This year instead of celebrating the 4th of in our usual style with barbecues, parades, and fireworks Jake and I headed to the Bighorn National Forest for a car camping adventure with friends. With no clearly defined plans we settled into our campsite on the evening of the 4th and pondered what to do.
It quickly became apparent that the sunset was going to be better than any fireworks show and that we needed to head to a high point to soak up the last rays of the day. Off to the Medicine Wheel we headed. This ancient spiritual place with a mountain top view of the western Wyoming sky, was a perfect place to bask in the alpenglow. As we pulled into the parking lot the last cars were pulling out, leaving the site to ourselves. Amazing on any day but especially awesome on the 4th of July and mother nature did not disappoint. It was perfect sunset to celebrate America’s birthday.
The next morning found us chilling in camp but the hummingbird sized mosquitos quickly convinced us that it was time to get moving. Our pre-trip planning had been a little lax but we knew there were two pretty cool waterfalls in the area that Jake and I had never visited. Our other friend Jenny is new to the area and was up for any adventure so we decided to start with a visit to Porcupine Falls.
The short but stout climb down to and back out of the falls was a great way to get the blood pumping. As promised, Porcupine Falls was beautiful and the pool at the bottom beckoned on the warm morning. After hiking through snow on the way to the Medicine Wheel the night before I knew the water would be bone-chilling and decided to just stick with wading. Smart choice! It only took a minute or two for my feet to turn blue and made me wonder what the rest of me would have looked like.
After visiting one really cool waterfall we decided to hike to the overlook for Bucking Mule Falls, which has a drop nearly twice as high as Porcupine Falls. A smooth, winding trail through the lodgepole pines and purple lupines took us the longish two miles out to the airy pinnacle that rewards you for your efforts. The viewing platform is not for the faint of heart or those scared of heights. I was very glad it was not a windy day for our visit.
While the falls were beautiful it was the stunning red rock canyon to the northwest that took my breath away. Since we visited during mid-day the photos don’t do this place justice. I can only imagine how stunning this canyon would be at sunset.
Of course no camping trip would be normal without some sort of kink to make it memorable and this trip was no exception. Jake and I had made a last minute decision to switch the mattress in the back our pick-up. Since it came highly recommended we didn’t worry that it might not be enough padding. Oops! I’m convinced that sleeping on a granite boulder would have been more comfortable. And since we usually visit the Bighorns in winter, it never occurred to us that a the swarm of mosquitos would rival that of northern Minnesota and DEET would be essential. After two “hard” nights and enough mosquito bites to look like chicken-pox victims we decided it was time to head home. We had a few good laughs over our slight misadventures as we rolled back east across the Wyoming prairie. It had been a great 4th of July and one we won’t forget soon!
What did you do to celebrate the 4th this year?