HughHarris

Second Great Day in Yellowstone and another Bear encounter much closer this time.

The day began very early with a drive into West Yellowstone to find a replacement for our full blow-up mattress. Two nights in a row of going flat and sleeping on the ground proved the trip worthy of the time and views on the west side of the park. We took in Gibbon Falls and stopped for view of the thermals at the Artist’s Paint Pots. It literally looked like left over paint and water mixed together. Cauldrons of goop bubbling up from the ground and forming various hues of green, blue, brown, and azure mixed in with the base off-white.

We drove through the valley viewed the still snow-capped mountains of the Gallatin Range and on to Mammoth Springs where Fort Yellowstone was originally laid out. The “Springs” were more thermals with beautiful cascades hot springs bubbling from the ground and destroying everything as they rolled down.

We spent lunch there under a shade tree and cooked fajitas and vegetables and watched the multitudes of tourist come through the area. Including the Elf Cows with their calf’s lounging around the old Fort Barracks ignoring the gawking we were doing and the constant chastising of the Park Rangers for tourist’s getting to close. “THIS IS THEIR HOME NOT YOURS.” was one Rangers rhetoric and made more sense than the shudder bugs wanting to get in for the close shot. I was talking with one Ranger who relayed one of the tourist logic after he tried to shoo her away – “It’s not like it’s a wolf our something!” she proclaimed to him ” No” he said “that Elk cow protecting her calf is much worse! Back up!”

We moved on to view Tower Falls near Roosevelt Lodge and then to Lamar Valley for the dusk viewing of more wildlife than anywhere in the park. On our way we stopped off at Slough Creek camp ground and as we were coming out – a “brown” Black Bear came rumbling on the left hand side of the road moving towards us with a couple of vehicles in tow. We got a quick video of him which I will down load at later time. One of the vehicles in chase said we had just missed a “black” Black Bear right in front of the brown. They moved down a ravine and crossed Slough Creek as we watched move quacking up and over the far bank and up into the timber.

Finally we moved on into Lamar Valley where we finally found the large Bison herds we had heard so much about. 1,000’s is what it looked like moving along the river and a pace almost undetectable from a distance. Idyllic scene. One I will never forget. Hard to believe we almost lost them.

Setting out on our backpacking trip to Mount Washburn and the backcountry of Yellowstone in the morning. We will update in a day or so. Oh yeah we do have our bear spray.

July 2, 2013 - Posted by hughharrisfca | Uncategorized