Autumn in the Grand Tetons

I awoke again around 4:30 but there was no elk outside the car this morning. I decided to drive out to Hayden Valley and try my luck looking for wildlife. I heard the bugling all around again but I couldn't spot any bulls. I got my sleeping bag out and laid on the front of the car looking out over the valley. It was eerily quiet when all of a sudden I heard hooves pounding on the pavement behind me. I turned my head to see a giant buffalo crossing the road. I froze. I've seen first hand how these guys can move when they are surprised. He passed within 10 feet of me. He eventually moved off the road and down the sloping hillside. It was a simple reminder of just how wild the area is. Then I heard a loud HOO HOO! Across the road, in a low tree sat a large owl. It was easily the largest owl I've ever seen. Then, like it was called, a good sized coyote ran down the road, stopped, and kept on running. Yellowstone coyotes are wolf-size and dwarf coyotes around Ohio. I sat there and watched the sun come up over the valley. I then realized that a huge heard of bison were down in the valley but I couldn't see them because of the darkness. I could hear them grunting at each other in the darkness. It was another perfect morning.

I went back to the lodge for breakfast and had the buffet again. I got my money's worth and headed south toward the southern entrance. I passed a few giant elk on the way out. I snapped some photos and kept on. I eventually left Yellowstone Park just to enter Grand Teton National Park. Now Yellowstone was pretty in its own right but there wasn't as much fall color as I was expecting. The Tetons however, was magnificently vibrant and golden.

The majority of the trees inside the Tetons are birch trees and all of them were golden with color. The snow white of the trunks and the extreme yellow of the leaves contrasting against the blue sky was brilliant. I found it hard to drive at any sensible speed because I was enthralled with shooting prolific fall scenes. The Teton Mountain Range is magnificent all by itself but with all the added color, it was beyond imagination. I decided that fall was the best time of year to visit this park for sure.

The best hike and fishing of my life!

After my awesome breakfast, I decided to hike a trail I had done with my cousin Christopher and brother Alex, Seven Mile Hole. It's seven miles down Yellowstone Canyon to a campsite and wonderful fishing spot, but it's also seven miles up hill to get back. The elevation difference is almost two miles and it feels like five. I drove around the Upper Falls area a little bit because it is a sight all on its own and came across a big family of mule deer. There were two bucks and four does along with a handful of fawns. I hung out with them for a few minutes, just me and them. That's the beauty of doing things early at Yellowstone.

Afterward, I found the trail head and began to load my pack. I had two canteens and my hydopack full of water that I got from the ranger station in canyon village. I had some cookies, chips, granola bars, and some candy thrown in for lunch. I brought along my binoculars, camera, bowie knife, rain jacket, and bear spray, of course. I set out at about 10:30 and went at an easy pace. The trail follows the ridge of the canyon for awhile before plunging into a dense pine forest. The smell of the pines is overwhelming and hard to describe to anyone that hasn't experienced it. It was also a little nerve racking and lonely. I came upon a sign posted on a tree about at the halfway point that warned of a bear sighting two days prior. It was sighted in the switchbacks that I was just approaching. This made me think twice about what I was doing but I decided to trudge on and be alert. I also decided not to tell Sara about the notice I had just passed. No need to cause unnecessary panic. I followed the trail down the mountain and eventually arrived at the river unscathed. The scenery on the way is absolutely breathtaking and HUGE! It truly is God's Country. The trail goes through hot vents and geysers, not to mention it hugs steep cliffs and criss-crosses some very steep hills. At times finding the trail is pretty tricky because it isn't very clear and it's on the rock face itself so tracks aren't easily seen.

This is the second time I've fished this spot and I have yet to find a better producing spot. I caught upwards of 30 cutthroats in a 3 hour span of time ranging up to 19 inches. All of them were beautiful fish and great fighters. My one complaint about the area is the lack of a good bank to fish from. The river is very strong here and the bank is nothing but sharp rocks and thermal geysers. The fish are seen right up along the edge of the river so stealth is a must.

I first started using a hopper and a small prince nymph dropper and instantly I got a good one on the hopper. I caught a few more real quickly but none of real size so I switched to nymphing. I caught lots then on small nymphs and pmds. Just for kicks I wanted to throw a few streamers and tries first with a white minnow. I caught lots more but also I found it was hard to get the bigger trout to commit to the minnow. They would follow it in but more often then not they would turn it down. It might very well be my inexperience in the way of pulling it in but it also might mean these fish are lazy. Either way I had a great time and learned a lot about techniques. After fishing for three hours, I laid out my rain coat to lay on and had lunch. It was so relaxing. I developed quarter-sized blisters on both heels so I took my boots off to rest my feet. Talk about your spa treatment. I stared at the sky and got mentally ready for the tough climb ahead.

Painfully I slipped my boots back on and started up, and up, and up, and up. It is a tough trail up for sure. I arrived at the car three and a half hours later completely worn out. I then ended my day at Lake Village Lodge. They had a choice of two dinners; turkey with all the fixings, or prime rib with beans and potatoes. I decided on the turkey(it was half the price) even though I LOVE prime rib. When I told the clerk he said he was out of turkey but would give me the prime rib for the same price. Life couldn't have been better as I ate my favorite meal, at my favorite lodge, in my favorite place (Yellowstone) at the end of my favorite day ever!

The start of the best day ever. . . . really!

