WEBVTT 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:02.680 From Yellowstone National Park, where if the 00:00:02.680 --> 00:00:05.919 weather cooperates, all interior roads and the 00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:08.800 Beartooth Highway will open on Friday. This is 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:10.800 that Scott guy you know and love with a brand 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:24.239 new episode of This Week in Yellowstone. What's 00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:26.769 up everybody? This week in Yellowstone National 00:00:26.769 --> 00:00:31.530 Park from May 21st to May 27th, 2026, I'll talk 00:00:31.530 --> 00:00:35.030 about driving Dunraven Pass, get a bit pendantic 00:00:35.030 --> 00:00:38.229 about Lamar Valley, and discuss how bear jams 00:00:38.229 --> 00:00:41.170 impact bear behavior. I'll also give you the 00:00:41.170 --> 00:00:43.810 complete weather forecast, a cool trail to hike, 00:00:44.229 --> 00:00:47.030 the snowpack update, the wildlife report, and 00:00:47.030 --> 00:00:48.729 everything else you need to have an incredible 00:00:48.729 --> 00:00:52.149 time this week in Yellowstone. Standard disclaimer 00:00:52.149 --> 00:00:56.280 here. I may miss a few details, so I'm sorry 00:00:56.280 --> 00:01:07.719 I do the best I can. I also mention park locations 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:10.939 on this podcast very casually, so if you're unfamiliar 00:01:10.939 --> 00:01:12.859 with some place I'm saying, a quick search can 00:01:12.859 --> 00:01:17.079 help, or just contact me directly. Also, this 00:01:17.079 --> 00:01:19.980 podcast is a passion project of mine. I am not 00:01:19.980 --> 00:01:22.750 paid. I'm not sponsored. I do this because I 00:01:22.750 --> 00:01:25.510 love it. And so if you enjoy this podcast, I'd 00:01:25.510 --> 00:01:28.010 love a review or a quick email. Also, one thing 00:01:28.010 --> 00:01:29.709 that you could really do that would help grow 00:01:29.709 --> 00:01:32.810 this podcast is if you're on any social media 00:01:32.810 --> 00:01:36.489 that has Yellowstone discussions, drop a link 00:01:36.489 --> 00:01:39.150 to this or tell people to listen to this. Tell 00:01:39.150 --> 00:01:41.409 them listen to this week in Yellowstone. More 00:01:41.409 --> 00:01:43.750 people I think will benefit from visiting the 00:01:43.750 --> 00:01:46.090 park, especially because I'm always talking about 00:01:46.090 --> 00:01:48.790 behavior and things like that. So if you like 00:01:48.790 --> 00:01:52.629 this. You know, review, quick email, tell your 00:01:52.629 --> 00:01:54.730 friends, tell the people online. If you want 00:01:54.730 --> 00:01:57.430 to support my work further, check out my wildlife 00:01:57.430 --> 00:01:59.810 watching and hiking guidebooks to the region 00:01:59.810 --> 00:02:02.670 or join me for a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone's 00:02:02.670 --> 00:02:05.030 backcountry. For more information on all that, 00:02:05.170 --> 00:02:08.030 visit outdoor -society .com or just contact me 00:02:08.030 --> 00:02:13.389 directly, 406 -589 -1873. So a few very quick 00:02:13.389 --> 00:02:17.099 news stories of first news story. impacts wildlife 00:02:17.099 --> 00:02:19.060 watching in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. 00:02:19.580 --> 00:02:22.780 It appears that the wolf hunt in Wyoming is going 00:02:22.780 --> 00:02:24.879 to be a lot less this coming year than it was 00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:28.199 the previous year to help with the wolf population 00:02:28.199 --> 00:02:31.020 in and around Yellowstone National Park. State 00:02:31.020 --> 00:02:34.219 of Wyoming is cutting down the amount of wolves 00:02:34.219 --> 00:02:36.800 that can be killed in their state, especially 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:39.539 in the Yellowstone region. So that's great news. 00:02:40.520 --> 00:02:42.659 Obviously, you know, hunting is a hot button 00:02:42.659 --> 00:02:45.300 issue, so I'm not going to dive into that right 00:02:45.300 --> 00:02:47.800 now. That's a whole other episode when things 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:51.199 are a little slower. Other news right now is 00:02:51.199 --> 00:02:54.240 that Dunraven Pass is opening on Friday. That 00:02:54.240 --> 00:02:58.460 is a road that connects Tower to Canyon. I'll 00:02:58.460 --> 00:03:00.240 be talking about that in just a minute as my 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:02.780 experience of the week. Also, the Beartooth Highway 00:03:02.780 --> 00:03:05.939 is expected to open this Friday as well, assuming 00:03:05.939 --> 00:03:07.759 the weather works out. That's for both those 00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:09.680 roads. Weather works out, those roads are opening. 00:03:09.789 --> 00:03:12.569 So that's the main news in the park right now. 00:03:12.569 --> 00:03:14.729 Other than that, I'm gonna dive right into the 00:03:14.729 --> 00:03:17.509 experience of the week, which is driving Dunraven 00:03:17.509 --> 00:03:20.669 Pass. Dunraven Pass is the Yellowstone Drive 00:03:20.669 --> 00:03:24.990 that doesn't have the like awesome attention 00:03:24.990 --> 00:03:27.409 given to it that a lot of places in the park 00:03:27.409 --> 00:03:30.210 do. It doesn't get the fanfare of Old Faithful 00:03:30.210 --> 00:03:32.550 or the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone or Lamar 00:03:32.550 --> 00:03:36.030 Valley or Hayden Valley or even, you know, the 00:03:36.030 --> 00:03:37.969 Madison River as you're driving between West 00:03:37.969 --> 00:03:41.669 and Madison. which is why I kind of love Dunraven 00:03:41.669 --> 00:03:45.069 Pass. Most people just view this section of road 00:03:45.069 --> 00:03:47.810 as a crossing rather than a destination. It's 00:03:47.810 --> 00:03:50.110 a quick way to connect Canyon to Tower Roosevelt 00:03:50.110 --> 00:03:54.050 and then head to Lamar. The afterthought that 00:03:54.050 --> 00:03:56.250 is the scenic drive is part of what makes it 00:03:56.250 --> 00:03:59.449 special. Driving this road you leave one Yellowstone 00:03:59.449 --> 00:04:01.990 and arrive in another. Not really, but you'll 00:04:01.990 --> 00:04:04.930 realize what I mean. The road threads between 00:04:04.930 --> 00:04:07.750 Tower Fall and Canyon Village, climbing to 8 00:04:07.750 --> 00:04:12.129 ,859 feet through the Washburn area, and then, 00:04:12.129 --> 00:04:14.569 as you're up above, it offers sweeping views 00:04:14.569 --> 00:04:17.410 in all directions, showcasing the mountains everywhere. 00:04:17.470 --> 00:04:19.730 You can see the Tetons, you can see the Absaroka 00:04:19.730 --> 00:04:22.490 -Beartooth Mountains of both Wyoming and Montana. 00:04:22.949 --> 00:04:25.870 You can see way out to the west side of the park. 00:04:25.970 --> 00:04:27.910 It's just awesome. And that's from the road, 00:04:27.990 --> 00:04:30.670 not even to mention you can go up higher. I'm 00:04:30.670 --> 00:04:32.949 obviously excited about this because I love it. 00:04:32.970 --> 00:04:35.949 The southbound approach from tower is the most 00:04:35.949 --> 00:04:38.410 I think scenic way I mean they're both really 00:04:38.410 --> 00:04:42.449 scenic but I love going south from tower to canyon. 