WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.919 From Yellowstone National Park where pretty much 00:00:02.919 --> 00:00:05.339 all the snow that fell last weekend has melted 00:00:05.339 --> 00:00:07.919 This is that Scott guy you know in love with 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:11.140 a brand new episode of this week in Yellowstone 00:00:11.140 --> 00:00:23.420 What's up everybody this week in Yellowstone 00:00:23.420 --> 00:00:27.399 National Park from July 2nd to July 8th 2026 00:00:27.710 --> 00:00:30.309 I'll let you know about the 4th of July celebrations 00:00:30.309 --> 00:00:32.689 in and around the park, try to encourage you 00:00:32.689 --> 00:00:35.090 to stop and smell the flowers, and then give 00:00:35.090 --> 00:00:37.289 some history about the carcass dumping sites. 00:00:37.770 --> 00:00:39.689 I'll also give you the complete weather forecast, 00:00:40.070 --> 00:00:42.969 a cool trail to hike, the snowpack update because 00:00:42.969 --> 00:00:46.229 it's back baby, the wildlife report, and everything 00:00:46.229 --> 00:00:49.009 else you need to have an incredible time this 00:00:49.009 --> 00:00:51.770 week in Yellowstone. So my standard disclaimer, 00:00:51.929 --> 00:00:54.310 I may miss a few details here and there, but 00:00:54.310 --> 00:00:56.049 feel free to reach out with any questions you 00:00:56.049 --> 00:00:58.670 may have. I also mention park locations very 00:00:58.670 --> 00:01:00.929 casually, so if you're unfamiliar with a place 00:01:00.929 --> 00:01:03.149 that I'm talking about, just do a quick search 00:01:03.149 --> 00:01:07.849 online or you can contact me via text 406 -589 00:01:07.849 --> 00:01:12.170 -1873. Also, please know that this podcast is 00:01:12.170 --> 00:01:14.629 a passion project of mine. I'm not paid, I'm 00:01:14.629 --> 00:01:16.769 not sponsored, I do this because I want you to 00:01:16.769 --> 00:01:18.810 have a good time in the park and love it as much 00:01:18.810 --> 00:01:21.650 as I do. If you enjoy this podcast, I'd love 00:01:21.650 --> 00:01:24.430 a review or a quick email, or recommend it to 00:01:24.430 --> 00:01:26.450 a friend. If you want to support my work more, 00:01:26.829 --> 00:01:28.709 you can check out my hiking and wildlife watching 00:01:28.709 --> 00:01:31.269 guidebooks, or join me for a guided hiking tour 00:01:31.269 --> 00:01:34.030 in Yellowstone's backcountry. For more information, 00:01:34.390 --> 00:01:38.329 visit outdoor -society .com or contact me directly, 00:01:38.769 --> 00:01:43.650 406 -589 -1873. Send any text questions you have 00:01:43.650 --> 00:01:46.819 there. This week's Yellowstone news. It was not 00:01:46.819 --> 00:01:49.239 a slow week last week. First thing I want to 00:01:49.239 --> 00:01:51.680 talk about is last week's snowfall Obviously 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:54.760 it snowed over the weekend last weekend and it 00:01:54.760 --> 00:01:57.879 snarled some people's plans as of yesterday You 00:01:57.879 --> 00:02:00.719 know Tuesday I record this on Wednesday as of 00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:03.400 Tuesday the 30th of June all roads in the park 00:02:03.400 --> 00:02:07.299 were open everything was back to normal and That 00:02:07.299 --> 00:02:10.219 could be the last snowfall until September We'll 00:02:10.219 --> 00:02:14.199 see. We never know. And who knows? But that snowfall 00:02:14.199 --> 00:02:16.560 was definitely through some people for a loop. 00:02:16.719 --> 00:02:18.180 Those of you that went in the park last week 00:02:18.180 --> 00:02:20.740 despite the weather, I'm glad you did. It looked 00:02:20.740 --> 00:02:23.939 awesome. I'm glad we got more snow here. I'm 00:02:23.939 --> 00:02:26.000 going to talk about the positives of the snowfall 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:28.740 later. But for now, just wanted to update everybody 00:02:28.740 --> 00:02:31.300 on that. One of the other news stories I wanted 00:02:31.300 --> 00:02:33.819 to briefly talk about was the bison attack that 00:02:33.819 --> 00:02:37.180 happened at Mud Volcano. It was a 12 -year -old 00:02:37.180 --> 00:02:40.090 who got attacked by the bison. As far as I know, 00:02:40.349 --> 00:02:42.409 everything is okay. Obviously, it's never a good 00:02:42.409 --> 00:02:45.189 thing to get attacked by a bison, but, you know, 00:02:45.389 --> 00:02:48.610 they don't attack without reason. So, as always, 00:02:48.750 --> 00:02:51.469 stay 25 yards away. If you see somebody getting 00:02:51.469 --> 00:02:53.770 too close to a bison, don't just stand there 00:02:53.770 --> 00:02:56.870 and film it. Say something. Use that opportunity 00:02:56.870 --> 00:02:59.550 as a time to educate. If they react negatively 00:02:59.550 --> 00:03:03.289 to you, then walk away. But, I have seen a lot 00:03:03.289 --> 00:03:05.750 of things online about people seeing people go... 00:03:05.550 --> 00:03:08.030 Too close to wildlife and instead of just even 00:03:08.030 --> 00:03:10.569 saying hey You do know the rules are 25 yards 00:03:10.569 --> 00:03:12.870 or just trying to do something about it They 00:03:12.870 --> 00:03:15.030 film it and then they whisper like oh is it going 00:03:15.030 --> 00:03:17.770 to attack? That is a lack of empathy. That is 00:03:17.770 --> 00:03:20.330 a lack of human decency I know that there's signs 00:03:20.330 --> 00:03:22.330 everywhere telling people to stay away from wildlife 00:03:22.330 --> 00:03:25.550 people get excited and forget the rules We are 00:03:25.550 --> 00:03:28.629 all flawed individuals who make mistakes in the 00:03:28.629 --> 00:03:32.310 park. We get too excited. So Give somebody the 00:03:32.310 --> 00:03:35.599 benefit of a doubt help remind them if they overreact 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:38.740 walk away but do your part as a good human being 00:03:38.740 --> 00:03:40.939 I'm seeing too many people including some guides 00:03:40.939 --> 00:03:43.939 just filming things for content and that's not 00:03:43.939 --> 00:03:46.219 what we want the park to be we shouldn't be rooting 00:03:46.219 --> 00:03:50.129 for anybody to get injured One thing about Mud 00:03:50.129 --> 00:03:53.289 Volcano is it is a common place for people to 00:03:53.289 --> 00:03:55.650 get gored. They call them gorings even if they 00:03:55.650 --> 00:03:58.310 get tossed or trampled or whatever. Just a bison 00:03:58.310 --> 00:04:01.009 goring. But Mud Volcano is a place where bison 00:04:01.009 --> 00:04:03.830 will hang around right next to a paved path as 00:04:03.830 --> 00:04:05.830 you're hiking up and a lot of people just hike 00:04:05.830 --> 00:04:09.840 right up there and pass the bison closely. please 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:11.879 don't do that if there's a bison blocking there 00:04:11.879 --> 00:04:14.680 it is a loop trail you can go around or if the 00:04:14.680 --> 00:04:17.019 bison's blocking the trail just don't do it wait 00:04:17.019 --> 00:04:19.860 until it leaves rangers might be there more because 00:04:19.860 --> 00:04:22.600 of this incident last year i know they closed 00:04:22.600 --> 00:04:25.560 part of that trail because of a bison or maybe 00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:28.480 those two years ago but bison are going to be 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:30.060 getting more and more aggressive right now as 00:04:30.060 --> 00:04:31.660 they enter their mating season i'm going to talk 00:04:31.660 --> 00:04:34.800 about that next week but stay away from wildlife 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:38.339 enjoy everything Be smart, be safe, and help 00:04:38.339 --> 00:04:41.019 your fellow human being. One last thing to mention 00:04:41.019 --> 00:04:44.319 with the news is the opening times for entrances. 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:46.079 I've seen a lot of things online about people 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:48.379 asking, when can I enter the park? What time 00:04:48.379 --> 00:04:51.240 does the park open? The park is open 24 hours 00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:54.379 a day. If you go to an entrance station and it's 00:04:54.379 --> 00:04:57.620 before it's staffed, then you drive in. If it's 00:04:57.620 --> 00:05:00.480 staffed, then you stop. It's pretty simple. Don't 00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:03.680 think that places don't open until seven or eight. 