WEBVTT 00:00:00.110 --> 00:00:03.129 From Yellowstone National Park where summer is 00:00:03.129 --> 00:00:06.110 officially in swing This is that Scott guy you 00:00:06.110 --> 00:00:09.050 know and love with a brand new episode of this 00:00:09.050 --> 00:00:21.769 week in Yellowstone What's up everybody this 00:00:21.769 --> 00:00:24.670 week in Yellowstone National Park from July 9th 00:00:24.670 --> 00:00:28.530 to July 15th 2026 I try to get you excited for 00:00:28.530 --> 00:00:31.440 the bison rut talk about how Yellowstone once 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:34.359 had a zoo, and hope to inspire you to look at 00:00:34.359 --> 00:00:37.219 the region beyond the park boundaries. I'll also 00:00:37.219 --> 00:00:39.520 give you the complete weather forecast, a cool 00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:42.640 trail to hike, the wildlife report, and everything 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:45.320 else you need to have an incredible time this 00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:48.539 week in Yellowstone. Standard disclaimer I'm 00:00:48.539 --> 00:00:51.079 gonna miss a few details and I also mentioned 00:00:51.079 --> 00:00:54.060 park locations very casually. If you're unfamiliar 00:00:54.060 --> 00:00:55.799 with anything I'm talking about a quick search 00:00:55.799 --> 00:00:58.439 online can help or you can reach out to me directly 00:00:58.439 --> 00:01:05.439 via text 406 -589 -1873. Also, this podcast is 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:07.719 a passion project of mine. I'm not paid, I'm 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:09.760 not sponsored, I do this because I want you to 00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:12.400 have a good time. If you enjoy this podcast, 00:01:12.620 --> 00:01:14.859 I'd love a review or a quick email. If you want 00:01:14.859 --> 00:01:16.939 to support my work more, you can check out my 00:01:16.939 --> 00:01:19.359 hiking and wildlife watching guidebooks, or join 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:21.560 me for a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone's 00:01:21.560 --> 00:01:23.959 backcountry. I am basically booked out through 00:01:23.959 --> 00:01:26.439 the entire summer, but contact me, we might be 00:01:26.439 --> 00:01:28.870 able to make something happen. For more information 00:01:28.870 --> 00:01:31.849 on all of this you can visit outdoor -society 00:01:31.849 --> 00:01:37.049 .com or contact me directly via text at 406 -589 00:01:37.049 --> 00:01:43.540 -1873 or theoutdoorsocietyatgmail .com This week's 00:01:43.540 --> 00:01:46.540 Yellowstone news. So there's not a lot of major 00:01:46.540 --> 00:01:49.079 news right now. Probably by the time this episode 00:01:49.079 --> 00:01:51.680 drops, we'll have the June visitation statistics 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:53.840 released. However, they're not out at the time 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:55.879 of the recording, so I can't talk about that. 00:01:56.180 --> 00:01:58.879 I'm anticipating that that will be a high number. 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:02.719 Probably. Top five, easily top five most busy 00:02:02.719 --> 00:02:06.620 summers, busy June so far. But there's no other 00:02:06.620 --> 00:02:09.159 news out right now. So I'm going to talk about 00:02:09.159 --> 00:02:11.680 two things that are kind of news, but not really. 00:02:12.180 --> 00:02:14.419 The first, I'm going to elaborate more on the 00:02:14.419 --> 00:02:17.020 weather report, but this is going to be a very 00:02:17.020 --> 00:02:19.580 hot weekend. Highs in the park are going to be 00:02:19.580 --> 00:02:22.939 over 90 degrees in places. Some of you are probably 00:02:22.939 --> 00:02:25.139 from very hot places and look at that temperature 00:02:25.139 --> 00:02:28.819 and say, I'll be fine. You may be fine. However, 00:02:29.479 --> 00:02:31.979 not a lot of people experience 90 degree weather 00:02:31.979 --> 00:02:35.180 above 6 ,000, 7 ,000, or 8 ,000 feet above sea 00:02:35.180 --> 00:02:38.240 level. It will be hotter. You will need to drink 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:40.680 more water. You'll need to limit daytime activity 00:02:40.680 --> 00:02:43.919 and try to find shade. Try not to do anything 00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:48.020 in the heat of the day so that 1 p .m. to 4 or 00:02:48.020 --> 00:02:51.520 5 p .m. time period, try and do something inside, 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:54.300 go visit a visitor's center, sit and watch Old 00:02:54.300 --> 00:02:56.960 Faithful, go and get some ice cream, you know, 00:02:57.039 --> 00:02:59.620 do something that's gonna be nice and cool. Looks 00:02:59.620 --> 00:03:02.000 like Friday's gonna be pretty warm, Saturday's 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:03.699 gonna be really warm, Sunday's also gonna be 00:03:03.699 --> 00:03:06.659 really warm. We are in the throes of summer and 00:03:06.659 --> 00:03:08.960 it's going to be hot, so be prepared for that. 00:03:09.020 --> 00:03:12.469 If you're hiking, layer up. try not to hike in 00:03:12.469 --> 00:03:14.509 the middle of the day. It also means that we 00:03:14.509 --> 00:03:16.150 might get some thunderstorms in the afternoon. 00:03:16.270 --> 00:03:18.050 Again, I'm going to go more into detail about 00:03:18.050 --> 00:03:20.789 what to expect during the weather forecast, but 00:03:20.789 --> 00:03:23.569 it's going to be hot this weekend, so be prepared 00:03:23.569 --> 00:03:27.870 for that. Second news in quotation marks, thing 00:03:27.870 --> 00:03:29.810 that I want to talk about is that the bugs are 00:03:29.810 --> 00:03:33.069 out. Mosquitoes are really coming out right now. 00:03:33.250 --> 00:03:36.849 It rained a lot, got cold, snowed, rained some 00:03:36.849 --> 00:03:38.949 more, and then it's getting warm. Mosquitoes 00:03:38.949 --> 00:03:41.580 are going to be hatching. The bugs and mosquitoes 00:03:41.580 --> 00:03:43.620 have been pretty bad in Grand Prismatic and the 00:03:43.620 --> 00:03:45.960 hike up to the Overlook and out towards Fairy 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:49.280 Falls and then out in Hell Roaring area they're 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:51.139 popping off, out in Lamar they're popping up, 00:03:51.479 --> 00:03:53.680 so it's going to get even more buggy for the 00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:57.120 next few weeks. You may be used to mosquitoes. 00:03:57.759 --> 00:04:00.879 Mosquitoes here are very aggressive. I recommend 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:05.599 a bug spray with DEET. I have some mosquito proof 00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:08.819 clothes and they don't seem to work that well 00:04:08.819 --> 00:04:11.840 and all natural bug spray doesn't seem to work 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:14.580 that well on these guys either. So maybe they'll 00:04:14.580 --> 00:04:17.079 work better for you. Maybe I'm just like delicious 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:19.199 to these bugs, especially like the flies and 00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:22.199 mosquitoes. But no, you probably need something 00:04:22.199 --> 00:04:24.680 really aggressive. Also wearing long sleeves 00:04:24.680 --> 00:04:26.660 doesn't necessarily mean they're not going to 00:04:26.660 --> 00:04:28.459 get your arms. Wearing long pants doesn't mean 00:04:28.459 --> 00:04:30.339 they're not going to get through your legs. If 00:04:30.339 --> 00:04:32.779 you have tight clothes on. More than likely they 00:04:32.779 --> 00:04:34.399 will be biting you through that. I've told this 00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:37.120 story before, but I know somebody who is hiking 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:39.079 in the hell -roaring area at the peak mosquito 00:04:39.079 --> 00:04:42.560 season with a sun shirt on and sprayed off all 00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:44.819 over them, and they still ended up with over 00:04:44.819 --> 00:04:48.480 30 mosquito bites. So know that they're out there. 