00:04:43.009 --> 00:04:45.850 So from tower the road kind of just darts in 00:04:45.850 --> 00:04:48.089 and out of trees and then it starts to switch 00:04:48.089 --> 00:04:51.089 back up which is really fun because you really 00:04:51.089 --> 00:04:54.290 start climbing and with every bit you climb there's 00:04:54.290 --> 00:04:57.689 more open landscapes that emerge there's more 00:04:57.689 --> 00:05:01.040 pullouts Everything is kind of designed on this 00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:04.560 section from tower up to the top of the pass 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:08.259 to give you maximum viewpoints Stop at every 00:05:08.259 --> 00:05:11.100 single pullout picnic area wherever you want. 00:05:11.100 --> 00:05:13.300 Enjoy it. There is one quick side thing I didn't 00:05:13.300 --> 00:05:15.680 write this down, but it always pops in my head 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:19.300 when I talk about Dunraven pass is that there 00:05:19.300 --> 00:05:23.079 is this like Bison pullout beyond tower as you're 00:05:23.079 --> 00:05:27.100 working your way up There used to be a Finston 00:05:27.100 --> 00:05:29.680 area where visitors to the park could see some 00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:32.300 of the bison in the park before There were that 00:05:32.300 --> 00:05:34.639 many wild bison at one time There were just 20 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:37.420 something bison in the entire park when that 00:05:37.420 --> 00:05:39.860 was happening There were areas where they could 00:05:39.860 --> 00:05:42.519 breed and be safe as well And so this is one 00:05:42.519 --> 00:05:44.660 of those areas of bison paddock, which was pretty 00:05:44.660 --> 00:05:47.279 cool. Stop there beyond that That's where it 00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:49.420 really starts to open up. That's where you're 00:05:49.420 --> 00:05:52.459 gonna get these gorgeous views and honestly like 00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:56.100 early morning when the fog starts to clear or 00:05:56.100 --> 00:05:58.920 there's like dew everywhere, the smells, the 00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:02.560 sights, awesome. So the pass is named for Wyndham 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:05.779 Thomas Wyndham Quinn, which you know double the 00:06:05.779 --> 00:06:08.800 Wyndham I guess I talked about this last year 00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:11.740 if you want go back and find that episode I talked 00:06:11.740 --> 00:06:13.899 about this guy quite a bit He was the fourth 00:06:13.899 --> 00:06:16.740 Earl of Dunraven an Irish nobleman who traveled 00:06:16.740 --> 00:06:20.639 to the park in 1874 just two years after Yellowstone 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:23.550 became the world's first national park He wrote 00:06:23.550 --> 00:06:26.110 The Great Divide, a book that introduced many 00:06:26.110 --> 00:06:28.790 European readers to this idea that the United 00:06:28.790 --> 00:06:31.589 States has set aside a giant landscape simply 00:06:31.589 --> 00:06:35.550 to preserve it. Yellowstone superintendent Norris 00:06:35.550 --> 00:06:38.329 later named the pass after him. That means when 00:06:38.329 --> 00:06:40.649 you drive it, you're on a route named for one 00:06:40.649 --> 00:06:43.579 of the first outsiders European outsiders who 00:06:43.579 --> 00:06:46.180 try to explain Yellowstone to the world. The 00:06:46.180 --> 00:06:49.980 paved road we know now followed decades later, 00:06:50.259 --> 00:06:52.180 and then it was expanded during the automobile 00:06:52.180 --> 00:06:55.920 era and paved in the mid -1900s, though much 00:06:55.920 --> 00:06:58.060 of its alignment still follows those earliest 00:06:58.060 --> 00:07:01.339 mountain crossings. What makes the drive geologically 00:07:01.339 --> 00:07:03.379 interesting is that it doesn't look like the 00:07:03.379 --> 00:07:05.639 Yellowstone most people picture. You know, we 00:07:05.639 --> 00:07:07.459 think of Yellowstone, we think of geysers, and 00:07:07.459 --> 00:07:09.759 we think of wide open prairies. This isn't this. 00:07:10.300 --> 00:07:12.600 The central plateau around the geyser basin is 00:07:12.600 --> 00:07:15.040 dominated by younger rhyolite from the caldera 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:18.740 eruptions. Dunraven crosses older volcanic terrain 00:07:18.740 --> 00:07:21.939 remnants of the Absaroka volcanic field. These 00:07:21.939 --> 00:07:25.420 rocks are darker richer in nutrients and weathered 00:07:25.420 --> 00:07:28.379 into these really cool features especially when 00:07:28.379 --> 00:07:31.199 you're driving at the top of the pass. The soils 00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:33.779 there support thicker forests and wildflower 00:07:33.779 --> 00:07:37.220 meadows once that happens in July. In July these 00:07:37.220 --> 00:07:39.850 entire slopes that you're driving by can become 00:07:39.850 --> 00:07:42.649 crowded with lupine, paintbrush, and fireweed, 00:07:42.810 --> 00:07:45.610 some of the best vileflower views in the park. 00:07:45.910 --> 00:07:47.970 Not happening right now, but it's going to be. 00:07:48.550 --> 00:07:50.649 The mountain looks almost pastoral in places, 00:07:51.110 --> 00:07:52.870 which is odd for a place sitting on the edge 00:07:52.870 --> 00:07:55.769 of the largest volcanic system on earth, well, 00:07:55.850 --> 00:07:58.240 one of them. of Yellowstone, and it just looks 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:01.339 very calm. If you were in the Alps and you saw 00:08:01.339 --> 00:08:03.540 this, you would expect a little, you know, chalet 00:08:03.540 --> 00:08:06.240 there and some cows roaming around. You don't 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:07.899 get that here. You get grizzly bears, you get 00:08:07.899 --> 00:08:10.660 bison, you get elk, bighorn, sheep, and no real 00:08:10.660 --> 00:08:13.240 infrastructure. So there are several pull -outs 00:08:13.240 --> 00:08:15.620 that deserve more than a quick break tap as you're 00:08:15.620 --> 00:08:20.100 driving up. Most of them are unnamed, but stopping 00:08:20.100 --> 00:08:22.759 here is one of the best ways to understand how 00:08:22.759 --> 00:08:25.600 Yellowstone unfolds. You can see ridges dropping 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:29.639 toward the Lamar Valley, you can see where the 00:08:29.639 --> 00:08:32.559 Yellowstone River goes around the mountain, and 00:08:32.559 --> 00:08:34.960 you really just get a better feel for how big 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:38.620 this park really is. So I don't know if this 00:08:38.620 --> 00:08:40.399 is going to be open, but I'm mentioning it right 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:43.279 now, but there's a stop that you really need 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:48.960 to take, and that is the Chittenden Pass Road 00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:52.620 at the top of Dunraven Pass. Chittenden is something 00:08:52.620 --> 00:08:54.720 I'll talk about later, it's a fun word to say, 00:08:55.100 --> 00:08:57.360 but this is a dirt road that leads up to the 00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:00.100 parking area if you wanted to go hike up to Mount 00:09:00.100 --> 00:09:02.919 Washburn. Now even if you don't want to hike 00:09:02.919 --> 00:09:05.139 up Mount Washburn and this drive is open, drive 00:09:05.139 --> 00:09:07.899 up here, get out of the car, and look around. 