00:05:03.779 --> 00:05:05.980 You can enter the park at any time of the day. 00:05:06.170 --> 00:05:09.509 And if you're driving from West Yellowstone to 00:05:09.509 --> 00:05:11.910 Lamar and you want to get there right after sunrise, 00:05:12.009 --> 00:05:13.689 you're going to have to leave there super early. 00:05:14.350 --> 00:05:16.310 So, you know, enter the park. But no, there are 00:05:16.310 --> 00:05:19.910 no operating hours for the entrances. The entrance 00:05:19.910 --> 00:05:22.569 stations are manned at different times, but you 00:05:22.569 --> 00:05:24.769 can still enter when the entrance stations are 00:05:24.769 --> 00:05:27.329 not manned. So I hope that helps clear up some 00:05:27.329 --> 00:05:30.730 of the confusion there. My experience of the 00:05:30.730 --> 00:05:33.750 week. Fourth of July celebrations in and around 00:05:33.750 --> 00:05:36.300 Yellowstone. So the towns around Yellowstone 00:05:36.300 --> 00:05:37.939 National Park are getting ready for what's shaping 00:05:37.939 --> 00:05:40.220 up to be a big, lively Independence Day weekend. 00:05:40.779 --> 00:05:42.980 This year feels even more meaningful because 00:05:42.980 --> 00:05:45.160 the celebrations tie into the United States' 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:50.439 semi -quincentennial marking 250 years of American 00:05:50.439 --> 00:05:52.980 Independence. Across the region, that translates 00:05:52.980 --> 00:05:55.879 into a packed schedule of parades, rodeos, community 00:05:55.879 --> 00:05:58.660 events, and fireworks all set against the backdrop 00:05:58.660 --> 00:06:02.620 of mountains, rivers, and wide open western skies. 00:06:03.050 --> 00:06:05.029 If you're passing through Yellowstone itself 00:06:05.029 --> 00:06:07.370 during the holiday, it's worth remembering that 00:06:07.370 --> 00:06:09.670 fireworks are not allowed anywhere inside the 00:06:09.670 --> 00:06:12.709 park. Yellowstone National Park Public Affairs 00:06:12.709 --> 00:06:16.170 is very clear on this point, since even the smallest 00:06:16.170 --> 00:06:19.750 of fireworks can create a serious wildfire risk 00:06:19.750 --> 00:06:23.050 in such a dry and heavily forested landscape. 00:06:24.050 --> 00:06:26.110 There are no planned celebrations on the 4th 00:06:26.110 --> 00:06:28.649 of July in Yellowstone National Park, so do not 00:06:28.649 --> 00:06:31.779 expect any. The good news is that the gateway 00:06:31.779 --> 00:06:35.019 towns surrounding the park lean all the way into 00:06:35.019 --> 00:06:37.399 the holiday spirit. They are offering plenty 00:06:37.399 --> 00:06:41.180 of ways to celebrate in some really cool towns. 00:06:41.699 --> 00:06:43.560 So in Cody, Wyoming, near the east entrance, 00:06:43.899 --> 00:06:45.540 this is going to be one of the busiest hubs for 00:06:45.540 --> 00:06:49.259 the fourth. This year's theme, 250 years of legends, 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:53.079 liberty and lasting west, fits the town's personality 00:06:53.079 --> 00:06:56.920 perfectly. The Cody Stampede Parade rolls down 00:06:56.920 --> 00:07:00.000 Sheridan Avenue on both July 3rd and 4th at 9 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:02.199 .30 in the morning, and then the streets quickly 00:07:02.199 --> 00:07:04.720 fill with visitors and locals throughout the 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:07.939 next few hours. Then during the weekend, there's 00:07:07.939 --> 00:07:10.720 the Wild West Arts Fest, nightly Cody Stampede 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:13.579 rodeo performances, and a fireworks show over 00:07:13.579 --> 00:07:16.000 the Shoshone River that brings a whole celebration 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:19.269 to a classic western finish. North of the park. 00:07:19.269 --> 00:07:21.670 We have my personal favorite town the one that 00:07:21.670 --> 00:07:25.310 I live in 53 miles north of Gardner Which is 00:07:25.310 --> 00:07:27.529 Livingston, Montana and Livingston keeps things 00:07:27.529 --> 00:07:31.410 festive with the same amount of hype and awesomeness 00:07:31.410 --> 00:07:35.300 as Cody There is the Livingston Roundup rodeo 00:07:35.300 --> 00:07:37.160 running at Park County Fairgrounds from July 00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:40.019 1st through July 4th There's very few if no tickets 00:07:40.019 --> 00:07:41.740 remaining for that, but you might be able to 00:07:41.740 --> 00:07:44.180 like find somebody outside selling those One 00:07:44.180 --> 00:07:46.720 of the highlights here is the roundup parade 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:49.680 on July 2nd That's a tradition that has been 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:52.160 going strong for more than a century from 3 to 00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:54.980 6 in the afternoon Downtown fills up as people 00:07:54.980 --> 00:07:57.199 line 2nd Street calendar and Main Street to watch 00:07:57.199 --> 00:08:00.139 horses rodeo royalty patriotic floats business 00:08:00.139 --> 00:08:03.600 floats from town and It's a great time I live 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:06.139 in town and can assure you that the vibe from 00:08:06.139 --> 00:08:09.180 July 2nd through the 4th is nearly unmatched 00:08:09.180 --> 00:08:10.879 anywhere in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:13.480 and maybe anywhere in America. Like it's a really 00:08:13.480 --> 00:08:16.839 good fourth time. Over at West Yellowstone the 00:08:16.839 --> 00:08:19.040 holiday has more of an all -day walk -around 00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:21.459 feel. Things kick off at Pioneer Park with the 00:08:21.459 --> 00:08:23.500 farmers market and the town keeps the energy 00:08:23.500 --> 00:08:25.779 going with community favorites like the Buffalo 00:08:25.779 --> 00:08:28.560 Chip Chuck competition and the Pie on the Porch 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:31.379 fundraiser. By the evening everything shifts 00:08:31.379 --> 00:08:35.139 for a 6 p .m. parade, live music, and then the 00:08:35.139 --> 00:08:37.700 fireworks start about 10 15 right outside the 00:08:37.700 --> 00:08:39.740 park boundary. If you're looking for something 00:08:39.740 --> 00:08:42.139 smaller and a bit more laid back, Cook City, 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:44.700 near the east entrance, delivers a very different 00:08:44.700 --> 00:08:46.940 kind of Fourth of July. The day centers around 00:08:46.940 --> 00:08:49.460 the EMS Fourth of July parade and Fireman's Picnic, 00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:51.419 where the whole community comes together for 00:08:51.419 --> 00:08:53.820 a simple Main Street parade, a local fundraiser 00:08:53.820 --> 00:08:56.820 picnic, and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Once 00:08:56.820 --> 00:08:59.320 night falls, fireworks echo through the Beartooth 00:08:59.320 --> 00:09:01.860 Mountains, giving the whole celebration the surprisingly 00:09:01.860 --> 00:09:05.139 dramatic setting for such a small town. In Big 00:09:05.139 --> 00:09:08.019 Sky, the focus shifts away from fireworks, so 00:09:08.019 --> 00:09:10.570 don't expect that. Wildfires are real out in 00:09:10.570 --> 00:09:13.129 big sky and they don't want to do fireworks so 00:09:13.129 --> 00:09:15.610 don't expect any fireworks in big sky but expect 00:09:15.610 --> 00:09:18.850 a celebration. There's a 5k run in the morning 00:09:18.850 --> 00:09:21.049 followed by scenic lift rides or ziplining at 00:09:21.049 --> 00:09:23.470 the resort. Later in the evening the community 00:09:23.470 --> 00:09:26.450 gathers for a free music in the mountains concert 00:09:26.450 --> 00:09:28.950 featuring the tiny band keeping the holiday spirit 00:09:28.950 --> 00:09:32.059 strong without any fireworks in the mix. If you're 00:09:32.059 --> 00:09:34.519 going to be in Bozeman, the Gallatin County Fairgrounds 00:09:34.519 --> 00:09:36.279 become one of the main gathering spots for the 00:09:36.279 --> 00:09:39.360 region. The Valley View Rodeo runs on July 3rd 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:42.039 and 4th at 7, and once the rodeo wraps up on 00:09:42.039 --> 00:09:44.100 the 4th, the city's official fireworks show goes 00:09:44.100 --> 00:09:47.220 off at 10pm, drawing a big crowd from both locals 00:09:47.220 --> 00:09:51.139 and travelers. Gardner is a little quieter on 00:09:51.139 --> 00:09:53.440 organized events during the actual holiday since 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:56.480 its rodeo takes place in June, but it still ends 00:09:56.480 --> 00:09:58.379 up being one of the busiest base camps in the 00:09:58.379 --> 00:10:01.230 region. You can use it as a jumping -off point 00:10:01.230 --> 00:10:04.470 for a 4th of July rafting trip, go to the park, 00:10:04.809 --> 00:10:07.049 or you can head up to Chico Hot Springs nearby 00:10:07.049 --> 00:10:09.269 or Yellowstone Hot Springs, but there's really 00:10:09.269 --> 00:10:13.250 not much going on in town itself. So all together, 00:10:13.509 --> 00:10:15.149 in all of these towns, the Yellowstone region 00:10:15.149 --> 00:10:17.470 offers a mix of big celebrations and small town 00:10:17.470 --> 00:10:19.809 gatherings all woven into the same landscape. 