Cedar Mountain - Part 1

A little over a month ago I participated in an annual community hike to the top of Heart Mountain.

Surprisingly I ended up traveling most of the trip with a local school teacher and one other person, and we instantly bonded and enjoyed each others company during the long ascent on that hot Saturday trek.

The school teacher and I have stayed in touch and yesterday decided that we and one of her friends would together tackle Cedar Mountain.

I knew very little about the mountain but can see it from my house and have spent many evenings this past Summer watching the sun slowly set over the top of it until it eventually disappears into the night.

Even though I knew that it would be a very hot day I was looking forward to both the challenge and the adventure of a long walk.

For those who don't want to read further the hike could be summarized this way:

2800 feet of climbing.

Some rocky and dusty trail walking but mostly very steep and continuous gravel road switchbacks.

2 1/4 hours and six miles to the top

1 3/4 hours and six miles back down to the bottom.

Screaming lungs and battling heat exhaustion on the way up and screaming legs and feet (and still battling heat exhaustion) on the way down.

Almost no shade.

Very hot.

All kinds of fun..............

The picture above was taken from the top of Cedar Mountain and looking down over Buffalo Bill Reservoir.

Looking out towards the Northfork and Wapiti and eventually heading towards Yellowstone National Park.

The only thing I could find out about Cedar Mountain before heading out were reviews of Cedar Mountain horse riding stables.

Reading the reviews I knew that the trails would be very rough and rocky.

Trails here in Wyoming are a world apart from what I am used to, having spent so much time on trails in both Tennessee and Alaska.

We veered off and on trails constantly for the first 15 minutes of our trek yesterday trying to find the most expedient way up the mountain, before finally coming to the conclusion that the most direct route was to stay primarily on the gravel roads.

What was so strange about this bush wacking experience (as well as my trail running and mountain bike experiences on BLM land) is that you can always see for miles.

In Tennessee and Alaska you can be five feet from a road and not even know it is there. 

A compass is a must.

You never really lose sight of roads or trails or major landmarks here, so our free-range explorations off and on trails was without risk of getting lost.

Different.  But it certainly makes life easier...............

My two traveling companions yesterday.

Compared to these two ladies I was carrying a heavy pack.

I carried a 44 with me, bear spray, kabar, first aid kit, space blankets, light jacket and hat, headlamp with strobe function, cell phone and camera, in addition to water and food.

I am not certain if they thought it was all overkill but I felt safer bringing it all with me.

A black bear was darted recently within the Cody city limits.

A grizzly bear was hit by a car also recently as it ran across the Belfry Highway.  They believe it was making its way to Heart Mountain.

Grizzly bears are seen all the time in both the Southfork and Northfork.

And truthfully I have done too many races where everything was trucking along just fine until the split second moment when everything wasn't fine anymore.

The climbing began immediately and never let up the entire journey up the mountain..............

Heart Mountain always visible in the Cody landscape.

As usual it seemed to follow us at every turn.

Always a familiar and comforting landmark even though there was little chance to get lost on this particular trip........... 

I have driven along this stretch of highway many many times since we first arrived in town in the early Spring, but have never seen these holes in the ground until yesterday.

You can't see them from the highway and when I asked my companions what they were I was told "cauldrons".

I had no idea we had cauldrons in Cody.............

The scenery was gorgeous and we could see for miles in all directions............... 

If you click on the picture once you can see Newton Lakes (click twice to enlarge even more)..........

My legs didn't bother me on the way up, but by the time we were half way up I began to struggle with the heat.

I would have given my first born child for some shade - if anyone wanted a 6 foot blond haired, blue eyed, married 27 year old son.

Trucking on, loving the views, enjoying the effort, committed to making the top, overheated.

Thankfully we all seemed to be traveling at similar paces and were a well matched threesome, and we all had the same goals...............

There were no hard woods at all.

With no trees in the parking lot at the bottom of Cedar Mountain we gradually found more and more pine trees (Christmas trees) as we continued our climb.................

In the shade along the side of the dirt and gravel roads we had been traveling I found these small and very fragile looking white flowers.

I took a picture of one flower with a bee resting in the center and then moved my camera to another flower.

Surprisingly this camera-hog of a bee again moved to the flower I was taking a picture of.

There were many different kinds of flowers that we saw as we continued to climb - large clusters of small white daisies, and other large clusters of un-named and unknown orange, purple, and red flowers.

Unlike in Juneau where field upon field is completely covered in beautiful wildflowers these were simply in large clusters dotted throughout the hills around us.............

A brief stop to drink increasingly warm water, to take a picture, to stand for a brief moment in the shade (yes shade!) of a pine tree and continuing on.

We were all in good spirits and still climbing................

The landscape around me is already, at the end of July, beginning to turn brown again.

I was told yesterday that usually by this time in July everything is already completely brown.

Green is lasting a little longer this year because of the abundance of snow last Winter and the very wet Spring we had.

Such a short growing season...................

There are two handfuls of radio towers at the very top of Cedar Mountain and (as it turned out) spectacular views of the Northfork and the reservoir.

Before making one last short climb up to the towers I took this picture of my two fellow hikers.

Truthfully between the heat and the schedule of one of my companions we were not certain that we would actually be able to make the top of Cedar Mountain yesterday.

