I recently spent most of a vacation visiting some of America’s wild places. This trip took a friend (Doc) and I out of our comfort zones and out of range of quick assistance. It was a good model for some of the situations for which we prep. Below are some pictures and (in italics) stories of the trip, plus related thoughts.
All photos are by Spice (except, of course, the one of Spice… that one’s by Doc).
Vacation in Wild Country
This is the sort of place we were spending our time this vacation. This time of year, it’s warm during the day but still a touch of frost some mornings. Weather is unpredictable and wild: We had unforecasted thunderstorms, hail, and windstorms about half the days. In early August there are lots of berries and abundant game. There is also wildlife that (very occasionally) kills people, and plenty of other natural hazards.
Death attracts company
Eight miles from the nearest road across the rolling plains and up on the plateau of Mt Mary, one comes across a very small, dried up waterhole, with this old guy. The only parts left are those too heavy for wolves to carry off, and their teeth marks show where they tested the matter.
A lot of people imagine they’re going to run off to the wild woods to survive if things get awful. (You can find what Salty and I think about that here.) If you do kill big game, keep in mind you won’t be the only one interested. Big game kills attract every meat-eater in the region, from crows to grizzlies and wolves. The bigger predators often steal prey from the smaller. They might consider you ‘the smaller’. I wouldn’t sleep anywhere near a carcass when there are big predators around.
Into the wild
I’ve had people wonder why I’d willingly spend my vacation walking so far…. This.
The wild looks so beautiful and inviting in these pictures… because when the weather turned south I tucked the camera in the waterproof pack. If you’re going to be out away from human habitations though, you’ve got to keep the natural hazards in mind.
If there’s lightning in the area, avoid exposed high places … and have a plan if lightning sparks fires. Expect to get wet and have a way to keep that from leading to hypothermia, especially if you must be out at night. Hypothermia kills more people than drowning around mountain lakes and streams. If there’s rain anywhere in your watershed and you’re in a tight canyon, flash floods are a real risk. Avalanches are common in the mountains. You get the picture: Think about the natural hazards of the region you’re in and plan for them.
Water Water everywhere (thank goodness I brought my filter)
A view of the little warm creek that winds through Hayden Valley. Bison clearly congregate there when it gets cold, as many game trails lead to it (and it is rich in bison dirt). Fortunately, should some hiker mistake a crust over bison mud for dry ground and fall through up to her calves, there’s a nice warm spring to wash off in while her partner recovers from the good laugh.
One trick seriously lightened our load each day hiking in the wild without reducing our safety. We assessed what *reliable* water sources were along the way and carried enough to get there, plus some reserve, but not enough for the whole day’s walk. Each of us had a filtering water bottle that we used freely. Every ounce counts when you’re hoofing it, but water’s critical; this approach was a good compromise.
There are lots of suitable bottle choices This one has worked well for me. (We have no financial stake in any of the products.)
Don’t mess with the bull, he can get real mean
We were on the trail between the giant hill and the river…but Why was such a wide bison trail going up such a steep hill? We had to know.
Bison don’t do switchbacks, and it was a tall hill at 45 degrees; so it was a tough climb, but there had to be something fascinating up there, right?
Bison apparently just like a great view. The view was awe-inspiring; the rest of the hilltop just lichens, rocks, a few plants. Poop from bison, elk, mountain goats, three shed elk antlers, and a gnawed old bone.
We enjoyed the view and a snack, but the looming blackness behind made us hustle down and put the rain covers on the packs. We assure each other if we really hoof it we can probably beat the storm back to the car.
Ten steps steps farther and we can see the creek crossing. There’s a bull bison there. He rumbles deep in his chest, and I *swear* it sounds like he’s chuckling.
Bison kill more tourists than bears do in Yellowstone, but only when the tourists do stupid. So we head east to another crossing. The bison shadows us, staying between us and the creek.
We go further upstream, and the bison doesn’t follow. Probably because when we approach the lip to climb down to the water, we hear a bison chuckling below us. Another bull. Well.
We go back downstream, and eventually they tire of the game and let us cross. As we head across the plains to the car, the hail starts…
That hill of 7,746 ft, unnamed on the map, now has a name. Bison’s Joke.
The big carnivores are scarier, but the big herbivores kill more humans. Cattle, bison, hippos … don’t encroach too much. In fact, giving all wildlife you don’t mean to kill and eat a civil distance is the best plan.
Badgers? BADGERS? We don’t need no stinkin’ BADGERS!!!!
Lemonade can taste pretty good… We got up at 5 am to get to Lamar Valley around sunrise, because that was the best time/place to see wolves, they said. A thick fog resolved into a dark and cloudy morning. It was chilly, and the wolves and most of the other wildlife stayed tucked in. Badgers, though, are nocturnal. Our chosen perch with the spotting scope happened to be adjacent to a badger den. Pappa wandered in about 6:30 am. Momma came out of the den, gave him what for, and he started foraging. It’s true: Badger don’t care. Didn’t care about us. Climbed our hill and started foraging fifteen feet from us. He and Momma both kept us occupied watching the Badger Mission for over an hour.
I confess, I put this one in there just because I liked the badgers. But let’s see, a prepping moral to the story … remember to pay attention to what’s there, not what you thought would be there. Also, enjoy what you get. Might as well, we only walk this road once.
Rocky Mountain High (in Wyoming, though)
Paintbrush Canyon. You (or I) might think a ‘canyon’ wouldn’t reach so high into the sky; but they do when heading for a pass. You’ll have to imagine the soundtrack of pikas chirping their outrage at our intrusion.
This picture shows why I carry a SAM splint when I hike, and a wrap with which to attach it. It’s also why I’m very careful about foot placements. Far from help in wild or bad terrain is not a place you want an injury. It might happen anyway, so doing all you can to stay mobile and not make it worse is important too.
That’s snow, not sand. Really.
My companion and I made the day of a Chinese woman and her daughter when we vindicated their belief that those white patches were actually snow. Father believed they must be sand, as surely there would not be snow so near us while we hiked comfortably in shorts.
Is it easy to laugh at the Chinese tourists? Sure. Truth is though, they were not stupid people, just far out of their element in the wild mountains. Extreme circumstances can put any of us far out of our elements. That’s fun on vacation. It can also be dangerous. We have to keep in mind that we don’t know every danged thing. Overconfidence can get you killed.