I cannot adequately describe the buzz in the mente that camping and backpacking near wild big game gives me. It feels primitive. It's a hunker in woods that offer an even playing field. Knowing that large 
mammals, grizzly bears especially, roam around freely in my environment is bristling. Hey Boo-boo. Grand Teton (see previous journal) was very good and offered me a thrilling taste of this co-mingled lifestyle. But Yellowstone...(pause), damn it be fresh. The Big Y just blasted me, not only with the diversity of wildlife, but with its incredible scenery and "no-fucking-way" geological formations. I shot this elk slippin' at a grazing stand. I creep and I crawl, creep creep.
On my first day in the park, I was grubbing down a few of the four food groups at a picnic table, and I overheard this behemoth of a lady yakking about how disappointed she was at how little wildlife there was to see around here. Oh my God. You've got to get out of the car, beyatch, cause it ain't like Driving Miss Grizzly. She was probably part of the crew that tailgated
me throughout the park, 5 feet off of my bumper the entire drive. Do they think they're commuting?
I pulled off the full Yellowstone "Strike-Force" plan to perfection. It goes like this: get your backcountry itinerary decided early, score the permits, and find a campsite near what you want to see before the masses descend. Then, locate some binoculars or a sight scope and jammy to an unvisited overlook that affords a view of an open valley, stream corridor or mountainside. Even many of the roadside pull-outs will work nicely if you don't want to hike. Place yourself there and watch patiently. Though I don't own any visual aids, this guy I met from Kentucky at the Slough Creek campground showed me some nice animal herds with his scope. In June, the Lamar Valley is the best place to observe massive amounts of free-roaming bison, elk, bear and, for the first time in 50 years, the wolf.
Wolf reintroduction occurred in 1995 and has proceeded with astonishing success. The Yellowstone pack now numbers over one hundred. The wolf, which once roamed north-to-south and coast-to-coast in North America, has been virtually exterminated in the United States. Far, far too late are we learning of their importance to the biota and its intricate workings. I have just finished reading a book by Aldo Leopold called A Sand County Almanac(including the conservation essays of Round River). In explaining the importance of environmental diversity with the magic of an artist, Aldo is the best. Please read his take on the fate of the wolf in our world. I suggest you buy the book and read it. You will be enthralled. I've read each page probably four times. In wildness is the salvation of the world (props to Thoreau). More to come later on my boy Leopold.
Before heading to the Tower trailhead to hike 22 miles of the
Yellowstone River, I roved around seeing the many sights that are found along the roads. There are an endless number of hot springs, pools, geysers, waterfalls, rock formations and petrified trees. To be honest, before pulling into the Old Faithful area, I had thought that I would find a solitary hole in the ground that sprayed a little water each hour. How wrong could I be?! An area of thermal disturbance, as is true at Old Faithful, doesn't include one geyser, but many, and can extend for hundreds of yards. There were so many attractions, each unique in form and color.
Waiting for Old Faithful to gak is kind of like being at a ball game. People were cheering and going nuts with every little sputter. The attached photo is of Tower Geyser which happened to be erupting when I was walking through.
The entire lower section of Yellowstone is off-limits to backcountry camping at this time of year. This is to allow the majority of the bears in the park to be undisturbed during an important feeding and cub rearing time. One hike that I was allowed to do runs along the Yellowstone River in a section called Black Canyon of the Yellowstone. It goes from a far northern section of the park to the city of Gardiner on the Montana/Wyoming border.
The mountains in the park and where I hiked are obviously old. They bow down in smooth shapes from the earth's gradual grind. The River surges through
canyons sculpted from eternal wear and transference of life. Too bad the mosquitoes are like birds. Incoming!
Carpets of damp turf sporting braids of wildflowers stretched for miles. My camp at Cottonwood Creek (photo) is a perfect example of the lush environment. No big game was spotted on this short jaunt but I certainly had fun skipping through the dirt.
With a sigh and a sputter, I lurched out of the park, drunk on life. Hello, Montana.
On the Reader Feedback page, I've posted a great letter from a friend of mine, Scott Williamson, that raises some outstanding philosophical questions. Essentially, he wants to know how, as staunch supporters of a capitalistic society, we can integrate land preservation into the free-market equation. Read his letter and then read my initial attempt at answering his questions about how society could resolve this dilemma.
