To start with I had reserved 10 nights in Yellowstone at two different campgrounds within the park. The first one was Bridge Bay and that was to be for 7 nights. As my luck would have it I got a note from the campground saying that the campground was not opening for the days that I had booked, but opening on the 11th of June. Better yet the provider did not have any alternative solution within the park but said that I would be able to book early for 2022. Heck I was one week from leaving and now was doing a bit of a scramble. Best part is that all of the campgrounds around Yellowstone are booked and I was able to get a site in Custer National Forest and that is 85 miles from the North Entrance to Yellowstone near Bozeman, MT. I am not happy with the Yellowstone service provider my 10 nights is now 3 nights in the park with 7 nights of finding something to do and stay. Not sure why they took my reservation in January and now not opening the campground until 10 nights after my reservation is to start. I did drive from the South entrance of Yellowstone to the West entrance and saw a bunch of Bison and people. There are people everywhere in the park and the easier trails are jammed so you can’t find parking. I saw a line of 25 cars to just turn into a parking area for a trail through the hydrothermal area of one trail. If you are not on your trail by 0800 you can almost forget about parking. Well since I got boned by Yellowstone, I said what the heck and headed out to see another park or two. Round 2 – I started the drive from Devils Tower and had to take a nap along the way but still had a ton of driving in front of me. The journey coming in was cool but when I got to Beartooth National Forest. The road once in the forest went up and it was 55 miles from the start to the park and most of that seemed to be going up. The road is a narrow 2 lanes and in places there is no guard rail. The fall down the cliff would be significant if that was to happen along the way. It was some nice views if you wanted to enjoy them but I was worried about the cross winds so I kept my eye on the road. The temperature at the bottom was 73 degrees and when I finally made it to 10,947 feet at the top it was 53 degrees. People were out in full force taking advantage of snow in June to do some skiing and hiking in the white stuff. Bummer.com was that there was road construction taking 1 lane out of the 2 causing a 30 minute delay while the other side come on down. The place of contruction included a waterfall off to the drivers side but again I was watching the road for the most part and did not get to enjoy. There was a second waterfall and this one had a path to view it and parking but I was on a mission to get into the park and kept driving. The park is amazing big in that I arrived at just after 1pm and did not get to Old Faithful until almost 5:30pm. I did take about thirty minutes to walk around the Hot Springs area but that was about it for stopping. I did run into a bear and bison jam. This is when all of the motorists stop in the road to view the wildlife causing a traffic jam behind them and in cases it is very very long. Right after the Hot Springs there was a little black bear causing a jam and I went ahead and parked off the road and walked to the spot for a photo of the little guy. The second sighting of bears on the way in happened by me looking at a truck on the side of the road and people sitting on top. One of them pointed across the street and I looked just in time to see a bear standing on its hind legs. I then checked nobody behind me and pulled over to the side of the road and got the camera going. The mamma bear and two cubs (most likely 1 year old cubs) were walking towards the road and the parked truck. I took the photos and got back moving along the road as I did not want to be the cause of the next bear jam. After watching Old Faithful and getting back to Dundee, I headed out to the campground in Canyon Valley. The drive is 42 miles and took over 1.5 hours. I did run into a Bison jam with a big boy on the side of the road and everyone wanting to get that photo but he then decided he wanted to cross the street. It is like why did the chicken cross, cause he could and same with the bison. The issue is that when Mr. Bison was 1/2 way across the driver in the car going the opposite direction moved forward and startled Mr. Bison. He just a bit and his tail came up and I was like bad news is coming but he calmed down and finished walking across the street. Now the Yukon in front of me did not have the optimal photo so waited to get that photo with 40 cars waiting behind him including me. Off he went finally and I was right on his butt as I did not want Mr. Bison to cross back across the street or get angry. I also came upon a waterfall just off the road called Gibbon Falls and I was like what the heck stop. When I made the campground, I was excited as they had showers and I need a shower (it has been 8 days) but I was disappointed as the showers are closed for the year! OK now onto plan B washing my hair in the sink. On June 10th it was to be high of 59 and rain but I still went hiking. It turned out to not be as cold when I started but I took an extra layer and my rain jacket. By the time I was done the hike my first extra layer was on and if I had to go much longer I would have broken out the jacket, it got cold. The wind picked up and while writing this the van is swaying in the wind. Well we got some snow flurries and frozen rain during the night last night and I am glad that Dundee had a heater to keep the van at 55 degrees.
Old Faithful – I busted some butt and got to Old Faithful just before the 5:45pm going off and the crowd was not that bad and I was able to find parking easily. There was not a front row seat but there was plenty of room to view the eruption when it happened. It is the second time I have witnessed the eruption and I am amazed each time. One the height that the water shoots is cool but the timing of it is what Mother Nature has outdone herself with in this one. There are other geysers within the park but they don’t erupt like this one does. It sure is the tourist attraction here in Yellowstone.
