Loneliness

“Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is richness of self.” ~May Sarton

The McCulloch Peaks are located in the northern part of Wyoming in what is called the Big Horn Basin. While standing in the wilderness area as you turn yourself about, you will see the Absaroka range, the Beartooth range, the Pryor’s and the Big Horn range. It’s pretty amazing really! In this image you are gazing west and slightly south and you see the Absaroka’s and possibly part of the Beartooth’s. Sunday a storm settled in over the mountains and fresh snow abounds across the various peaks. Here in the foothills, on Sunday, we had heavy cloud cover and the occasional big flakes of snow, and wind of course and I did tell another fib because as the day went on the clouds got heavier on Sunday, I opted not to go to the Peaks, and I spent the afternoon getting lost in the history of guns, Native American’s, Buffalo Bill, the area’s nature, and art! The Buffalo Bill Center of the West is mind blowing.

This area is a paleontologist’s dream for it is rich with fossils lying in the Eocene Willwood formation first discovered in 1880 by paleontologist, Jacob L. Wortman. What you see in the panoramic image is a tiny slice of the over 100,000 acres of incredible views, badlands, undulating ridges, sage, waving grass, and wind (are you sensing a theme yet—wind?)!

Yesterday, Monday, the clouds rolled in and out as I explored the entire area of the Peaks mostly from my four wheels versus foot, although I did get
in over five miles hiking. I spent time with the three lone bachelors in the pano image, then drove around to the eastern most boundary off of
Highway 32 to find a lone, white bachelor, and then all the way north to come in through the powerful and awe inspiring badlands, slowly winding through on once muddy roads dry enough for my wimpy all-wheel drive to maneuver through back to the top of the plateau. There are a few places driving up out of the floor of the badlands that is very hard on my heart that has a profound fear of heights, as my steering wheel will attest to the groves from the grip of fright and refusing to look left or right. Yes folks…for some it would be a piece of cake, for me…not so much, as anyone who has traveled with me will attest!

I finished the afternoon with a group of fifty-nine colorful wild ones near Bridger Butte and at sundown itself with a smaller group off Whistle Creek road. But you ask why am I just posting this now? Ummmm…because I hear this noise, outside, called wind…..with gusts to 50mph and after going through images from yesterday, the wind plays a profound part in capturing sharp images with a long lens!

Hope you’re having an amazing day in your part of the world! Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for tagging along on this trip. If you want
to experience loneliness….this is the place to come. If you want to experience solitude this is also the place to come. I discovered yesterday,
they are not the same, as I was lonely for someone to share the solitude with. As always, thank you for spreading and sharing the word, and for
being a voice for the wild horses of America!