End of the Trail

Yesterday, we went for a walk. We started from the Ewing-Snelling Ranch in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreational Area. We hiked part of the trail in November (see Still Searching for Sheep), and this time, I was determined to make it to the end of the trail. Knowing that we could drive to the trail head was a great head start!

The very start of the trail is a creek crossing. Because it's spring, I was afraid that the ford might be more than rock-hopping this time. But while the creek was marginally wider than it was last time, it really was no deeper, and we crossed without difficulty. The trail then turns and runs alongside the creek. It quickly gains altitude and the creek often has pretty little cascades. Unfortunately, they are largely obscured by rocks and dense undergrowth. But it does create a lovely soundtrack to hike by. 

It didn't take too long to reach the point where we turned around last time. Shortly thereafter, we came to a Y in the trail. One sign pointed to falls. 'Nuf said! The falls were small, but picturesque. And noisy! 

We returned to the trail, and I was afraid that maybe Dan was ready to start back. But he was just as eager to continue as I was. The creek kept luring us deeper into the woods, and the trail kept getting steeper. We were still catching tantalizing glimpses of the creek falling over rocks and ledges, but the trees were just too thick for good pictures. 

Finally, we reached the end of the trail. (The sign said so!) Here we found the source of the creek as the entire side of the hill was weeping with little trickling waterfalls. There was one section of more significance, but even here, it was difficult to frame in the lens. I guess you'll just have to go see it for yourself. 

Bonus: One advantage of hiking in the spring... flowers!

Not Your Typical Yellowstone Tourist

Well, well, well... Drum roll, please! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you my 100th blog post. It is rather fitting, I think, that it is a post about Yellowstone National Park. 

Heart Mountain

Our nephew, Paul, chose to go with us this time. We were excited to go over the Chief Joseph Highway for the first time this year. We were barely in the park before we sighted our first wildlife of the day, a coyote. Actually, I am not sure it couldn't have been a young wolf. Since I was driving, I didn't get a really good look at it, so I can't be dogmatic. 

Our next stop came when the road was lined with photographers. Everyone was looking up on the cliff across the river, so I was hoping for sheep or goats or even a griz. It was, in reality, an osprey nest. Oh well, it was cool to watch the bird come to the nest with a fish. 

We ate our lunch at the end of Slough Creek Road. We've never driven out this short little spur, which was reason enough to do so.

Dan wanted to show Paul Wraith Falls, so that was our next destination. But we got distracted by a big, BIG black bear. (One tour guide told us that it was a black grizzly. That would be neat, but I am not sure that I am convinced.) Eventually, we got to Wraith Falls, where we photographed not only the falls, but also marmots and gophers. 

The climax of the day, perhaps, was at Mammoth. If nothing else, it was the planned destination for the day. I wanted to hike the Beaver Pond Trail and look for elk babies. We started up the trail a bit tentatively (at least Paul and I were tentative), because there was a sign at the trail head saying that a grizzly sow and cubs had been frequenting the area. But after a few minutes, we began to relax and enjoy the solitude. After about a mile, we left the trail to go to an area where we always see elk. (Just to clarify, I finally asked a ranger, and yes, it is okay to leave the trail unless specifically stated otherwise.) We saw probably fifty or more cow elk in small herds, but not one calf! Apparently, we were still a little too early in the spring. 

But that was okay, we were all feeling a bit hungry. As we made our way back to the car, Paul remarked that somehow he knew, coming to Yellowstone with us, that it wouldn't be the "typical tourist" agenda. And he was totally okay with that. 

History on Homestake Creek

On our recent camping trip in Pipestone, we rode ATV's literally all over the place. Amazingly enough, despite riding in this area for the last four years, we still find new roads and new points of interest. On many of our rides, we end up coming out at Homestake Pass. There are, after all, only a very few "civilized" bathrooms along the way! 