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:51.680 Strong bug spray will help. Just know that it 00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:53.699 may not always be enjoyable, depending where 00:04:53.699 --> 00:04:57.029 you're at. As I'm recording this, I have... two 00:04:57.029 --> 00:05:00.370 horse fly bites and three mosquito bites on my 00:05:00.370 --> 00:05:03.250 legs from yesterday's tour I didn't put any bug 00:05:03.250 --> 00:05:06.009 spray on so if that's all I got I'm okay with 00:05:06.009 --> 00:05:08.509 that but it will be getting more aggressive in 00:05:08.509 --> 00:05:11.629 the next few days weeks so be prepared for that 00:05:11.629 --> 00:05:15.430 and my hike of the week is directly in very heavy 00:05:15.430 --> 00:05:18.029 mosquito territory so if you're headed out to 00:05:18.029 --> 00:05:19.990 where I talk about the hike of the week know 00:05:19.990 --> 00:05:23.769 that you're gonna need a lot the experience of 00:05:23.769 --> 00:05:26.850 the week the bison rut I could talk about this 00:05:26.850 --> 00:05:28.550 next week, but I have something else planned 00:05:28.550 --> 00:05:30.490 for that. So I'm going to talk about it this 00:05:30.490 --> 00:05:32.389 week, and it's relevant for the next three to 00:05:32.389 --> 00:05:35.389 four or five weeks. So if you're listening to 00:05:35.389 --> 00:05:37.589 old episodes, getting ready for your trip in 00:05:37.589 --> 00:05:40.110 mid to late July, early August, this still is 00:05:40.110 --> 00:05:43.610 relevant information. So this week marks kind 00:05:43.610 --> 00:05:45.430 of the beginning of one of Yellowstone's most 00:05:45.430 --> 00:05:48.310 exciting wildlife seasons. At least I think so. 00:05:48.439 --> 00:05:50.939 While many love the elk rut in the fall, the 00:05:50.939 --> 00:05:54.480 summer bison rut is so awesome. Over the next 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:56.339 several weeks, the park's broad valleys will 00:05:56.339 --> 00:05:58.480 become the stage for one of North America's greatest 00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:01.519 wildlife spectacles as the annual bison rut gets 00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:04.500 underway. If you're visiting Yellowstone during 00:06:04.500 --> 00:06:07.000 July, there's a good chance you're going to notice 00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:09.500 the first signs of this awesome event. Mature 00:06:09.500 --> 00:06:11.579 bulls are beginning to leave their bachelor groups 00:06:11.579 --> 00:06:14.199 and join the large cow and calf herds. So if 00:06:14.199 --> 00:06:17.899 you don't know, bison tend to separate after 00:06:17.899 --> 00:06:19.980 breeding season. The males go out on their own 00:06:19.980 --> 00:06:22.379 or little bachelor groups and the females and 00:06:22.379 --> 00:06:24.240 adolescents all hang out together throughout 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:27.160 the winter. As soon as the bison rut starts to 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:30.139 begin, those mature bulls just start making their 00:06:30.139 --> 00:06:34.649 way to where everybody else is at. When they're 00:06:34.649 --> 00:06:36.870 making their way there, their deep bellows echo 00:06:36.870 --> 00:06:39.589 across the valley, dust rises from fresh wallows, 00:06:39.829 --> 00:06:41.829 and the first breeding displays begin to unfold. 00:06:42.310 --> 00:06:44.930 As the month progresses, the activity only becomes 00:06:44.930 --> 00:06:47.550 more dramatic, making the bison rut one of the 00:06:47.550 --> 00:06:50.810 park's can't -miss summer experiences. The bison 00:06:50.810 --> 00:06:53.790 rut, or mating season, generally begins in July 00:06:53.790 --> 00:06:56.350 and continues through August, with the most intense 00:06:56.350 --> 00:06:59.449 activity coming from mid to late July into August. 00:06:59.949 --> 00:07:01.889 During this time, Yellowstone's northern and 00:07:01.889 --> 00:07:04.589 central breeding herds gather in impressive numbers. 00:07:05.089 --> 00:07:08.310 Yesterday on July 7th, I'm recording this on 00:07:08.310 --> 00:07:14.069 the 8th, there were easily a thousand bison hanging 00:07:14.069 --> 00:07:16.430 out in Lamar Valley. The whole valley was just 00:07:16.430 --> 00:07:18.250 packed up on the hillsides. There were small 00:07:18.250 --> 00:07:20.490 groups scattered about. There were just animals 00:07:20.490 --> 00:07:24.189 all over. So they are gathering right now and 00:07:24.189 --> 00:07:26.709 it is one of the largest wildlife gatherings 00:07:26.709 --> 00:07:30.100 in the lower 48 states. For much of the year, 00:07:30.339 --> 00:07:32.300 mature bull bison spend their time alone or in 00:07:32.300 --> 00:07:33.939 small bachelor groups. It's a really easy way 00:07:33.939 --> 00:07:37.259 to tell what the gender of a bison is when it's 00:07:37.259 --> 00:07:39.639 not summer. If they're out by themselves or with 00:07:39.639 --> 00:07:41.720 one or two others, they're male. If they're in 00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:44.019 a giant herd, they're female in adolescence. 00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:46.680 As breeding season approaches, like I said before, 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:49.860 they seek out the large cow and calf herds for 00:07:49.860 --> 00:07:52.959 mating opportunities. Although both males and 00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:55.040 females become sexually mature around two or 00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:57.740 three years of age Most of the successful breeding 00:07:57.740 --> 00:07:59.980 is carried out by dominant bulls between about 00:07:59.980 --> 00:08:03.319 seven and twelve years old Fun fact here bison 00:08:03.319 --> 00:08:06.779 can live up to 20 years old. So that's wild. 00:08:06.800 --> 00:08:10.800 I just want people to know that the bison size 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:13.180 strength and experience give them a significant 00:08:13.180 --> 00:08:15.339 advantage over those younger competitors your 00:08:15.339 --> 00:08:18.899 competitors were trying like Do something but 00:08:18.899 --> 00:08:20.740 they're just gonna get bullied by the big guys 00:08:21.040 --> 00:08:23.519 One of the first things visitors notice during 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:26.740 the rut is the sound. Mature bulls produce deep 00:08:26.740 --> 00:08:29.199 rumbling bellows that can carry surprising distances 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:32.460 across Yellowstone's open valleys. These vocalizations 00:08:32.460 --> 00:08:34.980 advertise their presence to rivals and females 00:08:34.980 --> 00:08:37.419 while warning competitive bulls to keep their 00:08:37.419 --> 00:08:40.159 distance. Visitors will also see bulls pawing 00:08:40.159 --> 00:08:43.179 the ground or flopping down in dusty wallows. 00:08:43.860 --> 00:08:46.539 These wallows help remove loose hair, discourage 00:08:46.539 --> 00:08:50.700 insects, but during the rut... They like the 00:08:50.700 --> 00:08:53.720 males like to urinate in them and then roll around 00:08:53.720 --> 00:08:56.419 in it to get a scent that creates an Impressive 00:08:56.419 --> 00:09:00.220 just musk for those female bison on my tours. 