From Elk Lane to Pelican Valley

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We got up extra early today for we had plans that required an early departure. To my surprise the rest of our crew got up right after I did with no prodding and no complaining. We were tackling a long hike and wanted to be in the park early enough to see the wildlife before the hike. The wildlife likes to come out right at sun up and right after sun down. So we were there waiting at sun up and the animals did not disappoint. We were all up, showered, dressed, and packed before I knew it. I made us a gourmet lunch - well as gourmet as PBJ sandwiches can get and we were ready to go.

As soon as we pulled out of the cabin area we were greeted by 2 buck deer on the road. It was still very dark out so we were lucky that there wasn't any type of collision. When traveling in a wildlife area, you have to always be aware of what is going on around you, but that is multiplied tenfold in the dark. So we were all watching the road the entire morning. It wasn't long before we encountered a couple of elk alongside the road. We stopped and watched for a few minutes and carefully proceeded on. Then we came to another area of elk, and another and another and another. That continued for many miles. We saw cow elk, bull elk, baby elk, herds of elk and lonely elk. The elk were out and they were active. The bull elk have a certain stance to them unlike other animals. They look majestic. They are always fun to watch and make great photographs.

After playing with the elk, we arrived at the trailhead for today's hike. There were very few people out and no one else on that trail so it was already a good start. That is another perk of getting out and about early - solitude. We hiked the Pelican Valley trail. We hiked a portion of it last year and really enjoyed it, but wanted to go a little farther so we opted to do it again. The trail is named Pelican Valley for the Pelican Creek runs through it. I am not sure how the creek got the name Pelican, for I just can't imagine a pelican ever being in Yellowstone.

The hike starts off in a grassy meadow area and then moves into a wooded forest. From there it climbs up through an area that was hit by wildfire a few years earlier, but has recovered nicely with lots of growth. After the dead timber, the trail goes through another wooded area and then back to the grassy meadow. The meadows in this area are not like plush farmland. They are made of dry grasses and sagebrush. A stark contrast from the green fields of farming country. We hiked a long distance through the meadow and reached the old bridge that has sections washed out. It was there that we sat and enjoyed the view while eating the gourmet sandwiches I had prepared.

The valley sits 3.5 miles down the trail. It is a huge magnificent part of the park. This section gets very little human traffic, but that is what makes it so special. It is an odd and wonderful feeling to be sitting in the middle of the valley without another soul around for miles. That is one of the many things that makes hiking so enjoyable. This valley is a grizzly habitat. I know that many people would never step near a grizzly area for they would be scared out of their wits. But I want to be there. I want to see the grizzlies. I want see them in their natural habitat. But I do play it safe when in areas like that. Along the hike we met another deer and many buffalo. They were spread through the valley. Some along the trail, some at the water, some sunbathing, some wallowing in the dirt, some just watching. They are huge animals, and we kept our distance. We saw another animal, but can't say for certain if it was a grizzly or a buffalo. It was too far away to make a definite identification.

After our lunch on the trail, we headed back. The trail back is always longer than the trail getting there. We met another group (only 2 people in the group) on the trail. They are the only 2 people we saw in the entire 7 miles of hiking. It was strange to be in a place as busy as Yellowstone and not see other people on the trail. One of those hikers said he thought he spotted a grizzly with his scope in the area we had been hiking. So our unidentified animal must have been a grizzly. It was a little unnerving to think that we were so close to a grizzly and not really see it. It is also a bit unsettling to think we sat there eating our gourmet sandwiches which surely would have drawn him in to us closer, but guess that bear did not like peanut butter. But we were prepared to handle the situation if it had arose.

The hike back was uneventful but we were all glad to get back to the truck, for 7 miles was a bit long for all of us. After loading up, we headed toward West Yellowstone, Mt. That is a city outside of the west entrance of the park. We grabbed a few groceries and found our way to the cabin we had rented for the next couple of nights. We were all so tired, that we knew once we got there, we would not leave again today and that is exactly what happened.

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