the absarokas in western wyoming. some of the most remote and spectacular mountains in the country. the purpose of the trip? to scout for big horn sheep. not easy. they live on jagged perches 10,000 feet up, and more, they re like ghosts, there for a fleeting moment, then gone again. inhospitable country. it s steep. it s rugged. it s all rock. base camp was 9,000 feet up in an abandoned mining town called kirwin. on the first day, august 19th, they saw five grizzly bears. it puts that eerie feeling in your body, makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck, you know. josh brought his horses duke, the palomino, and dirty devil, or double d, the stubborn one. the next day was august 20th, the very same day mckenzie morgan set off from laurel, montana on her first solo cross country flight. nate and josh were picking their way up a rocky pathway to
happened. then i could see some movement at the plane. was it a person, an animal? too far away to see. he couldn t just hurry over. he had a sprained ankle, an injured horse. and to get to that crumpled plane, he d have to go down first, a steep slippery slope. i had to walk the horse all the way down to the bottom, sinking in up to its knees in the dirt and rock. carefully, he coaxed the limping double d toward the plane. down all the switchbacks and then bail off the trail and go down to the creek. he followed the creek bed. and then, as he worked his way toward the plane, something caught his eye. and he looked up, and saw in the distance a girl walking in the creek. what was that like to see? it was a surprise. it was a shock.
greybull pass, elevation 12,500. double d didn t like it, tried to turn and go home and, in his thrashing, slipped and tumbled down the rocky slope, dragging josh with him. i couldn t get kicked out of the stirrups fast enough. he went over, smashed my ankle, and tore up his front leg also. the horse cut its leg. josh sprained his ankle. but, give up, go home? no, way too tough for that. even though you re hurt like crazy and your horse is injured, why? had to see what s on the other side. didn t ride all that way for nothing. so they pushed on, about 300 yards to the top. miles and miles of vast isolation around them. in an average year, said park rangers, only one or two human beings ever sets foot up here. it was very windy. when we got on the top of that
in one of those sweet spots. a place most of us will never see. the absorcas in western wyoming, some of the most remote mountains in the country. the purpose of the trip, scout for big horned sheep. not easy. they live on jagged perches 10,000 feet up and more. they are like ghosts. there for a fleeting moment, then gone again. inhospitable country. it s steep, it s rugged. it s all rug. base camp was 9,000 feet up in an abandoned mining town called kirwin. august 19th, they saw five grizzly bears. makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck. you know? josh brought his horses, duke and dirty devil or double d, the stubborn one. the next day was august 20th. the very same day mckenzie morgan set off from laurel, montana, on her first solo cross country flight. nate and josh were picking their way up a rocky pathway to