In The Shadow of Longs Peak
24 August 2018
A hike around Sibley Lake
Bighorn National Forest
18 August 2018 to 24 August 2018
Another annual outing with my daughter Kari. We met just off the Ranchester Exit on I-25 / I-90; For our first night we stayed at Tie Flume campsite but could not stay the whole week in that site so the next day moved to an open site at Sibley Lake.
19 August 2018
Medicine Wheel:
The last time I came here was in 2007 on my way to visit Kari when she first moved to Seattle from San Juan Island. At that time, you could drive almost to the site. Today, we park below and walk a mile or so to the actual site and it really is a nice walk.
This from the National Forest Service Website
The Medicine Wheel is located in the Bighorn National Forest on the western peak of Medicine Mountain at an elevation of 9642 feet in the Bighorn Range east of Lovell, Wyoming. The 75-foot diameter Medicine Wheel is a roughly circular alignment of rocks and associated cairns enclosing 28 radial rows of rock extending out from a central cairn. This feature is part of a much larger complex of interrelated archeological sites and traditional use areas that express 7000 years of Native American adaptation to and use of the alpine landscape that surrounds Medicine Mountain. Numerous contemporary American Indian traditional use areas and features, including ceremonial staging areas, medicinal and ceremonial plant gathering areas, sweat lodge sites, altars, offering locales and fasting (vision quest) enclosures, can be found nearby. Ethnohistoric, ethnographic, and archeological evidence demonstrates that the Medicine Wheel and the surrounding landscape constitute one of the most important and well preserved ancient Native American sacred site complexes in North America. The Bighorn Medicine Wheel is considered the type site for medicine wheels in North America. Between 70 and 150 wheels have been identified in South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.
21 August 2018
Today we drove down to the Shell Creek overlook and then on to see the Dinosaur Tracks
Shell Falls:
To get to Shell Falls, we drive about 10 miles south on Hwy 14 from the Tie Flume camp.
Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite:
Continue south on US Highway 14 the Red Gulch/Alkali National Back Country Byway turnoff which is about 4 miles west of the town of Shell . Head south on the Byway approximately five miles.
22 August 2018
Today, we did 2 hikes, the first to the Bucking Mule Falls overlook and the second to Porcupine Falls. The trail down to Porcupine Falls was steep but quite civilized. Then back to camp for an icy cold dip in Sibley Lake. Brrr!
The below descriptions are from the forest service website
Bucking Mule Falls:
This is about 15 miles west on Hwy 14-A, so from Tie Flume we would go back to hwy 14, then east (north) to the 14 A junction, then west. Turn north on FSR 14, follow the signs..
Bucking Mule Falls is a 4.7 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Kane, Wyoming that features a waterfall. The trail is rated as moderate and primarily used for hiking and trail running. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
Porcupine Falls:
This is about 15 miles west on Hwy 14-A, so from Tie Flume we would go back to hwy 14, then east (north) to the 14 A junction, then west.
Turn north on FSR 14 for 10 miles to FSR 146. Trailhead is at the end of FSR 146.
Porcupine Falls Trail is a 0.8 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Lovell, Wyoming that features a waterfall and is rated as difficult. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is best used from May until September. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
The Porcupine Falls trail begins at the parking lot and descends 440ft down to the falls below. Although this trail does have 90+ stairs built into it, the remainder of the trail is very steep and requires caution during descending and ascending. The views at the bottom, however, are worth it.
23 August 2018
Our destinations today: Medicine Lodge Petroglyph site is near Hyattville to see petroglyphs and pictographs, the second to a really cool geologic area named Devil's Kitchen east of Greybull and north of Hwy 14.