00:09:08.620 --> 00:09:11.419 You're going to notice a few things. One is that 00:09:11.419 --> 00:09:14.139 you can see all sorts of places. Two, you're 00:09:14.139 --> 00:09:16.519 going to be at elevation and the air is going 00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:19.700 to be colder, thinner, and it's just going to 00:09:19.700 --> 00:09:21.899 be a little more windy, right? And that's great, 00:09:21.899 --> 00:09:25.019 especially if it's a hot day. If you do want 00:09:25.019 --> 00:09:27.899 to hike Mount Washburn, know that Mount Washburn 00:09:27.899 --> 00:09:32.519 is 10 ,200 feet and it leads to a historic fire 00:09:32.519 --> 00:09:34.320 lookout on the summit. I'm going to talk about 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:36.879 that in a couple of weeks because right now there's 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:38.820 still some snow there. Don't recommend hiking 00:09:38.820 --> 00:09:40.379 it unless you're really looking for some type 00:09:40.379 --> 00:09:45.269 two fun. The trail is Gentle, but in the snow 00:09:45.269 --> 00:09:48.029 it's again not worth it, so stay tuned for that 00:09:48.029 --> 00:09:51.769 later. Wildlife is another part of why the drive 00:09:51.769 --> 00:09:54.350 across Dunraven Pass is awesome. This is a great 00:09:54.350 --> 00:09:56.590 place to spot bighorn sheep close to the road, 00:09:56.870 --> 00:09:58.950 especially around the top of the pass. They often 00:09:58.950 --> 00:10:01.470 graze in the open slopes above the road and then 00:10:01.470 --> 00:10:02.909 sometimes just walk in the middle of the road, 00:10:03.029 --> 00:10:05.850 so drive carefully when you are here. You also 00:10:05.850 --> 00:10:08.269 have a very good chance of black bears and grizzly 00:10:08.269 --> 00:10:11.110 bears in this area and these will cause numerous 00:10:11.110 --> 00:10:13.470 bear jams from the opening of the road all the 00:10:13.470 --> 00:10:14.970 way through the closing of the road in October. 00:10:15.549 --> 00:10:17.730 You're going to see ravens circling thermals, 00:10:18.110 --> 00:10:21.490 marmots whistling, you're going to hear some 00:10:21.490 --> 00:10:24.149 pika or pika depending how you want to say it, 00:10:24.149 --> 00:10:26.809 and also you're just going to see what you see 00:10:26.809 --> 00:10:29.889 up there. I love this area. Some of my best bear 00:10:29.889 --> 00:10:32.649 sightings have been up here so check this out 00:10:32.649 --> 00:10:36.480 especially early morning. late afternoon. I almost 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:38.460 always see a bear when I drive this at those 00:10:38.460 --> 00:10:42.120 times. So once you begin descending toward Canyon, 00:10:42.620 --> 00:10:45.840 the mood changes entirely. The trees become more 00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:48.360 common. At a few pullouts, the landscape opens 00:10:48.360 --> 00:10:51.000 up and you can see way out towards Hayden Valley. 00:10:51.080 --> 00:10:54.360 You can see Washburn Hot Springs out in the distance. 00:10:54.419 --> 00:10:56.539 I lead a tour out to Washburn Hot Springs. It's 00:10:56.539 --> 00:10:58.759 the smelliest hot springs in the park that you 00:10:58.759 --> 00:11:00.940 can hike to and I love it and you should book 00:11:00.940 --> 00:11:04.500 that tour. It's so fun. From the same pullout, 00:11:04.580 --> 00:11:06.179 you can also see all the way down to the Tetons. 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:08.360 So how cool is that, right? It's another place 00:11:08.360 --> 00:11:11.360 in the park you can see the Tetons. The best 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:13.799 time to drive this, I feel, is early morning 00:11:13.799 --> 00:11:16.200 late in the day for that wildlife feature. Also 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:19.440 just the daylight and the sun. If you leave Tower 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:22.279 just after sunrise and drive toward the top and 00:11:22.279 --> 00:11:24.120 right before you get to where Chittenden Road 00:11:24.120 --> 00:11:27.279 starts, there's a really beautiful pullout with 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:29.179 plenty of parking spots. Sit there and watch 00:11:29.179 --> 00:11:33.029 the sunrise over the Absaroka Mountains. I can't 00:11:33.029 --> 00:11:35.730 describe this experience well enough. Just do 00:11:35.730 --> 00:11:38.950 it. It's it's wonderful If you're lucky enough 00:11:38.950 --> 00:11:41.029 lucky as in quotation marks to be up here as 00:11:41.029 --> 00:11:43.429 there's a thunderstorm Thunderstorms should pass 00:11:43.429 --> 00:11:47.409 pretty quickly and when they do These big pullouts 00:11:47.409 --> 00:11:50.950 are great place to see rainbows over the entire 00:11:50.950 --> 00:11:54.039 horizon. I had a friend that visited who moved 00:11:54.039 --> 00:11:57.440 to vegas after living up here for a while and 00:11:57.440 --> 00:12:00.360 when she came back she uh wanted to do this drive 00:12:00.360 --> 00:12:03.559 we did it and we watched multiple rainbows just 00:12:03.559 --> 00:12:06.580 drift over toward lamar valley throughout the 00:12:06.580 --> 00:12:08.820 afternoon and it was truly magical and wonderful 00:12:08.820 --> 00:12:12.600 so do this drive it's great this is what you 00:12:12.600 --> 00:12:16.220 should do this week it also connects canyon to 00:12:16.220 --> 00:12:18.679 roosevelt and then from roosevelt you get in 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:20.960 that bear muted triangle where you can see lots 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:24.090 of bears this is a drive that you will love. 00:12:24.490 --> 00:12:26.789 You are going to probably love this more than 00:12:26.789 --> 00:12:30.269 you think because it's not mentioned that much 00:12:30.269 --> 00:12:32.330 as a scenic drive, it's mentioned as a point 00:12:32.330 --> 00:12:35.590 A to point B. And by taking the time, stopping 00:12:35.590 --> 00:12:38.549 to the pullouts, really letting Yellowstone soak 00:12:38.549 --> 00:12:42.509 into you from these overlooked spots, you're 00:12:42.509 --> 00:12:44.370 going to understand the park much deeper and 00:12:44.370 --> 00:12:46.149 you're going to fall in love with it even more. 00:12:51.050 --> 00:12:53.730 Over the last few weeks, I've seen an increasing 00:12:53.730 --> 00:12:56.509 trend on social media of people asking how to 00:12:56.509 --> 00:13:00.149 experience Lamar Valley. Generally, this is a 00:13:00.149 --> 00:13:03.389 fine question, but the questions continue, pointing 00:13:03.389 --> 00:13:05.769 to a desire to find the one experience in the 00:13:05.769 --> 00:13:08.309 area that they can do so they can say they did 00:13:08.309 --> 00:13:11.590 it. I'm here to say that Lamar Valley and most 00:13:11.590 --> 00:13:15.129 of Yellowstone do not work that way. Yes, you 00:13:15.129 --> 00:13:17.830 can go to Old Faithful and watch it erupt. or 00:13:17.830 --> 00:13:19.830 walk to Artist Point and see the lower falls, 00:13:20.330 --> 00:13:22.090 and the stunning scene in the Grand Canyon of 00:13:22.090 --> 00:13:24.610 the Yellowstone from there. You can wander the 00:13:24.610 --> 00:13:27.070 thermal areas and see the sights, but those are 00:13:27.070 --> 00:13:30.690 specific things. Lamar Valley is a huge area. 00:13:31.230 --> 00:13:34.129 Lamar Valley has a mystique to it. After all, 00:13:34.230 --> 00:13:37.909 as everyone says, it's America's Serengeti. I 00:13:37.909 --> 00:13:40.450 like to say that Lamar Valley is America's Lamar 00:13:40.450 --> 00:13:43.970 Valley. That's not a phrase based in like patriotism 00:13:43.970 --> 00:13:46.899 and like all of that. It's just because It's 00:13:46.899 --> 00:13:50.620 not like the Serengeti, it's like Lamar Valley. 