00:09:00.220 --> 00:09:02.720 I often say it's like the axe body spray for 00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:06.720 bison If they aren't urinating in those wallows 00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:09.159 and rolling around they are slamming their body 00:09:09.159 --> 00:09:12.320 down as hard as they can To create an impressive 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:15.519 visual display of rising dust that signals their 00:09:15.519 --> 00:09:19.620 breeding condition and how big they are Now when 00:09:19.620 --> 00:09:22.039 bulls get together not every confrontation turns 00:09:22.039 --> 00:09:24.980 into a fight But when two evenly match bulls 00:09:24.980 --> 00:09:27.480 refuse to back down the results are unforgettable 00:09:27.480 --> 00:09:31.399 after circling posturing Bellowing, you know 00:09:31.399 --> 00:09:34.600 just trying to intimidate the other one They 00:09:34.600 --> 00:09:37.279 may lower their massive heads and collide with 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:39.779 good force or just kind of wrestle around and 00:09:39.779 --> 00:09:42.399 turn their heads Sometimes one will blindside 00:09:42.399 --> 00:09:44.600 another one and hit it right in the side. You 00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:48.159 may see bull bison bleeding from the side from 00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:53.679 the impact of those horns. Often these injuries 00:09:53.679 --> 00:09:58.220 get really bad and the bison die. And that's 00:09:58.220 --> 00:10:01.059 why around where these bison mating displays 00:10:01.059 --> 00:10:03.759 are going on, you might see bears, you might 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:08.080 see wolves and other animals hoping for an easier 00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:11.320 meal. Now, while these confrontations can be 00:10:11.320 --> 00:10:13.980 violent, Most of the time they're not they'll 00:10:13.980 --> 00:10:16.080 size each other up One will kind of just try 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:17.820 to intimidate the other one and the other one 00:10:17.820 --> 00:10:20.759 will just say okay and walk away But you know 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:22.799 sometimes they do get violent so be very aware 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:25.840 of that One of the other fascinating behaviors 00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:29.299 is known as tending after identifying a cow that 00:10:29.299 --> 00:10:32.559 is approaching breeding time a Dominant bull 00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:35.259 remains close to her sometimes fall in her every 00:10:35.259 --> 00:10:37.860 moment for hours or even days While preventing 00:10:37.860 --> 00:10:41.269 rival males from getting too close Once she becomes 00:10:41.269 --> 00:10:43.950 receptive, the pair mates before the bull resumes 00:10:43.950 --> 00:10:47.009 searching for another female. Visitors may also 00:10:47.009 --> 00:10:49.490 notice bulls curling their upper lips after sniffing 00:10:49.490 --> 00:10:52.690 a female from behind. This behavior, called the 00:10:52.690 --> 00:10:55.809 flamin' response, helps them detect chemical 00:10:55.809 --> 00:10:58.029 signals that indicate whether she is ready to 00:10:58.029 --> 00:11:02.149 be bred or not. Now, you may be asking, where 00:11:02.149 --> 00:11:04.769 can I go to see this? The best places to witness 00:11:04.769 --> 00:11:07.379 the rut are Hayden Valley and Lamar Valley. Hayden 00:11:07.379 --> 00:11:11.240 Valley between Canyon and Fishing Bridge is where 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:14.220 the central breeding herd often resides, and 00:11:14.220 --> 00:11:17.639 then Lamar Valley from Little America out toward 00:11:17.639 --> 00:11:20.679 Soda Butte Cone, that's where that northern breeding 00:11:20.679 --> 00:11:24.100 herd will be hanging out. Both valleys feature 00:11:24.100 --> 00:11:26.240 expansive grasslands where visitors can observe 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:28.720 the action from designated pullouts, while also 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:31.000 looking for pronghorn elk, coyotes, wolves, and 00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:33.159 even bears. There are a few things I do want 00:11:33.159 --> 00:11:36.419 to mention right now Lamar Valley if you go to 00:11:36.419 --> 00:11:38.320 Lamar to watch the bison route the bison route 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:41.240 tends to happen a little further out For some 00:11:41.240 --> 00:11:44.440 reason how the road is in the valley where the 00:11:44.440 --> 00:11:48.000 bison hang out close to the river These all impact 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:49.779 where the bison are gonna hang out most of the 00:11:49.779 --> 00:11:52.100 time And so you're gonna be able to watch this 00:11:52.100 --> 00:11:54.860 from a pullout looking down at them or far away 00:11:54.860 --> 00:11:57.620 Usually they aren't doing breeding behavior or 00:11:57.620 --> 00:11:59.580 aggressive behavior right next to the road They 00:11:59.580 --> 00:12:03.200 do sometimes, but not as often in Hayden. Hayden 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:07.139 Valley is going to be where you will have tons 00:12:07.139 --> 00:12:10.019 of park rangers and volunteers dictating traffic, 00:12:10.419 --> 00:12:12.100 trying to make sure people stay in their cars, 00:12:12.519 --> 00:12:14.679 and really just trying to stop the entire scene 00:12:14.679 --> 00:12:17.600 from being true chaos. Because the bison will 00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:20.139 fight each other on the road, they may hit a 00:12:20.139 --> 00:12:23.730 car, they are just going to be aggressive. all 00:12:23.730 --> 00:12:25.990 around and Hayden Valley is really where that 00:12:25.990 --> 00:12:28.549 action snarls traffic because everybody goes 00:12:28.549 --> 00:12:33.330 through there and I have been stopped at the 00:12:33.330 --> 00:12:36.509 canyon junction and the backup was all the way 00:12:36.509 --> 00:12:40.570 by that grizzly overlook in Hayden Valley and 00:12:40.570 --> 00:12:43.149 it took hours to get through there during this 00:12:43.149 --> 00:12:46.330 time. If the bison are near the road, there is 00:12:46.330 --> 00:12:48.710 no fast way through this region. If you don't 00:12:48.710 --> 00:12:51.029 care about this and don't want to see this and 00:12:51.029 --> 00:12:53.490 don't want to have the traffic, do not go through 00:12:53.490 --> 00:12:56.330 Hayden Valley. Drive all the way around to get 00:12:56.330 --> 00:12:58.990 to Canyon and things like that. You will not 00:12:58.990 --> 00:13:01.350 be able to avoid this when the bison are nearby. 00:13:01.570 --> 00:13:03.590 What's interesting... is that the bison don't 00:13:03.590 --> 00:13:05.470 always hang out by the road. Sometimes even in 00:13:05.470 --> 00:13:07.750 the middle of the rut, all the bison will be 00:13:07.750 --> 00:13:10.049 two hills over in Hayden Valley and you won't 00:13:10.049 --> 00:13:11.629 be able to see anything and you'll drive through 00:13:11.629 --> 00:13:14.529 Hayden and see three or four bison and it's truly 00:13:14.529 --> 00:13:17.509 a wild experience because this is where four 00:13:17.509 --> 00:13:20.049 hours later you might drive through and you will 00:13:20.049 --> 00:13:21.950 be stuck in traffic for an hour, hour and a half. 00:13:22.730 --> 00:13:25.049 Now the logic of getting to the spots with lots 00:13:25.049 --> 00:13:27.029 of bison in the early mornings and evenings is 00:13:27.029 --> 00:13:30.279 still Pretty true. Cooler temperatures can sometimes 00:13:30.279 --> 00:13:34.120 make the animals more active. And also that tends 00:13:34.120 --> 00:13:36.620 to be when they mate. I haven't really seen a 00:13:36.620 --> 00:13:38.659 lot of bison mating in the middle of the day. 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:41.639 So if you're looking for watching that action 00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:45.000 go down, it's usually mornings, evenings. Also, 00:13:45.059 --> 00:13:47.120 if you go during the mornings, evenings, the 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:49.240 light's going to be better for pictures. But 00:13:49.240 --> 00:13:51.419 most importantly, visitor traffic is usually 00:13:51.419 --> 00:13:53.919 lighter during the middle of the day. As the 00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:56.779 rut intensifies expect more frequent bison jams 00:13:56.779 --> 00:13:59.159 in these areas because the breeding herds are 00:13:59.159 --> 00:14:01.179 just going to move across park roads. Another 00:14:01.179 --> 00:14:03.759 area I forgot to mention that is pretty good 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:06.259 for this action is going to be down by Mud Volcano. 