Visions of Big Horn Sheep

Umtanum Canyon, 5/10/08, 5 miles, 1500 ft elevation

Today was the day we were supposed to climb Mt St Helens with our friends. But after last week's reconnaissance trip and finding far too much snow with the added danger of weekend rains, Michael and I decided to instead head eastward to the Yakima Canyon and the fabled wildflowers of Umtanum.

I had on several occasions read about the variety of wildflowers that could be found on the hills surrounding the canyon but never found myself among them. And as snow and rain fell on the Cascades, I couldn't think of a better place to hike than east of all that weather. Plus, with Michael taking the Mountaineers' Naturalist Class, it would be an opportune time for him to practice some plant identification.

The dogs were a little more then excited as we made our way under shrouded skies and were a bit much to handle as we stopped to look at each new plant and discuss the characteristics, so we let go of the leashes to let them wander along the trail ahead of us. We hadn't seen many people on the trail and actually hadn't seen anyone for at least 30 minutes as the pups sniffed here and there and played in the mud.

We had been following a little trickle of a creek up the canyon and stopped at one of the crossings to rest a little and giggle as the dogs laid in the stream soaking the cooling mud and water into their fur. Then Michael, ever so quietly, got my attention. "Honey? Look up the hill. Tell me if you see what I'm seeing." Sure enough, there standing above us, were 8-10 Bighorn ewes, evaluating the safety of coming down for a drink.

I rattled a few images off before we continued on, making room for the ewes at the stream. A little ways up the trail, I decided to circle back and take a few more pictures of them at the stream, but they had completely disappeared. They weren't at the creek and when I climbed to the top of the ridge they were nowhere to be seen on either side. Had our few minutes been a illusion? Without the pictures we really wouldn't be able to tell.