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:53.639 It is without rival, and it is the best wildlife 00:13:53.639 --> 00:13:55.899 watching place in the park, and always worth 00:13:55.899 --> 00:13:59.679 a trip. That being said, I think it's long overdue 00:13:59.679 --> 00:14:03.000 for an explanation of what Lamar Valley is, and 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:06.779 what you can do there. Lamar Valley is an 8 mile 00:14:06.779 --> 00:14:09.779 long, 4 mile wide open valley carved by glaciers 00:14:09.779 --> 00:14:12.539 during the last ice age. It's a landscape of 00:14:12.539 --> 00:14:15.539 broad meadows, rolling hills, stage rush flats, 00:14:15.779 --> 00:14:18.940 and it feels really expansive. The Lamar River 00:14:18.940 --> 00:14:20.840 winds through the center of the valley, well, 00:14:21.120 --> 00:14:23.340 edge of the valley, for nearly 44 miles from 00:14:23.340 --> 00:14:25.820 its headwaters before joining the Yellowstone 00:14:25.820 --> 00:14:29.100 River. Together, the landscape and surrounding 00:14:29.100 --> 00:14:31.240 grasslands create one of the park's most distinctive 00:14:31.240 --> 00:14:34.399 landscapes, where wide views, moving water, and 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:36.940 abundant wildlife all come together in one place. 00:14:37.769 --> 00:14:40.049 I also feel it's important to note that Lamar 00:14:40.049 --> 00:14:43.090 Valley is only the valley. What do I mean by 00:14:43.090 --> 00:14:46.149 this? Well, Lamar Valley commonly gets lumped 00:14:46.149 --> 00:14:49.590 in with Slough Creek, Little America, Round Prairie, 00:14:49.669 --> 00:14:52.350 and Pebble Creek, as well as most of the Northeast 00:14:52.350 --> 00:14:56.190 Inchins Road, making the idea of Lamar much different 00:14:56.190 --> 00:14:59.080 than what it actually is. Now some are going 00:14:59.080 --> 00:15:02.539 to consider this to be pedantic, but location 00:15:02.539 --> 00:15:05.360 accuracy matters. This is really important for 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:07.539 a lot of reasons, one of which I was reminded 00:15:07.539 --> 00:15:10.460 about recently. The other day I was asked what 00:15:10.460 --> 00:15:12.980 trails are found in Lamar Valley. The answer 00:15:12.980 --> 00:15:15.960 is only one, the Lamar River Trail. This out 00:15:15.960 --> 00:15:19.419 and back trail starts near Soda Butte Creek and 00:15:19.419 --> 00:15:23.279 works its way into Lamar Valley. The person said 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:25.659 I was wrong, telling me a bunch of other trails 00:15:25.659 --> 00:15:27.779 that are near Lamar Valley but aren't in the 00:15:27.779 --> 00:15:31.259 valley itself. I felt this was important to distinguish 00:15:31.259 --> 00:15:34.179 because again, they were specifically asking 00:15:34.179 --> 00:15:37.340 for a hike in Lamar. And I know that's me being 00:15:37.340 --> 00:15:40.840 picky with words, but I want people to know what 00:15:40.840 --> 00:15:43.919 Lamar Valley is. So now that you know that there's 00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:47.059 only a single official trail in Lamar, you may 00:15:47.059 --> 00:15:49.940 still be asking, what else is there to do? In 00:15:49.940 --> 00:15:53.139 all honesty, not much if you're looking for dependable 00:15:53.139 --> 00:15:57.330 attractions and experiences. Keyword there, dependable. 00:15:57.769 --> 00:16:00.029 What most do in Lamar Valley is drive through 00:16:00.029 --> 00:16:02.470 it, stopping at pullouts, and scanning for wildlife. 00:16:03.330 --> 00:16:06.309 Lamar Valley is nature, pure and wild. It's not 00:16:06.309 --> 00:16:08.850 predictable. Sometimes the valley is filled with 00:16:08.850 --> 00:16:11.629 bison, sometimes you'll see bears and foxes, 00:16:11.830 --> 00:16:14.309 sometimes you'll see coyotes and wolves, sometimes 00:16:14.309 --> 00:16:16.629 you'll see all of those things, and other times 00:16:16.629 --> 00:16:21.309 you may see nothing. The truth about Lamar is 00:16:21.309 --> 00:16:24.509 that uncertainty is exactly what makes it special. 00:16:24.750 --> 00:16:27.870 You do not come here to complete an itinerary 00:16:27.870 --> 00:16:30.690 or guarantee a sighting. You come here because 00:16:30.690 --> 00:16:33.730 the valley is alive, and every hour can be different 00:16:33.730 --> 00:16:36.870 from the last. One morning the hills may be empty, 00:16:37.090 --> 00:16:39.669 and the next a wolf may appear on a ridge while 00:16:39.669 --> 00:16:42.929 bison move through the river below. Lamar rewards 00:16:42.929 --> 00:16:45.850 patience more than planning. The best way to 00:16:45.850 --> 00:16:49.590 experience it is not to ask how to do it, but 00:16:49.590 --> 00:16:54.019 to go there, slow down, spend time, Let the valley 00:16:54.019 --> 00:16:56.779 decide what it wants to show you It's up to you 00:16:56.779 --> 00:16:59.039 to interpret that and to give the valley meaning 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:02.759 and to have an experience So if you're looking 00:17:02.759 --> 00:17:04.940 to go to Lamar Valley, and you're thinking what 00:17:04.940 --> 00:17:07.619 should I do? The thing that you should do get 00:17:07.619 --> 00:17:10.059 there early in the mornings or late in the evening 00:17:10.059 --> 00:17:13.900 Look for wildlife and just enjoy the valley for 00:17:13.900 --> 00:17:16.740 the nature that it is Because places like this 00:17:16.740 --> 00:17:19.140 are at a premium and they're getting more and 00:17:19.140 --> 00:17:22.970 more rare every single year My random Yellowstone 00:17:22.970 --> 00:17:26.289 fact of the week. One of the reasons Yellowstone 00:17:26.289 --> 00:17:28.589 National Park does not officially name its bears 00:17:28.589 --> 00:17:31.369 is that the names can intentionally change how 00:17:31.369 --> 00:17:34.150 people behave toward them. It seems harmless 00:17:34.150 --> 00:17:36.569 to call a bear by a nickname, especially when 00:17:36.569 --> 00:17:39.269 people have watched the same sow raise cubs for 00:17:39.269 --> 00:17:42.170 several seasons or recognize the large boar by 00:17:42.170 --> 00:17:46.019 a scar or distinctive coat. Yet, From the park's 00:17:46.019 --> 00:17:49.099 perspective, giving a wild bear a public identity 00:17:49.099 --> 00:17:52.079 can create exactly the kind of attention managers 00:17:52.079 --> 00:17:55.619 try to limit. A named bear becomes a destination. 