
but not a single elk in sight!

We arrived at Mammoth Campground just before noon and scored a campsite - barely. We got the camper set up and ate lunch, then set out for the area where we found elk last year. Walking past the hot spring terraces, we noted that there weren't that many people. We met one couple coming out from the Beaver Pond Trail, and saw only one other group of hikers going our way. They took the other fork in the trail, and we quite literally had the park to ourselves. The only sound was the wind. After a strenuous climb up through the pines and the beautiful yellow aspens, we broke out into the meadow where we expected to find the elk. Empty! We sat for a few minutes photographing the scenery and listening for an elk call. Nothing. So we got up and moved on. That is when Dan spotted four cow elk moving quietly through the woods. Well, at least we weren't going to get "skunked"! But, they really weren't what we were hoping to find.  

The wind was still blowing and the clouds were spitting snow, so we decided to head back in the general direction of town. Dan was walking slightly ahead of me when movement in the trees caught my eye. I got his attention and pointed out the cow that I had seen. We waited, because elk are rarely solitary. Sure enough, the bull was there with her. The wind was in our favor as we watched the bull watching us. The trees made it difficult to get pictures, but we were giving it all we had. The bull finally trotted off a little and we followed. He stopped again, but once more, not where we had a clear shot. From there, he melted silently into the trees, and when the wind shifted and carried our scent, he and his harem took off. Much more satisfied with our outing, we headed back to the camper and dinner. 

Not a peep out of this guy. 

The next morning found things a little more typical of YNP. We drove by the groups of photographers standing guard over a carcass in Lamar Valley and through a bear-jam on Dunraven Pass. As we drove, we saw two bears, antelope, bison, deer, and elk. Later in the day, though, the peace returned as we drove to the road closure near Indian Creek Campground. Here again, we had the area mostly to ourselves. Driving back to the camper, we decided that we had had another successful weekend in Yellowstone.

Unlike the rest of the animals,
this little guy was NOT silent.
He gave us quite the scolding!

Peace and solitude