Sinks Canyon in Lander, Wyoming, is my all-time favorite place to hike in the wild west. Being from the deep south, I had never even hiked in a canyon, much less one in the breathtaking Rocky Mountains. And by breathtaking, I mean that my first backpacking experience in the Rockies left me gasping for breath, since I was used to being at the level of the sea. About the rockiest place I’d previously traversed was a parking lot made of stones. And a canyon in the south is most likely a bad pothole in the road.
About Sinks Canyon
Sinks got its name in a most interesting way. Located in the Wind River Mountains, a geologic peculiarity occurs in which the Popo Agie (pronounced Puh-Po Shuh) river disappears ( the “sink”) into a limestone cave only to reappear about a fourth of a mile away (the “rise”) into a calm pool of water that is chock full of large rainbow trout. This route has been revealed by placing an environmentally safe red dye into the waters and seeing it seep into the pool.
Summer in Sinks Canyon
Summertime in Sinks rewards the hiker with smells of wildflowers, such as Evening Primrose and Arrowleaf Balsamroot. Scents from Aspen, Douglas fir, and Whitebark Pine tickle the nose. When I lived in Wyoming, I would always take my pal, Peanut, with me when I visited this magical place. Her little brown nose always twitched in excitement as the diverse scents dissolved onto the wetness of it.
She would run ahead of me, sniffing out little critters with her tail standing at full attention. And my Pal has an amazing memory! If she finds, say, a lizard in a certain spot, that reptile’s forever home will be THAT one spot. Obviously her DQ (a measure of doggie intelligence, like IQ– patent pending) is not very impressive though.
Bears in the Canyon
Although bears are not that common in Sinks Canyon, it is not impossible to run into one. Bear spray became my constant companion in the great outdoors of Wyoming. I also wore a small bell on my backpack and placed one on Miss Peanut’s collar so we would be less likely to startle a bear or some other wild animal on our hikes. Once while hiking above the Canyon with family, my sister saw a moving tree trunk about a football field away from us. Except trees don’t move on their own. It turned out to be two small bears that had obviously spotted us first . Immediately we slowly backed up and began to sing…. Christmas carols! It was the first thing that came to my head to make adequate noise. Our harmonies rose to the tops of the fragrant fir trees as we made our way back to our vehicles.
Another memorable experience with a potential bear in Sinks occurred when I was passing by an alternate path that led up into the woods.My eyes followed the trail up and spied a black animal about the size of a cub. Immediately my heart went into overdrive as my hand reached for the spray until I saw the human attached to the black Labrador retriever. Miss Peanut voiced her objection to another canine being even that far away from HER human.
Sinks Canyon in the Winter
Sinks Canyon in the winter…now that is a sight to see! Being from the south, snow is an anomaly for this southern belle. My Pal didn’t know what to think as her small toebeans (a totally new word made up by dog lovers referring to paw pads) touched the cold white stuff. She immediately rolled in it like she does on stinky dead things.
My wardrobe grew by leaps and bounds as I partook in hiking in the snow; thick boots and socks, scarves, ear muffs, and crampons joined my summer clothes. Heavy coats, and long johns were a staple also.
A Trail with a Waterfall
One trail in Sinks has the reward of year-round waterfalls after an increase in altitude of 700 feet and distance of 1.5 miles. For this newbie to hiking, the trail was easier when covered with the white stuff. And the utter silence isso peaceful when sounds are muffled by snow. The waterfalls would eventually freeze and one could walk on the surface of what is a natural pool there in the warmer months.
Once, in the summer, I decided to push the proverbial envelope and hiked past the waterfalls on a trail that went for another 22 miles. It was only Miss Peanut and myself. I only made it one more mile but the views were worth it. A little fear entered my heart as I passed by what looked like fresh moose poop. Around many blind corners I turned, never knowing what wild animal I might encounter. It was exhilarating as I am a part time adrenaline junkie. My husband commented that he was glad he had my life insurance paid before I left.
Sinks was a place where my sometimes sinking spirit soared with each footprint left on its paths. To date, it is my favorite place to hike in the Wild West. One day I hope to visit again, but for now, I can relive my memories of that canyon for all seasons.
Written by: Karen Howington
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