Gibbon Falls Trail – to call this a trail is a stretch. It is a parking area and a paved walkway next to the road where you can see the waterfall. The total distance from the furthest parking spot tot he furthest end of the trail is less than 0.25 of a mile. Most people did not go even close to that when looking at the falls but maybe 1/3 of that distance if they were parked the furthest away.
Mammoth Hot Springs – When coming into Yellowstone I came across an area called Mammoth Hot Springs and well already seeing Hot Springs in Arkansas I was like why not give it a try. Parking was hard as heck but I waited like a good soldier and was about to take my spot and a guy cut underneath me and was going into the spot. I honked to get his attention and he asked the guy in front of me if he was going in the spot, and he said no. I honked again but my friend just ignored me and parked. I wanted for the next spot and took it. I had to do a bit of a walk to get to the trail. Once I got to the trailhead for the Main Terrace and Upper Terraces. The trail is a board walk as the ground that you are walking over is hot springs with minerals that are helping to create the beauty within this area. Humans if they stay on the trail will allow this area to continue to thrive and be around for years to come. The trail’s boardwalk is shabby in some spots to the point I was walking on the stringers, identified by the nails, as that would be the strongest point. The trail has many steps but it does offer the viewer at the top of the steps some amazing features caused by these hot springs. I was reminded when on this trail that Yellowstone is a very very busy park. The number of people in this area was almost enough to make me not want to continue but I did push on. There are cool names of some of the points of view like Cleopatra Terrace, Canary Spring, Cupid Spring, and every park has an Angel so Angel Terrace. The walk around the boardwalk was not that long less than 1 mile and to/from the car maybe added up to 2 miles. Not much for me these days. Note: You can pickup a Trail Guide at the trail head and you can make a donation to keep it or return it after your hike and pay nothing. I donated a couple of bucks and kept the guide.
Clear Lake Trail – I parked at Uncle Toms Trail parking lot and was able to pickup the Clear Lake trail from the parking lot. The only thing is you ave to cross the road but it was OK to cross after a few cars went by me in at the beginning of the crosswalk. So much for pedestrians having the right-o-way in the crosswalk. The trail after crossing the street is in a large field and you can’t miss the trail as it is warn out in the grass area. No real trail markers are on the trail but again it was not hard to follow. You do go up at a gradual incline at the beginning and the lake is not far past the meadow walking. The lake is nice but really got my attention was after walking along the lake I hear a strange sound and come upon a thermal vent. The steam was coming out of the vent and you could hear the water in the vent but remember to stay on the trail so I did not know how far down the water was actually. Once you get to this vent area you come to some more areas of thermal “hot tubs” along the way. These big pools of water and it is actually boiling/bubbling. The thermal area comes to an end and you are now in the forest and a “Y” in the trail. The “Y” is for Ribbon Lake or to stay on Clear Lake Trail. If you stay to the left on Clear Lake Trail you will see a small body of water that you walk somewhat around and then you begin to hear a loud noise. You walk up a bit and all of a sudden you see the canyon of Yellowstone. The trail actually ends here and you have to begin taking the South Rim Trail.
Ribbon Lake Trail – At the “Y” in the trail for Clear Lake if you go to the right you then walk out towards Ribbon Lake. The trail is in the forest and there are a few wet spots that you have to cross but the NPS put some logs down and you can walk over the logs to get to the other side. There are also a few trees down on the trail to go over/under. The trail is easy to follow but not well marked. There is more elevation on this trail than getting to it from Clear Lake Trail. When you get close to the lake you begin to go down and you can see the lake through the trees. I was a bit disappointed that I was not able to find out how to walk alongside of the lake but I turned back after reaching the backcountry campground. The way back to the “Y” was uphill at the beginning or if you choose to you could have taken the Wapiti (Wop e Tea is how it is pronounced) trail for 13.5 miles back. I choose to head up the hill and back to Clear Lake.
South Rim Trail – Upon leaving Clear Lake Trail you are able to see the canyon and hear the waterfalls. You can also see rapids flowing down below. Artist Point is a .5 mile walk from this intersection but the view is well worth it. Back to the Clear Lake / South Rim intersection you walk along the side of the canyon and I choose to say as far away from the side as I could but remain on the trail. As you head toward the Lower Falls the sound is greater and the more people you come across. The lower falls has a parking area, if you choose not to hike, and a viewing area. Many people were out and about in this area but I came off the trail and made it to the viewing point. I think the viewing point of the falls was well worth it and the falls is very beautiful. The sound is amazing like a jet engine with all the water coming over the falls. The South Rim Trail to the Upper falls/Uncle Toms parking area is a paved trail but the pavement has seen its better days. There is the most elevation of the day for me here on this part of the trail and there are a few switchbacks that are particularly steep. If you are on the trail there are many view points of the canyon and the falls. There is a “Y” in this trail that says parking lot or South RIm. The parking lot is to the left and is Uncle Toms. The South Rim then will take you if you stay to the right to the upper falls. The trail continues past the viewing area to another area called Discovery Outlook where you can view the falls.
