Yellowstone National Park: In Which the Author Loses Himself at Yellowstone...

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Hello...

Friday July 7, 2009 In Which the author Gets Yellowstoned!

I would first offer an apology for the delay in posts; it’s an environmental conflict being in such a great place, yet still coordinating the use of electricity. Cell phone and internet are somewhat spotty here, but I traveled 12 miles from Norris campground, through a 15 minute hailstorm (yes, hailstorm) to wash some clothes, steal some electricity, and wash my own stanky ass! G
Well, it’s been a week in Yellowstone, and I have a lot of different entries to type, as this park is so large (approx. 60 miles long by 60 miles wide) that there’s no simple way to present it. Much has been written about Yellowstone, and I’m hoping that my particular interpretations are entertaining and informative.

To recap, Sophie the dog and me Dave (college teacher) left Chicago, Ill. And have been meandering our way here, through 90 in South Dakota, stopping at the Corn Palace, Wall Drug, the Black Hills and Bighorn National forests, Mt. Rushmore, Devils Tower, and Crazy Horse sculptures, Deadwood, Cody, and Sturgis. We arrived in Yellowstone exactly a week ago, and since that time I have tent camped in the southeastern section, at the south of Yellowstone Lake, in Grant Village ($14), am currently camping in the center in Norris Campground ($14) and am staying through today (Friday) through Sunday at 11 a.m., slept in Vik and Suzie’s van (Chicago friends), and backcountry hiked 30 miles from last Sunday night through Wednesday morning. In addition, along with Suzie in the navigator’s position, Vik, simultaneously stern and “all over the road,” at the wheel, 3 dogs (Gandhi G and Lincoln, both large Golden Retrievers, and myself drove 3 days, 10 hours each day, around the “figure 8” road which is perfectly centered in the massive park.

Vik and Suzie deserve an entry of their own, as does my backcountry hike (as a tool for those thinking of such adventures). So, we’ll begin with Yellowstone National Park, America’s first National Park (1872), located in the northwestern corner of Wyoming, with small parts of the square entering Idaho and Montana. The park sits in a large “caldera,” i.e. bowl, after several volcanic eruptions occurred 2 million years ago. The area is still very active, with half of the worlds geysers located here, Old Faithful being the most famous. Also famous is the National Parks’ Dept.’s “hands off” approach to the wildlife, of which there are 1000s of examples roaming freely in the various landscapes (large miles-long meadows, cascading waterfalls, dense pine forests, massive areas of scorched hills and valleys from the 1988 fire, which burned 1/3 of the park, mountain lakes (Yellowstone Lake is North America’s largest), and huge mountain ranges, with peaks above 10,000 feet (the park is surrounded on all four sides by National Forests), raging rivers and calm, peaceful creeks, and many other examples. The area was once inhabited by 5 different tribes, although only one resided here all the time (Crow?). Interestingly enough, the area has never been logged, and it’s very reassuring to know that the area is one of the few places left in the lower 48, which is readily excess able, that has remained somewhat preserved, with minimal human intervention.

Being that the U.S. economy is what it is, it appears that more folks are deciding to finally make use of their SUVs by packin’ them up and (re)discovering America. Yellowstone is always very popular, and even being fairly hard to get to (it's very remote, with only small villages (although effective) and local small towns such as West Yellowstone and Gardinier to straddle the west and north borders. Tourists, both nationally and internationally, are all around, and all lodging (hotels and cabins) and 20+ campgrounds are filled. Cameras, both video and hand-held, are ever-present, as are scopes and binoculars, “bear jams” (traffic stopped for spontaneous viewing of wildlife in action (at least until the Rangers show up to coordinate the traffic), a cornucopia of trailers, roof-caps, RVs, trailers, etc., all hauling around the necessities needed to closely replicate our conveniences. With minimal roads and a speed limit of 45, 93% of the people never exit the main roads’ short sights and natural occurrences. However, a vast backcountry networks offers 100s of sites, which are free if booked in person.

Animal sightings (which are never guaranteed) are exciting, and in the week I’ve been here, I’ve seen and identified at least 20-25 different animals in their natural environments. The buffalo, one of America’s most enduring symbols, can been seen in herds of 100s or even 1000s, lazily grazing on the plains. With the help of Vik and Suzie’s park knowledge, I’ve also seen black bears and a grizzly bear, elk, deer, a marmot, osprey, a bald eagle, mountain goats, a variety of unidentifiable birds (I can mostly only identify species) and more. Currently, only the moose eludes the park’s “top 5.” Perhaps most exciting to me was viewing two wolves (they were re-introduced as a natural species—man had eliminated them from the park—in a controversial program (I think it started 10-12 years ago with around 13-20 wolves). The two came from opposite directions to an obvious meeting point, briefly greeted each other by smelling and nuzzling, then parted ways. To me, animal behavior of all types are curios and interesting to watch, as most of the actions, much like humans, involve the basic necessities of life, such as eating and/or getting ready to secure food.