00:14:06.840 --> 00:14:09.039 Just know that all the way down through Mud Volcano 00:14:09.039 --> 00:14:12.059 is going to be pretty interesting. Now if you 00:14:12.059 --> 00:14:13.840 are driving these delays are just part of the 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:16.000 Elson experience like I said if traffic stops 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:18.360 stay in your vehicle unless you're parked safely 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:20.799 in a designated pullout and the bison are very 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:24.059 far away. When you're driving be patient and 00:14:24.059 --> 00:14:26.100 allow the animals to move through at their own 00:14:26.100 --> 00:14:29.460 pace. The excitement of the rut also makes this 00:14:29.460 --> 00:14:31.460 one of the most important times to respect wildlife, 00:14:31.779 --> 00:14:33.220 and I know I just mentioned this, but I'm doing 00:14:33.220 --> 00:14:36.000 it again. Yellowstone requires visitors to stay 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:38.960 at least 25 yards away from bison at all times. 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:41.639 That doesn't mean in your car, that means on 00:14:41.639 --> 00:14:45.409 foot. During the rut, I recommend my clients 00:14:45.409 --> 00:14:49.649 stay 35 to 50 yards away because these bull bison 00:14:49.649 --> 00:14:52.690 are going to be a lot more hopped up on their 00:14:52.690 --> 00:14:55.909 hormones. They can run 35 miles an hour, they 00:14:55.909 --> 00:14:59.850 can weigh 1 ,500 to 2 ,000 pounds, they pivot 00:14:59.850 --> 00:15:02.570 quickly, they easily outrun people, and right 00:15:02.570 --> 00:15:06.580 now they are very aggressive. They will hit cars. 00:15:06.679 --> 00:15:09.299 They will hit things if they are prompted to 00:15:09.299 --> 00:15:12.159 do so This is not the time to try and get close 00:15:12.159 --> 00:15:15.220 for a picture. This is when things are even more 00:15:15.220 --> 00:15:18.659 dangerous with bison So if you're visiting Yellowstone 00:15:18.659 --> 00:15:20.500 over the next several weeks and make time to 00:15:20.500 --> 00:15:23.860 stop in Hayden or Lamar Valley stay in your cars 00:15:23.860 --> 00:15:27.120 be smart be safe follow park rules and Enjoy 00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:29.860 the annual bison rut. We're just getting started 00:15:29.860 --> 00:15:32.419 and before long The park's largest residents 00:15:32.419 --> 00:15:34.179 are going to be putting on one of the most remarkable 00:15:34.179 --> 00:15:36.820 wildlife shows in North America and you get to 00:15:36.820 --> 00:15:40.200 see it. It is a very special, very unique slice 00:15:40.200 --> 00:15:46.000 of just wildness that we almost lost. If you 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:48.559 research the history of bison, there were only 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:51.700 a couple dozen bison one time in the park. And 00:15:51.700 --> 00:15:55.899 as of late last year, there were 5 ,600 bison 00:15:55.899 --> 00:16:00.690 in the park. My tip of the week. A trip to Yellowstone 00:16:00.690 --> 00:16:04.029 should be more than just the park boundary. When 00:16:04.029 --> 00:16:05.750 most people come to Yellowstone they consider 00:16:05.750 --> 00:16:07.809 the trip officially started when they go through 00:16:07.809 --> 00:16:10.230 the entrance gate. Well there's nothing wrong 00:16:10.230 --> 00:16:13.289 with that at all. Some coming to the region hoping 00:16:13.289 --> 00:16:17.649 for something more and you can get more. Some 00:16:17.649 --> 00:16:19.769 come to Yellowstone, they see the wildlife and 00:16:19.769 --> 00:16:21.470 the geysers, and then they feel they need to 00:16:21.470 --> 00:16:23.750 get to the Tetons or glaciers for stunning hikes 00:16:23.750 --> 00:16:26.809 in the wilds of the west and to see true mountains. 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:30.179 The truth is, there's a magical wonderland resting 00:16:30.179 --> 00:16:33.500 to the north of the park. The Absaroka Bear Tooth 00:16:33.500 --> 00:16:35.799 Wilderness, or Absaroka Bear Tooth Wilderness 00:16:35.799 --> 00:16:37.820 depending how you want to say it, is one of the 00:16:37.820 --> 00:16:39.919 largest designated wilderness areas in the lower 00:16:39.919 --> 00:16:42.940 48 states, managed primarily by the U .S. Forest 00:16:42.940 --> 00:16:45.059 Service and the Custer Gallatin National Forest. 00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:48.679 At nearly a million acres, this wilderness area 00:16:48.679 --> 00:16:51.259 is meant to remain undeveloped without roads, 00:16:51.539 --> 00:16:54.059 motorized vehicles, or permanent structure. This 00:16:54.059 --> 00:16:57.120 definition of wilderness fits the landscape perfectly. 00:16:57.539 --> 00:16:59.620 It is a place where granite peaks, alpine lakes, 00:16:59.820 --> 00:17:02.500 glacial carved basins stretch for miles without 00:17:02.500 --> 00:17:05.079 interruption, and where you can hike all day 00:17:05.079 --> 00:17:07.539 without seeing anything that feels engineered 00:17:07.539 --> 00:17:10.019 or built, and you might hike all day and not 00:17:10.019 --> 00:17:13.539 see a single person. What makes the AB wilderness 00:17:13.539 --> 00:17:16.200 especially important is how closely it connects 00:17:16.200 --> 00:17:18.539 to Yellowstone's northern and northeastern edges. 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:21.700 Wildlife doesn't recognize park boundaries, and 00:17:21.700 --> 00:17:24.130 neither does weather, water, or terrain. grizzly 00:17:24.130 --> 00:17:26.809 bears, elk, moose, black bears, bighorn sheep, 00:17:27.210 --> 00:17:30.009 wolves, mountain lions, basically everything 00:17:30.009 --> 00:17:32.990 that you love about the animals in Yellowstone 00:17:32.990 --> 00:17:35.950 travel freely between Yellowstone and this wilderness 00:17:35.950 --> 00:17:38.529 area depending on the season and food availability. 00:17:39.289 --> 00:17:41.230 It's easy to think that Yellowstone is just this 00:17:41.230 --> 00:17:43.950 boundary but Yellowstone functions as the core 00:17:43.950 --> 00:17:46.869 of a much larger ecosystem where the surrounding 00:17:46.869 --> 00:17:49.470 public lands are essential for migration, genetic 00:17:49.470 --> 00:17:52.049 diversity, and long -term survival of wildlife 00:17:52.049 --> 00:17:56.470 populations. Now, you may not see any animals 00:17:56.470 --> 00:17:59.269 when you leave the park and go on these hikes 00:17:59.269 --> 00:18:02.369 and go into these regions because it's a wild, 00:18:02.609 --> 00:18:05.410 rugged terrain and there aren't these sweeping 00:18:05.410 --> 00:18:08.170 valleys that are really easy to get to, so it's 00:18:08.170 --> 00:18:10.170 a lot harder to see animals. Most people that 00:18:10.170 --> 00:18:12.710 like going to the AB wilderness, the Absaroka 00:18:12.710 --> 00:18:16.450 Bear Tooth Wilderness, are often doing so. because 00:18:16.450 --> 00:18:20.150 of the terrain and the amazing hikes. My guidebook 00:18:20.150 --> 00:18:22.470 that I wrote to the region, that Beyond the Boardwalks 00:18:22.470 --> 00:18:25.170 guidebook you can find on my website, half of 00:18:25.170 --> 00:18:28.730 that book covers trails outside of the park. 00:18:29.190 --> 00:18:31.869 I love hiking in the park and I love guiding 00:18:31.869 --> 00:18:33.589 in the park and that's why I take people there. 00:18:33.869 --> 00:18:36.829 But if I have a day off and I want to go on a 00:18:36.829 --> 00:18:39.910 hike, I'm hiking in the AB wilderness. One, it's 00:18:39.910 --> 00:18:42.190 close to Livingston where I live and it's really 00:18:42.190 --> 00:18:44.710 easy to get to. But the other is I love climbing 00:18:44.710 --> 00:18:46.970 mountains. I love getting on ridgelines. I love 00:18:46.970 --> 00:18:50.690 just being alone in the wilderness in this rugged, 00:18:51.230 --> 00:18:54.089 amazing terrain. And that's what you get in the 00:18:54.089 --> 00:18:57.670 AB wilderness. The access points to this are 00:18:57.670 --> 00:18:59.809 going to be along the Beartooth Highway, like 00:18:59.809 --> 00:19:02.470 east of Cook City and then north toward Red Lodge. 00:19:02.730 --> 00:19:05.589 or if you go to Paradise Valley between Livingston 00:19:05.589 --> 00:19:08.849 and Gardner and then hike east those are where 00:19:08.849 --> 00:19:10.670 you're going to get a lot of these awesome trails. 