Written by: Karen Howington
The day started out quite normally. I did my usual routine of preparing to hike in Sink’s Canyon: fill cooler with drinks, pack a blanket because you never know when the weather will go south, add some healthy snacks, and dog treats. I have a lounge chair that I keep in the back of my car when I want to sit and read by some peaceful mountain stream, books (of course), hiking stick, light and heavy jackets, first aid kit, bug spray, suntan lotion, toilet paper in case nature calls when you are out in nature, bear spray, and wasp spray (for bears because it shoots really far).
The area in which I chose to hike was very “bearitory and mooseitory” (patent pending). I found a rarely used trail that followed a bubbling mountain stream. I had never hiked here and that always thrills me! There was a bell on Miss Peanut Pal’s collar and likewise on my backpack. I am not sure how useful bells would be in warning a potential predator of my presence. I have heard tongue-in-cheek tales of bear scat being found with bells in it and smelling of bear spray.
Keeping Tabs on the Wildlife
I tread carefully, looking behind me from time to time, in case a wild animal was trailing me; so exciting yet scary, all at the same time! The trail paralleled the stream for about two miles. It got cooler as my elevation increased. But it was a gentle sloping trail, and very easy for me. Two years and 40 pounds ago, this path would have kicked my southern belle butt! It felt so good to be in better shape!
Onward we went, finally coming to the official end of this trail. But me, being me, kept on. It became a bit treacherous, walking on rocks with a steep incline to one side and a stream on the other. I fell once, hurting my hand, when I was looking up, being “bear aware.” I guess I should have been more “rock aware.” My husband has said that since I like to hike alone in the wilds of Wyoming, he is glad my life insurance is paid up!
Heading Out of Sink’s Canyon
Then we arrived at a place where it would have been stupid to continue. So back we went, enjoying the hike back to the car. The smells that accompanied the hike were soothing to my soul. And then we got stuck.
Getting Stuck in Sink’s Canyon
So what does one do if they are stuck, once again, in the backcountry of Wyoming above Sinks Canyon? They write about it! They=me, and I say again because I had gotten stuck on this very same dirt road the year before. So I wrote this story. The circumstances were different last time, when I was stuck in the mud in the middle of nowhere.
Now I am back in the middle of nowhere, but this nowhere is so serene. Winds are gently blowing, dog by my side, and clouds are coming in that look like they contain a huge storehouse of rain. I am now stuck on a rocky incline, and burn rubber each time I try to drive forwards. Of course there is no cell service out here. But, like last time I climbed up a hill to get reception. I called my long suffering husband to rescue me. He was incredulous that I had once again found myself in this predicament.
The car was at an angle that made me feel a bit uneasy. I put the key in the ignition and was about to put my seatbelt on only to discover that it would not work! There was no slack in it….and I felt very exposed not wearing it while my car was at a weird incline. I really had no choice but to try and back up without it locked into place. So, I began backing up only to slide down the road a bit. I tried honking the horn to alert someone at the top of the road, but to no avail. But I suppose I was too far down there for a potential rescuer to hear me. Too bad I didn’t know SOS to honk out on my horn and couldn’t google it either with no reception.
So here I sit, writing this, waiting for rescue. It could have been a worse day. Writing in the wilderness is very inspiring especially when you have such an adventure to tell about!
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