Day 11: Read it and... sheep?

Yellowstone National Park

Despite the initial fear of a grizzly attack, I slept quite well at Canyon Campground. The night was brisk, much preferred to the sauna grade heat we experienced in Badlands National Park. We got up early, ate a quick breakfast of Cliff bars, and headed off to hike Mount Washburn.

While the trail was listed as “strenuous” in our park guidebook, Carl and I found the hike easy and reached the summit in just over an hour. Atop Mount Washburn is one of Yellowstone’s three manned fire towers. As soon as the snow melts, a ranger is assigned to each of the towers and lives there for the duration of the summer. It might seem dull to watch for forest fire day and night but the view is spectacular.

Carl & Drew at the summit of Mt. Washburn

Just minutes after beginning the descent, we were stopped in our tracks. Off the trail was a family of Bighorn sheep. Four babes followed their mother up a slope far too treacherous for any hiker, and then posed for a photo shoot. It’s neat how park wildlife will get up close and personal. We put the cameras away and continued on.

Baby Bighorn climbing Mt. Washburn

However, right when we turned the corner, we were stopped in our tracks… again! And this time literally. Marching towards us was herd of about twenty Bighorn. Some Canadians we met on the hike up had the bright idea to climb up a nearby slope and let the herd pass. We joined them while most hikers backed up to the nearest junction. One by one the herd walked by but not before we snapped some awesome photos.

Carl and the Canadians avoiding the stampede 

Next, we grabbed lunch near Tower Falls and prepared ourselves for the afternoon activity: horseback riding. Carl was already a professional since he had ridden horses with his family in Montana. Still, it was new to me. We drove to the Canyon Corral early, signed our lives away, and waited for the tour to begin.

Somehow the wrangler completed his safety briefing in less than 30 seconds so Carl and I didn’t wait long to meet our horses. I was given Sneezy and Carl was given Dandy. Right from the get-go, I knew mine would be trouble. The wrangler had to drag Sneezy to me by his lead rope. The horse could tell I was a novice. We saddled up and were on our way.

Drew, Sneezy, Carl & Dandy at the Canyon Corral

The two wranglers led our group down a trail through the backcountry. You’ll find the main roads in Yellowstone can get pretty crowded. It was nice to see a more secluded area of the park. Aside our regular snack break (my horse kept trying to eat flowers), the ride went smoothly. For me and Carl, that is. Another guy nearly fell off his horse. To his defense, our saddles did slide around a lot. The horses were round and admittedly overfed.

We got back to the corral, said goodbye to Sneezy and Dandy, and left for West Yellowstone KOA. To our surprise, the campgrounds were pristine. We set up our tent and went downtown for dinner. After a solid dinner at Pete’s Rocky Mountain Pizza, we explored the town and set out to find a spot to watch fireworks. Happy Fourth of July! West Yellowstone put on quite a show.

Carl at the West Yellowstone KOA