Yellowstone and then Some - Wednesday

Wednesday 7/19/17  I was up at what became my "usual time" just before 6am MDT.  It was a tad bit warmer (51f) but with a light rain falling.  I headed north from my campground, hoping I might see more black bears along the way but there was really not much to see.  I made my way around to the Mammoth Visitor Center where I borrowed a phone from the backcountry office ranger to call home.

I'm not sure why, but I got a bit tearful talking to David. I think it was when he told me that he missed me, that I got weepy.  Things at home were fine; it just seems different with you are actually unable to communicate with others.

As I left the Mammoth Area, I contemplated what to do next.  The hot springs area there was already crowded with visitors so I opted to keep moving on.  Remembering about the Earthquake Lake Area out near West Yellowstone, MT I decided to head out that way.  As I exited the park, I was surprised by the long line of travel waiting to clear the entrance area.  I hoped that I wouldn't regret the decision to leave the park.

Heading north on Hwy 191, the turn off towards Hebgen Lake where the evidence of the evolving earth can still be seen today.  There is a series of stops along a self-guided tour along Hwy 287, running east to west.  I stopped with great interest to read about the impact from the 1959 "Hebgen Lake Earthquake" and the 28 souls lost in the middle of the night when the entire face of a mountain crashed down upon the Rock Creek Campground at its base.

The impact of the landslide was that the Madison River became dammed up, flooding the entire valley.  Today Earthquake Lake is a reminder of that horrifying "night of terror" and the loss of life and property throughout the area.  In the photo to the left, you can see how the trees died due to the flood.  And in the distance, in the center of the same photo, you can see that the entire side of the mountain is gone.  The only thing left is the brown face where small plants are just starting to grow again.

One of the more interesting sights is Ghost Village, where you can see the remains of Halford's Camp.  Cabins that floated downstream in the flood now rest along the valley floor as a reminder of that frightful night.

If you visit this area, I would suggest allowing at least an hour, maybe even two.  I enjoyed stopping at each of the six interpretive exhibits, as well as the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center located in the Custer Gallatin National Forest.


In the visitor center, there is short movie telling the story of that night.  While I was there, a relative of someone who died that night was there paying respects.  It was a somber experience to witness.

Back in Yellowstone National Park, I went up to the Blacktail Plateau to see what might be around.  Known to be a great wildlife viewing area, I had driven the six mile gravel road the day before, in hopes of seeing bears.  Unfortunately, I missed out having learned that a few cars in front of me not only saw a black bear with cubs . . . they also had a bobcat dart in front of them and out of sight.

For my drive through, the only thing I caught a photo of was this coyote in my side mirror.  Starting to feel a bit dejected, I was going to head back towards the Lamar Valley in hopes of spotting some bears.  I didn't even get a couple of miles down the road, when I noticed a big crowd of vehicles in the parking area for the Petrified Tree . . . an area of the park that rarely has many visitors.

Out of curiosity, I turned in hoping I wouldn't regret getting down into the back-up with no way to get back out.  I was rewarded when I saw a black bear feeding on the shrubs below the road.  There were quite a few people out and milling around taking photos.  They seemed a bit more cautious that the prior group of people I had seen the day before trying to photograph a bear.

After spending about 15 or 20 minutes getting my photos, I left.  I continued on over to the Lamar Valley.  I remembered where the sow with first year cubs had crossed the road and all of the reports of the same group a little further away so I went to the closest turnout and set up for dinner.  It was a quiet and tranquil setting, with the river rushing over the rocks below.

I fixed a sandwich and enjoyed dinner at the overlook.  As nightfall approached, I headed back towards the Tower Junction.  For some reason, though, I didn't turn left towards camp but rather went the opposite direction back to the Petrified Tree area.  I was glad I did as not only was the first bear
still in the area eating, there were two other black bears chowing down on berries in the shrubs.  The people there were still pretty mindful of their surroundings and respectful of the feeding bears.  I felt a short moment of thankfulness that these people seemingly got the significance of the opportunity to observe these magnificent animals in the wild, in their home habitat unencumbered by humans.

Feeling quite good about my day, I headed back to camp settling in for bed just before 9pm.  Total miles were 310 (2,231 total).