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:22.940 Whether it's a packed parade in Cody or a quiet 00:10:22.940 --> 00:10:25.200 mountain picnic in Cook City, the 4th of July 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:28.019 here feels distinctly western, with those open 00:10:28.019 --> 00:10:31.019 spaces, big skies, strong communities, and a 00:10:31.019 --> 00:10:33.740 shared appreciation for the land that ties all 00:10:33.740 --> 00:10:36.299 of this together. Now there are obviously other 00:10:36.299 --> 00:10:38.259 small towns all around the region hosting their 00:10:38.259 --> 00:10:40.539 own celebrations, I mentioned a few, but there's 00:10:40.539 --> 00:10:42.779 more so feel free to research and see what fun 00:10:42.779 --> 00:10:45.620 can be had elsewhere in Wyoming, Idaho, or Montana 00:10:45.620 --> 00:10:48.450 on the 4th. Good luck, and if you do light off 00:10:48.450 --> 00:10:51.350 fireworks, do not start a forest fire. 4th of 00:10:51.350 --> 00:10:53.769 July has so many forest fires that start, so 00:10:53.769 --> 00:10:56.970 be safe, be smart, and celebrate responsibly. 00:10:57.769 --> 00:11:01.129 My tip of the week. Stop and smell the wildflowers. 00:11:01.590 --> 00:11:03.690 Most people visit Yellowstone National Park hoping 00:11:03.690 --> 00:11:05.769 to see Old Faithful erupt, watch a grizzly bear 00:11:05.769 --> 00:11:07.970 through a spotting scope, or catch a glimpse 00:11:07.970 --> 00:11:11.049 of wolves in Lamar. Those are certainly unforgettable 00:11:11.049 --> 00:11:14.389 experiences, but early July offers another incredible 00:11:14.389 --> 00:11:17.110 show that many visitors overlook. Across the 00:11:17.110 --> 00:11:19.370 park, meadows, hillsides, forests, and mountain 00:11:19.370 --> 00:11:22.769 slopes explode with wildflowers, turning an already 00:11:22.769 --> 00:11:25.509 beautiful landscape into one filled with vibrant 00:11:25.509 --> 00:11:29.029 colors. Early July is one of the best times in 00:11:29.029 --> 00:11:31.370 Yellowstone to enjoy the wildflowers because 00:11:31.370 --> 00:11:33.610 the blooms are spread throughout the park. The 00:11:33.610 --> 00:11:36.710 lower elevations are often nearing the end of 00:11:36.710 --> 00:11:38.750 their peak while the higher elevations are just 00:11:38.750 --> 00:11:41.370 beginning to emerge from beneath the snows that 00:11:41.370 --> 00:11:44.769 have fallen and letting all that moisture start 00:11:44.769 --> 00:11:48.090 to bloom. Since Yellowstone ranges from roughly 00:11:48.090 --> 00:11:51.230 5 ,300 feet to 11 ,000 feet above sea level, 00:11:51.470 --> 00:11:53.330 spring arrives at different times depending on 00:11:53.330 --> 00:11:56.009 where you are. If flowers have just started fading 00:11:56.009 --> 00:11:58.529 in one part of the park, another area may be 00:11:58.529 --> 00:12:01.009 reaching its peak just a few thousand feet higher. 00:12:01.690 --> 00:12:04.210 One of the best places to begin your search is 00:12:04.210 --> 00:12:06.210 around Mammoth Hot Springs in the northern range. 00:12:06.909 --> 00:12:08.889 This part of the park usually greens up earlier 00:12:08.889 --> 00:12:10.750 than much of the rest of the park, making it 00:12:10.750 --> 00:12:12.850 one of the places where summer flowers appear. 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:15.740 The beaver ponds trail is really rewarding during 00:12:15.740 --> 00:12:18.940 early July. There's colorful displays of lupine, 00:12:19.080 --> 00:12:21.120 lupine, depending how you want to say it, sticky 00:12:21.120 --> 00:12:25.460 geranium, yarrow, flocks, wild rose, and if you're 00:12:25.460 --> 00:12:29.240 lucky, bitterroot. There's also some arrowleaf 00:12:29.240 --> 00:12:31.899 balsam root that at this lower elevation are 00:12:31.899 --> 00:12:34.759 starting to die off, but still really cool. One 00:12:34.759 --> 00:12:37.980 of my favorite flowers. There's also some paintbrush 00:12:37.980 --> 00:12:40.759 that are blooming around 8 ,000 feet right now, 00:12:40.759 --> 00:12:42.929 but I'll talk about that in a minute. Lamar Valley 00:12:42.929 --> 00:12:45.429 and Hayden Valley are also really good for wildlife 00:12:45.429 --> 00:12:48.210 watching But they're pretty good for wildflowers 00:12:48.210 --> 00:12:51.370 as well as you scan through the valley look for 00:12:51.370 --> 00:12:53.309 all different colors You're gonna get purples 00:12:53.309 --> 00:12:57.250 and reds and blues and yellows and everything 00:12:57.250 --> 00:12:59.990 you want But just it's not going to be like a 00:12:59.990 --> 00:13:01.970 whole blanket of wildflowers They're just gonna 00:13:01.970 --> 00:13:04.309 be spread out and it's gonna be lovely, but it's 00:13:04.309 --> 00:13:07.799 not going to be like the whole Lamar Valley that's 00:13:07.799 --> 00:13:09.720 one thing that I want you to know when you're 00:13:09.720 --> 00:13:13.559 looking for wildflowers in the park You don't 00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:16.340 get a super bloom like you see elsewhere We get 00:13:16.340 --> 00:13:18.980 really good blooms, but they're kind of spread 00:13:18.980 --> 00:13:20.759 out because everything here is big and spread 00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:22.580 out So think of it like that think of it like 00:13:22.580 --> 00:13:24.519 the trees in the park where someplace that more 00:13:24.519 --> 00:13:26.620 trees some don't have as much That's how the 00:13:26.620 --> 00:13:29.149 wildflowers are Now if you don't mind getting 00:13:29.149 --> 00:13:31.490 a little elevation in the park, the slopes around 00:13:31.490 --> 00:13:34.090 Mount Washburn and Dunraven Pass offer some of 00:13:34.090 --> 00:13:36.370 Yellowstone's most spectacular summer wildflower 00:13:36.370 --> 00:13:40.070 displays. With the lingering snow later into 00:13:40.070 --> 00:13:43.610 the year and then this recent snow, you get really 00:13:43.610 --> 00:13:46.029 different times of peak blooms depending on the 00:13:46.029 --> 00:13:48.350 year. The best way really to see the flowers 00:13:48.350 --> 00:13:52.429 in the area up Dunraven is to go up Chittenden 00:13:52.429 --> 00:13:56.440 Road when it reopens and then just hike a little 00:13:56.440 --> 00:13:59.759 bit. If you go up to Mount Washburn, that trail 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:02.299 is really good. It's going to be lined with tons 00:14:02.299 --> 00:14:04.580 of flowers. You're going to have some paintbrush 00:14:04.580 --> 00:14:07.399 up there, all sorts of things. So definitely 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:10.519 go check that out. If you want some different 00:14:10.519 --> 00:14:13.080 wildflowers growing in a usual environment, that's 00:14:13.080 --> 00:14:15.440 where the hydrothermal areas come in. You're 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:17.360 not going to quite have the same amount of plants 00:14:17.360 --> 00:14:19.940 there or the same amount of wildflowers as other 00:14:19.940 --> 00:14:22.600 places in the park, but you will have some there. 