Goin out with bells on

“Ill be there with bells on”, is a common response when a person gets invited to a party. The phrase originated in the late 19th/early 20th centuries and most of the early citations of it suggest a US origin. The meaning of the saying is that you are happy to come to the party and could have additional ornamentation on. Going out with bells on is always a good idea when hiking in bear country and when I set out on my hike last night my hiking stick was adorned with bells. You never want to sneak up on an animal especially a bear.

West Yellowstone as you can imagine is surrounded by natural beauty and wildlife. Just outside most peoples front or back door you can quickly escape into the forest and loose all your cares. It is really great for stress relief until you find yourself startling a black bear or a grizzly bear. If you are a serious back country hiker then you not only carry lots of water but also bear spray. Bear spray is like pepper spray for bears and can deter a charging grizzly bear away form you, saving your life. If you are not a big time hiker but still find yourself on short hikes here and there its best to hike in groups and make noise.

There really is nothing quite like finding yourself in forest where you can hear your thoughts as you rest on a log but when you continue hiking the sound of comfort should come from the bells on your hiking stick.My hiking stick is nothing much but an old branch I found on one of my hikes that had a perfect place for my hand. I attached some old silver bells from my Christmas stash and away I go. Last night I found myself following the snowmobile trail that runs north from downtown West Yellowstone out to the Gallatin Mountain Range. The trail runs just behind my place which is the last house before the highway goes up and over into the mountains. I didnt worry about running into any bears in the area being mid July now, but I have seen deer up on the ridge. There is another actual hiking trail behind me called “Fir Ridge Trail” which will take you from the road all the way into Yellowstone National Park and does have bear warning signs posted.

When working and driving 70mph along the main road back and forth to town each day for work you kind of miss the forest. The everyday commute makes things all blend in. I remind myself of where I live with these short hikes as within a few short steps im surrounded by fresh mountain air, aspen and pine trees. The snowmobile trail rides up and over the ridge behind and drops down to follow the main road to Bozeman before riding up again into the hills. During the summer the trail sees few ATV’s, just enough to make two dirt paths for me to walk along. In about 30 minutes I can be up and beyond looking down on where I just walked and seeing over the ridge line and the valley of West Yellowstone.

Looking South back to West Yellowstone. Far mountains in the distance is the Continental Divide and Idaho.

For this hike I did about 2.5 miles round trip which didnt seem like I had really gone that far. I left at 7:40 and returned by 9:15pm. It was a great evening hike and really did me good, after just completed a 9 hour job sitting all day at a desk checking people in can get tiring and boring after just completing two days of 10 hour shifts (dealing with the public can have its own wears). On my walk I didnt see one animal and not that many mosquitoes, maybe the bells worked. The next time you feel kind meh take hike. It can really be just what the doctor order.

 

“Speak softly and carry a stick with bells”