Props: Eazy-E
mammals, grizzly bears especially, roam around freely in my environment is bristling. Hey Boo-boo. Grand Teton (see previous journal) was very good and offered me a thrilling taste of this co-mingled lifestyle. But Yellowstone...(pause), damn it be fresh. The Big Y just blasted me, not only with the diversity of wildlife, but with its incredible scenery and "no-fucking-way" geological formations. I shot this elk slippin' at a grazing stand. I creep and I crawl, creep creep.On my first day in the park, I was grubbing down a few of the four food groups at a picnic table, and I overheard this behemoth of a lady yakking about how disappointed she was at how little wildlife there was to see around here. Oh my God. You've got to get out of the car, beyatch, cause it ain't like Driving Miss Grizzly. She was probably part of the crew that tailgated
me throughout the park, 5 feet off of my bumper the entire drive. Do they think they're commuting?I pulled off the full Yellowstone "Strike-Force" plan to perfection. It goes like this: get your backcountry itinerary decided early, score the permits, and find a campsite near what you want to see before the masses descend. Then, locate some binoculars or a sight scope and jammy to an unvisited overlook that affords a view of an open valley, stream corridor or mountainside. Even many of the roadside pull-outs will work nicely if you don't want to hike. Place yourself there and watch patiently. Though I don't own any visual aids, this guy I met from Kentucky at the Slough Creek campground showed me some nice animal herds with his scope. In June, the Lamar Valley is the best place to observe massive amounts of free-roaming bison, elk, bear and, for the first time in 50 years, the wolf.
Wolf reintroduction occurred in 1995 and has proceeded with astonishing success. The Yellowstone pack now numbers over one hundred. The wolf, which once roamed north-to-south and coast-to-coast in North America, has been virtually exterminated in the United States. Far, far too late are we learning of their importance to the biota and its intricate workings. I have just finished reading a book by Aldo Leopold called A Sand County Almanac(including the conservation essays of Round River). In explaining the importance of environmental diversity with the magic of an artist, Aldo is the best. Please read his take on the fate of the wolf in our world. I suggest you buy the book and read it. You will be enthralled. I've read each page probably four times. In wildness is the salvation of the world (props to Thoreau). More to come later on my boy Leopold.
Before heading to the Tower trailhead to hike 22 miles of the
Yellowstone River, I roved around seeing the many sights that are found along the roads. There are an endless number of hot springs, pools, geysers, waterfalls, rock formations and petrified trees. To be honest, before pulling into the Old Faithful area, I had thought that I would find a solitary hole in the ground that sprayed a little water each hour. How wrong could I be?! An area of thermal disturbance, as is true at Old Faithful, doesn't include one geyser, but many, and can extend for hundreds of yards. There were so many attractions, each unique in form and color.Waiting for Old Faithful to gak is kind of like being at a ball game. People were cheering and going nuts with every little sputter. The attached photo is of Tower Geyser which happened to be erupting when I was walking through.
The entire lower section of Yellowstone is off-limits to backcountry camping at this time of year. This is to allow the majority of the bears in the park to be undisturbed during an important feeding and cub rearing time. One hike that I was allowed to do runs along the Yellowstone River in a section called Black Canyon of the Yellowstone. It goes from a far northern section of the park to the city of Gardiner on the Montana/Wyoming border.
The mountains in the park and where I hiked are obviously old. They bow down in smooth shapes from the earth's gradual grind. The River surges through
canyons sculpted from eternal wear and transference of life. Too bad the mosquitoes are like birds. Incoming!Carpets of damp turf sporting braids of wildflowers stretched for miles. My camp at Cottonwood Creek (photo) is a perfect example of the lush environment. No big game was spotted on this short jaunt but I certainly had fun skipping through the dirt.
With a sigh and a sputter, I lurched out of the park, drunk on life. Hello, Montana.
On the Reader Feedback page, I've posted a great letter from a friend of mine, Scott Williamson, that raises some outstanding philosophical questions. Essentially, he wants to know how, as staunch supporters of a capitalistic society, we can integrate land preservation into the free-market equation. Read his letter and then read my initial attempt at answering his questions about how society could resolve this dilemma.
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