00:17:56.279 --> 00:17:59.140 People begin asking where they can see that bear 00:17:59.140 --> 00:18:01.880 that day, whether it's still in a certain valley 00:18:01.880 --> 00:18:04.759 or where they can find that bear again when they 00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:07.380 visit the park again. In a park that already 00:18:07.380 --> 00:18:10.910 receives millions of visitors each year, This 00:18:10.910 --> 00:18:14.170 desire to see one specific animal can translate 00:18:14.170 --> 00:18:16.410 into crowds gathering around that one animal 00:18:16.410 --> 00:18:20.109 and increasing the pressure on it. That matters 00:18:20.109 --> 00:18:23.190 because attention changes bear behavior. The 00:18:23.190 --> 00:18:25.170 National Park Service has spent decades trying 00:18:25.170 --> 00:18:27.970 to keep Yellowstone's bears as wild as possible, 00:18:28.450 --> 00:18:30.650 meaning they continue using natural food sources 00:18:30.650 --> 00:18:33.849 and avoid learning that humans are relevant to 00:18:33.849 --> 00:18:36.890 their daily routines. In the park's own management 00:18:36.890 --> 00:18:39.750 history, The period when bears became tourist 00:18:39.750 --> 00:18:42.809 attractions was disastrous. Bears were fed in 00:18:42.809 --> 00:18:45.410 campgrounds, congregated garbage dumps were fed 00:18:45.410 --> 00:18:48.549 by rangers, and became accustomed to people not 00:18:48.549 --> 00:18:51.750 as background but as a source of food and entertainment. 00:18:52.710 --> 00:18:55.390 The result was dozens of injuries per year and 00:18:55.390 --> 00:18:57.869 many bears removed or killed after conflicts. 00:18:58.789 --> 00:19:01.470 Modern bear management was designed specifically 00:19:01.470 --> 00:19:05.960 to reverse that. Naming can feed into a newer 00:19:05.960 --> 00:19:09.339 version of that same problem. A famous bear draws 00:19:09.339 --> 00:19:12.240 repeat visitation. People will wait up pullouts 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:15.519 for hours, stop in traffic lanes, or drive back 00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:18.079 and forth all day to see one specific animal. 00:19:18.839 --> 00:19:21.079 The park documents that roadside bear sightings 00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:23.680 already create bear jams, which are traffic backups 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:25.740 caused by visitors stopping to watch bears near 00:19:25.740 --> 00:19:29.380 roads. Those jams are manageable when they happen 00:19:29.380 --> 00:19:32.279 naturally. They become more intense when one 00:19:32.279 --> 00:19:35.160 bear develops a reputation and visitors actively 00:19:35.160 --> 00:19:38.480 seek it out. In that situation, the animal is 00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:41.019 no longer just moving through the habitat. It 00:19:41.019 --> 00:19:44.119 becomes the center of a human event. This is 00:19:44.119 --> 00:19:46.480 happening all over the park right now, but there 00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:49.180 are two regions where it is most intense. North 00:19:49.180 --> 00:19:52.920 of Norris, and out the east entrance. While I 00:19:52.920 --> 00:19:54.920 will mention these locations in the wildlife 00:19:54.920 --> 00:19:57.400 report, I do want you to know that seeking out 00:19:57.400 --> 00:20:00.329 these individual bears does create a problem. 00:20:00.990 --> 00:20:03.450 This extra attention can lead to habituation, 00:20:04.109 --> 00:20:07.690 which is a specific biological process. In Yellowstone's 00:20:07.690 --> 00:20:10.390 research, habituation means a bear gradually 00:20:10.390 --> 00:20:13.490 reduces its flight response because repeated 00:20:13.490 --> 00:20:16.369 encounters with people have no direct negative 00:20:16.369 --> 00:20:19.210 consequences. A bear that sees hundreds of parked 00:20:19.210 --> 00:20:21.829 cars and people with cameras may learn that humans 00:20:21.829 --> 00:20:24.349 are predictable and not immediately dangerous. 00:20:24.950 --> 00:20:27.900 That may sound benign, and the park notes habituation 00:20:27.900 --> 00:20:31.559 is distinct from food conditioning. A habituated 00:20:31.559 --> 00:20:34.319 bear does not necessarily seek food from people, 00:20:34.980 --> 00:20:37.759 but the practical issue is that habituated roadside 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:40.900 bears stay visible longer, use road corridors 00:20:40.900 --> 00:20:44.200 more often, and create larger crowds. Once that 00:20:44.200 --> 00:20:47.220 cycle begins, human pressure on that individual 00:20:47.220 --> 00:20:50.940 bear increases. A named bear accelerates that 00:20:50.940 --> 00:20:54.119 cycle because names create narrative. People 00:20:54.119 --> 00:20:56.799 are far more likely to drive to a turnout hoping 00:20:56.799 --> 00:21:00.519 to see 399 or Scarface or any other animal they've 00:21:00.519 --> 00:21:04.019 heard about more specifically than a grizzly. 00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:06.839 The name transforms a wildlife sighting into 00:21:06.839 --> 00:21:09.839 a personal objective. That can lead to repeated 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:12.279 close observations by crowds, which means that 00:21:12.279 --> 00:21:14.660 the bear is learning that those crowds are a 00:21:14.660 --> 00:21:18.079 routine feature of its environment. Again, over 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:20.420 time, the bear may spend more time near roads 00:21:20.420 --> 00:21:22.980 because roads become predictable travel routes 00:21:23.400 --> 00:21:25.680 through habitat that now contains both natural 00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:28.960 forage and non -threatening human presence. Yellowstone 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:31.539 has documented exactly this trend with increasing 00:21:31.539 --> 00:21:34.640 habituated bears in roadside habitats every single 00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:37.759 year. The problem is that this bear is growing 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:41.839 comfortable and it also becomes vulnerable because 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:44.039 the public does not always behave predictably. 00:21:44.460 --> 00:21:46.720 Visitors may get too close. They move in for 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:49.059 a better photo. They cluster where bears want 00:21:49.059 --> 00:21:52.319 to cross. They stop their cars all across the 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:54.460 road, and the bears get stressed. They intentionally 00:21:54.460 --> 00:21:57.900 cut off escape routes. A sow with cubs may tolerate 00:21:57.900 --> 00:22:00.480 distant vehicles, but reacts strongly if people 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:04.019 approach on foot. Once a conflict happens, the 00:22:04.019 --> 00:22:07.039 consequences usually fall on the bear. Yellowstone's 00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:09.160 management policy emphasizes preventing human 00:22:09.160 --> 00:22:11.980 causes of conflict because when a bear damages 00:22:11.980 --> 00:22:15.119 property, accesses food, or injures someone, 00:22:15.619 --> 00:22:17.880 Managers may need to haze, relocate, or in some 00:22:17.880 --> 00:22:21.279 cases kill it. In the park's own wording, preventing 00:22:21.279 --> 00:22:23.440 human -caused conflict is one of the park's most 00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:26.539 important ways to protect bears. Now, I know 00:22:26.539 --> 00:22:27.920 some of you are like, well, if we're just watching 00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:30.240 from the road, there's not really a lot of conflict 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:35.220 there. The conflict comes not just from human 00:22:35.220 --> 00:22:38.859 -bear conflict, but this increased stressed environment. 