00:19:11.250 --> 00:19:14.109 Once you step into the wilderness here the feeling 00:19:14.109 --> 00:19:18.130 of like park visit immediately goes away. Often 00:19:18.130 --> 00:19:19.990 you have to drive a dirt road a couple miles 00:19:19.990 --> 00:19:23.509 to get to trailhead and what's fun is locals 00:19:23.509 --> 00:19:26.230 will think a trailhead in the AB wilderness is 00:19:26.230 --> 00:19:29.789 busy if there are three four or five cars at 00:19:29.789 --> 00:19:32.730 the trailhead. There are a couple popular trails 00:19:32.730 --> 00:19:35.869 out in the AB wilderness. The most popular one 00:19:35.869 --> 00:19:38.829 between Livingston and Gardner is going to be 00:19:38.829 --> 00:19:42.410 Pine Creek Falls. That's a couple miles round 00:19:42.410 --> 00:19:45.390 trip to a beautiful little waterfall. However, 00:19:45.630 --> 00:19:47.589 if you want a longer day you go to Pine Creek 00:19:47.589 --> 00:19:50.029 Lake also a popular hike but much harder It's 00:19:50.029 --> 00:19:52.789 10 miles round trip with about 3 ,500 feet of 00:19:52.789 --> 00:19:55.670 elevation gain tops are out around 9 ,000 feet 00:19:55.670 --> 00:19:58.049 or there's a couple drainages to the north or 00:19:58.049 --> 00:20:00.470 south of there that you can hike and maybe not 00:20:00.470 --> 00:20:03.170 see any other person and Then you can climb to 00:20:03.170 --> 00:20:05.269 10 ,000 foot mountains. You can hike ridgelines. 00:20:05.269 --> 00:20:08.410 You can go to remote alpine lakes. You can get 00:20:08.410 --> 00:20:13.380 out there Near Cook City. There's a trail that 00:20:13.380 --> 00:20:16.980 goes all the way west of Red Lodge called the 00:20:16.980 --> 00:20:19.579 Beaton Path. This is the most popular backpacking 00:20:19.579 --> 00:20:22.500 route probably in the av wilderness, super popular 00:20:22.500 --> 00:20:29.160 and it is about 26 -27 miles about 4 ,000 -5 00:20:29.160 --> 00:20:32.019 ,000 feet of elevation gain and along the way 00:20:32.019 --> 00:20:35.779 you pass dozens of stunning alpine lakes get 00:20:35.779 --> 00:20:39.319 up to around 10 ,000 feet and just hike through 00:20:39.319 --> 00:20:42.460 mountains that no one knows exists unless they 00:20:42.460 --> 00:20:45.039 hike there or live here and research it. The 00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:48.660 entire AB wilderness is this way. You can go 00:20:48.660 --> 00:20:50.900 anywhere you want. If you're looking for more 00:20:50.900 --> 00:20:55.079 of a kind of set and organized and more visited 00:20:55.079 --> 00:20:57.839 area, South of Bozeman is the highlight region, 00:20:58.380 --> 00:21:01.140 which is really cool, really great hikes. The 00:21:01.140 --> 00:21:02.819 further out you go, the less people are there. 00:21:03.059 --> 00:21:05.500 But it isn't quite the same as the AB wilderness. 00:21:05.819 --> 00:21:08.180 It's really nice, but it's not quite the same. 00:21:08.349 --> 00:21:11.349 The landscape of the Abie wilderness feels like 00:21:11.349 --> 00:21:13.509 a continuation of Yellowstone's northern range, 00:21:13.930 --> 00:21:16.650 but even more raw and less interrupted. You're 00:21:16.650 --> 00:21:18.690 not going to find boardwalks and railings where 00:21:18.690 --> 00:21:21.609 you go. You're going to have talus slopes, glacier 00:21:21.609 --> 00:21:23.730 lakes, ridge lines that seem to go on forever, 00:21:24.190 --> 00:21:27.769 and mountains that very few people climb. Elevation 00:21:27.769 --> 00:21:30.190 plays a huge role in limiting who gets here. 00:21:30.559 --> 00:21:32.819 Many of the trails climb into alpine environments 00:21:32.819 --> 00:21:35.180 where snow can linger in the summer, where sudden 00:21:35.180 --> 00:21:37.579 weather shifts are not part of the experience, 00:21:38.200 --> 00:21:41.619 and, you know, not everybody wants to hike a 00:21:41.619 --> 00:21:43.740 thousand foot a mile for a few miles, right? 00:21:43.960 --> 00:21:46.799 That's not, people don't really like to climb 00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:50.140 too much on steep trails. However, if that is 00:21:50.140 --> 00:21:52.980 your jam, this is where you go. A lot of people 00:21:52.980 --> 00:21:55.839 will contact me and say, okay, so I want to see 00:21:55.839 --> 00:21:59.200 wildlife and the geyser basins in Yellowstone, 00:21:59.259 --> 00:22:01.079 but then I need to go to the Tetons or I need 00:22:01.079 --> 00:22:04.039 to go to Glacier for stunning hikes. Tetons and 00:22:04.039 --> 00:22:06.519 Glacier have amazing hikes. Go there and hike. 00:22:06.720 --> 00:22:09.319 However, there are some amazing places outside 00:22:09.319 --> 00:22:11.079 of the park. Even in the northern range, there 00:22:11.079 --> 00:22:13.240 are some really cool places in the park boundaries. 00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:16.559 I really want people to know that the park is 00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:18.799 not limited to just a handful of experiences. 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:22.009 The park is not really Yellowstone is not really 00:22:22.009 --> 00:22:24.609 just the park boundary. Yellowstone is the greater 00:22:24.609 --> 00:22:26.809 Yellowstone ecosystem, which covers all of the 00:22:26.809 --> 00:22:29.829 areas outside of the park, too. This is where 00:22:29.829 --> 00:22:32.029 you are going to have some of the best hiking, 00:22:32.250 --> 00:22:35.089 backcountry camping, anywhere you can go, especially 00:22:35.089 --> 00:22:37.730 in the summer. Yes, it might be a steep trail. 00:22:38.230 --> 00:22:40.990 Yeah, there might be some bugs there. Maybe you're 00:22:40.990 --> 00:22:42.509 going to have to do some route finding. But if 00:22:42.509 --> 00:22:46.990 you're looking for an experience that is in true 00:22:46.990 --> 00:22:50.539 wilderness, of high alpine wilderness that is 00:22:50.539 --> 00:22:54.119 a continuation of the mountainous areas of Yellowstone. 00:22:54.440 --> 00:22:57.440 AB Wilderness is where it's at. If you want hikes 00:22:57.440 --> 00:23:00.079 in there, please pick up my guidebook like I 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:02.660 said. Half of the hikes in my hiking guidebook 00:23:02.660 --> 00:23:05.759 are trails outside of the park and they're only 00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:07.859 my favorite trails. I didn't write about trails 00:23:07.859 --> 00:23:10.099 that I don't like. I wrote about trails that 00:23:10.099 --> 00:23:12.839 I think you'll love because I absolutely adore 00:23:12.839 --> 00:23:15.339 them. So next time you visit the park or if you're 00:23:15.339 --> 00:23:16.740 visiting the park right now and you're a hiker, 00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:19.460 Either reach out to me and say I want to hike 00:23:19.460 --> 00:23:22.660 that has this Do you know of one or pick up a 00:23:22.660 --> 00:23:25.460 guidebook or visit the National Forest Service 00:23:25.460 --> 00:23:28.200 offices around? Outside the park. There's one 00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:31.039 in Gardner. There's one in Livingston Ask where 00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:34.140 to hike and they will help you out. So enjoy 00:23:34.140 --> 00:23:37.680 the AB wilderness on your next trip to Yellowstone 00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:41.819 My random Yellowstone fact of the week the Lake 00:23:41.819 --> 00:23:45.509 Lodge and Zoo Most visitors who settle into a 00:23:45.509 --> 00:23:48.049 relaxing time near Lake Lodge drift away in thought 00:23:48.049 --> 00:23:49.950 while taking in the tranquil sounds and sights 00:23:49.950 --> 00:23:52.990 of Yellowstone Lake itself. Pelicans drift across 00:23:52.990 --> 00:23:55.289 the surface, Elk or Bison sometimes graze along 00:23:55.289 --> 00:23:58.009 the shoreline, and the Absaroka Range of Wyoming 00:23:58.009 --> 00:24:01.269 rises in soft layers across the horizon. The 00:24:01.269 --> 00:24:04.490 scene here feels timeless, calm, and entirely 00:24:04.490 --> 00:24:07.359 natural. What most people don't realize is that 00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:09.980 just a short distance away sits one of the park's 00:24:09.980 --> 00:24:12.799 most unusual historic sites, an island where 00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:15.119 visitors once paid to see Yellowstone's wildlife 00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:19.619 