One such stop at Homestake Pass last week led us to one of those "undiscovered" spots. We took a cut-off trail from Homestake Pass which came out in the Homestake Creek valley. As we came around a corner, we saw an old building. Stopping to explore was mandatory! The building, though currently in disrepair, was obviously quite a place in its day. There was a large open room in the front with a loft above, as well as a second smaller room and a kitchen in the back. There was also an outhouse and the remains of a stable. 

Not far away, on Camp Caroline Road, we found a sluice and a free-standing chimney. I am not sure if the chimney was built that way intentionally, or if over time, the rest of the building has just disappeared. 

Now my curiosity was aroused. After we got home, I googled the area, but I didn't find much information. What I did find was on Montana.GOV, Department of Environmental Quality. It states:

          "Roby et al (1960) has perhaps the best definition of the district.

'The Homestake District lies along the crest of the Continental Divide,

the boundary of Jefferson and Silver Bow Counties,

approximately 9 miles southeast of Butte...'

The area saw active mining in the early 1900's, 

producing gold and silver from rich, but short and irregular, veins."

While I was unable to definitively identify the specific structures that we found, it was still an enjoyable stop on our day's ride. I am always drawn to these spots that pull one back to a time long ago, and even, in a sense, a place far away. 

Counting my Blessings

We just got home from six days in Pipestone, and I am counting my blessings...

ONE awesome vacation! At some point this week, I commented to Dan, "Who needs Cancun?" Seriously... rather than the stress of airports, agendas, and way too many people, I spent six days relaxing with friends. As Dawn said, "Food, fun, and friends!" We rode 200+ miles without incident, explored historic places, and soaked in the beauty of God's creation. 

TWO refreshing rainstorms. It rained on us on Sunday afternoon, but not for long. It was still a little chilly, but we rode anyway. Starting Monday morning, the weather got progressively nicer all week long. In fact, we all came in from our ride on Thursday with a little pink to our skin. But by late afternoon, we were racing clouds and wind, and just as we got back to the campers, big raindrops started to fall. So we sat in Rick and Dawn's camper playing SkipBo and enjoying the thunder. 

THREE cozy campers. From our windows, we could see the spot where Dan and I pitched our tent the first time we came to Pipestone. It rained on us that night, too. I can't say that I miss tent camping. 

FOUR mountain ranges. Because we came up on Saturday this year (typically we have arrived mid-week), we didn't get "our" spot. We were a little disappointed at first, but our disappointment quickly faded as the day trippers began clearing out and the setting sun lit up the mountain peaks. (Peaks that are not visible from our usual campsite.)

FIVE fabulous friends. As recently as two weeks ago before we left, our group numbered nine. But as it got closer to time to go, others started dropping out. By the time we actually arrived in Pipestone, we were back to our original five. That's okay with us, although we wouldn't mind sharing, either.  

No, THIS way...

SIX animal sightings. We usually don't see a lot of wildlife on this particular outing. (Maybe the machines are too loud or maybe we just aren't paying enough attention.) Sunday morning, Dan photographed two male bluebirds who were far more concerned about fighting with each other than they were about the human. Sunday afternoon, we saw three elk and a whole lot of deer. On Monday, Grif was a lucky man indeed when he spotted a mountain lion! He was, regrettably, the only one lucky enough to see it. Dan was the lucky one on Wednesday when he saw a young moose. He even got a photo to prove it. Of course, the chipmunks entertained us all week. 

SEVEN delicious dinners. We started our vacation with Grif's yummy taco soup. We ate our way through jambalaya, lasagna, steaks, and more. Twice Grif made us apple fritters for breakfast. (It's tradition!) I think I will be spending some quality time with my elliptical next week! 

EIGHT cool creek crossings (and one really nasty one). The creek that we crossed on Sunday was deeper by Wednesday, but it was still my favorite. It was deep enough on Wednesday that it splashed my backside and deposited water in my shoe, even though my feet were up on the front fenders, not in the foot wells. The nasty crossing is a "grin-and-bear-it" means to an end - the bottom of a granite quarry. 

NINE pounds of bacon. Because apparently no one wanted to run out of bacon... 

FIFTY-ONE weeks til next year's trip!