00:22:39.210 --> 00:22:41.630 If you've been in the park enough, you've probably 00:22:41.630 --> 00:22:44.009 had a bear sighting where you've seen a bear 00:22:44.009 --> 00:22:46.750 trying to cross a road, there's hundreds of cars 00:22:46.750 --> 00:22:49.289 all across, stopped in the road, there's people 00:22:49.289 --> 00:22:51.609 out of the cars, and the bear starts panicking, 00:22:51.849 --> 00:22:54.009 looking for a place just to cross the road and 00:22:54.009 --> 00:22:57.710 get away from it. That is undue stress that is 00:22:57.710 --> 00:22:59.210 interfering with nature and that's something 00:22:59.210 --> 00:23:01.369 that the park really tries to stop. That's why 00:23:01.369 --> 00:23:04.339 they may... haze bears you know you might see 00:23:04.339 --> 00:23:06.099 that when you're in the park that's why if you 00:23:06.099 --> 00:23:08.220 talk to a ranger and say where is this specific 00:23:08.220 --> 00:23:10.859 bear they probably won't tell you because they 00:23:10.859 --> 00:23:14.140 don't want to create these things this behavior 00:23:14.140 --> 00:23:16.680 of being normal around people that you see on 00:23:16.680 --> 00:23:19.640 these roadside bears is really not normal all 00:23:19.640 --> 00:23:22.099 across the park when i'm in the backcountry on 00:23:22.099 --> 00:23:24.500 hikes and come across a bear that tends to never 00:23:24.500 --> 00:23:27.099 be near the road the bear is not comfortable 00:23:27.099 --> 00:23:29.539 with my presence it may stand up and smell for 00:23:29.539 --> 00:23:32.410 me it more often than not is going to immediately 00:23:32.410 --> 00:23:35.089 run away from me. You don't see that with bears 00:23:35.089 --> 00:23:36.950 near the road because they're used to people. 00:23:37.490 --> 00:23:40.009 Some may argue that this is okay. I'm not in 00:23:40.009 --> 00:23:43.230 that camp. In fact, if you ever chat with me 00:23:43.230 --> 00:23:46.130 on a tour or you see me out in the park, you're 00:23:46.130 --> 00:23:48.329 going to find out that I never call a bear by 00:23:48.329 --> 00:23:51.329 the nickname. For me, a bear sighting is a bear 00:23:51.329 --> 00:23:55.410 sighting and any bear I get to see is cool. Now 00:23:55.410 --> 00:23:57.769 the park generally avoids official names even 00:23:57.769 --> 00:24:00.119 when visitors create them anyway. These names 00:24:00.119 --> 00:24:03.059 again encourage emotional attachment, which encourages 00:24:03.059 --> 00:24:06.019 attention, which can create concentrated visitation 00:24:06.019 --> 00:24:09.299 around individual animals. That increases the 00:24:09.299 --> 00:24:12.839 chance of those bears becoming habituated. Habituation 00:24:12.839 --> 00:24:15.420 itself is not always harmful, but the crowds 00:24:15.420 --> 00:24:17.740 that follow the bear can cause the stress that 00:24:17.740 --> 00:24:20.359 I was talking about, alter movement, and raise 00:24:20.359 --> 00:24:22.400 the risk of an encounter that changes the bear's 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:24.859 future. If a bear hangs out by the road a lot 00:24:24.859 --> 00:24:27.200 and gets used to it, the chances of that bear 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:31.150 getting hit by a car much higher. Yellowstone's 00:24:31.150 --> 00:24:34.950 goal is not to erase individuality. Biologists 00:24:34.950 --> 00:24:37.470 know individual bears very well and track many 00:24:37.470 --> 00:24:40.650 by number for research. The goal is to prevent 00:24:40.650 --> 00:24:43.529 a wild animal from becoming a celebrity because 00:24:43.529 --> 00:24:46.589 celebrity in a national park often means people 00:24:46.589 --> 00:24:49.430 stop seeing a bear's wildlife and start seeing 00:24:49.430 --> 00:24:52.609 it as something to pursue. That shift is often 00:24:52.609 --> 00:24:55.029 far more dangerous for the bear than for the 00:24:55.029 --> 00:24:58.029 visitor. I know that was a serious topic, so 00:24:58.029 --> 00:25:00.789 in order for a palate cleanser, let's talk about 00:25:00.789 --> 00:25:27.829 the weather. Monday, 70 and 40, 24 % chance. 00:25:28.009 --> 00:25:31.569 Tuesday, 70 and 38, with a chance of thunderstorms, 00:25:31.609 --> 00:25:35.130 about a 32 % chance. And Wednesday, high of 65, 00:25:35.329 --> 00:25:39.329 low of 34, 24 % chance of some rain. The weather 00:25:39.329 --> 00:25:43.529 for Gardner, Montana. On Thursday, high of 50, 00:25:43.549 --> 00:25:46.670 low of 27, some rain in the morning, should be 00:25:46.670 --> 00:25:48.710 clearing up, or at least cloudy in the afternoon. 00:25:49.130 --> 00:25:55.059 Friday, 61 and 33. Saturday 68 and 38 Sunday 00:25:55.059 --> 00:25:58.420 73 and 41 with the chance of some rain or thunderstorms 00:25:58.420 --> 00:26:03.299 in the middle of the day Monday 75 and 44 Tuesday 00:26:03.299 --> 00:26:06.819 74 and 42 with rain developing in the late morning 00:26:06.819 --> 00:26:12.599 early afternoon Wednesday 67 and 39 West Yellowstone, 00:26:12.619 --> 00:26:17.940 Montana Thursday high of 48 low of 21 51 % chance 00:26:17.940 --> 00:26:35.519 of some snow or rain in the morning Friday Thursday, 00:26:42.279 --> 00:26:45.660 high of 47, low of 34, 88 % chance of some rain 00:26:45.660 --> 00:26:52.769 in the morning. Saturday 73 and 48, Sunday 79 00:26:52.769 --> 00:26:58.390 and 50, Monday 82 and 51, Tuesday 80 and 49 with 00:26:58.390 --> 00:27:00.710 a 24 % chance of some rain in the afternoon, 00:27:01.309 --> 00:27:04.750 and Wednesday 72 and 48 with an 18 % chance of 00:27:04.750 --> 00:27:07.289 some rain. Finally, the weather for Cook City, 00:27:07.289 --> 00:27:11.309 Montana. On Thursday, high of 41, low of 23, 00:27:11.809 --> 00:27:14.230 37 % chance of about a quarter inch of snow. 00:27:14.730 --> 00:27:19.920 On Friday, 51 and 30. Saturday 58 and 35 Sunday 00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:26.980 61 and 38 Monday 64 and 41 Tuesday 63 and 39 00:27:26.980 --> 00:27:29.240 with the chance and thunderstorms and Wednesday 00:27:29.240 --> 00:27:33.680 60 and 36 Now please know that this is the best 00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:35.940 forecast for the week at the time of recording. 00:27:36.059 --> 00:27:38.480 I'm recording this on Wednesday May 20th at 2 00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:41.339 p .m. The forecast can change numerous times 00:27:41.339 --> 00:27:43.880 in a week, but this should be within the ballpark 00:27:43.880 --> 00:27:45.799 of what you'll experience when visiting the park 00:27:45.799 --> 00:27:50.150 this coming week. The snowpack update... As of 00:27:50.150 --> 00:27:53.210 May 20th, the snowpack is around 63 % of normal 00:27:53.210 --> 00:27:55.670 for this time of year. The eastern and northern 00:27:55.670 --> 00:27:58.369 ranges of the park are about 76 % of normal, 00:27:58.809 --> 00:28:01.069 while the western and southern sides are 48 % 00:28:01.069 --> 00:28:03.430 of normal. Last year on this date, we were averaging 00:28:03.430 --> 00:28:05.910 around 85 % of our normal levels for the whole 00:28:05.910 --> 00:28:09.910 park. It's not great. The runoff currently is 00:28:09.910 --> 00:28:11.690 super low for this time of year, and there's 00:28:11.690 --> 00:28:15.970 not a lot of snow up there. So yeah, not great. 