In general, while Vik would drive, Suzie and I would gaze out the windows, both focused and lazily entranced, to spot wildlife in the distance (driving up to a crowd of people parked and watching through binocs is also a strong tell). If it was, for example, a black bear, flipping rocks in search of berries and/or small rodents, we would monitor the action, snapping photos while Vik filled. We would remain watching the animal for periods of up to 45 minutes to an hour (or until the animal disappeared into the tree line, humped over a ridge, or dropped into a canyon or valley.

Since Sophie and I have been on the road for 13 days now, often driving the 1500 miles, walking around a bit in the National Forests and/or viewing sights, and camping in a different spot each night, It’s great to today be sitting at our own campsite at 3 in the afternoon, typing on the computer’s battery (I have to drive 12 miles later today to Canyon Village—the “main/central” one, as it’s centrally-located and is very large—to wash my “outdoor wear” collection, steal some electricity to post this print and the pictures while recharging the battery for more campground writing, pick up some coffee and hit the ATM (besides gas and buying dinner for Vik and Suzie in exchange for the great guidance and watching Sophie while I went backpacking, I’ve only spent $300, a small amount), get gas and check the tires, drop a couple of postcards in the mail, make a few phone calls (in general, cell phone service, although great across the U.S., is only currently available in West Thumb/Grant Village and Canyon Village), and a few more details that are certain to pop up.
Because I’m traveling alone and my only “official deadline” of this trip is to meet Jennifer at the Salt Lake City airport on August 14th to begin our week-long hiking/camping excursion into the Unitias (sp? I also can't pronounce it, and have been corrected by, count 'em, two folks from Utah) Mountains, I’ve been developing the itinerary as I go. For instance, I had no set amount of time to remain in Yellowstone, but I’ll end up staying here 10-11 days. This method of travel, with National Forest/National Parks as my destinations, I can ebb and flow as necessary. The downside to this method of travel is that reservations/research/planning must be performed at the scene, often through trial and error, and possibly burning precious time that could be used elsewhere (staring at mud pots, for example). In Yellowstone, to avoid these hassles, it’s best to research the park and make camping, lodge, or cabin reservations well in advance. When I arrived last Thursday, after a long day of hiking (2 hours), driving (7 hours), restocking and gas (1.5 hours), I was already tired when I reached the park at around 4 p.m., I (as patiently as possible) waited for the entry line, eager to flash my “all-access” National Park Card ($80) that I had purchased in Badlands National Park. In front of me, a car with a—uggh—McCain/Palin (or is that Palin/McCain?) bumper sticker took an extra 7 minutes of the Ranger’s time asking (no doubt) inane and basic questions after paying their $25 entry fee. My blood continued to boil, thus taking away my “relaxation time,” although, once again, I was already fatigued and irritable, as I knew I was arriving late and really only wanted to race to secure my sleeping spot for the night; the McPalin driver was going only 20 miles an hour. This is fine, and I have no problem with different individual’s choices of speed to take in the scenery, but this person refused to use/was ignorant of the turnoffs (these are brief, 2-3 car lengths paved shoulders which occur at intervals and allow slower drivers to pull over to let the now 10-car convoy to pass. It’s mans greatest mountain-driving invention ever.

I must note that the road system in Yellowstone is very minimal. There are only 5 entry points to the park, each with a 15-30 mile drive on often rising, falling, and curving 2-lane roads (thus the slow speed). As mentioned, the center “figure 8” upper and lower loops, a 78 mile drive (and 4-5 hours, with no stops) is designed to allow folks to move through the parks many extensive natural features. Each stop offers many hours’ worth of entertainment and experience, depending on what you’re looking to do at that particular moment. In any case, I was not all about that yet; I was tired. The drive was nice, however, and after an hour and a half, I arrived at the Fishing Bridge Village. After waiting in line 20 minutes at the campground, and enduring banal questions of the person in front of me checking in and grilling the park employee (everyone in the park, to their credit, are always happy to field questions and chat), I found out that the campground was full. I was, luckily enough, able to secure a spot for 2 nights, 21 miles south at Grant Village, a 45-minute drive to the south. So, off I went.
The 7 biggest campgrounds, located in the 7 villages, sometimes extremely “close,” shall we say. The sites are in loops and in both campground situations, my neighbors’ tents were only 15-25 feet away from mine. I wonder if I snore like that? I, forcing my belief that most folks, especially nature-lovers and, therefore, not thieves, plugged both the computer and cell phone into the bathroom’s outlets (there’s no electricity in any of the campgrounds). I went to sleep, as I’ve done a few times now, downloading that day’s pictures into the computer, and then editing the shots that will eventually make it to the blog). I got in touch with Vik and Suzie, as Grant does have cell phone service, and agree to meet with them the next morning (Sat), as they were located in a cabin in Canyon Village, now 1-2 hours away.

