Beaver Pond Freeze Up

After working over a month at Lake Lodge, we closed it down for the winter, deep cleaned and moved. I had a serious reality check. It was snowing, blowing and DAmmmmmm cold. I proceeded to place an order for two sets of polar fleece base layer wear.

Using my own gear on hand, I layered up and took a nice hike up on the Beaver Pond trail. Its about 5 miles, nice steep climb, some ponds, some pines, no tourists. Not until I rounded a bend and found some guy holding a nice antler. Humm, do I tell him he can't keep it?

I didn't say nothing. The woman asked me if I knew where the Indian Wikiup was. I shook my head, no, kept hiking, thinking, even if I did I probably wouldn't say much. Would they try to take a souvenir home with them.

The colors now are fantastic. The blue lakes and ponds so blue, the drying flowers and vegetation so vibrant. Many seasonal workers have gone home for the winter. Some swearing to god they will never come back. Others say they will be back, it was a great experience.

I have been hired to work the Man Camp, cooking for construction workers up at Lake Hotel. It will be quite a winter, snowed in, living at nearly 8,000 feet. I'll be there until May 2013.

I will be buying skis, bringing up a box of books to read, my computer to write book 4 of the River Survival Series. I love cooking and the outdoors. Seems like a good fit.

Mystery Antlers Defy Reason

While hiking along Yellowstone River Trail on an 18 mile day hike, my friend showed me a tree that apparently has swallowed a massive elk antler. Now, we have proposed several theories:

 

How did this antler get stuck in this evergreen tree, and when did it happen, 50 years ago, my guess.

 

The big picture is worth a thousand words, just for the surrounding scenery alone.

 

This is not a piece of modern art. Its the tip of the antler, and the colors are enhanced.

 

Yesterday I did a 16 mile hike along Lava Creek trail, heading to Blacktail Creek Trail head. Half of it became a bushwhack of sorts. I came across an entire Elk skeleton, a ten point rack, head, spine and legs. I figure it was a griz feed. Wolves would have scattered the bones.

 

I hike alone, carry bear spray, write poems aloud, and basically scare off all but the bravest of badgers. They are mean enough!