trailer running: flame in the gorge , and ashley's forest .... take me back to green river

After a 2 great days (and runs ) in Buffalo , the Bobster and I said adios to the Bighorns, blew off the Tetons, and headed on down to Flaming Gorge and Dinosaur National Monument . It was a bummer to miss the Tetons but the weather was skanky in western Wyoming … it just looked like it was going to be cold and wet…. and I am really starting to itch for some heat .

Gate !

View out my back window

(Quick, useless, but interesting fact …. Buffalo has a small Basque population that dates back to sheep herders that came because the elevation and climate are similar to the Pyrenees . You can still see their wagons . And hear their music.)

http://www.prx.org/pieces/46962

He has gone to Flaming Gorge you say ??? No not Flaming George . The Gorge ! ( The Green River extension of the Grand Canyon and Colorado River System )…its surrounded by layers and layers of brilliantly red sandstone . The whacked state of Utah and the Ashley National forest have done a great job of finessing at least 40 to 50 small campgrounds in amongst the trails & vistas . Not to mention plenty of marked " dispersed camping " sites . The "f" word . Free.

View from the trail

http://www.utah.com/nationalsites/flaming_gorge.htm

http://www.flaminggorgecountry.com/media/uploads/files/RedCanyonRim.jpg

thursday - Aug 21

My day

Last nights rain stopped . Ready for a trail jog . Not too much . Not too fast . We are at 7200 feet and I need to take it slow …. its going to be a jog . I am running about 7 miles from my camp at Green Lake on the canyon rim trail ... Took some great photos . Saw lots of bighorns . Yakked for a bit to the volunteer at the the Red Canyon Visitor center ( my turn around point ) .


it goes on and on

Aspen stand before the center


View from Red Canyon Visitor Center

I get halfway back and turn an ankle . Ouch . Turned it enough that now I gotta walk back . And within 30 seconds I blunder into a mountain lion attempting to run down a bighorn !


BigHorns ... double click

I am less than 20 yards away . For some reason I decide to try and take a picture . The lion immediately sees me . We both stop . I try to look as big as possible …. and know enough not to run …. even if I could ! In the process of waiting him out and slowly moving away I miss the turnoff for my trail back to the camp . After about a half mile I realize I am going the wrong way . So I in addition to spraining the ankle now I have to walk an extra mile on it . And the rub .... the ranger I told this story to was .... incredulous.

Before I left , I visited the original homestead here, from back in the day . It has an amazing history ( Kennedy stayed here ) , and if you want to know more .... email me