Some Solo Adventures

5/26/24 - 6/8/24

Oliver-

Opals and my weekend did not align this week, but I didn’t let that stop me from getting out into the park. I was going to use the opportunity to attempt some of the harder peaks but settled for backpacking in the Hellroaring area after being told that the snow would make them impossible. The drive up to the North side of the park to the trailhead was mostly new territory and a very different landscape, lots more mountains and I got to see a back bear closer than I have ever seen one. After obtaining a permit, I set down the Hellroaring Creek trail through a beautiful spring flower bloom. A mile or so down the trail there is a huge suspension bridge that carries you across the Yellowstone River. There were a few other hikers that turned around there but I would recommend going a little further to where the trail opens up. The views of the surrounding hills were spectacular and with binoculars it's not hard to spot wildlife. Eventually, the trail meets the Hellroaring River, this is where most of the backpacking sites are. I got to my site fairly early in the afternoon and decided that the hill next to it would make for a better camp. After climbing up that hill the next one looked a little better. Once I was satisfied with how high up I was, I found a flat spot under a tree and set up camp. I spent the rest of the day watching Bison Elk and Pronghorns through my binoculars.

On the way back I half-jogged and half-walked up Mount Washburn. The views from the top were incredible. Mount Washburn sits in the middle of the park, from the top you are surrounded by mountain ranges on all sides including the Tetons in the south.

The next morning, I didn’t have work until three, so I fished the Nez Peirce Creek. I am getting pretty good at catching cutthroat but not anything else. For all I know I could have caught the same fish twenty times. I talked to some coworkers though and might go with one who knows a good spot for browns.

Opal-

Last weekend I drove to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and saw the falls and the yellow stones from which the park gets its name. I hiked the North Rim trail which is about three miles total. The lookouts were crowded with all sorts of tourists but if you just walk a little way off the beaten path, you can find yourself pretty much alone in this park. The trail had very few visitors. I stopped at Inspiration Point, ate an apple and peanut butter, and sketched the view. It's hard to capture the vast amount of space present between you and the floor of the canyon. It feels like there is an immense quantity of air, almost too much for one place, and you get that jarring dizziness. Among the yellow stone of the canyon wall are other vibrant warm colors, rusty reds, some so dark they almost look purple. This along with the vibrant green pines and the roar of the 108-foot falls creates quite the picture. After enjoying my apple, I headed back to the car and drove back past Yellowstone Lake from which you can see a variety of mountain ranges. These mountains look like they rise from the lake itself. This view along with the song Ventura Highway makes for an intense moment.

After another week of work in which I had a fourteen-hour shift, I hiked to Mallard Lake. The trailhead starts right behind the cabins at Old Faithful and heads up about 850 feet for around 4 miles. The hike is steep for a while and goes through a range of environments, dry pine forest, boulder fields, and alpine meadows. I got to the lake after an hour and 20-minute hike and almost immediately saw a bear. It was across the lake from me and very hard to make out. I wish I had brought binoculars. It wandered around the edge of the lake for a minute and then disappeared into the trees. Needless to say, I was a little nervous after this but decided to stay and put up my hammock. I ate lunch and read my book and then after about an hour decided to head out. The lake was a gorgeous blue and looked very inviting for a swim, but it was cold I was ready to stop thinking about a bear popping out at any minute.  The hike back was much quicker, and I did a lot of clapping. At some point, a deer ran across in front of me and my heart dropped. It was hot when I reached the cabins again. And I thought about how the middle of summer will be without air conditioning.

The past two weeks have felt like we have adjusted to the rhythm of work and the park. It's crazy to be always immersed in it. You’ll see a bison walking past your window and just think…eh.