kept inside fences. On Dot Island, a small wooded 00:24:19.619 --> 00:24:21.559 island just offshore from the Lake Hotel and 00:24:21.559 --> 00:24:24.299 Lake Lodge area, Yellowstone once operated what 00:24:24.299 --> 00:24:27.140 was known as the Island Zoo. From the shore, 00:24:27.500 --> 00:24:29.539 it looks like any other forested island in the 00:24:29.539 --> 00:24:32.019 lake. But for more than a decade, beginning in 00:24:32.019 --> 00:24:35.259 the late 1890s, it was a managed attraction where 00:24:35.259 --> 00:24:37.700 tourists arrived by boat to view captive bison, 00:24:38.079 --> 00:24:41.559 elk, deer, antelope, and even bears. It's one 00:24:41.559 --> 00:24:43.480 of those stories that feels almost impossible 00:24:43.480 --> 00:24:45.980 to reconcile with modern ideas of national parks, 00:24:46.200 --> 00:24:48.700 yet it was a real and popular part of Yellowstone's 00:24:48.700 --> 00:24:52.299 early tourism era. The Island Zoo operated in 00:24:52.299 --> 00:24:55.799 1896 under entrepreneur E .C. Waters, who had 00:24:55.799 --> 00:24:58.259 secured a lease to operate recreational services 00:24:58.259 --> 00:25:01.119 around Yellowstone Lake. At the time, visiting 00:25:01.119 --> 00:25:03.180 Yellowstone was a very different experience. 00:25:03.700 --> 00:25:06.420 Roads were primitive, travel was slow, and wildlife 00:25:06.420 --> 00:25:09.140 settings were never guaranteed. Many visitors 00:25:09.140 --> 00:25:11.259 spent days in the park without seeing large animals 00:25:11.259 --> 00:25:13.980 at close range. Waters recognized that demand 00:25:13.980 --> 00:25:16.140 and created a place where tourists could reliably 00:25:16.140 --> 00:25:19.000 see Yellowstone's famous wildlife in one setting. 00:25:19.859 --> 00:25:23.089 Boats ferried visitors from the lake to Dot Island 00:25:23.089 --> 00:25:25.549 where wooden fences enclosed animals and simple 00:25:25.549 --> 00:25:28.230 exhibits. Historical pictures preserved by the 00:25:28.230 --> 00:25:30.549 Yellowstone Heritage and Research Center show 00:25:30.549 --> 00:25:33.910 bison standing behind heavy railing while visitors 00:25:33.910 --> 00:25:35.890 gathered nearby. For many tourists at the turn 00:25:35.890 --> 00:25:38.230 of the 20th century, almost said 12th century, 00:25:38.410 --> 00:25:41.049 no, 20th century, this was a highlight of the 00:25:41.049 --> 00:25:43.450 trip even though it would feel completely out 00:25:43.450 --> 00:25:46.410 of place today. I wrote this as completely out 00:25:46.410 --> 00:25:48.730 of place today because inside the park this does 00:25:48.730 --> 00:25:50.890 feel completely out of place. However, you go 00:25:50.890 --> 00:25:52.690 out to West Yellowstone, if you've been to West 00:25:52.690 --> 00:25:56.049 Yellowstone, there's a zoo there. You go there 00:25:56.049 --> 00:25:58.369 to see bears, you go there to see wolves. This 00:25:58.369 --> 00:26:01.329 is one of those things that we still have a zoo, 00:26:01.470 --> 00:26:04.150 but now is just right outside the park. That 00:26:04.150 --> 00:26:06.690 is the only comment I'll have on that. From a 00:26:06.690 --> 00:26:09.369 modern perspective inside the park, the island 00:26:09.369 --> 00:26:11.650 zoo reflects a different stage in conservation 00:26:11.650 --> 00:26:14.289 history. Yellowstone had been established in 00:26:14.289 --> 00:26:17.630 1872, but early ideas about wildlife protection 00:26:17.630 --> 00:26:20.849 were still developing. Zoos were widely accepted 00:26:20.849 --> 00:26:23.769 as educational attractions, and viewing animals 00:26:23.769 --> 00:26:26.710 in controlled settings was not unusual. Over 00:26:26.710 --> 00:26:29.130 time, however, obviously attitude shifted as 00:26:29.130 --> 00:26:31.230 visitors increasingly wanted to see wildlife 00:26:31.230 --> 00:26:34.009 in natural conditions rather than behind fences. 00:26:35.210 --> 00:26:37.650 Park officials also began questioning whether 00:26:37.650 --> 00:26:40.170 a commercial zoo belonged inside a national park. 00:26:40.400 --> 00:26:43.920 Good question. By 1907, just 11 years after it 00:26:43.920 --> 00:26:46.599 opened, the island zoo was closed. The animals 00:26:46.599 --> 00:26:49.500 were removed, the enclosure was dismantled, and 00:26:49.500 --> 00:26:51.980 Dot Island was left to return to a wild state. 00:26:52.640 --> 00:26:55.299 That closure marked an early step towards Yellowstone's 00:26:55.299 --> 00:26:57.740 modern philosophy that wildlife should remain 00:26:57.740 --> 00:27:00.900 free -ranging whenever possible. Now, obviously, 00:27:01.000 --> 00:27:02.619 if you've listened to this, if you know Yellowstone 00:27:02.619 --> 00:27:05.720 history, there were still bear feedings at picnics, 00:27:05.980 --> 00:27:09.480 picnic areas during this time. Even much later 00:27:09.480 --> 00:27:11.680 than this, there were bear feedings at dump sites. 00:27:12.299 --> 00:27:17.220 This was the first step of a marathon. So while 00:27:17.220 --> 00:27:19.240 closing a zoo was celebrated, there are some 00:27:19.240 --> 00:27:22.819 other things that were happening. The park did 00:27:22.819 --> 00:27:27.259 kind of change what sort of permitting they allowed. 00:27:27.660 --> 00:27:33.099 private businesses to do. So while it's easy 00:27:33.099 --> 00:27:37.339 to say that it is, you know, a first step, it's 00:27:37.339 --> 00:27:40.160 also a very complicated first step that, you 00:27:40.160 --> 00:27:42.039 know, the foot was hovering for a while before 00:27:42.039 --> 00:27:44.339 it even came down. And then that second step 00:27:44.339 --> 00:27:48.279 took a while. Today Dot Island still sits in 00:27:48.279 --> 00:27:50.140 Yellowstone Lake, but nothing remains of the 00:27:50.140 --> 00:27:52.579 zoo. There's no fences, buildings or docks that 00:27:52.579 --> 00:27:55.579 are visible. A visitor would never know its history 00:27:55.579 --> 00:27:58.269 without already understanding the story. More 00:27:58.269 --> 00:28:00.609 than a century of weather, ice, and regrowth 00:28:00.609 --> 00:28:04.369 has erased nearly all surface traces of the dock 00:28:04.369 --> 00:28:08.890 area. Even so, archaeological work by the National 00:28:08.890 --> 00:28:10.990 Park Service has documented cultural evidence 00:28:10.990 --> 00:28:13.930 on and around the island, including both prehistoric 00:28:13.930 --> 00:28:17.089 Native American use and artifacts, and from early 00:28:17.089 --> 00:28:20.250 tourism around Yellowstone Lake. This island 00:28:20.250 --> 00:28:23.819 had been used for a long time before the park, 00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:26.759 and there are some archaeological sites. There 00:28:26.759 --> 00:28:28.480 are a lot of archaeological sites all around 00:28:28.480 --> 00:28:31.240 the park. Dot Island had a few artifacts that 00:28:31.240 --> 00:28:33.799 were found there, which is really cool. These 00:28:33.799 --> 00:28:36.019 findings show that Dot Island has a much longer 00:28:36.019 --> 00:28:39.240 human history than its brief time as a zoo. So 00:28:39.240 --> 00:28:41.640 it's one thing to look at this island from Lake 00:28:41.640 --> 00:28:44.259 and say, oh cool, there's a zoo there. It's another 00:28:44.259 --> 00:28:46.960 to look at Lake and understand that for maybe 00:28:46.960 --> 00:28:50.019 thousands of years, that island was a special 00:28:50.019 --> 00:28:52.559 place. I could talk a lot more about the Lake 00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:55.039 Lodge history as well but I'm going to just briefly 00:28:55.039 --> 00:28:57.539 talk about this maybe when winter hits and it's 00:28:57.539 --> 00:29:00.420 a little slower I'll talk about that. But Lake 00:29:00.420 --> 00:29:02.900 Lodge was built in the 1920s and it was built 00:29:02.900 --> 00:29:05.920 near the site of William Wallace Wiley's tent 00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:09.339 camp from the 1890s. As tourism grew the rustic 00:29:09.339 --> 00:29:11.619 lodge replaced that old camp while maintaining 00:29:11.619 --> 00:29:14.859 the same lakeside setting. Today visitors see 00:29:14.859 --> 00:29:16.599 something entirely different when they visit 00:29:16.599 --> 00:29:20.289 than when in the late 1890s. Instead of knowing 00:29:20.289 --> 00:29:22.609 that there's fenced animals offshore, you can 00:29:22.609 --> 00:29:25.170 watch wild birds. You can just enjoy the shifting 00:29:25.170 --> 00:29:27.130 light of the lake without knowing there's a zoo 00:29:27.130 --> 00:29:29.849 on that island. And occasionally, you're just 00:29:29.849 --> 00:29:33.269 gonna see wildlife moving freely along the shoreline, 00:29:33.650 --> 00:29:36.930 near the lodge, and drifting back into the absolute 00:29:36.930 --> 00:29:40.109 vastness of nature in Yellowstone. The island 00:29:40.109 --> 00:29:42.490 zoo is gone, but it's a story that's a reminder 00:29:42.490 --> 00:29:45.170 of how much Yellowstone has changed, from displaying 00:29:45.170 --> 00:29:47.809 wildlife to protecting it in its natural state. 