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:26.139 One of the things that makes July so Enjoyable 00:14:26.139 --> 00:14:28.960 are these wildflowers blooming if you come across 00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:33.279 the bright blue lupine or maybe some Scarlet 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:36.460 paintbrush or the fireweed that's gonna start 00:14:36.460 --> 00:14:39.840 turning bright red All of these things are just 00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:42.259 gonna be so beautiful, especially against the 00:14:42.259 --> 00:14:45.539 big sky It is a fantastic thing every drive through 00:14:45.539 --> 00:14:47.940 the park every day You're gonna start seeing 00:14:47.940 --> 00:14:50.299 different wildflowers the more you slow down 00:14:50.299 --> 00:14:53.750 take those pull -offs look for wildflowers enjoy 00:14:53.750 --> 00:14:57.009 this. This is such a short season that you may 00:14:57.009 --> 00:14:58.690 come from someplace where you have a long season 00:14:58.690 --> 00:15:00.929 and you see wildflowers all the time. Wildflowers 00:15:00.929 --> 00:15:04.149 here only last for a month or two and then they're 00:15:04.149 --> 00:15:07.370 gone for the entire year. Now as beautiful as 00:15:07.370 --> 00:15:10.090 Yellowstone's wildflowers are, they're surprisingly 00:15:10.090 --> 00:15:12.370 fragile. It can be tempting to wander into a 00:15:12.370 --> 00:15:15.769 meadow for a better picture, but don't do that. 00:15:15.870 --> 00:15:18.269 I know like bison and everything roam through, 00:15:18.429 --> 00:15:21.490 but with these wildflowers, do your best to allow 00:15:21.490 --> 00:15:24.570 these blooms to take place without people. Social 00:15:24.570 --> 00:15:27.090 trails created by visitors remain visible for 00:15:27.090 --> 00:15:29.950 years, and that trampling can permanently alter 00:15:29.950 --> 00:15:32.909 delicate alpine and meadow ecosystems. Again, 00:15:33.210 --> 00:15:36.149 I know bison walk through, but the National Park 00:15:36.149 --> 00:15:38.129 Service asks visitors to stay on established 00:15:38.129 --> 00:15:40.769 trails whenever possible and avoid walking through 00:15:40.769 --> 00:15:43.720 flower -filled meadows. Visitors also need to 00:15:43.720 --> 00:15:45.759 remember that every flower in Yellowstone is 00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:48.740 protected. Picking wildflowers is prohibited 00:15:48.740 --> 00:15:51.600 throughout the park and for good reason. These 00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:54.120 blooms provide nectar for native bees, butterflies, 00:15:54.500 --> 00:15:56.940 hummingbirds, flies, and other pollinators. Later 00:15:56.940 --> 00:15:59.919 in the season, many provide seeds that feed birds 00:15:59.919 --> 00:16:02.360 and small mammals throughout the winter, like 00:16:02.360 --> 00:16:04.620 they store all of these and then they eat. Some 00:16:04.620 --> 00:16:06.960 species even provide food for larger wildlife. 00:16:07.740 --> 00:16:10.340 Glacier lilies, for example, are one of the first 00:16:10.340 --> 00:16:12.419 nutritious plants available to grizzly bears 00:16:12.419 --> 00:16:14.980 after they emerge from their dens in the spring. 00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:18.000 Leaving every flower where it grows helps ensure 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:20.120 that the next generation of plants, pollinators, 00:16:20.539 --> 00:16:24.059 and wildlife can continue to thrive. The best 00:16:24.059 --> 00:16:26.240 way to enjoy Yellowstone's wildflower season 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:29.580 is to simply slow down. Like I said before, stop 00:16:29.580 --> 00:16:32.059 at the scenic pullouts, walk a trail instead 00:16:32.059 --> 00:16:34.399 of rushing to the next geyser basin, and spend 00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:36.480 a few minutes looking at the ground instead of 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:39.909 the horizon. You may still see bears, bison, 00:16:40.309 --> 00:16:42.990 and elk, but you're also going to discover hundreds 00:16:42.990 --> 00:16:45.190 of colorful blooms that remind you summer in 00:16:45.190 --> 00:16:48.149 Yellowstone is every bit as spectacular as its 00:16:48.149 --> 00:16:51.710 famous wildlife. My random Yellowstone fact of 00:16:51.710 --> 00:16:54.929 the week, carcass dump sites. If you've ever 00:16:54.929 --> 00:16:57.389 watched Yellowstone's employees load a dead bison 00:16:57.389 --> 00:17:00.250 or elk on the back of a truck, you may have wondered 00:17:00.250 --> 00:17:02.629 where it was going. You may wonder why I'm bringing 00:17:02.629 --> 00:17:04.230 this up. Well, if you paid attention to some 00:17:04.230 --> 00:17:06.650 social media a couple weeks ago, you noticed 00:17:06.650 --> 00:17:09.509 that there was an instance where a bison was 00:17:09.509 --> 00:17:12.390 dead and they had to lift it off the ground and 00:17:12.390 --> 00:17:15.450 put it into the back of a truck. They didn't 00:17:15.450 --> 00:17:18.589 do quite a good job. It's like it almost fell 00:17:18.589 --> 00:17:20.970 off back on the road from the backhoe that or 00:17:20.970 --> 00:17:22.809 whatever equipment they were lifting it up into 00:17:22.809 --> 00:17:24.869 the back of the truck. But they got it in there 00:17:24.869 --> 00:17:28.390 and then they drove away with it. And then what 00:17:28.390 --> 00:17:31.599 happens, right? So Yellowstone National Park 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:33.799 is famous for allowing nature to take its course. 00:17:34.099 --> 00:17:35.700 That's something that happens. Predators hunt 00:17:35.700 --> 00:17:37.660 prey, scavengers clean up what's left behind, 00:17:37.920 --> 00:17:39.920 and the nutrients from every animal eventually 00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:42.940 return to the soil. So why would park staff remove 00:17:42.940 --> 00:17:46.819 a carcass at all? The answer lies in one of Yellowstone's 00:17:46.819 --> 00:17:48.940 lesser -known wildlife management practices, 00:17:49.779 --> 00:17:52.700 designated carcass disposal sites, often called 00:17:52.700 --> 00:17:55.599 carcass dumps. While the name may sound unappealing, 00:17:55.980 --> 00:17:58.220 these remote locations serve an important purpose. 00:17:58.700 --> 00:18:00.579 They help reduce dangerous encounters between 00:18:00.579 --> 00:18:03.099 people and wildlife, while still allowing bears, 00:18:03.539 --> 00:18:05.960 wolves, ravens, eagles, coyotes, and countless 00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:08.759 other scavengers to benefit from natural food 00:18:08.759 --> 00:18:12.539 source. Rather than disrupting nature, these 00:18:12.539 --> 00:18:15.680 sites actually help preserve it. In most cases, 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:17.759 animals that die in Yellowstone remain exactly 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:20.180 where they fall. One of my tours that I take 00:18:20.180 --> 00:18:22.359 goes into the backcountry way off the beaten 00:18:22.359 --> 00:18:24.859 path in Lamar, and we find all sorts of bones 00:18:24.859 --> 00:18:27.660 and antlers and skulls. A bison that dies during 00:18:27.660 --> 00:18:30.440 a harsh winter, an elk taken by wolves, or a 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:32.460 deer that succumbs to disease quickly becomes 00:18:32.460 --> 00:18:34.539 part of the park's natural recycling system. 00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:38.119 Within hours, ravens and magpies arrive, then 00:18:38.119 --> 00:18:40.759 coyotes, foxes, eagles, and in many cases grizzly 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:44.079 bears and black bears. than wolves, or maybe 00:18:44.079 --> 00:18:46.160 in some other order, but large predators may 00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:48.640 feed for days here, while insects, bacteria, 00:18:48.779 --> 00:18:50.720 and fungi continue to break down what remains 00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:53.660 long after the larger scavengers have moved on. 00:18:53.960 --> 00:18:56.319 Eventually, every part just goes back into the 00:18:56.319 --> 00:18:58.480 ecosystem, sometimes spread out, sometimes just 00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:00.900 right there. There are times, however, when leaving 00:19:00.900 --> 00:19:03.559 a carcass in place creates unnecessary risks. 