Adventures in Yellowstone

After a thankfully uneventful 12 hour drive from Long Beach, we arrived at what we think of as the southern gateway to Yellowstone: the Grand Tetons. Seeing those great mountains rising straight up from the valley made us feel like we had arrived.

After a night camping outside of Jackson, we headed straight for a Teton tradition: All-You-Can Eat Pancakes at Dornan's in Moose Junction.

You don't go to Dornan's for the food, you go for the view.

On our way to Bozeman, we made a few quick stops in The Park. Of course, we had to catch Old Faithful even though we have seen it countless times. When we drove up, it was erupting so we jumped out and took this not-so-great shot. But, it counts, and you get the idea.

And, here it is: The Old Faithful Inn, where Pat and I met 17 years ago (yes, I know, you can't believe we are that old, but it is true).

We both worked as waiters in the dining room for several summers in the mid-1990s. The dining room looks just about the same. I really do not miss waiting tables but I do miss the adventure of living in Yellowstone. It is something not many get to experience. I estimate that I probably hiked over 1,000 miles of trail when I lived there.

After a too-brief stop in Bozeman to see friends (see post below), we headed out into the Yellowstone backcountry in hopes of visiting a very remote area called Hoodoo Basin on a three-day, two-night trip. Here is a picture of us at the Lamar River trailhead.

The first three miles through the Lamar Valley were a bit hot but uneventful. Then, we ran into this fellow. If you look carefully, you can see the orange trail marker right behind this bison. Yep, he was right in our way. At first, we weren't too concerned, and we walked slowly toward him, veering just a bit off-trail. Just then, he lowered his head, butted it into the ground and started running towards us. We made an immediate retreat and ended up skirting him by about 100 yards. At least we didn't end up on the TV news!

Shortly after our bison encounter, it was time to ford the Lamar River. Luckily, it was only about knee deep. Still, the power of water always surprises me. It took a great deal of concentration (and a handy stick) to keep my footing.

We continued on until the Miller Creek Junction where there is a backcountry station in which rangers occasionally stay while in the field. Just to the left of the cabin you can see a big, ole bison keeping an eye on things. It was at about this time that Pat and I realized our assigned campsite was actually almost 15 miles from the trailhead, rather than the 12 we had originally estimated. This was not good news for two people who had not carried a full-size backpack for two years.

After what seemed like an unnecessarily long period of hiking we came to our campsite. I was a little uneasy to see a variety of bear prints by the creek near the campsite.

I became even a little more bear-a-noid when I saw the two bear poles.They seemed unusually high which made me think that the bears in this area must be extremely large. Let's just say I didn't sleep too easily that first night. But, it passed uneventfully, and the next morning, we decided to do a day hike to Hodoo Basin.

Despite evidence of the 1988 fires, the scenery was spectacular. However, it quickly became apparent that we weren't going to complete the 20-mile round trip journey to Hodoo Basin. Both Pat and I were having foot issues (blisters, etc), and we were feeling the effects of carrying 35-pound packs for 15 miles the day before.

So, we just did about 5 miles down the remote Miller Creek Trail and up towards Bootjack Pass. We didn't see a soul but we did come across the cool elk skull.

After a second night at our campsite, it was time to head for civilization. The hike out was hot and dusty, and we didn't have much mojo. Here I am whining at the hike's conclusion.


Even with battered feet and sore shoulders, we were back on the trail a few days later after two days of R&R in Gardiner, MT. We lucked into a great campsite at the Slough Creek Campground and decided to do one of our favorite trails, Pebble Creek, as a day hike.

After climbing 800 feet in just over a mile, hikers are rewarded with this splendid view of the Pebble Creek area. We hiked down the valley for just a few miles and then headed back.

On the hike back, the weather started to look a little sketchy. This is the face of The Thunderer, a mountain with a massive face. It looked quite ominous.

We were very lucky to see a lot of wildlife during our stay. Here is the first bear we saw, just outside of the Mammoth Hot Springs area. We weren't sure if it was a black bear or grizzly but, in hindsight, I think it was a black bear, despite its misleading brown coat.

We saw this black bear just outside of the Tower Junction area.

And another black bear, just a few miles down the road.

And, yes, a fourth black bear near Mount Washburn.

Finally: a Grizzly Bear! This great specimen was digging just beside the road, and we even got an amazing video (Posted on Facebook).

We also saw this mama pronghorn with her babies just outside the Slough Creek campground.

And, of course, there were buffalo herds everywhere. We also hung out with the wolf watchers one morning and evening, and saw wolves through our spotting scope. No pictures--too far away.


The Lamar Valley and a buffalo herd under a rainbow.

Finally, when we got tired of being dirt-bag hikers, we headed to the ultimate in luxury: Chico Hot Springs, where we just happened to get married nearly ten years ago. We spent the night, soaked and had an awesome meal in their renowned dining room.

The pool soothed our aching muscles and brought back some many memories. We only hope it doesn't take us another four years to get back to our most-favorite places.

Next Up: Hiking Mount San Jacinto.