00:29:47.980 --> 00:29:50.980 It's also important to know that when people 00:29:50.980 --> 00:29:54.339 talk about park behavior being bad, the worst 00:29:54.339 --> 00:29:57.299 it's ever been when you see social media, all 00:29:57.299 --> 00:29:59.779 of these things, know that we are so much better 00:29:59.779 --> 00:30:03.960 than we were 120 years ago as far as protection 00:30:03.960 --> 00:30:07.059 of park, understanding wildlife behavior, and 00:30:07.059 --> 00:30:09.819 being good stewards of land. We have come a long 00:30:09.819 --> 00:30:12.019 way, and we will continue to come a very long 00:30:12.019 --> 00:30:14.859 way, making sure Yellowstone is a place of enjoyment 00:30:14.859 --> 00:30:18.619 for future generations. and just knowing that 00:30:18.619 --> 00:30:21.500 Yellowstone is a special place. So next time 00:30:21.500 --> 00:30:23.460 you're at the lake, glance out at Dot Island, 00:30:23.740 --> 00:30:27.000 know that there's a zoo there, and then know 00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:29.180 how cool it is that we don't have a zoo in the 00:30:29.180 --> 00:30:31.920 park, that everything is wild. It's pretty awesome. 00:30:33.180 --> 00:30:36.480 All right, the weather for the coming week. As 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:38.500 always, this is the best forecast for the week 00:30:38.500 --> 00:30:40.779 at the time of the recording. I'm recording this 00:30:40.779 --> 00:30:45.069 on Wednesday, July 8th at 11 15 a .m. This forecast 00:30:45.069 --> 00:30:47.609 can change a couple of times through the week, 00:30:48.089 --> 00:30:49.910 weekend, but it should be within the ballpark 00:30:49.910 --> 00:30:52.150 of what you'll experience when visiting the park. 00:30:52.710 --> 00:30:56.190 We're gonna start with Lamar Valley. On Thursday, 00:30:56.509 --> 00:31:01.130 high of 79, low of 46, 6 % chance of rain. Friday, 00:31:01.609 --> 00:31:07.200 83 and 49. Saturday, 88 and 51 Sunday 91 and 00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:11.900 54 Monday 87 and 53 with a 12 % chance of thunderstorms 00:31:11.900 --> 00:31:15.680 in the late morning early afternoon Tuesday 78 00:31:15.680 --> 00:31:19.180 and 51 with about a 50 % chance of thunderstorms 00:31:19.180 --> 00:31:22.539 Wednesday 77 and 49 with about a 35 % chance 00:31:22.539 --> 00:31:26.079 of thunderstorms the weather for Gardner, Montana 00:31:26.949 --> 00:31:30.589 Thursday, high of 82, low of 48, 12 % chance 00:31:30.589 --> 00:31:33.569 of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Friday, 85 00:31:33.569 --> 00:31:39.430 and 51. Saturday, 91 and 53. Sunday, 94 and 57. 00:31:39.829 --> 00:31:44.650 Monday, 89 and 56. Tuesday, 80 and 53 with a 00:31:44.650 --> 00:31:47.289 40 % chance of thunderstorms. And Wednesday, 00:31:47.789 --> 00:31:51.130 80 and 52 with a 25 % chance of thunderstorms. 00:31:51.609 --> 00:31:54.990 The weather for West Yellowstone, Montana. Thursday 00:31:54.990 --> 00:31:58.470 80 and 45 25 percent chance of thunderstorms 00:31:58.470 --> 00:32:04.509 Friday 83 and 46 Saturday 88 and 49 Sunday 91 00:32:04.509 --> 00:32:10.710 and 52 Monday 87 and 52 Tuesday 79 and 50 with 00:32:10.710 --> 00:32:13.769 a 24 percent chance of some thunderstorms Wednesday 00:32:13.769 --> 00:32:18.170 78 and 48 with a 24 percent chance of thunderstorms 00:32:18.170 --> 00:32:21.920 the weather for Cody, Wyoming Thursday 86 and 00:32:21.920 --> 00:32:24.619 59 small chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon 00:32:24.619 --> 00:32:32.019 Friday 94 and 62 Saturday 101 and 66 Sunday 103 00:32:32.019 --> 00:32:38.599 and 66 Monday 94 and 68 Tuesday 85 and 64 with 00:32:38.599 --> 00:32:41.299 a 13 % chance of afternoon thunderstorms and 00:32:41.299 --> 00:32:46.180 Wednesday 83 and 63 with a 24 % chance of thunderstorms 00:32:46.180 --> 00:32:48.500 and finally for the weather report Cook City, 00:32:48.500 --> 00:32:50.880 Montana, where you may think, oh, Cook City's 00:32:50.880 --> 00:32:52.720 much higher up. It's going to be cool there. 00:32:53.299 --> 00:32:58.339 Nope. Thursday, 75 and 48. Friday, 78 and 51. 00:32:58.799 --> 00:33:04.019 Saturday, 84 and 54. Sunday, 87 and 56, Monday 00:33:04.019 --> 00:33:07.759 83 and 54 with a 12 % chance of rain in the afternoon, 00:33:08.099 --> 00:33:13.279 Tuesday 75 and 52 with a 65 % chance of thunderstorms, 00:33:13.440 --> 00:33:17.359 and Wednesday 73 and 51 with a 40 % chance of 00:33:17.359 --> 00:33:20.880 thunderstorms. Now this is going to be a hot 00:33:20.880 --> 00:33:23.859 weekend, it's going to be warm, no matter where 00:33:23.859 --> 00:33:27.190 you go. As I said off the top, Please understand 00:33:27.190 --> 00:33:30.450 that heat at elevation is going to hit you differently. 00:33:30.890 --> 00:33:34.170 This is not a time to try to flex and say, oh, 00:33:34.170 --> 00:33:38.250 I can handle heat. Be smart, be safe, stay hydrated. 00:33:38.910 --> 00:33:41.450 Don't overexert yourself in the heat of the day. 00:33:42.029 --> 00:33:44.430 Please don't do that. If you have to just hang 00:33:44.430 --> 00:33:46.430 out somewhere during the day, that's what you 00:33:46.430 --> 00:33:48.930 have to do. But don't try and overexert yourself. 00:33:49.309 --> 00:33:51.309 Also, if you're traveling to the park and you 00:33:51.309 --> 00:33:55.359 have a dog, consider not doing much during the 00:33:55.359 --> 00:33:57.779 day because one you can't really leave your dog 00:33:57.779 --> 00:34:00.539 in the car but also even driving around with 00:34:00.539 --> 00:34:03.220 air conditioning it's going to be hot if you 00:34:03.220 --> 00:34:04.980 do little stops here and there it's going to 00:34:04.980 --> 00:34:08.139 be hot just for humans so please be very smart 00:34:08.139 --> 00:34:11.199 and very safe in this heat again I know some 00:34:11.199 --> 00:34:13.500 of you are from hotter places you're not from 00:34:13.500 --> 00:34:16.619 hotter places more than likely at elevation this 00:34:16.619 --> 00:34:19.599 will hit differently and I know I say this all 00:34:19.599 --> 00:34:23.530 the time but Every single tour I go on where 00:34:23.530 --> 00:34:25.210 we talk about the heat people be like, yeah, 00:34:25.230 --> 00:34:28.010 it is much hotter than I expected You said it, 00:34:28.010 --> 00:34:29.829 but I just didn't think it would be that hot. 00:34:29.949 --> 00:34:32.769 So please take this seriously Maybe you'll enjoy 00:34:32.769 --> 00:34:35.650 it. Maybe it won't feel that hot great, but not 00:34:35.650 --> 00:34:38.449 everyone's going to be able to handle it So again, 00:34:38.670 --> 00:34:41.070 be smart be safe. Stay hydrated Don't overexert 00:34:41.070 --> 00:34:43.289 yourself in the heat of the day and do things 00:34:43.289 --> 00:34:46.150 in the morning and the evenings It gets light 00:34:46.150 --> 00:34:48.670 around 6 and it doesn't get dark until around 00:34:48.670 --> 00:34:51.730 10 So you have plenty of time in cooler weather 00:34:51.730 --> 00:34:53.809 to do the good things that you want to do in 00:34:53.809 --> 00:34:57.849 the park without being in the heat. Road conditions. 00:34:58.610 --> 00:35:00.750 No park roads are closed right now. There are 00:35:00.750 --> 00:35:03.050 some spots of construction here and there. Delays 00:35:03.050 --> 00:35:05.530 aren't that bad. Just make sure you follow the 00:35:05.530 --> 00:35:08.070 speed limit signs. You stop when the red light 00:35:08.070 --> 00:35:12.730 is red at that Gardner River bridge construction. 00:35:13.360 --> 00:35:16.840 Was there yesterday morning six in the morning? 