00:19:04.160 --> 00:19:07.119 Park staff removed large mammal carcasses that 00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:09.599 are located near campgrounds, visitor facilities, 00:19:09.900 --> 00:19:12.680 parking lots, roads, and other heavily used areas 00:19:12.680 --> 00:19:15.039 because they can attract bears and other large 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:18.619 carnivores into close contact with people. A 00:19:18.619 --> 00:19:21.259 dead bison beside a popular roadside pullout 00:19:21.259 --> 00:19:23.660 might seem like an incredible wildlife viewing 00:19:23.660 --> 00:19:26.119 opportunity, but it can quickly become a dangerous 00:19:26.119 --> 00:19:29.440 situation once a bear gets there. Rather than 00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:31.839 allowing thousands of visitors to gather around 00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:35.490 an active feeding site, Park crews relocate the 00:19:35.490 --> 00:19:37.769 carcass to a designated disposal area far from 00:19:37.769 --> 00:19:40.450 roads and developed facilities. These carcass 00:19:40.450 --> 00:19:43.210 disposal sites are not landfills or garbage dumps. 00:19:43.210 --> 00:19:45.369 Instead, they're carefully selected locations 00:19:45.369 --> 00:19:48.470 where wildlife can feed with minimal human disturbance. 00:19:49.150 --> 00:19:51.309 Once a carcass is placed there, it often becomes 00:19:51.309 --> 00:19:53.529 one of the busiest feeding locations in the surrounding 00:19:53.529 --> 00:19:56.250 area. Because these sites attract multiple large 00:19:56.250 --> 00:19:58.089 carnivores, the National Park Service does not 00:19:58.089 --> 00:20:00.690 publicize their locations and neither will I. 00:20:01.089 --> 00:20:03.890 Curious visitors seeking photographs could unknowingly 00:20:03.890 --> 00:20:06.470 place themselves in extremely dangerous situations. 00:20:06.910 --> 00:20:09.470 A bear feeding on a fresh carcass is often focused 00:20:09.470 --> 00:20:12.470 on protecting that food source and will react 00:20:12.470 --> 00:20:15.369 aggressively if surprised or wants to protect 00:20:15.369 --> 00:20:18.569 its food source. Keeping those areas remote and 00:20:18.569 --> 00:20:21.869 largely unknown benefits both wildlife and visitors. 00:20:22.589 --> 00:20:24.970 Now, why am I talking about it? Because it's 00:20:24.970 --> 00:20:27.230 something a lot of people should know. Also, 00:20:27.369 --> 00:20:29.410 Yellowstone Carcass Disposal Sites are only one 00:20:29.410 --> 00:20:32.210 part of the bare management strategy that has 00:20:32.210 --> 00:20:34.819 evolved dramatically over the past century. During 00:20:34.819 --> 00:20:37.319 the first half of the 1900s, the park actually 00:20:37.319 --> 00:20:39.680 encouraged bears to gather at open garbage dumps, 00:20:39.859 --> 00:20:42.019 sometimes bringing in carcasses, other times 00:20:42.019 --> 00:20:44.660 just straight trash. And every evening, visitors 00:20:44.660 --> 00:20:46.539 filled the bleachers to watch black bears and 00:20:46.539 --> 00:20:48.819 grizzly bears rummage through piles of trash 00:20:48.819 --> 00:20:51.700 and carcasses in what became known as the famous 00:20:51.700 --> 00:20:54.400 bear shows. Feeding bears from automobiles then 00:20:54.400 --> 00:20:57.359 became popular, and many bears quickly learned 00:20:57.359 --> 00:20:59.839 that humans were an easy source of food. The 00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:02.099 consequences of this were predictable, and according 00:21:02.099 --> 00:21:04.440 to the National Park Service, between 1931 and 00:21:04.440 --> 00:21:08.279 1969, Yellowstone averaged 48 bear -caused human 00:21:08.279 --> 00:21:10.779 injuries and more than 100 incidents of property 00:21:10.779 --> 00:21:14.359 damage every single year. Bears that became accustomed 00:21:14.359 --> 00:21:17.099 to human food often lost their natural wariness 00:21:17.400 --> 00:21:19.619 leading to increasingly dangerous encounters 00:21:19.619 --> 00:21:22.700 with visitors. That changed in the 1970s when 00:21:22.700 --> 00:21:25.079 the park adopted a modern bear management program. 00:21:25.619 --> 00:21:27.279 The park then permanently closed its garbage 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:30.279 dumps and installed bear resistant trash containers, 00:21:30.680 --> 00:21:32.920 prohibited feeding wildlife, and worked to eliminate 00:21:32.920 --> 00:21:35.019 artificial food sources that attracted bears 00:21:35.019 --> 00:21:38.000 into developed areas. Relocating carcasses away 00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:40.799 from busy roadsides and campgrounds became another 00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:43.920 important tool for keeping bears wild while reducing 00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:46.640 opportunities for conflict with people. Visitors 00:21:46.640 --> 00:21:48.680 can still occasionally encounter temporary trail 00:21:48.680 --> 00:21:51.000 closures because of an animal carcass or because 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:52.799 of aggressive bears. We know that's going on 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:56.000 right now at the Mystic Falls area. Even if the 00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:58.599 dead animal was hidden in the trees or near a 00:21:58.599 --> 00:22:00.920 ridge somewhere, park biologists know that feeding 00:22:00.920 --> 00:22:03.440 grizzly bear may be nearby. So closing a trail 00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:05.519 for several days gives that bear time to feed 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:09.289 naturally before allowing hikers to return. While 00:22:09.289 --> 00:22:11.509 these closures can be disappointing, they're 00:22:11.509 --> 00:22:13.250 an important reminder that Yellowstone remains 00:22:13.250 --> 00:22:15.789 one of the few places where large predators continue 00:22:15.789 --> 00:22:18.250 to behave much as they have for thousands of 00:22:18.250 --> 00:22:22.250 years. Most visitors will never see one of Yellowstone's 00:22:22.250 --> 00:22:24.769 carcass disposal sites, and that's exactly the 00:22:24.769 --> 00:22:27.450 point. These quiet, out of the way locations 00:22:27.450 --> 00:22:30.049 allow wildlife to feed without attracting crowds 00:22:30.049 --> 00:22:33.390 of people, cameras, or traffic jams. They also 00:22:33.390 --> 00:22:35.269 demonstrate Yellowstone's modern approach to 00:22:35.269 --> 00:22:37.490 wildlife management. Rather than interfering 00:22:37.490 --> 00:22:40.630 with nature, park staff intervene only when necessary 00:22:40.630 --> 00:22:43.309 to protect public safety. By moving carcasses 00:22:43.309 --> 00:22:45.930 from developed areas to remote locations, Yellowstone 00:22:45.930 --> 00:22:48.470 allows a natural cycle of life and death to continue, 00:22:48.910 --> 00:22:50.450 while helping ensure that bears, wolves, and 00:22:50.450 --> 00:22:53.470 other scavengers remain wild for generations 00:22:53.470 --> 00:22:57.430 to come. Again, these carcass dump sites are 00:22:57.430 --> 00:23:00.029 not someplace that you'll ever see, but if you 00:23:00.029 --> 00:23:02.359 ever wander like... Where do all the animals 00:23:02.359 --> 00:23:04.599 that die near the road go chances are that's 00:23:04.599 --> 00:23:06.660 where they go There are some places that you 00:23:06.660 --> 00:23:09.059 can walk to later in the year. I may talk about 00:23:09.059 --> 00:23:11.059 that I may not just because you know keeping 00:23:11.059 --> 00:23:13.640 these areas private is probably for the best 00:23:13.640 --> 00:23:16.720 But know that animals are being fed and from 00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:19.660 what I know they rotate where they dump carcasses 00:23:19.660 --> 00:23:21.980 all the time So that way animals aren't just 00:23:21.980 --> 00:23:24.819 expecting something there when it happens. A 00:23:24.819 --> 00:23:27.900 few years ago a car hit a big semi truck hit 00:23:27.900 --> 00:23:30.220 a bunch of bison and they dumped a bunch of bison 00:23:30.220 --> 00:23:34.140 out in one of those and heard from some biologists 00:23:34.140 --> 00:23:36.359 that bears and wolves feasted there for days 00:23:36.359 --> 00:23:39.720 and everything was eaten and it was good. So 00:23:39.720 --> 00:23:42.140 you know it's less than ideal to have an animal 00:23:42.140 --> 00:23:44.119 get hit by a car but if something does die in 00:23:44.119 --> 00:23:47.259 the park too close to road then it is getting 00:23:47.259 --> 00:23:50.420 put back into a more remote place where wildlife 00:23:50.420 --> 00:23:53.859 will be able to eat it. The weather for the coming 00:23:53.859 --> 00:23:56.839 week. As always, this is the best forecast for 00:23:56.839 --> 00:23:58.420 the coming week at the time of recording, which 00:23:58.420 --> 00:24:02.039 is Wednesday, July 1st at 4 o 'clock. The forecast 00:24:02.039 --> 00:24:04.160 can change numerous times in a week, but this 00:24:04.160 --> 00:24:06.380 should be within a ballpark of what you'll experience 00:24:06.380 --> 00:24:09.740 when visiting the park. So let's start with Lamar 00:24:09.740 --> 00:24:14.220 Valley. On Thursday, A high of 71, a low of 41, 00:24:14.380 --> 00:24:18.619 7 % chance of rain. On Friday, 72 and 40, 24 00:24:18.619 --> 00:24:23.099 % chance of rain. Saturday, 77 and 45, 3 % chance 00:24:23.099 --> 00:24:28.180 of rain. Sunday, 79 and 46, 17 % chance of rain. 00:24:28.460 --> 00:24:33.180 Monday, 78 and 47, 24 % chance of rain. Tuesday, 00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:37.299 77 and 47 with a 50 % chance of thunderstorms. 