Fieldwork in the Mountains

Hello, Miley here with a long overdue post. I got a nice change of scenery yesterday. After the cold weather (and mountain snow) of about a week ago, it was finally nice enough for me and Mommy to go working in the lower elevations (around 7,500 feet) of the Absaroka Mountains in Shoshone National Forest. Much greener and less gray than the badlands and bentonite mines. I got to walk around in a shallow spring, it's fun getting my feet wet.

Mommy neglected to sufficiently warn about the evil fence marking the Forest boundary up there. I got zapped and complained loudly to Mommy! I rarely encounter electric fences, especially those three strands high. That explains why she was walking 3-4 feet away from it (boundary of our project area). Mommy assured me that my fur hasn’t gotten any curlier.

We also got rained and hailed on with the temperature dropping down to 41 degrees. Mommy was soaked by the time we returned to the truck; water would literally run off the top of her hat when she tilted her head. She looked like a big, wet, rat! She placed a blanket on the backseat for me, shut off the air conditioner, and turned on the heat until we got down from the mountain where it was a pleasant 66 degrees.

I saw several antelope and deer but happily no grizzly bears. According to local residents, the bears have been quite active this spring. One large male is known for occasionally “tearing through the draw” that we still need to hike up. Mommy and I do not wish to encounter him.

Hugs and happy summer, Miley