No Girls Allowed (unless you are a canine)

This past weekend Brittany took off to Vegas to meet up with a couple of her high school girlfriends. Madeline spent Saturday night at Grandma's house which left Ethan and I to do whatever we wanted. SO to the hills we took!

"I ain't camping in no poop, fool"

My first idea was to go camp in Teton Canyon which would allow us to explore some boulders I had spotted this past spring. Unfortunately the Targhee Music Festival was going on that weekend and we did not want any part of the crowds that accompany the event. So, we headed to a place Tom and I had scoped out earlier this summer for possible climbing named Cedarville Canyon in the Lost River Range, north of Howe.

Unless you don't mind wallowing in cow patties and breathing in horse flies in 95˚ heat, the camping would be great. Not for us though, which was kind of a bummer because Ethan would have really enjoyed the hike through the canyon. So it was on to Plan C.

Plan C didn't really exist actually. Being sans map, unfamiliar with the area north of Howe and with time running out, I was scratching for anything. I knew that Pass Creek somewhere north of Howe (the pass road that cuts through the Lost River Range into Mackay), but wasn't sure how far. Time was peeling away our patience and I was bound to keeping my promise of hiking that day with Ethan. So we tore out of the cow-feces-infested Cedarville trailhead and headed north until we hit Pass Creek Rd.

Izzy cooling off in the creek

We struck gold when I remembered an area Tom and I had climbed a few years ago on a massive and remote limestone shield in Bear Creek off the Pass Creek Road. We found a sweet spot alongside Bear Creek (which overheated Izzy-dog LOVED), and called it good.


We had plenty of time to hike and return to camp to pig out on the best damn cheeseburgers I've ever made (I'm a born-again charcoal user – no more gas grills). Mandatory Smores came next with Ethan and I swapping scary stories around the camp fire.

One of many hard-earned Smores.

Day 2 of the No-Girls-Allowed-Camp–Fest found us on the road by 9 a.m. striking out for Ramshorn Canyon for a morning hike. Driving into the canyon I had never seen so much fine dirt on a road that it was sweeping up over the hood and windshield blinding our view at times – un-bloody-real! The hike went well, the driving not so well. I got the 2nd flat in 3 days on the damn truck. I'm getting pretty good at changing those things, I tell you. Funny thing happened while I was changing the tire: This dog came walking over from a close by farm house to check things out. Nice dog and all but it proceeded to urinate on the spare tire, then again on one of the good tires and then take a crap right in front of truck. It must not like Toyotas!

Back on the road we stopped by the institutional Pickles Place in Arco and pigged out before making the hot, dry, and boring drive back home through the Arco desert.

I can tell Ethan was in 7th heaven being able to have his dad all to himself for a weekend. I cant wait to do the same with Madeline soon.