00:24:37.339 --> 00:24:41.039 And then Wednesday, 75 and 45 with a 19 % chance 00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:45.200 of rain. Gardner, Montana on Thursday high 74 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:50.559 love 43 5 % chance of rain Friday 75 and 43 24 00:24:50.559 --> 00:24:53.319 % chance of rain mostly in the afternoon Saturday 00:24:53.319 --> 00:24:59.539 81 and 48 3 % chance Sunday 82 and 49 15 % chance 00:24:59.869 --> 00:25:04.750 Monday 82 and 50 20 percent chance Tuesday 79 00:25:04.750 --> 00:25:08.130 and 50 42 percent chances some thunderstorms 00:25:08.130 --> 00:25:11.809 and Wednesday 78 and 49 24 percent chance of 00:25:11.809 --> 00:25:16.170 rain West Yellowstone, Montana Thursday 71 and 00:25:16.170 --> 00:25:19.630 39 with a 24 percent chance of rain Friday 72 00:25:19.630 --> 00:25:22.869 and 39 with a 24 percent chance of rain Saturday 00:25:22.869 --> 00:25:27.200 77 and 43 with a 3 percent chance Sunday 80 and 00:25:27.200 --> 00:25:31.220 45 with an 8 % chance. Monday, 80 and 46 with 00:25:31.220 --> 00:25:35.460 a 12 % chance. Tuesday, 76 and 47 with a 20 % 00:25:35.460 --> 00:25:39.480 chance. And Wednesday, 77 and 46 with a 14 % 00:25:39.480 --> 00:25:44.119 chance of rain. Cody, Wyoming. On Thursday, high 00:25:44.119 --> 00:25:47.119 80, low of 53, 60 % chance of a thunderstorm 00:25:47.119 --> 00:25:51.339 in the afternoon. Friday, 84 and 55, 6 % chance 00:25:51.339 --> 00:25:56.960 of rain. Saturday, 89 and 59. Sunday, 91 and 00:25:56.960 --> 00:26:01.240 61, 16 % chance of rain. Monday, 84 and 60, 17 00:26:01.240 --> 00:26:05.579 % chance of rain. Tuesday, 84 and 60, 32 % chance 00:26:05.579 --> 00:26:08.299 of rain and thunderstorms. And Wednesday, 82 00:26:08.299 --> 00:26:11.779 and 59 with a 34 % chance of thunderstorms. And 00:26:11.779 --> 00:26:15.059 finally, Cook City, Montana. On Thursday, 68 00:26:15.059 --> 00:26:20.180 and 43. Friday, 68 and 43. Saturday, 75 and 48. 00:26:20.500 --> 00:26:23.839 Sunday, 76 and 48 with a 14 % chance of rain. 00:26:24.079 --> 00:26:28.519 Monday 74 and 49 with a 50 % chance of thunderstorms 00:26:28.519 --> 00:26:32.599 Tuesday 72 and 49 with a 60 % chance of thunderstorms 00:26:32.599 --> 00:26:37.460 and Wednesday 72 and 47 24 % chance of rain That 00:26:37.460 --> 00:26:39.740 brings me to the snowpack update, which I know 00:26:39.740 --> 00:26:42.000 I said before that I wasn't gonna do again But 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:44.000 it snowed so I know some people are like oh, 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:46.700 what's the snowpack light? Snowpack is still 00:26:46.700 --> 00:26:49.819 pretty much non -existent 0 % in normal now. 00:26:49.819 --> 00:26:52.849 This is a little False, but it's gonna be warm 00:26:52.849 --> 00:26:54.690 enough all the snow that fell the last few days 00:26:54.690 --> 00:26:57.289 is going to melt in the next few days It's not 00:26:57.289 --> 00:26:59.250 enough snow and it's not cold enough to stay 00:26:59.250 --> 00:27:01.589 there There might be some snow on some trails, 00:27:01.589 --> 00:27:04.029 but generally it's going to be absolutely fine 00:27:04.029 --> 00:27:06.109 So I just wanted to mention that because it did 00:27:06.109 --> 00:27:08.710 snow so people were asking Oh, how is the snow 00:27:08.710 --> 00:27:11.309 going to be on the trails or the roads snowpack 00:27:11.309 --> 00:27:14.450 is there? But it's not any different than it 00:27:14.450 --> 00:27:16.829 was before this snow, especially after the next 00:27:16.829 --> 00:27:19.470 couple days of warmth So don't worry about it 00:27:19.319 --> 00:27:22.000 If there's snow on the trail, that backcountry 00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:25.619 situation report will let you know. Road conditions. 00:27:26.180 --> 00:27:28.779 No, park roads are closed right now. There are 00:27:28.779 --> 00:27:30.660 a few spots of construction, but those should 00:27:30.660 --> 00:27:33.880 be minimal delays. And while unlikely this coming 00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:36.019 week, be aware that roads can close at any time 00:27:36.019 --> 00:27:38.480 due to inclement weather. For up to date information, 00:27:38.619 --> 00:27:42.619 you can call 307 -344 -2117. Or you can sign 00:27:42.619 --> 00:27:45.160 up to receive Yellowstone Road Alerts on your 00:27:45.160 --> 00:27:51.279 cell phone by texting 82190 to the number 888777. 00:27:51.740 --> 00:27:55.059 Camping information. Everything is open. Have 00:27:55.059 --> 00:27:57.720 at it. Well, I mean, if you have a reservation 00:27:57.720 --> 00:28:00.059 or there's an open site, don't just go hog wild 00:28:00.059 --> 00:28:02.500 on a campsite. Like, make sure that you have 00:28:02.500 --> 00:28:04.259 a reservation and you're supposed to be there. 00:28:04.500 --> 00:28:06.779 Other than that, it's a good time to camp. Love 00:28:06.779 --> 00:28:08.759 camping this time of year. Thunderstorms are 00:28:08.759 --> 00:28:11.329 going to roll through every bit. or every few 00:28:11.329 --> 00:28:14.890 days but it's life and it'll be warm and things 00:28:14.890 --> 00:28:20.710 will dry again. The wildlife report. So as is 00:28:20.710 --> 00:28:22.970 normal for this time of year, wildlife sightings 00:28:22.970 --> 00:28:24.730 are still pretty good but they are slowing down 00:28:24.730 --> 00:28:27.170 and they're getting less consistent. As we warm 00:28:27.170 --> 00:28:29.609 up especially this coming week, wildlife is going 00:28:29.609 --> 00:28:33.170 to be very inactive during the day. I could be 00:28:33.170 --> 00:28:34.910 wrong about this here and there but generally 00:28:34.910 --> 00:28:36.630 that's the rule So know that if you really want 00:28:36.630 --> 00:28:40.109 to see wildlife get there early I'm talking five 00:28:40.109 --> 00:28:43.029 o 'clock to places six o 'clock seven o 'clock 00:28:43.029 --> 00:28:46.250 in the morning So wolves right now are being 00:28:46.250 --> 00:28:48.829 spotted in the northern range up by the Blacktail 00:28:48.829 --> 00:28:52.089 Plateau area It is a good place to go to definitely 00:28:52.089 --> 00:28:55.910 check them out then Out by Lamar. Some people 00:28:55.910 --> 00:28:58.849 are seeing them and also down in Hayden. People 00:28:58.849 --> 00:29:01.539 are seeing wolves down there Grizzlies are still 00:29:01.539 --> 00:29:04.480 all over the place in a distance up in the northern 00:29:04.480 --> 00:29:07.460 range, especially in Lamar. And then there are 00:29:07.460 --> 00:29:09.299 some grizzlies that are hanging out outside of 00:29:09.299 --> 00:29:13.740 Cook City east of town. Bears are kind of getting 00:29:13.740 --> 00:29:15.640 out of the park and traveling higher right now, 00:29:15.680 --> 00:29:17.539 especially grizzlies. So it's going to be harder 00:29:17.539 --> 00:29:19.819 and harder to see them as the snow melts and 00:29:19.819 --> 00:29:23.000 the temperature goes higher. Bison are starting 00:29:23.000 --> 00:29:25.359 to herd up. Good place to see bison are going 00:29:25.359 --> 00:29:28.009 to be the northern range. Probably in Little 00:29:28.009 --> 00:29:31.089 America or Lamar Valley it they just go it kind 00:29:31.089 --> 00:29:34.150 of go back and forth You may