Beware the Ticks

The scale of Hells Canyon is staggering. Towering. Overwhelming. It swallows you whole. You’re nothing compared to the scale and majesty of the place.

Yet in this immense landscape, there’s a tiny inhabitant that gets your full attention all spring and summer.

The Rocky Mountain wood tick.

They’re abundant, ferocious little critters, about the size of an apple seed and black as a crow’s eye. Check your pant legs often. Check your sleeves, your socks, and the neck and hairline of your traveling companions, too, should you be fortunate enough to have any.

So in this immense canyon, surrounded by all this grandeur and fraught with peril, my only warning is this:

Beware the ticks.

Then enjoy the view.