Last Morning at Bitterroot Ranch: June 30

Some of my new friends from the clinic invited me to join them on Saturday for a trip to Yellowstone National Park and then spend the night in Teton Village before going to the airport on Sunday. Saturday was going to be a beautiful day, and I had never really gotten to see and photograph Yellowstone before. I decided to take the opportunity to join them. Who knows when I'd have the chance to go again.

I got up really early on Saturday so that I could see the wranglers bring in the horses from "the bench," the pasture where they go each night to eat and sleep. I also wanted to take some last photos of the ranch. I was out from about 6:15-7:30am. I was surprised at how different it is to be out that early compared to later in the day. It was so quiet. I heard the birds singing and the ground squirrels chattering and squeaking at each other. In noticed how the landscape looked different in the early morning light. It was a beautiful and peaceful morning. Here is the story:

I waited in one of my favorite places at the ranch: the front porch of the lodge. This is where we had our class, sat and chatted before dinner was ready, and relaxed after dinner...

In the early morning, the corral was empty and waiting for more than 100 horses to come fill it...

Around 6:30am, the wranglers rode ATVs up the hill to "the bench." They called for the horses, and the herd came trotting down the hill into the corral...

A horse named Paddywhack bee-lined to the salt lick... 

                      

  This horse grabbed "take-out" on the way down the hill...

Another horse had an itch to take care of... 

...while others greeted their friends... 

After the horses were all in (it only took about 15 minutes), I started walking to the pasture where the mares and foals are to say a final goodbye. 

I passed one of the ranch's cabins that are spread out across the property. All the guests have privacy... 

I saw this wildflower blooming. It was the only one, and I hadn't seen one like it all week. It was amazing how we would see different wildflowers come into bloom each day...

I wanted to take a picture of the cactus that had pretty yellow blooms. Unfortunately, I learned that the flowers close up at night, so this was the only photo I could get... 

I got to the pasture... 

I climbed under the fence and started walking across the pasture to get to the foals. A large moving blur startled me. I looked up to see this jackrabbit bounding across the pasture... 

I found one of the foals sleeping peacefully... 

...until the sound of the camera woke him up and his mom took him away from me. 

So, I went on to find another foal resting.. 

...and another one grazing with its mother. 

I think this foal was wondering why I was interrupting his breakfast! 

I stopped taking pictures so that I could pet the foals one last time. Some were shy, but one, especially, was very friendly and loved people. He was so sweet! His mane felt really fuzzy, and the hair felt like velvet under his chin. 

I said my goodbyes to the mares and foals and hiked back to the main lodge for breakfast. Right after breakfast, we loaded up our cars and headed to Yellowstone National Park.  I will post about that trip next time!