see some out here 00:29:34.150 --> 00:29:37.609 and there between mammoth and Roosevelt But generally 00:29:37.609 --> 00:29:40.150 that larger northern herd is going to be in Little 00:29:40.150 --> 00:29:43.369 America Lamar Valley The other big herd will 00:29:43.369 --> 00:29:47.230 be down by Hayden, but they could go from, you 00:29:47.230 --> 00:29:48.930 know, Hayden Valley all the way to the geyser 00:29:48.930 --> 00:29:51.069 basins and back. There's some places that they 00:29:51.069 --> 00:29:52.549 go. So you might go into Hayden and you might 00:29:52.549 --> 00:29:55.150 see nothing, then drive around, then come back 00:29:55.150 --> 00:29:57.170 later in the day. And there could be a thousand 00:29:57.170 --> 00:29:59.289 bison there. It's just going to be a matter of 00:29:59.289 --> 00:30:01.730 luck if they're visible. But once they are, there's 00:30:01.730 --> 00:30:04.150 going to be tons of them all over the road, all 00:30:04.150 --> 00:30:07.440 over everywhere. So hang in there. Bison jams 00:30:07.440 --> 00:30:10.700 are going to increase in Lamar, in Little America, 00:30:11.079 --> 00:30:13.119 in Hayden. There's going to be bison roaming 00:30:13.119 --> 00:30:15.200 around elsewhere, but generally those are the 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:17.920 two main herds. There's baby pronghorn all over 00:30:17.920 --> 00:30:20.599 the place. Somebody captured some video the other 00:30:20.599 --> 00:30:23.799 day of wolves chasing a baby pronghorn, and that 00:30:23.799 --> 00:30:25.900 was pretty cool to see. They got the baby pronghorn 00:30:25.900 --> 00:30:28.859 and they devoured it quickly, but Babies are 00:30:28.859 --> 00:30:31.420 still out there baby elk are everywhere and it 00:30:31.420 --> 00:30:33.799 is a good time for wildlife watching birds are 00:30:33.799 --> 00:30:36.920 still everywhere. There's some immature Eagles 00:30:36.920 --> 00:30:41.279 learning to fly there are There is a peregrine 00:30:41.279 --> 00:30:45.380 falcon nest near calcite springs. I watched that 00:30:45.380 --> 00:30:48.400 the other day. There's some osprey all over the 00:30:48.400 --> 00:30:51.180 place. It is a good time. Just know, though, 00:30:51.319 --> 00:30:53.640 that during the heat of the day, it's going to 00:30:53.640 --> 00:30:56.039 be a lot less active. That's not to say it's 00:30:56.039 --> 00:30:58.119 going to be completely inactive. It's just going 00:30:58.119 --> 00:31:00.740 to be a lot less active. So if you really want 00:31:00.740 --> 00:31:03.240 to see things, you need to be in these valleys 00:31:03.240 --> 00:31:05.640 or driving to these valleys in good wildlife 00:31:05.640 --> 00:31:10.880 areas. At sunrise or a little after and then 00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:14.299 a couple hours before sunset To sunset and then 00:31:14.299 --> 00:31:16.500 golden hour and all of that. That's how you want 00:31:16.500 --> 00:31:18.619 to book end your day during the day Go out and 00:31:18.619 --> 00:31:21.279 do things and then if you see wildlife, that's 00:31:21.279 --> 00:31:23.299 great But generally that's going to be the rule 00:31:23.299 --> 00:31:26.839 of thumb from here all the way through July Next 00:31:26.839 --> 00:31:28.740 week. I will be talking a lot more about the 00:31:28.740 --> 00:31:31.779 bison rut, but it is picking up There are some 00:31:31.779 --> 00:31:34.619 AI generated guide things online that are saying 00:31:34.619 --> 00:31:37.759 it doesn't start till September same with that 00:31:37.759 --> 00:31:41.059 guide along app I heard is saying that the bison 00:31:41.059 --> 00:31:43.859 jam or not bison jam the bison rut doesn't start 00:31:43.859 --> 00:31:47.019 until September that is Completely inaccurate 00:31:47.019 --> 00:31:49.680 it is going now will pick up speed in the coming 00:31:49.680 --> 00:31:52.920 weeks into August This is the time where it really 00:31:52.920 --> 00:31:55.430 starts to get good So if you want to be here 00:31:55.430 --> 00:31:57.950 for bison... This is the time to do it. If you 00:31:57.950 --> 00:31:59.549 want to be here for grizzly bears, it's going 00:31:59.549 --> 00:32:01.609 to be harder and harder to see them, especially 00:32:01.609 --> 00:32:04.309 as the heat increases and they start going higher 00:32:04.309 --> 00:32:07.609 for a better protein source. So if you do want 00:32:07.609 --> 00:32:09.690 more tips on where to see wildlife, reach out 00:32:09.690 --> 00:32:13.670 to me via text 406 -589 -1873. I'll try my best 00:32:13.670 --> 00:32:16.150 to respond to everybody. I kind of get inundated 00:32:16.150 --> 00:32:18.789 at times. And so I do my best. I'm sorry if I 00:32:18.789 --> 00:32:21.109 don't get to you. It's not because you did anything 00:32:21.109 --> 00:32:23.730 wrong. I sincerely apologize. I wish I could 00:32:23.730 --> 00:32:27.490 talk to all of you, but know that Northern Range 00:32:27.490 --> 00:32:30.130 early morning, the Bermuda Triangle still has 00:32:30.130 --> 00:32:33.509 lots of black bears. And if you see some grizzlies, 00:32:33.730 --> 00:32:35.089 you're probably going to see them out the east 00:32:35.089 --> 00:32:37.769 entrance, maybe in Hayden, maybe on the ridges 00:32:37.769 --> 00:32:39.809 in Lamar, and maybe you'll get lucky, especially 00:32:39.809 --> 00:32:42.190 if you drive a bare -toothed highway. So good 00:32:42.190 --> 00:32:45.450 luck, and I will give you more wildlife next 00:32:45.450 --> 00:32:48.759 week. So trail alerts and updates. Backcountry 00:32:48.759 --> 00:32:51.079 conditions page is updated again. They updated 00:32:51.079 --> 00:32:53.279 this week. There's a link in the show notes. 00:32:53.359 --> 00:32:55.960 This is the easiest way for me to share the status 00:32:55.960 --> 00:32:58.660 of every trail. Go to the link provided in the 00:32:58.660 --> 00:33:01.299 show notes of a hike you want to do and click 00:33:01.299 --> 00:33:03.519 on it. If you can't find information about something, 00:33:03.920 --> 00:33:08.450 reach out to me. 406 -589 -1873 via text, I will 00:33:08.450 --> 00:33:11.049 happily tell you how the trails are. If you are 00:33:11.049 --> 00:33:13.450 hiking, as always, carry bear spray, have it 00:33:13.450 --> 00:33:15.890 readily accessible and not in a backpack, and 00:33:15.890 --> 00:33:20.670 know how to use it. My Trek of the Week. So I'm 00:33:20.670 --> 00:33:24.009 going to be sharing a hike of the week that you're 00:33:24.009 --> 00:33:27.910 probably going to need me for or need some advice 00:33:27.910 --> 00:33:31.190 for, but I want you to know that there is an 00:33:31.190 --> 00:33:34.880 old wolf den you can hike to and see the original 00:33:34.880 --> 00:33:36.740 crates the wolves were brought into the park 00:33:36.740 --> 00:33:39.039 and and see the original enclosure that they 00:33:39.039 --> 00:33:40.839 were brought in I've been hemming and hawing 00:33:40.839 --> 00:33:42.839 going back and forth about do I share this or 00:33:42.839 --> 00:33:45.140 not and then I realized that this is something 00:33:45.140 --> 00:33:48.279 that a lot of guides take their clients to Yellowstone 00:33:48.279 --> 00:33:51.039 forever takes people to it's a well -known thing 00:33:51.039 --> 00:33:53.700 there's stuff online about it not a ton but there's 00:33:53.700 --> 00:33:56.059 stuff online about it and my listenership currently 00:33:56.059 --> 00:33:59.039 is a pretty cool people so I want to share this 00:33:59.039 --> 00:34:01.880 with you and if you want actual details of where 00:34:01.710 --> 00:34:04.690 it is and how to get there I can help you out 00:34:04.690 --> 00:34:09.710 but I will be very kind of strict about just 00:34:09.710 --> 00:34:11.769 make sure that you are well behaved up there 00:34:11.769 --> 00:34:14.949 that you're smart that you're safe it is a sacred 00:34:14.949 --> 00:34:17.329 place for the park and that's why I want to share 00:34:17.329 --> 00:34:20.349 because we all need to be able to have the opportunity 00:34:20.349 --> 00:34:24.650 to connect in things however if I find like that 00:34:24.650 --> 00:34:27.469 this is going too far and people are trashing 00:34:27.469 --> 00:34:31.010 these sites I will delete this part of this episode 00:34:31.010 --> 00:34:34.409 and re -upload it without this. So if you do 00:34:34.409 --> 00:34:38.650 want to hike here, please be respectful. Please 00:34:38.650 --> 00:34:41.250 know that this is a very