I had slept in my car in the Yellowstone Lake Hotel parking lot and it got down into the 30's that night. I woke up around 4:30 AM because I was cold and had to use the facilities. I got out of the car and suddenly the air was filled with the majestic bugling of the male Elk. A male and his group of cows was 50-75 yards away and strutting his stuff. I quickly reached for my binoculars because there was no way to get a picture without light at that distance. I then spent the next hour and a half observing them. The bull held his head and full rack of antlers (6x6 I think) up high as he strut around. Steam poured out of his nostrils as he answered all the other bugles from other males in the area, there were lots. It was a constant sound all around and it was awesome. I was looking forward to having an experience like this more than anything else on this trip and I got exactly what I wanted. A buck mule deer came up over a ridge and caught the elks attention. The squared off a bit but the mule deer eventually gave way and left. As the eastern sky turned orange with the sun it reflected off Lake Yellowstone and the world looked golden. It truely was astounding.

A fellow on-looker mentioned he came down from watching wolves at Dunraven Pass so I decided to hop in the car and check it out. I drove along the Yellowstone River where a thin mist was rising and took some neat pictures. I then drove through one of my favorite places, Hayden Valley. A thin fog was rolling down one hill of the valley and up the hills at the other side. It truely was a sight. I snapped some more shots and continued north toward the wolves. I was a few miles from Dunraven Pass when I came upon a bunch of cars and folks with cameras. Naturally I investigated. I a walked away from my car with my camera I came to the edge of a cliff and looked down on an enourmous grizzley bear. It was 10-15 yards down hill and foraging through the trees. I took a quick snap shot and then the park ranger arrived. I was repeatedly told to step away and go back to my car. It wasn't so much the ranger that made me back away as it was the bear coming up the hill to see what the noise was. I backed away quickly trying to take pictures but with both he and I moving, none really turned out. I ended up backing into my car and quickly getting in. I reached for my keys first thing, naturally and decided it wasn't a good idead to test my luck for any more shots as the bear approached. It walked along the passenger side of the car and stood up by the front window. Its fur brushed up against the car he was so close. It then hopped down and ran up the hill next to the road. I'll admit I was a little nervous. It was almost as tall as the car on all fours! I had never seen a grizzly so close before that I didn't need binoculars. It was a pleasant surprise.

I got to Dunraven Pass just in time to watch the pack of wolves run up ito the hills. They were easily 300 yards away but I got to hear them faintly and watch them for a few moments. I then looked at my watch and realized it was nearly 9:00 and I was starving. I made my way back down to Canyon Lodge and enjoyed a breakfast buffet by a huge stone fireplace. It was delicious, warming, and cozy. . . . . . it was still quite chilly outside. It was here by the fire I decided it could be the start of the best day ever.

Day 1

I finally entered the park and passed through the Archway at 7AM. It was 50 degrees and perfectly clear outside. I stopped to see Mammoth Hot Springs and some scenic rivers along the way. I had done some research before hand and I had decided to try my luck fishing Soda Butte Creek near the Lamar River Valley. I saw the first of many buffalo along the way and I came acrross remains of kills that I think were wolves. I found out that the biggest pack in the park roam that area. The buffalo bones are enormous!

I found a turn out and started to gear up for fly fishing. It was a short hike to Soda Butte Creek and I came across more bones. I also found a great spot to start fishing. I was using a small PMD that came recommended at the local fly shop off of a hopper. Right away I caught a decent cutthroat on the hopper but that was the only one that took it. I caught a few others on the dropper and then a few more in the evening on a drake dry fly. None of these cutthroats were bigger then 16 inches but they all were gorgeous. I had a blast and gained a lot of confidence in my abilities. I met an older couple later in the day who were from San Fransisco that offered some advise on flies. . . . . that's when I started with the drake. They later invited me to have cocktails with them that I politely declined. I enjoyed the sunset out on the river and called it a day. I drove down to Canyon Village to have a late dinner at the lodge before driving further down to Yellowstone Lake Lodge to find a place to sleep. It was then that I realized I was destined to sleep in my Camry every night when I heard all the campgrounds were filled up. I was bummed but it really did work out for the best. . .

Yellowstone........ Alone!

Five years ago, my father-in-law, Howard, introduced me to a place that I had only read about and had always wanted to see. . . . . Yellowstone National Park. Since that summer I have been back three additional times and every time I have been in the company of different people. Once with my family of Sara, Nick Jr., and a 8 month old Lilly, once with my little bro Alex and my cousin Chris, and this past month I made the trip . . . . . . by myself. Every trip has its memories, highlights, and of course, pictures. I learn a lot more about the park and its wildlife every time I ago and this most recent time was no exception.

Passing through the Yellowstone Arch is always a special moment for me. It is located north of Mammoth Hot Springs and is in the Montana area of the park. There are always elk grazing along the road up in this area and this trip I was able to see a Bald Eagle soaring in the sky as I passed through this historic Archway. It really is an amazing time. You then KNOW you are in not only the first national park in the world but the most unique.

I drove nearly straight though to the park the day in a half before, starting at 6 in the evening. I arrived just north of the park to a rest stop in Montana at about 11:30 at night. It's a 27 hour drive but I made a few stops at the Badlands, Wall Drug Store, and Deadwood in South Dakota. I slept in in my car every night because I found out that most of the park was closed and only two campgrounds were open but were at full capacity. IT DID NOT RUIN MY TRIP THOUGH. I spent the early morning hours of the first day driving through Iowa where I saw the first of many sunrises. It filled the sky with orange and sparkled through the early morning mists. Deer were everywhere and bucks were more abundant than I had ever witnessed. Its fall so they are in the rutt. It was a long but amazing trek. I finished a historical fiction series of books on cd about Atlantis that was awesome so it made time fly by.