The Heart of the Rockies

Five years ago a good friend drew a coveted sheep tag for one of the remotest locations in the lower 48.  Deep in the heart of the Absoraka range in west central Wyoming, the country is rugged, steep and inaccessible except through miles of backpacking or horse packing.  I accompanied him once that year and fell in love with the views.  We've been back every year since in what has become an annual test of strength, endurance and overall physical fitness.  It is a love/hate relationship as I love the views and the sense of accomplishment after climbing the next 11,000'+ ridge, but my body hates the non stop stair climbing of over 3000'+ vertical feet to achieve such.

After finishing a busy month of June filled with weddings, I looked forward with great anticipation to this trip.  Laden with 40 pounds of backpacking gear and 20 additional pounds of photo equipment, we (myself and 3 others) began our trip on July 18th, my birthday.  It was a great present to myself.

A great sense of awe fills me with wonder as I stand atop some ridges, watching grizzly bears work shale slopes for moths (they eat as many as 40,000 a day at 1/2 calorie per moth), observing huge herds of elk (200+) swarm across distant grassy meadows, pondering wolf tracks the size of saucers stamped into muddy trails and glimpsing Bighorn sheep tight roping across sheer rock faces, defying both logic and gravity.  I watch it all and marvel, for despite some doubters who put great faith in unintelligent life and its ability to evolve into such distinct and diverse life forms from nothing, I choose to believe in a much greater, much more intelligent designer.  Only God could design such intricacy and grandeur.  His signature can easily be seen in these images of His creation below.