We all wanted to make the top but were flexible enough to commit to turning back if we ran out of time.

Thankfully we did not run out of either time or energy.

More to follow......................

Battle Weary Stallions - Part 2

Poem by Emily Marton
Their Hoofbeats hit the dirt,
With Soft clouds of air puffing from their nostrils,
Grace exceeding their Beauty,
their strides long yet powerful,
With long tangled manes and wiry dense tails flowing,
they have their minds set on the day to come,
to survive the harsh plains,
so beautiful,
yet so cruel.
The young stay close,
minds buzzing
with fluffy tails and high pitched whinnies,
their short strides quicken to keep up with the rush
of yet another move,
never knowing what the day may bring.
but in the soft beating of their hooves,
their Wild spirit will always be pure.
because They are Wild horses................

 

 

As Dawn Approaches
by Mistie Michelle Freeman
As dawn approaches, he is born;
As noon comes, he walks beside his dam.
As the sun sets, he is led back to the herd.
As the moon rises, he beds down beneath her.

At the dawn, he meets his sire.
At the noon, he is at her side to feed.
At the setting of the sun, he lies at rest.
At the rising of the moon, he finds his bed.

At the dawn, he is at morning feed.
At the noon, he races with the wind.
At the setting of the sun, he tires from play.
At the rising of the moon, he says his nightly prayers.

As dawn approaches, he looks toward the rising sun.
At the noon, he leads his band to water.
As the sun sets, he watches as his mares bed down.
At the rising of the moon, he keeps close watch over the band.

As dawn approaches, he gets older.
As noon comes, he gets weary.
As the sun sets, he leaves his band to the worthy colt, now a stallion.
As the moon rises, he beds down one final time....................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wild Heart
By Lacy Priest

Her pounding hooves barely touched the ground,
If she escapes, she'll never be found.
The men's ropes are twirling, now flying throuth the air,
Waiting to tighten 'round the neck of the mare.

She sees it and cuts to the right,
While the riders draw empty ropes back up tight.
The men's horses are tiring, but she's fresh as a breeze.
"She's drawing away," whispers the wind in the trees.

Through the canyon, up the hill,
"The men are beaten; she's safe"; the cardinals thrill!
She'll never know bridle, blanket, nor saddle,
And she won't ever help cowboys round up the cattle.

'Cause she's a wild one by name and by mark,
The cowboys all round here call her The Wild Heart.
Now that's the tale of the sorrel mare that never got roped,
Because she evaded all the cowboys with her powerful 'lope..............

 Running Free
by Lindsey L Porubovich
The wind whips through my mane like cold fire.
I gallop across the earth with nothing in my mind but freedom.
I am free and I am wild.
I cannot be tamed.
My breath is beginning to get shallow
I’ve been running for so long.
My pace is still the same
The solid rhythm turns to hollow thuds.
I leap over the brush to escape
The beast is after me.
I was born here and I know the land well
I can out run any predator without misplacing a step,
But this time is different and change makes my heart skip a beat.
This beast is mounted on a brother and is coming fast.
I slowly start to here an echoing to my foot steps.
My muscles strain and my lungs gasp for breath.
I make one last attempt.
Suddenly I have new found strength and I surge ahead.
I turn and weave and follow secret paths,
Until I am out of breath, out of site.
A shudder racks my body as I walk towards a pool of water
I drink deeply and when I’m satisfied, I face my fears.
That was close.
I have known life this way all along.
I cannot bear to think of what my life would be like
Without running free..................

 

 

 

 

 

Wild Mustangs by Lydia Bekkala

Mustangs roam wild and free
Necks arched, and tails held high
These spirited creatures always show their pride
Bucking and biting they play and fight
Gorgeous to our eyes these horses roam the night
Silent and strong they run like the wind
Calling their names......................

 

FIRSTBORN
by Hailey Casati

This is the story
of the firstborn stud
who was a gift of the gods
and his mother's blood

The time had come
spring arrived
snow drifts melted
Christmas aside.
A golden mare
with creamy mane
waited for just that miracle
to come again.
She lay down soft
the just-green grass
with purple flowers
and dew-made glass
The others waited
breath-taken awe
a sea of color
in wisps of straw.

Finally the golden mare
lifted her head
and gasped for air.
Moments later she rose upright
and reached down
in pure delight.

There was a child
as plain as could be
just like his mother
but black at the knees
his head was small
his eyes spaced wide
he lurched to his feet
with ever-gaining stride.
The rest of the herd
neighed in greeting
as his first steps
were ever fleeting.

This is the tale
of the first-born stud
who was a gift of the gods
and his mother's blood.......................

 

 

 

 Poem by Lacie Marie Wiese
If you follow the river around the bend
Where the rainbow ends and life begins
You'll find a mighty stallion
The sire of a heavenly band

He's red like the fire
That burns within
And white like the pure soul
Confined in him

He belongs to no one
Nor ever will
But you can hear the thunder of his hooves
Then all is still

Does this wonderous horse
Live only in dreams?
Or maybe in the bright sun
As it beams

Or maybe just maybe
He lives in our hearts
Forever and ever
Never to part

Unless we can release him
And set him free
Then this stallion of dreams
Will always be.........................

 

 

 There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man........Winston Churchill

 The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire..........Sharon Ralls Lemon