YNP Day Two

"If you want to see wildlife, you need to drive into the Lamar Valley. You can see buffalo, elk, grizzlies and black bears," said the cashier at the Tower Falls general store. So that is what I did on the second day after coming back into the park via Gardiner. The Lamar Valley is on the far Northeastern part of the park, where the high peaks of the Gallatin National Forest and Granite Peak (Montana's highest) form a natural border along the northern boundary of Yellowstone.

But then a black bear off the northern portion of the road stopped traffic cold. It was oblivious to humans, but we humans started forming a larger and larger crowd. People with huge camera lenses were positioning themselves with their tripods and other gadgets to get that award-winning nature shot. I talked briefly to an elementary teacher from Phoenix who agreed with me that students start getting weird in middle school; girls get mean and boys get stupid. Her 15-year-old sophomore daughter agreed.

It was a beautiful drive. The Lamar Valley started forming shortly after leaving Tower Falls and widened into a basin where herds upon herds of buffalo and elk were grazing. I saw more buffalo and elk butt to keep me satisfied for a lifetime.

But the clouds didn't want to cooperate. I wanted to make it to Trout Lake to see the otters and fish jump but as soon as I got to the parking lot the thunder came. It was a half-mile hike to the lake. As soon as I reached the lake's shore it began to rain.

I haven't run the half-mile so fast in years! I was still mostly dry when I got back to the van and the wet hail began to splat against the windshield.. Other drivers were parked in the lot waiting for the rain to subside.

The 20-mile drive back to the main road was just as beautiful in reverse as the now clear sky revealed peaks and green meadows in all directions.

Sadie took my antics in stride. I never wanted to leave her alone for more than an hour at a time before letting her out to walk the parking lots, where every one else with dogs let their pets out as well.

My goal for the night was the Canyon Lodge, to walk the four-mile along the Southern Rim and to hang around the lodge for the evening. And that is what I did, walking the mostly-paved-but-crumbling path along the River. The power of the Falls was amazing, as people on both sides of the river gathered at look-out points to gawk at the tumbling mass of power.

I was getting tired now, though, and when I made it to Artist's Point I was out of energy and walked the road back, cutting off 20 minutes from the hike. I needed food.

Back to the Canyon Lodge I went, amazed that so many cars and people could gather at one place. This area had everything from a "general store" to a cafe, restaurant, diner, gift shop, sports store and the Visitor's Center all rolled into one gargantuan parking lot. Two laps around the lot equaled one mile.

I stopped at the Lodge to try out the two beers on tap there: Grand Teton Pale Ale and Bozone Pale Ale. Both were worth the overprice, as I chatted with the bartender Amy (from Washington State), a couple from Washington's Crossing, PA who had been here before 15 years ago and were amazed at the progress at the Lodge.

"Fifteen years ago all they served here were Budweiser and Coors!" said the fit woman. "Now they have micro brews here!" A woman of heart.

Next to me on the other side sat Frank from Colorado and his 15-year-old daughter Taylor from Michigan. They were on vacation but had just finished a ten-mile hike up a peak. Taylor looked exhausted.

"Doesn't it frustrate you that you can't hike the trails here?" asked me Frank.
"Yes!" I responded "All I can do is walk the tourist paths for a few miles." You meet the best people off the beaten path, away from the pavement and crowds. I can't do that while in Yellowstone with Sadie.

Frank and Taylor's numbers were paged for the restaurant and I was soon left with no one else to talk to but Amy again, but when she got busy with the dinner crowd, I left to get me a camping spot at the Fishing Bridge, another 20 miles south down the loop, where I was able to see the sun set over the lake with a few other gawkers.