Idaho Falls, ID
This weekends expedition took me across the state line into Wyoming and the Jedidiah Smith Wilderness. Jedediah Strong Smith (January 6, 1799 – May 27, 1831) was a hunter, trapper, fur trader, trailblazer, author, cartographer and explorer of the Rocky Mountains. What I originally intended to be a short, leisurely walk turned into a five hour hike. Once I sighted the snow capped peaks I couldn't stop until I reached the top. On the descent I decided to leave the trail and go straight down the side of the mountain...it was a lot steeper than it looked. The snow, loose rocks, mud, and bushes didn't make matters any easier, but I managed to slip-slide my way down without any broken bones or muscle strains. I think even ol' Jed himself would have nodded his approval. By the time I made it back though my legs felt like a couple of rubber bands. As I walked to my car a couple of hunters in an SUV pulled up and asked if I'd seen any bears. I replied no, the only game I'd seen was a red fox with a freshly killed bird in its mouth. Satisfied with my bear sighting abilities, they drove away confident that there were indeed no bears in the area.
