Beam Me Back To Wyoming, Scotty...

You know you've taken a really incredible trip when you still miss it two years later. And that, my friends, is the pretty little saddle in which I find myself sitting (English teacher mother= not ending sentences with preposition).

At the end of August 2008, John and I headed out to the great state of Wyoming to spend a week at Bitterroot Ranch and three days in Yellowstone. He and I have been to some amazing places together, but this trip really took the cake. I was completely unprepared for the mind-boggling beauty of the Shoshone Valley, which is fifty vast miles of unspoiled lands bordering Yellowstone. The Bitterroot itself radiated a kind of peace that enveloped your entire body, with its fields of sweet yearlings, tiny beautiful cabins, determined peacocks, self-righteous llamas and a slice of the Wind River whose cadence lulled us to sleep each night. The silence was delicious and I couldn't get enough.

And the horses...oh, the horses. John and I spent over six hours each day in the saddle (on Gannett and Ginger Two, respectively, among others) which to me is pure joy. One of the best things about the Shoshone Valley/National Forest is the varied terrain. We traversed meadows, pine forests, rocky hillsides, streams arid plateaus and mounds of powdered clay so huge we were pretty sure we were on the surface of the moon. We saw antelope, a coyote and a herd of black cattle belonging to the neighboring Shoshone Indians. But the one thing that resonated with me the most- so much, in fact, that I used it as a visualization tool during Maia's birth- was the sky. The adjectives "huge" and "endless" don't do it justice, but I suppose they'll have to suffice. I distinctly remember an afternoon ride in the bottom of the valley, surrounded by mountainsides peppered with lodgepole pines, and looking up at that sky. Never in my life had I felt so tiny, yet so secure. It was a life-changing moment. I'm so thankful for that experience.

Perfect riding, wonderful friends and some of the best food we've ever had. What an incredible week (did I mention we drove cattle? Best. day. ever.)!!! And to then head on to Yellowstone was truly gilding the lily. I could go on and on, but I'm fairly certain blogs are not supposed to be long-winded. Hopefully with this little snippet you can get a sense of our experience and why John and I are still talking about it two summers later. I really hope to return one day! If you'd like further information, please visit http://www.bitterrootranch.com/.

P.S. For all my fellow LOST fans...the Bitterroot has been owned for over thirty years by Mel and Bayard Fox. Bayard Fox is Matthew's uncle, and Matthew spent quite a few of his growing-up years on the ranch before getting on Flight 815. ;)