00:28:16.920 --> 00:28:19.960 the rain that is coming in the form of snow tonight 00:28:19.960 --> 00:28:21.940 this Wednesday night not going to be enough to 00:28:21.940 --> 00:28:25.980 change any of this so um might be in for a very 00:28:25.980 --> 00:28:28.619 long year or very long summer so fingers crossed 00:28:28.619 --> 00:28:32.920 we get a lot more precipitation road conditions 00:28:32.920 --> 00:28:35.920 the only road that's closed at the time of the 00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:38.339 recording is the road over dunraven pass that 00:28:38.339 --> 00:28:42.779 is expected to be open on Friday the 22nd same 00:28:42.779 --> 00:28:44.480 with the bare -toothed highway outside of the 00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:47.599 park Now the best way to have up -to -date information 00:28:47.599 --> 00:28:53.400 for the roads is to call 307 -344 -2117 for recorded 00:28:53.400 --> 00:28:56.559 information, or you can sign up to receive Yellowstone 00:28:56.559 --> 00:28:59.140 Road Alerts on your mobile phone by texting the 00:28:59.140 --> 00:29:07.940 number 82190 to 888 -777. Once again, text 82190 00:29:07.940 --> 00:29:12.700 to the number 888 -777 for road alerts on your 00:29:12.700 --> 00:29:16.509 cell phone. Camping information. Mammoth is open, 00:29:16.990 --> 00:29:19.910 Madison is open, Fishing Bridge is open, Bridge 00:29:19.910 --> 00:29:23.730 Bay is open, Tower opens on the 22nd, and Canyon 00:29:23.730 --> 00:29:27.529 opens on the next week on the 29th. The wildlife 00:29:27.529 --> 00:29:30.150 watching update. So wildlife watching right now, 00:29:30.269 --> 00:29:33.809 still just absolutely great. Obviously, since 00:29:33.809 --> 00:29:35.769 I talked about, you know, trying to find specific 00:29:35.769 --> 00:29:38.670 bears. Please don't do that. Just drive around 00:29:38.670 --> 00:29:40.809 and look for wildlife. Try not to put as much 00:29:40.809 --> 00:29:43.690 pressure as you can on them. It's a busy time 00:29:43.690 --> 00:29:46.630 of the year and it's not always the safest time. 00:29:47.230 --> 00:29:48.910 Yellowstone National Park recently sent out a 00:29:48.910 --> 00:29:51.450 thing that said elk are starting to have their 00:29:51.450 --> 00:29:54.890 babies. Elk are like the number two animal for 00:29:54.890 --> 00:29:57.769 animal attacks in Yellowstone because of this 00:29:57.769 --> 00:30:01.210 time of the year. Elk mothers are very protective 00:30:01.210 --> 00:30:04.390 of their newborns and will go after people. If 00:30:04.390 --> 00:30:07.519 you see them, stay away from them. 25 yards at 00:30:07.519 --> 00:30:10.779 least I recommend 35 to 50 yards Because they 00:30:10.779 --> 00:30:13.240 will run faster than you and they will get up 00:30:13.240 --> 00:30:15.079 on their back legs and punch you in the face 00:30:15.079 --> 00:30:17.539 I know it doesn't seem like that's gonna happen, 00:30:17.539 --> 00:30:20.359 but it's absolutely true Elsewhere in the park 00:30:20.359 --> 00:30:23.660 wildlife is like I said good Slough Creek area 00:30:23.660 --> 00:30:26.420 Lamar Valley area Little America good for wolves 00:30:26.420 --> 00:30:29.660 right now Obviously with that den being out in 00:30:29.660 --> 00:30:31.599 Slough Creek go check that out if you don't know 00:30:31.599 --> 00:30:33.359 what I'm talking about Just head out there in 00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:36.400 the morning and you'll see Dozens if not hundreds 00:30:36.400 --> 00:30:38.420 of cars all lined up with spotting scopes and 00:30:38.420 --> 00:30:41.420 binoculars looking at a certain place So go out 00:30:41.420 --> 00:30:44.839 there bears bear mute a triangle extremely great 00:30:44.839 --> 00:30:47.279 right now going over Dunraven Pass should be 00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:50.740 good Bears are just all over the park as I talked 00:30:50.740 --> 00:30:54.140 about So drive around between point a and point 00:30:54.140 --> 00:30:56.480 B and look for some bears. They are most active 00:30:56.480 --> 00:30:59.779 in the mornings and afternoons Evenings, but 00:30:59.779 --> 00:31:03.400 middle of the day as well pronghorn are everywhere 00:31:03.400 --> 00:31:06.180 Marmots are coming out Those are really fun to 00:31:06.180 --> 00:31:08.339 see. Sheep Eater Cliffs is a good place to see 00:31:08.339 --> 00:31:11.779 marmots. So go check those guys out. Baby Bison 00:31:11.779 --> 00:31:14.740 all over the place. They're swimming across rivers. 00:31:14.759 --> 00:31:17.680 They're moving about. It's great times. Bighorn 00:31:17.680 --> 00:31:19.980 Sheep are also going to start having their kids. 00:31:20.420 --> 00:31:24.240 So that's cool. Calcite Springs tower area. Really 00:31:24.240 --> 00:31:26.799 good to see them, especially giving birth from 00:31:26.799 --> 00:31:29.480 the Calcite Springs area. There are some places 00:31:29.480 --> 00:31:33.319 that they can hide in caves or like. Not necessarily 00:31:33.319 --> 00:31:35.019 caves, but just places where it's a lot more 00:31:35.019 --> 00:31:37.059 safe from predators and they'll give birth out 00:31:37.059 --> 00:31:39.140 there And you can watch them walk around. I haven't 00:31:39.140 --> 00:31:41.920 seen one yet Pretty much know that if I go there 00:31:41.920 --> 00:31:44.640 in a couple days, I'll see a newborn. So check 00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:48.660 that out Otherwise, it's a very good time drive 00:31:48.660 --> 00:31:51.140 around put in the work You're going to see animals 00:31:51.140 --> 00:31:54.039 if you do need specific information just reach 00:31:54.039 --> 00:31:56.599 out to me happy to help I am just being a little 00:31:56.599 --> 00:31:59.480 more reserved on this week's episode because 00:31:59.480 --> 00:32:03.029 of that crowding I'm seeing at the bear Areas 00:32:03.029 --> 00:32:05.710 and at the wolf areas there are a lot of people 00:32:05.710 --> 00:32:08.289 there There's somebody flying a drone at a grizzly 00:32:08.289 --> 00:32:11.089 with two cubs the other day. There are people 00:32:11.089 --> 00:32:14.210 getting too close There are cars just all flocking 00:32:14.210 --> 00:32:16.269 to see one specific bear, which is why I talked 00:32:16.269 --> 00:32:19.599 about that this week, so by all means go out 00:32:19.599 --> 00:32:22.940 and find animals search for them enjoy the sighting 00:32:22.940 --> 00:32:25.660 just know that you have an impact on them and 00:32:25.660 --> 00:32:28.319 limit your time with them grab a couple pictures 00:32:28.319 --> 00:32:30.740 and go about your day so we can try and keep 00:32:30.740 --> 00:32:33.640 all the animals as wild and safe as possible 00:32:33.640 --> 00:32:36.900 trail alerts and updates the backcountry conditions 00:32:36.900 --> 00:32:39.380 page is updated i will have a link to that in 00:32:39.380 --> 00:32:42.349 the show notes That's just going to be something 00:32:42.349 --> 00:32:43.769 that I'll always have in the show notes from 00:32:43.769 --> 00:32:46.150 here on out. That site's the easiest way to check 00:32:46.150 --> 00:32:48.869 the status of a trail you want to hike. Please 00:32:48.869 --> 00:32:50.829 know that the area around Fairy Falls, Imperial 00:32:50.829 --> 00:32:53.190 Geyser, Queens Laundry, and all of that is closed 00:32:53.190 --> 00:32:55.029 until further notice because of that bear attack 00:32:55.029 --> 00:32:59.160 a while ago. Also, Storm Point on the north side 00:32:59.160 --> 00:33:01.480 of the lake on the east entrance is currently 00:33:01.480 --> 00:33:05.799 showing closed due to bear presence. A natural 00:33:05.799 --> 00:33:09.299 bridge is also closed, but Elephant Back is open 00:33:09.299 --> 00:33:12.640 in that area. So most trails are open. Those 00:33:12.640 --> 00:33:15.519 are the only ones that I really see that have 00:33:15.519 --> 00:33:18.380 alerts. So enjoy your hiking. Carry bear spray. 