Enchanted Bighorn Canyon And A Touch Of Yellowstone

I spent a few days in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, at the base of the Bighorn Mountains to the west. The canyon is known to be one of the more dramatic canyons in the US for its sheer vertiical cliffs a half-mile high and it did not dissappoint. As some of you know and as I have stated previously, I’m a bit of a mystic, prone to visions and able to perceive subtle energies. Of all the places I’ve visited thus far on this journey, Bighorn Canyon certainly had the most mojo, though it may be a bit cursed actually. This canyon was the previous tribal lands of the Crow indians who were rudely and violently displaced. In talking to a elder local who has visited this canyon since he was a boy, he told me of several bizarre tragedies that have taken place there over the years, and he actually seemed concerned that I was visiting the canyon alone. One of the tragedies involved a uranium miner whose heavy tractor broke off the cliff edge plunging them both into the merciless depths below. Another involved a surveyor for the dam project who unfortunately met a grizzly bear in one of the canyons and only his bones remained to tell the tale. To confirm these darker energies, in a meditation one morning, my spirit was jolted by the sudden vision of a native violently murdering a white explorer by shoving a double bladed knife into his skull. The whole time I camped in the canyon there were strong and menacing winds and ominous thunder. I do feel there is a bit of lingering violent energy haunting the canyon, but it is not all bad. The canyon is also home to wild horses. In another vision I saw a spirit horse with two buffalo horns protruding from the side of its head present itself to me from atop the ridge of a hill. Many of the petroglyphs I shared in my last post showed double-horned spirits worshipped by the ancients. All in all, these things are hard to interpret, but lets just say that I feel Bighorn Canyon is home to spirits, some good, some bitter and malevolent. Either way, I love it. The entire landscape of the canyon was like something out of a classic western movie. The spaces were vast, mysterious, haunting, and quiet. I would have loved to stay longer, but there was no camping with shade and I had to look out for the wellbeing of my dog, plus the ceaseless winds weren’t so conducive to inwardness and meditation. I really look forward to returning to the canyon later in the season to further explore both the terrain and the mystical energy that dwells within it.

After visiting Bighorn Canyon, I decided to pass through the charming town of Cody Wyoming, then on to Yellowstone National Park. Because of COVID this year, I knew ahead of time that the park was actually jampacked, more than the usual mess. A lot of people decided to handle the quarantine and mask mandates by jumping in their RV’s and heading to the freer more open spaces of the West, myself being among these. Knowing this ahead of time, I really only wanted to quickly brush through the less populated northern end of the park where the biggest populations of wolves are known to inhabit, and then head further north into Montana via the legendary and picturesque Beartooth Pass. I’m currently still close to Yellowstone, writing this from a cafe with WIFI in Gardiner MT, just outside the Mammoth Springs gate. I haven’t seen any wolves yet, but I’m gonna go give it one more try tonight before heading up the Beartooth Pass in the morning to explore some of the many open spaces and National Forests in Montana. Tonight I plan to stay awake a bit later than usual and go on a night hike to see if I can get the wolves to respond to my Indian flutes with at least a howl or two. Peace and love.