important spot, and 00:34:41.250 --> 00:34:44.110 the more people that go there and trash it, the 00:34:44.110 --> 00:34:46.409 less likely we'll be able to have cool places 00:34:46.409 --> 00:34:49.469 like this to hike to. The park can and could 00:34:49.469 --> 00:34:53.869 easily close this at any time. So I want to tell 00:34:53.869 --> 00:34:56.550 you about the Old Wolf Pin in Lamar Valley. It 00:34:56.550 --> 00:34:59.250 is located near the Buffalo Ranch, right in Lamar 00:34:59.250 --> 00:35:02.030 Valley that Yellowstone Forever runs. And if 00:35:02.030 --> 00:35:04.110 you're staring at the Buffalo Ranch from that 00:35:04.110 --> 00:35:06.550 big parking lot across the street with your back 00:35:06.550 --> 00:35:08.110 to the Lamar River and you're looking at the 00:35:08.110 --> 00:35:10.969 building, there's a pull -out to your right, 00:35:11.610 --> 00:35:15.070 little ways down. If you go there, it's not a 00:35:15.070 --> 00:35:16.849 huge pull -out, it's not even paved, it's just 00:35:16.849 --> 00:35:18.869 a little indent. If you go there, and that's 00:35:18.869 --> 00:35:20.730 gonna be on that north side, the same side as 00:35:20.730 --> 00:35:23.409 the ranch, There's a little boot path that leads 00:35:23.409 --> 00:35:25.650 through there. Eventually that boot path leads 00:35:25.650 --> 00:35:29.750 to a double track old road. That old road you 00:35:29.750 --> 00:35:32.429 follow until there's a trail and then you follow 00:35:32.429 --> 00:35:35.590 the trail up and eventually you get to this cool 00:35:35.590 --> 00:35:38.710 pen that they put the original bison in. This 00:35:38.710 --> 00:35:42.289 is a place that is really awesome and it's really 00:35:42.289 --> 00:35:44.949 sacred. It's also a cool place to see skulls 00:35:44.949 --> 00:35:47.989 and antlers leave them there, but it's a cool 00:35:47.989 --> 00:35:51.820 place to see What the park what Yellowstone forever 00:35:51.820 --> 00:35:53.980 talks about this is all public land. We're all 00:35:53.980 --> 00:35:56.260 welcome there So you can go there you can see 00:35:56.260 --> 00:35:58.739 a bighorn sheep skull you can see antlers They're 00:35:58.739 --> 00:36:01.000 kind of off by a tree on your way up by a shooting 00:36:01.000 --> 00:36:03.340 gallery that the Rangers used to use his target 00:36:03.340 --> 00:36:06.440 practice It's a cool historical area again. I'm 00:36:06.440 --> 00:36:08.519 not trying to be vague about it. There's no trail 00:36:08.519 --> 00:36:10.780 signs There's nothing marked so I just have to 00:36:10.780 --> 00:36:12.760 kind of describe it and if you want to know more 00:36:12.760 --> 00:36:15.690 I can tell you more The hike up there and back 00:36:15.690 --> 00:36:19.110 is under four miles. You do gain a couple hundred 00:36:19.110 --> 00:36:20.969 feet of elevation. I think it's like 500 feet 00:36:20.969 --> 00:36:23.789 of elevation and you're walking through insane 00:36:23.789 --> 00:36:26.409 grisly territory. Lots of bison are there, lots 00:36:26.409 --> 00:36:28.949 of pronghorn, all sorts of things that you have 00:36:28.949 --> 00:36:31.670 to be super alert for. Another cool element of 00:36:31.670 --> 00:36:34.489 this is that there are a lot of wildflowers up 00:36:34.489 --> 00:36:36.989 there right now. Absolutely gorgeous. Highly 00:36:36.989 --> 00:36:39.110 recommend just going up that hillside and looking 00:36:39.110 --> 00:36:42.460 at wildflowers. Again, you follow that to track 00:36:42.460 --> 00:36:45.539 up you get to a creek crossing and then you see 00:36:45.539 --> 00:36:47.639 the small fenced in area that small fenced in 00:36:47.639 --> 00:36:49.559 area has nothing to do with the wolves it's kind 00:36:49.559 --> 00:36:51.039 of like where they have repeaters and things 00:36:51.039 --> 00:36:53.719 like that located the energy that they need is 00:36:53.719 --> 00:36:56.139 i i don't know i'm making things up i don't know 00:36:56.139 --> 00:36:58.199 what's fenced in and it's small fence but from 00:36:58.199 --> 00:37:00.639 there you go around that fence and then you climb 00:37:00.639 --> 00:37:02.820 a steep hill and then you get to a rolling hill 00:37:02.820 --> 00:37:05.039 and then you just keep following the trail you 00:37:05.039 --> 00:37:07.699 drop down another creek crossing and rise up 00:37:07.699 --> 00:37:09.860 and then you are at the fenced in area where 00:37:09.860 --> 00:37:12.880 the wolves were The fence is dilapidated in parts. 00:37:13.300 --> 00:37:16.059 Some of the old wooden structures where the wolves 00:37:16.059 --> 00:37:18.980 were brought in via plane and then truck, those 00:37:18.980 --> 00:37:22.000 are there. And, you know, some are falling apart. 00:37:22.099 --> 00:37:24.239 There's trees there. This is also a place where 00:37:24.239 --> 00:37:26.380 sometimes bears hang out and eat carcasses. You 00:37:26.380 --> 00:37:28.719 need to be alert here. But it's a cool place. 00:37:29.079 --> 00:37:31.500 Again, I wanted to talk about it. It's a place 00:37:31.500 --> 00:37:33.880 that doesn't get enough love and we need to start 00:37:33.880 --> 00:37:36.059 understanding and sharing some of this history. 00:37:37.079 --> 00:37:39.099 I like to go up there a couple times a year. 00:37:39.179 --> 00:37:41.320 I don't like to abuse going up there. But if 00:37:41.320 --> 00:37:43.579 you're looking for some place just really to 00:37:43.579 --> 00:37:46.360 connect to the wolves, to the history of the 00:37:46.360 --> 00:37:49.619 wolves, and to kind of the human and wildlife 00:37:49.619 --> 00:37:52.599 elements. Buffalo Ranch itself also has a unique 00:37:52.599 --> 00:37:55.199 history of saving the bison in the park. It's 00:37:55.199 --> 00:37:57.639 an amazing place too, not open to the public. 00:37:58.139 --> 00:38:01.519 But this trail, open to the public and worthwhile. 00:38:01.880 --> 00:38:05.300 It's a good short hike for dedicated hikers who 00:38:05.300 --> 00:38:08.199 have some route finding abilities if you can't 00:38:08.199 --> 00:38:11.960 do that There's not much that rivals this but 00:38:11.960 --> 00:38:14.780 Right now if you can't do this and you want to 00:38:14.780 --> 00:38:17.119 hike to do again reach out to me I have a guidebook 00:38:17.119 --> 00:38:20.159 within that guidebook has chapters of where the 00:38:20.159 --> 00:38:22.340 best wildflower hikes in Yellowstone and around 00:38:22.340 --> 00:38:25.000 the region That I like and I share that there. 00:38:25.000 --> 00:38:27.590 So there's plenty of hiking to do I just wanted 00:38:27.590 --> 00:38:30.489 a little less formal thing where I want you to 00:38:30.489 --> 00:38:32.389 know that there are some cool places that I know 00:38:32.389 --> 00:38:35.630 that I'm happy to share with you if you promise 00:38:35.630 --> 00:38:38.650 to be a good steward of the land and help encourage 00:38:38.650 --> 00:38:41.469 other people to be good stewards too. This is 00:38:41.469 --> 00:38:44.809 a fantastic trail up to this wolf pen that is 00:38:44.809 --> 00:38:47.090 no longer used but it's a cool slice of history 00:38:47.090 --> 00:38:50.349 and as we celebrate 250 years of America I think 00:38:50.349 --> 00:38:52.949 some of this history even if it's recent should 00:38:52.949 --> 00:38:55.590 be shared with everybody so again reach out to 00:38:55.590 --> 00:38:57.909 me if you need any more information about this, 00:38:58.269 --> 00:39:00.050 and I'll do my best to get to you. I have a very 00:39:00.050 --> 00:39:03.710 busy week coming up, but I want to help everybody 00:39:03.710 --> 00:39:06.550 experience the park, fall in love with the park, 00:39:06.809 --> 00:39:09.250 and really help continue to protect it for the 00:39:09.250 --> 00:39:13.250 next however long we can. That's it for this 00:39:13.250 --> 00:39:15.369 week. In the next episode, I'm going to return 00:39:15.369 --> 00:39:17.190 with all the information you need to have a good 00:39:17.190 --> 00:39:19.210 week in the park. That includes the wildlife 00:39:19.210 --> 00:39:23.170 update, the weather, the trail conditions, everything 00:39:23.170 --> 00:39:26.360 you need to know. So until then, Pick up a guidebook 00:39:26.360 --> 00:39:28.539 of mine, tell your friends about this podcast, 00:39:29.079 --> 00:39:54.590 and happy trails. Otherwise, keep listening and 00:39:54.590 --> 00:39:58.070 I hope to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright 2026, 00:39:58.369 --> 00:39:58.710 baby!