Small Obstacles Big Hurdles

The act of hiking allows an individual to enjoy amazing scenery that is unattainable by driving on back-roads.  Don’t get me wrong, driving on back-roads can satisfy the tantalizing craving created by part-taking in life’s daily monotony.  Though, unattainable scenery is breath-taking and it does not come without a price.  Hiking a straight up vertical to assist my hubby with retrieving Larry’s elk head from last year’s season, I begin to morph into Wile E. Coyote.  With all fours clasping onto the tree trunk I was attempting to climb over, I notice that Mother Nature humorously placed not just this one trunk to climb over BUT she placed them ALL over the side of the mountain at various angles and at various pile sizes!  I slowly crawl across the slope as my husband gingerly skips from one tree-trunk pile to the next.  It is at this point that I realize this has been the first time that I have crawled sober!  Mark another one off of my bucket list.

Half way up the straight up vertical, we find Larry’s elk.  What a beauty!

Larry's harvest last fall!  Too darn steep to bring the head with the body.

Before heading back down, we paused to take in the beautiful country that appears at the tip of our noses, literally.  The smell of freshness is absolutely amazing.  I determine that it is definitely the combination of the scenery and the sound of the rushing river at the bottom of the canyon that is icing on the cake. 

Soaking in the beauty AND resting

After many minutes of rest, we decide to head back to the other side of the canyon so we can join the girls and Soda, who were unable to continue the climb after crossing the river below.  One step; or should I say one WRONG step and descending from the climb becomes a rapid butt-ride on dirt with a mother-nature-enema!

I’d like to say that was the best part of the trip!  But, who am I kidding; our girls are some of the most comical young adults we know.  Joining the girls and Soda, our youngest asks if there are cinnamon bears.  Jimmy sadly informs her that he didn’t pack any.  Usually both Jimmy and our “little Jimmy” (youngest daughter) have the same ideas/thoughts, but with a befuddled look on her face, she looks at me to assist her for clarity in his response to her question.  Uncontrollably giggling, I inform him that she isn’t asking for cinnamon bears-the candy, but if there is cinnamon bears-the color in the area.  Oh there is more…our oldest!

In the fall, our oldest will begin the next step of her future to enter the medical world to seek a career as a neurologist.  As we were preparing the morning of the 5 mile hike with a stretch of obstacle courses, we dressed in our hiking attire.  Jimmy and I were sitting on the couch in our camper putting on our hiking boots.  Jimmy asks me to hand him the gaiters.  Our oldest is quite intrigued by the attire Jimmy puts on, points to the items, and asks him, “Are those circulatory enhancers?”  Jimmy and I quietly look at each other and then look down at his boots.  I inform her they are gaiters.  Our youngest joins the conversation with, “We don’t have gators in Wyoming!”

Wyoming Gaiters! They really do exist! 

Crossing the river and making our ascent onto the other side of the mountain, we are able to return to our original hiking destination and towards the area where our truck has been parked for a number of hours.  Of course as we walk back to our truck, I begin to notice how Jimmy and Madison do not have to climb over many of the tree trunks, if any at all, like Bailey and I.  It is like an episode from the classic, Laff-A-Lympics with commentator Snaggle Puss stating, " Welcome to Laff-A-Lympics with The Scooby Doobies and The Really Rottens gather on the field.  Exit stage left!"  <Boing>

Laff-A-Lympics-small obstacles big hurdles

The Scooby Doobies (our oldest and I) vs. The Really Rottens (our youngest and Jimmy) are all at the starting line… you know The Really Rottens cheat.  Otherwise, they would also have to hug on the fallen tree trunks while scooting across them rather than skipping leisurely from one to the next like one of Mother-Nature’s, Northeastern or Southeastern flying squirrels.  Only in The Really Rottens' case, the first, observation, potentially non-existent of its kind in the Rocky Mountains; sort of like the Sasquatch!

Northeastern or Southeaster Flying Squirrel

          Larry’s pretty lucky, retrieving his harvest skull from last year cost him one Happy Hour-Soda, Coke, from Sonic!  I am never going to tell him that we, meaning me, would have done it for nothing more than the Mlinars’ gain of another long-lasting family memory; interesting discussions that could solve our world’s problems; observations of wildlife; insurmountable wild foliage; beautiful scenery; as well as the free Mother-Nature’s enema!