A Backcountry Recovery: Camping in the Lower 48’s Most Remote Place (3/5)

Ray Knell, right, and Ben Masters look out over the Yellowstone River as they make their way to camp along Yellowstone Lake; Photograph by Michael Ciaglo I woke up to the not-so distant howl of a wolf in the deepest backcountry location in the Lower 48. The half light of coming dawn allowed me to barely see our five horses and two mules standing at attention seeking the source of the deep howl. Another wolf joined the chorus, this one further away, up by the headwaters of the Yellowstone River and…

Yellowstone: Wilderness, Wild Horses, Warriors – A Backcountry Recovery (1/5)

Army Special Forces veteran Ray Knell cautiously walks toward an old bison before giving it a wide berth; Photograph by Ben Masters Ray Knell, a Green Beret and Afghanistan war veteran, called me in January 2015 seeking advice on how to ride a thousand wilderness miles from Colorado to Montana along North America’s Continental Divide. Two years ago, I completed a 3,000-mile ride using wild mustangs across the American West as part of the documentary Unbranded, so I was eager to share my experiences with Ray for his journey…