Because Vik and Suzie knew that I was planning to come to Yellowstone during their “tenure,” I had floated the idea of a backcountry hike, and I think that they had agreed, especially since they had their own dogs with them for the first time, to babysit Sophie. One downside (although it certainly does not impress regret upon having brought our dog) to having a pet is that in this park, and most National Park, dogs are not allowed onto the trails or into the backcountry. Without Vik and Suzie in the park, a backpacking adventure could not occur. In the morning, I woke up and secured the camp, leaving to meet Vik and Suzie. At 9 a.m., I stopped in the backcountry office (located in all the villages) to secure the backpacking details on my end to be able to take the planning stage a bit further by next talking to Suzie about the babysitting.
As I’ve learned, or at least to me, the backcountry hike planning is an extensive process. Surprisingly, the “mental aspects” of the planning are much more stressful than the physical aspects of the hikes themselves. With no relevant research or education on this park on my end, the process was overwhelming. About 10 people, mostly young couples, vied for the 2 Rangers’ ears. The real problem for me was that, against the “code of planning,” I was rushed and anxious, as I knew that I was going to be late to meet Vik and Suzie. (Vik, as you note, is spelled with the more caustic “k,” as opposed to the softer “Vick.” Vik, being of German decent, has a self-developed sense of order and purpose that should not be allowed to stray or waiver. He always likes, and will, have a “B plan,” but dammit if it must be employed.)
The first requirement to access one of the 100s of established backcountry campsites (from the much-needed and established 900-mile trail system) is to view a video which explains the general “do’s and don’ts” of backcountry hiking/camping. Both ethical suggestions and hard-and-fast laws are offered through topics such as bear encounters, food-storage, and river and creek crossings, leaving little environmental impact, survival skills, and others.
Then comes the route. The Rangers are not there to plan or offer routes, etc., as the National Park Service’s policies on such matters requires them to rest sole responsibility of safety, impact, etc. on the hiker. They give ya’ access to the land and answer questions about the route, but as far as imposing requirements/suggestions of the hiker, you’re on your own (this is, by the way, an excellent policy, as it’s more of a challenge, both internally and externally, for the hiker). So, this means, having little knowledge of the park, I must first survey the huge wall-mounted flat, but topic graphical (lines showing heights) map. I have to first narrow down a region in which to travel. Rivers are low points; plateaus offer (somewhat) flat surfaces, mountains/switchbacks are rugged climbs. In addition, one must request a printout of which spots offered on the map are taken which days. Keeping the booked campsites in mind, one must then view and employ the distances between the available campsites by other hikers and one’s own route and abilities. It’s quite easy to note that a distance of only 6 miles, which under flat (i.e. Chicago) conditions would take about 2-3 hours, could in reality take 10-14 hours because of the terrain.
I watched the video, noting site-specific info such as “orange trail tags,” the potential need for a mosquito net (which I had brought, did bring, and did not employ), and, perhaps most important of all, at least “30 feet of rope” to hang all food, soap, cooking utensils, and scented items in trees to avoid attracting bears.
After much musing, thinking, planning, etc., I chose a (though to be) simple route close to Canyon Village (Vik and Suzie) called Grebe Lake. I booked a variety of spots, beginning the next day (Sunday) through the following Friday morning. One (excellent) tip that I learned from the 5-day experience of backcountry hiking through Alaska’s Denali National Park is to book an extra day at the end of the hike (as to avoid potentially getting Park employees involved in the case of, for example, being lost and not returning to civilization in time.

With a Sun. through Friday hike booked, I booked myself and Sophie up towards the Canyon Village to meet Vik and Suzie, albeit 1.5 hours late…

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Comments

[Dan Nixon]

Glad your good
Hey Dave, thanks for the update. Good to see your doing well. I am jealous I might add. Yellowstone has always been a destination that is on my "to do" list. Happy trails bud

[Paul G.]

Wow...
Awesome pictures. They make me want to pack up and head to Yellowstone during my next vacation.