Cascade Lake Trail – The parking for this trail is one of two places and depending on your choice the hike is 9.6 miles or 10.6 miles. My choice was the 9.6 miles for today and it was on the road to Tower Roosevelt and that road is closed just after the parking area. The parking area is the turnaround point for people who did not follow the signs saying that the road is closed at the Canyon Village intersection. The parking is about 1 mile from the intersection and it will be on the right if heading towards Tower Roosevelt. The trail starts going down and through some trees and is a wide well maintained trail. You come to a “T” in the trail with one end going to the picnic area, Yogi’s favorite, and the other is to Cascade Lake. Remember this intersection when hiking back as there is no real marker saying trail head/parking on the way back to the van. After the “T” you will start to enter a meadow and the trail turns more into a game type trail with multiple water crossings. Some of the water crossings have bridges, some logs in the water and others you are on your own to get across. Note: bring your waterproof shoes on this hike today as you will need them. Also the Ranger suggested a second pair of socks. The hike to/from the lake is not hard and little elevation change the hardest part was the wet areas that you had to go around or through. If you went around you did not get so muddy, if you went through you got a bit more muddy, it is a personal choice. The lake is nice and I saw two guys fishing when I arrived at the lake and also when I got back from Observation Peak. Hope they caught something for all that time at the lake. There are places around the lake that offer a place to picnic, rest, fish or just enjoy the water. Along the way before you get to the lake you will see a marker for a backcountry campsite.
Observation Peak Trail – this trail head is at the intersection with Cascade Lake trail at the lake. It is a bit of a hard trail in that you gain 1400 feet of elevation within 2.6 miles of distance. The trail starts out like a game trail and then gets a bit rocky but then back to the game type trail. The trail has a few switchbacks but not that many. The hike is a steady climb upwards to the peak with some places being very steep. The views of the mountians and valleys around the trail are very nice. The trail has some water crossings but they are not a big deal and you can get across by stepping or using the log that is in the water. Towards the top this time of year there are piles of snow still on the ground that you will have to navigate and go over. It was very windy and cold today, starting hiking at 0945 it was 45 degrees and was maybe 60 degrees when I finished at 1510, but the hike was so hard that I had on only 2 layers and was sweating. The sometimes along the trail the incline is not too bad and you think to yourself this is not so bad but don’t fool yourself there is elevation that needs to be gained! Near the top the snow gets very deep and you have to climb up to the top of the snow and walk across the top of the snow for a bit. The snow pack at the top signals the trail is almost over as the observation station is just to your left. The view from the observation station is very cool. You can see the Yellowstone Canyon, Cascade Lake, Grebe Lake and the Tetons in the distance. Spent time at the top enjoying the view and looking into the observation station cabin before you head down the hill. I had to put on a third layer, wool sweater, and a wool hat at the top to keep from freezing since I was sweating so bad after the hike to the top. A snack later and downwards I went. Down was easy as there was not the “steps” or steep incline of some other hikes I was on but it is 2.6 miles to go down and catch the Cascade Lake trail. During the walk up/down you see some surrounding mountains and look up at them then even and at the top down on them.
Canyon Campground – All day I was thinking something was going to happen with my reservation and I would be shut out of Yellowstone. I was wrong and when I arrived at the campgrounds office at 8:15pm, I was thinking that I would have to do the night registration but wrong again. The office is open until 10pm! My reservation was found and was told that the rate would be a few dollars a day less due to no showers in the campground, or the entire park this year. So much for the shower I was looking forward to today while driving into Yellowstone. They do have a laundry so guess I will clean clothes while here. I was assigned a site and then given the rules of the campground. They are serious about bears here at this campground. While at the campground you can’t even leave a cooler out of the vehicle/bear box when you leave your site to go to the bathroom. Anything with a scent can’t hit the ground including the water from your cooler. It is better to follow instructions than to have to remove a bear from the campground or worse have the bear put down. The campground has 276 sites and they are close together. A good thing is that there are plenty of trees to provide shade, not good for my solar panels however.
Langhor Campgroud – The campground is outside of Bozeman, MT and is up a little two lane road after going through a neighborhood. The campground has a single laying down eight loop with pit toilets on either end and in the middle. Issue is the middle one is closed until the 21st of June for repairs and the one on the North End has a pad lock on it but no reason why it is locked. I guess I need to venture to the South End and see if that one is working. The campground is on a river and some of the sites are on the river and mine is on the road leading into the campground so I get to hear cars and not the running of water down the river, par for the course with Yellowstone. I did explore the campground and there is a little paved trail that goes along the water with some off shoots allowing you to get closer to the water. The trail starts at the bridge to cross the water. When I went over a gentleman in a wheelchair was on the trail taking photos of mushrooms and he almost went over the edge of the trail but I held him up and pulled him back onto the trail. The trail is a loop and was nice to walk after dinner but remember to always bring your bear spray!
Animals
