Boots, Buffalo and Bear! (and other adventures)

We had a pretty eventful few days with DD and her BF visiting. They arrived around noon on Thursday. After we had some lunch we decided to drive to the city so DH and I could get something better to wear on our feet for hiking around. We both got some nice hiking boots from Sportsman's Warehouse. He got some Merrell's and I got some Vasque's. Not cheap, but not the most expensive one's either. I wouldn't even let DH try the $400 ones on!

On the way back home we veered off and stopped in to check out the "historic ranger station" sign we always see on the freeway. It was kind of  a neat place and the lady in the "museum" part of it was full of info and probably glad to have someone stop by to tell it to, LOL.  DH had asked her if the fire lookout tower was still around/active and she said yes and pointed it out - about 8 miles away and said you could drive up there from the other side. We got back to town and decided to have dinner at the restaurant, since it was already 5 o'clock and making dinner would have taken me an hour.  That evening we watched a movie (The Accountant) and just visited.

Friday we headed over to do a drive through a Bison range. DH loves buffalo and this is a drive we've been planning to take at some point, There is about an 18 mile drive through the range. Saw the bison here and there and got up near the top and decided to do the 1/2 mile (each way) walking trail.

We start out on the walking trail going up to a lookout area, still in view of the trailhead. DH and BF were ahead of DD and I a bit. Two other guys were coming down the trail and just as they pass DD and I, they say "there's a bear" We turned around and said "what?" and they pointed up on the hill behind us, a bear making it's way down. I turn around and yell ahead to the guys to get back here. The six of us are just standing on the trail path area, not sure what to do. The bear finally comes down and crosses the path and we think it's going to head down into the draw but it stops and starts paralleling the path towards us. We all back up a bit. The bear is just busy turning over rocks, looking for food, not seeming to pay much attention to us. At that point he was only about 40 ft from us. Then he kind of gets behind a big bush next to the path ahead and we can't see him. We all decided to walk up the hill area above us and over and come back down on the path on the other side of the bear and closer to our vehicles.  As we got back down on the path the bear stood up behind the bush and looked at all of us. We just got ourselves back to the trailhead and our cars! We had actually bought bear spray when we got our hiking boots. Thankfully we didn't need to try it out.

That was quite the excitement for the day! We all got video of it too, though DD's video turned out the best. My phone camera seems to be going bad and I don't get very good photos or video's anymore. We finished the drive through the range, saw some deer, elk and antelope. Stopped at the little burger joint in the town next to us on the way home for burgers and milkshakes (yay, I didn't have to cook again. LOL). Spent most of the evening talking about the bear and sharing it on Facebook, haha.

Saturday we decided to take a drive and do a little hiking. DH decided to head up the road to the fire lookout. What a beautiful drive up this valley of huge homes on big spreads. Lush and green fields and wooded in some areas. One home was huge 3 stories. DH looked it up online when we got home. I said it had to be over 10,000 sf. It was more like 16,000! Then we get on the switchback logging road up and up (I really hate those roads LOL). The first sign before we started going up said 15 miles. Then we passed one that said 8 more miles. Then we went up some more and came to a locked gate. Are you kidding me?! All that way and then we can't get up the last few miles? Welp, let's hike it then. DH and BF estimated we had 2 more miles to go. It was a brutal 2 miles for me, since it was all pretty steep uphill. We went up 1000 ft in 2 miles. DH had been up ahead and was standing up on this little ridge. We climbed up and OMG. You could like see forever it seemed, with a 360 degree view.

Then DH says, don't look over there......but that's where the lookout station is....it was clear across another little ridge and UP! I said no way. I'm done. Still gotta hike back 2 miles and I can't do anymore. They estimated it was 3/4 mile (and it was) and it was another 500 ft up. DD and I took the bear spray (DH also had a gun) and started the 2 mile hike back to the car and let the guys go up to the lookout tower. It was much easier going down, that's for sure. It took us 40 minutes to get back to the car and we had our lunch and just rested. About same time we got back to the car the guys got to the lookout tower (cell service was working) and then they headed back to us and got there an hour later.

SOOO tired after all that. It's Monday night and I'm still sore and tired. I'm really glad I decided to take today off, too. DD and BF headed back home Sunday morning, so I've spent the last 2 days just resting, napping and reading. I've had enough excitement and adventure for awhile.