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  • Day 27

    Yellowstone, The Lesser Known

    September 26, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    My night at Norris was a little warmer than the night at Lewis Lake. Everything was still covered in frost but I didn't feel like the morning was as cold. Today I'm headed for the backcountry of Yellowstone out of the Blacktail Creek trail head. It's located only 20 or so miles from the northwest entrance of the park along the Yellowstone river. My plan is to hike in about 4.5 miles, set up camp, and then do an out and back the next day returning to the same campsite.

    To get to the trail head I have to drive from Norris to Canyon Village, and then about 3/4 of the way to Mammoth Hot Springs. There is a road between Norris and Mammoth Hot Springs, but it is closed for construction. I didn't mind the extra distance because I chose a hike that was short the first day and would only take about 2 hours. It was also another beautiful drive over Dunraven Pass which gets up to about 9000 feet. On the way up to the pass there is a gorgeous view if the Yellowstone basin and the Teton range off in the distance. The ride down was just as gorgeous.

    I arrive at the trailhead at about 1 o'clock. After arriving I start to prepare for the hike. All said and done it took about an hour to reorganize my backpack and take only the essentials. My small camelback day pack gets crammed with a two nights hike worth of stuff. To the bottom of the pack I secure my sleeping bag with some chord. In my pack goes my tent, 4 wool shirts, one pair of socks, a hat, gloves, some nuts, a stove, fuel, a knife, toothbrush, toothpaste, sunscreen, trowel, TP, and some Chapstick. On top of my pack in the sack that my sleeping bag came in I store the rest of my food and a water filter. I also stash the tent poles and steaks on the side of my pack and my solar panel and battery go on top of it all, which is how I have enough charge in my phone right now to write this.

    I start walking not knowing what to expect like any trail you've never hiked before. It is fairly flat and uneventful. About a mile or so later I come across a bison grazing alone. I continue along the trail and a couple hiking out with fishing poles is going back to the trail head. I pass one other person, sitting off to the side of the trail meditating and that's it for a person that I'll see that day. As I drop down into the canyon, I can start to hear the river. I come to a suspension bridge and the hike starts to get interesting. Only about 3/4 of a mile left to go. I get to my site right around 4. Set up, eat dinner, filter water, and hang my food. Then I sat by the river until it gets to be dusk. Before the sun dipped behind the hill in the other side of the river I noticed how wide open it is across the way. A perfect vantage to spot an animal. Now that I can hardly make things out, I hear some leaves rustling. I can't tell where it came from so I jump up and spin around with my bear spray at the ready. I see and hear nothing. All of my senses are on high alert and I scan my surroundings for movement or a sound. As I look across the river I spot a large black object. It moves and reveals that it is a black bear. I'm glad it's on the other side of the river and exploring the side of the river I'm on. It's time to retreat to the relative safety of my tent. My hands are starting to get cold anyway. I fall asleep rather quickly, and don't wake up very often throughout the night. A night above freezing!

    Pictures: Morning frost at Norris. Dunraven Pass looking over Yellowstone and the Teton range. Yellowstone Canyon. The suspension bridge that takes me to the north side of Yellowstone river. My fully loaded day pack after arriving at camp. The view out of my campsite.
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