Park County

I wake up in the morning to very quiet surroundings. A few birds, maybe some frogs, and the sound of the river nearby. Today I'll hike westward along the Yellowstone River until midday, and then turn around and head back to camp. I usually don't like to do out and back hikes because of the repetition, but the hike in the Tetons wore me out and I was looking for something more laid back. This hike was perfect. Not too much elevation change, but the river made the scenery change around every curve. The previous day I had seen a bison, a king fisher, and a black bear. Today I would see a young bull moose, in the same spot twice, a rattlesnake, a deer, a wood pecker, and a bald eagle. I guess Yellowstone still has it.

The moose was an interesting interaction. The hike was along side the river, and the river in a canyon. This means that there isn't much room along the trail for animals to make a quick getaway. Most of the hike does not have a lot of shade from thick vegetation, which is where moose like to hang out in during the day. So every time I come to a place that has lots of trees and bushes I start to scan for bears and other animals seeking shade from the midday sun. I saw a big bill moose in the Tetons on the side of the road, but that doesn't count. That moose couldn't give a shit that any of the people or cars were there. A city moose. I wanted to see a moose in it's natural environment, and I finally found one. It is an incredible experience. It's exciting and humbling to encounter such an animal especially when you're miles away from another person. As soon as I saw the moose it heard me and looked right at me. I stopped in my tracks and tried to get a better look. As soon as I moved the moose took off. For an animal that large, it can move quickly and quietly through dense vegetation. If I had my eyes closed I wouldn't know it was there. I thought the moose was gone, and continued walking clumsily (in comparison to the moose's graceful trot) along the path, and then I see more movement. This time I can see the moose run up a hill and stop. It would seem the two of us both want to be in this small area. Me along the trail and the moose in the damp and shady section along the river. We are about 50 feet away from each other, the moose has the high ground, is much faster than I am, weighs several times more than me, and has antlers. The moose is scared of me, but it looks to be "cornered" so I am extra careful with my movements. If the moose charges me, I think my best option is to try and duck behind a tree. I go off trail to maintain our distance always keeping one eye on the moose and one eye on my escape route while the moose keeps at least one ear on me the whole time. I move slowly and quietly, eventually making my way around the magnificent animal. I take a few pictures and then I continue along the path leaving the moose behind.

Soon I come to my half way point which is close to noon. I stop on a rock next to the river for some dried apricots and almonds, a great lunch when you have to carry all your belongings for the days. The river is peaceful and relaxing. What a way to spend a day. After lunch I turn around and head back. I think about the moose and wonder if it will still be there. Sure enough, one of the few places I would expect to see a moose during the day, he is still there. Again the moose runs away, this time along the trail. At first I'm not sure I'll be able to get around so easily since the passable area is smaller (the trail is right in the middle of the usable terrain). Then, just as the moose gets to the edge of this shaded area, he turns back towards me and starts to slowly walk around me, the same way I walked around him. What a courteous moose.

After passing the moose it is back to the hike as usual. I'm scanning my surroundings for movement, sounds, and smells. The previous day I thought to myself as I was hiking in that this looks an awful lot like rattle snake country. That's odd that there was no warning sign like there was in the Badlands, or the signs they have for bears here. As I continue up a section of trail I had come down an hour or so ago I hear a sound. The new noise is loud and close. My brain starts to analyze the sound and compare it to previously heard sounds on record in my memory. After some time my memory comes back with a positive match for a reptile. This reptile is dangerous and the sound is a warning. The noise I hear is that of a rattlesnake. I feel a wave of adrenaline flow through me and before I know what's happening I have stopped and am moving backwards away from the sound which my eyes have moved towards and have confirmed that it is indeed a rattlesnake. I'm glad the rattlesnake knew I was there before I got too close for comfort. When I heard the snake I was probably about 8 feet away, and had moved back to about 15 feet all without thinking or looking at the rocky, uneven, sloped terrain below my feet.

The snake is bathing in the sun. I know how the snake feels as I was fairly cold at night and I am warm blooded. So he tells me to go around. I heed the snakes polite suggestion and again go off trail to avoid further confrontation.

The next couple of animals I see are much less intense. The deer I saw I don't think noticed I was there until I got behind it. I was as surprised to sneak up on it as it was too see me so close and at it's 6. The ear size on deer always amazes me. The wood pecker was nice to see as well. As I got close to camp I took note of the easy entrance into the water and decided to take a dip. I hadn't seen a single person in 24 hours so it didn't matter that I had no bathing suit or towel. I jumped in and got out quickly. It may have been about 70 degrees in the sun, but that water was cold as it was overnight. As I air dried I stared upstream when I saw a large bird flying towards me. It looks like a bald eagle but it's too far away to be sure. Then it turned 90 degrees to my right and revealed more defining features. The bald eagle capped off the day with just about all the stereotypical animals one will find in Yellowstone. I'm glad I did the hike.

Pictures: I think some elk antlers with the top of its scull. Elk along with the rest of the deer family shed and regrow their antlers every season, but it appears that this elk is no longer with us. The moose. A beautiful bend in the river. The rattlesnake. Fall colors. The remains of a bison. Most likely the work of a grizzly bear.Read more