Bighorn at the mouth of Provo canyon
Although uncommon, wildlife encounters are anything but rare in the mountains near my house. Last night my son Joseph and I were traversing a fire road in Provo canyon on our way to some singletrack he had never done when we say the Bighorn in the picture.
The Bighorn was not at all afraid of us and just kept eating when he first saw us. His lack of fear put a little fear into me. I had to think about what might happen if he got angry and charged me, or worse, charged at Joseph.
We stood there for several minutes watching until he decided to move on.
This was not my first wildlife encounter in the mountains by my house or in other remote locations. I have come up on a herd of Elk at Big Springs as well as an enormous bull moose and a baby. I have had a huge rattlesnake sit on a slickrock ledge that was my only exit point from a plateau. I had to kick small rocks at it to get it to move on. Near Little Baldy, I rode through a flock of turkeys and got chased by one I assume was the mother.
My friend, Seth Wold, got attacked by a Rattlesnake on a trail run.
The beautiful landscape is always there and makes the bike or the run that much better, but every once in a while you end up with an epic wildlife encounter.
What have you seen on your own runs and bike rides?