00:33:18.880 --> 00:33:21.339 Have it readily accessible. Know how to use it. 00:33:21.500 --> 00:33:25.369 Always make noise. My Trek of the Week. Osprey 00:33:25.369 --> 00:33:29.130 Falls. In 2022 the flooding that impacted travel 00:33:29.130 --> 00:33:31.710 in Yellowstone also washed out a few trails. 00:33:32.589 --> 00:33:35.089 The Osprey Falls trail was one of those paths. 00:33:35.730 --> 00:33:37.990 While it has been open for a little over a year 00:33:37.990 --> 00:33:41.589 now, fewer people are going here than you think. 00:33:42.390 --> 00:33:44.109 The reason I'm suggesting Osprey Falls right 00:33:44.109 --> 00:33:47.190 now is that Osprey Falls and any waterfall in 00:33:47.190 --> 00:33:49.349 the park right now is worth seeing because the 00:33:49.349 --> 00:33:52.589 snow is melting and water levels are up. Rivers 00:33:52.589 --> 00:33:55.089 and creeks are running high and waterfalls are 00:33:55.089 --> 00:33:58.529 raging. We have maybe a month or so of melt off. 00:33:58.789 --> 00:34:01.930 We'll see. So the power of the waterways of Yellowstone 00:34:01.930 --> 00:34:04.430 should take priority right now. They will not 00:34:04.430 --> 00:34:07.529 be raging like this later. If you're in the park, 00:34:07.750 --> 00:34:11.230 do a waterfall trail now. There's a few ways 00:34:11.230 --> 00:34:14.010 to reach Osprey Falls, but for simplicity and 00:34:14.010 --> 00:34:16.090 brevity, I'm going to give the most common route. 00:34:16.349 --> 00:34:19.010 If you want one of the back ways, send me a message. 00:34:19.070 --> 00:34:21.730 Happy to help you. So to reach Osprey Falls, 00:34:21.920 --> 00:34:24.039 Park at the Bunsen Peak Trailhead at the start 00:34:24.039 --> 00:34:27.360 of Swan Lake Flats after leaving Mammoth. Instead 00:34:27.360 --> 00:34:30.320 of turning left on the Bunsen Peak Trail, follow 00:34:30.320 --> 00:34:33.000 the old Bunsen Peak Road through Grassland and 00:34:33.000 --> 00:34:35.880 Burn Forest for about three miles to the Osprey 00:34:35.880 --> 00:34:40.039 Falls Trail. Once at the trailhead, to Osprey 00:34:40.039 --> 00:34:42.679 Falls proper, you're going to drop about 700 00:34:42.679 --> 00:34:45.460 feet into Sheep Eater Canyon, and it's one of 00:34:45.460 --> 00:34:47.800 the deepest canyons in Yellowstone National Park. 00:34:48.449 --> 00:34:51.969 Osprey Falls on the Gardner River plunges 150 00:34:51.969 --> 00:34:55.530 feet over the edge of a lava flow and I want 00:34:55.530 --> 00:34:57.690 you to be aware that the trail down of the falls 00:34:57.690 --> 00:35:01.210 is steep and has some loose dirt and rock. This 00:35:01.210 --> 00:35:04.190 is not like an easy super family -friendly trail 00:35:04.190 --> 00:35:06.929 and should not be attempted by those new to hiking. 00:35:07.050 --> 00:35:12.090 You are gonna drop 700 feet very quickly. The 00:35:12.090 --> 00:35:14.389 good news is that if you are able to hike down 00:35:14.389 --> 00:35:18.650 and back up you get to see a waterfall that is 00:35:18.650 --> 00:35:21.690 truly stunning. You get a hike right up close 00:35:21.690 --> 00:35:24.969 to it, and it's truly fantastic. I love this 00:35:24.969 --> 00:35:28.289 little trek down. It is steep, like I said. It 00:35:28.289 --> 00:35:31.409 switchbacks down. It feels monotonous. Try and 00:35:31.409 --> 00:35:33.130 avoid it during the heat of the day if possible, 00:35:33.469 --> 00:35:36.150 but if you want a really good hike, check this 00:35:36.150 --> 00:35:39.690 out. Now, if you can't hike down that but still 00:35:39.690 --> 00:35:43.570 want to see Osprey Falls, you can. All you have 00:35:43.570 --> 00:35:46.230 to do is go along that first route that I talked 00:35:46.230 --> 00:35:50.510 about, along the old Bunsen Peak Road, and there 00:35:50.510 --> 00:35:53.329 is a viewpoint from that that you can look right 00:35:53.329 --> 00:35:55.929 into Osprey Falls without having to do a lot 00:35:55.929 --> 00:35:58.369 of elevation. One of the cool features about 00:35:58.369 --> 00:36:01.429 this is that this section, this old road, is 00:36:01.429 --> 00:36:04.309 bikeable. So you can hop on a gravel or mountain 00:36:04.309 --> 00:36:06.909 bike and ride it to the Osprey Falls trailhead, 00:36:07.369 --> 00:36:10.840 giving you a much easier day. The total distance 00:36:10.840 --> 00:36:13.980 for this hike is a little over nine miles and 00:36:13.980 --> 00:36:16.119 you'll gain about a thousand feet in elevation. 00:36:16.260 --> 00:36:20.579 Most of that is that very steep drop down. If 00:36:20.579 --> 00:36:23.179 you want to make this more of a day, you can 00:36:23.179 --> 00:36:25.400 summit Bunsen Peak. So you go up the Bunsen Peak 00:36:25.400 --> 00:36:28.760 trailhead, drop down the backside, go down to 00:36:28.760 --> 00:36:31.380 the waterfall, climb back out and walk the old 00:36:31.380 --> 00:36:33.719 road back to your car. And that's going to be 00:36:33.719 --> 00:36:37.139 an 11 mile day with about 3000 feet of elevation 00:36:37.139 --> 00:36:41.219 gain. That's if you're Wanting to know how I 00:36:41.219 --> 00:36:43.559 am, that is what I do. I love going up Bunsen 00:36:43.559 --> 00:36:45.920 Peak, dropping down, doing the waterfall, coming 00:36:45.920 --> 00:36:50.420 back. It is a great day. It's a super industrious 00:36:50.420 --> 00:36:54.659 day, but if you're looking for just a fantastic 00:36:54.659 --> 00:36:57.239 little journey, that's it. If you want an easier 00:36:57.239 --> 00:36:59.619 day that's still some good distance, like I said, 00:37:00.039 --> 00:37:02.320 walk the old road, walk down to the falls and 00:37:02.320 --> 00:37:05.320 walk back. If you want an easier day, walk the 00:37:05.320 --> 00:37:07.400 old road and back and you get to see the waterfall 00:37:07.400 --> 00:37:09.840 from a distance. But you can't see this waterfall 00:37:09.840 --> 00:37:12.000 from the road, so it's one that not a lot of 00:37:12.000 --> 00:37:15.599 people get to see. So enjoy that. That is it 00:37:15.599 --> 00:37:18.159 for this week's episode. In next week's episode 00:37:18.159 --> 00:37:19.559 I'm going to return with all the information 00:37:19.559 --> 00:37:21.699 you need to have a good week in the park. That 00:37:21.699 --> 00:37:24.360 includes the wildlife update, the weather, and 00:37:24.360 --> 00:37:27.500 you know, a trail that I like. Until then... 00:37:27.210 --> 00:37:29.550 Consider booking a tour with me, pick up a guidebook 00:37:29.550 --> 00:37:32.650 of mine, recommend this podcast to somebody online 00:37:32.650 --> 00:37:34.630 if you know that they're going to Yellowstone. 00:37:35.010 --> 00:37:38.090 I would greatly appreciate if I'm on like a Yellowstone 00:37:38.090 --> 00:37:40.510 Facebook page to see other people recommend it. 00:37:40.710 --> 00:37:42.750 I don't like recommending it myself because it 00:37:42.750 --> 00:37:44.889 kind of feels slimy like, hey, look at what I'm 00:37:44.889 --> 00:37:47.130 doing. But if you love what you hear, please 00:37:47.130 --> 00:37:51.230 consider doing that. Until next week, happy trails. 00:38:02.049 --> 00:38:04.809 Abrupt ending! This week in Yellowstone is brought 00:38:04.809 --> 00:38:07.170 to you by The Outdoor Society. That's my company. 00:38:07.570 --> 00:38:09.869 It's just me, I do this, it's a labor of love. 00:38:10.230 --> 00:38:12.489 If you like it, tell your friends, rate and review 00:38:12.489 --> 00:38:15.789 it. Shoot me a message. Otherwise, keep listening 00:38:15.789 --> 00:38:18.630 and I hope to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright 00:38:18.630 --> 00:38:20.210 2026, baby!