00:35:16.840 --> 00:35:19.880 I was the second car and there were three or 00:35:19.880 --> 00:35:22.079 four cars behind me and the car in the very back 00:35:22.079 --> 00:35:24.500 Decided that it would try and pass all of us 00:35:24.500 --> 00:35:28.599 at a red light Montana plates local plates somebody 00:35:28.599 --> 00:35:31.360 just wanting to avoid the traffic and then they 00:35:31.360 --> 00:35:33.599 realized that we were all stopped for a reason 00:35:34.719 --> 00:35:36.800 Just know that construction is going to happen. 00:35:36.820 --> 00:35:38.840 There's nothing you can do to get around it enjoy 00:35:38.840 --> 00:35:41.260 it wave at the construction workers who are going 00:35:41.260 --> 00:35:43.659 to be out there working in the heat and Know 00:35:43.659 --> 00:35:46.199 that all the work they are doing is continually 00:35:46.199 --> 00:35:50.219 making the park a better place Camping information 00:35:50.219 --> 00:35:52.920 every campground in the park that is going to 00:35:52.920 --> 00:35:56.619 open this year is open So you may need some reservations 00:35:56.619 --> 00:35:59.300 to camp especially right now But there are some 00:35:59.300 --> 00:36:01.239 sites that are still popping open people are 00:36:01.239 --> 00:36:04.690 canceling not everything booked up fully So, 00:36:05.030 --> 00:36:07.250 you know, if you're just headed out here on a 00:36:07.250 --> 00:36:09.369 whim, you might get lucky. Also, if you're headed 00:36:09.369 --> 00:36:10.670 out here on a whim and you don't know where to 00:36:10.670 --> 00:36:13.929 camp, there are a lot of National Forest Campgrounds 00:36:13.929 --> 00:36:17.730 all around outside the park. If you need any 00:36:17.730 --> 00:36:19.969 of those, a quick search online can help you. 00:36:20.170 --> 00:36:22.369 You may have to reserve some, you may not. It 00:36:22.369 --> 00:36:25.880 just depends on what the campground is. The wildlife 00:36:25.880 --> 00:36:28.079 watching update I think I mentioned this last 00:36:28.079 --> 00:36:30.619 week But wildlife sightings are gonna get a lot 00:36:30.619 --> 00:36:32.900 harder this coming week now that we're in summer 00:36:32.900 --> 00:36:36.400 and the heat is here Heat of the day not gonna 00:36:36.400 --> 00:36:39.260 have a lot of action if you are only in the park 00:36:39.260 --> 00:36:43.480 after 10 a .m. Until 4 p .m. Best of luck you 00:36:43.480 --> 00:36:46.199 might see something But your chances of seeing 00:36:46.199 --> 00:36:49.159 things much lower than if you get into the park 00:36:49.159 --> 00:36:51.900 very early in the morning or later in the afternoon 00:36:52.250 --> 00:36:54.010 If you've listened to the podcast a lot, you 00:36:54.010 --> 00:36:56.550 know I've had some points of contention with 00:36:56.550 --> 00:36:58.989 some people who say, oh, the only time to see 00:36:58.989 --> 00:37:02.530 wildlife is before 8 a .m. or after 7 p .m. It's 00:37:02.530 --> 00:37:05.769 not true most of the year. Right now though, 00:37:06.130 --> 00:37:09.769 those early morning, late evening warnings about 00:37:09.769 --> 00:37:13.530 when is best to see, not warnings, but tips and 00:37:13.530 --> 00:37:15.889 help about when to see wildlife, this is the 00:37:15.889 --> 00:37:20.030 time to really listen to that. did not see anything 00:37:20.030 --> 00:37:22.309 really leaving the park yesterday in the middle 00:37:22.309 --> 00:37:24.809 of the day. However, I saw a lot in the morning. 00:37:25.849 --> 00:37:28.610 So right now for wolves, the best place to see 00:37:28.610 --> 00:37:32.610 wolves in the last week has been at after the 00:37:32.610 --> 00:37:36.789 S curves by the nature trail and before the black 00:37:36.789 --> 00:37:40.010 tail plateau road in the northern range just 00:37:40.010 --> 00:37:42.769 outside of mammoth. People will be looking back 00:37:42.769 --> 00:37:44.610 and the rescue creek wolves have been there they 00:37:44.610 --> 00:37:47.710 have a couple pups and that's really good. Lamar 00:37:47.710 --> 00:37:49.849 Valley has also been pretty good for some wolves. 00:37:50.429 --> 00:37:52.510 The last few days it's just kind of been sporadic 00:37:52.510 --> 00:37:55.630 where they've been seen. Sometimes it's out by 00:37:55.630 --> 00:37:58.389 Soda Butte Cone, other times it's way out by 00:37:58.389 --> 00:38:01.909 the confluence or even out by Little American 00:38:01.909 --> 00:38:06.949 Slew Creek. Yesterday gave a tour to this great 00:38:06.949 --> 00:38:09.849 group of three people. Fantastic day. We had 00:38:09.849 --> 00:38:13.920 a great time hiking. almost private to me trail 00:38:13.920 --> 00:38:17.699 or a path that I know of and we were hiking around 00:38:17.699 --> 00:38:23.300 above Lamar Valley ish area and While everybody 00:38:23.300 --> 00:38:25.280 else had brief sightings of wolves yesterday 00:38:25.280 --> 00:38:27.900 down from Lamar Valley from the road Didn't know 00:38:27.900 --> 00:38:29.480 about it at all. We just hiked the trail We were 00:38:29.480 --> 00:38:32.820 gonna hike and we ended up hiking up over this 00:38:32.820 --> 00:38:36.400 ridge and looking at this clearing and watched 00:38:36.400 --> 00:38:40.340 a About five or six wolves out in the distance 00:38:40.650 --> 00:38:44.809 quarter mile, half mile away, laying down, frolicking, 00:38:45.070 --> 00:38:47.550 harassing a bison, harassing some pronghorn, 00:38:47.909 --> 00:38:50.989 just generally doing their thing. No one else 00:38:50.989 --> 00:38:52.849 was there, no one else knew they were there, 00:38:53.070 --> 00:38:55.070 and it was just a beautiful, wonderful moment, 00:38:55.070 --> 00:38:58.510 and I'm very lucky to have people book tours 00:38:58.510 --> 00:39:00.809 with me where we get to go do this. It was a 00:39:00.809 --> 00:39:03.730 truly fantastic day, and I just wanted to mention 00:39:03.730 --> 00:39:07.269 that because while you may not see wolves from 00:39:07.269 --> 00:39:10.639 these areas, where everybody else is looking, 00:39:10.960 --> 00:39:12.980 you might get lucky and go on a hike and come 00:39:12.980 --> 00:39:16.599 across something. So know that that's there down 00:39:16.599 --> 00:39:18.800 in Hayden Valley. getting back to where wolves 00:39:18.800 --> 00:39:21.199 are and aren't. They haven't been seen down in 00:39:21.199 --> 00:39:23.940 Hayden Valley too much, so maybe they'll pop 00:39:23.940 --> 00:39:26.380 back out. But just kind of hit and miss right 00:39:26.380 --> 00:39:29.440 now. Bear wise, bears are still in the northern 00:39:29.440 --> 00:39:31.800 range, not as prevalent as they were a couple 00:39:31.800 --> 00:39:33.539 of weeks ago. You still might see a couple of 00:39:33.539 --> 00:39:35.739 black bears or grizzlies way off on a hillside, 00:39:36.019 --> 00:39:37.980 maybe one closer as you get out toward Cook City 00:39:37.980 --> 00:39:42.260 or up to Beartooth. Down in Hayden a couple bears 00:39:42.260 --> 00:39:45.099 down there also south of Norris well in that 00:39:45.099 --> 00:39:47.360 whole Norris area a little bit north of Norris 00:39:47.360 --> 00:39:50.539 and then all the way south down to Madison you 00:39:50.539 --> 00:39:52.599 might see a couple of grizzlies or black bears 00:39:52.599 --> 00:39:55.539 down there But generally everything is kind of 00:39:55.539 --> 00:39:57.039 in the woods. Everything's kind of cool right 00:39:57.039 --> 00:39:59.559 now Bighorn sheep with babies are still being 00:39:59.559 --> 00:40:02.139 seen from calcite Springs pronghorn with babies 00:40:02.139 --> 00:40:04.440 are all over the northern range in Little America 00:40:04.440 --> 00:40:09.010 and out in Lamar even saw a few closer to Blacktail 00:40:09.010 --> 00:40:13.550 ponds. I heard Yesterday that somebody saw a 00:40:13.550 --> 00:40:15.550 black bear out by black tail ponds There's also 00:40:15.550 --> 00:40:18.369 some sandhill crane still out lots of hawks lots 00:40:18.369 --> 00:40:21.869 of osprey eagles It's it's a good time. Just 00:40:21.869 --> 00:40:23.750 know that heat of the day. You're not gonna see 00:40:23.750 --> 00:40:25.489 much obviously I talked about the bison where 00:40:25.489 --> 00:40:28.489 you're gonna see them but generally head out 00:40:28.489 --> 00:40:31.250 very early in the morning and You might have 00:40:31.250 --> 00:40:34.269 really good luck. So good luck. If you need more 00:40:34.269 --> 00:40:36.369 wildlife tips reach out to me. Happy to help 00:40:36.440 --> 00:40:38.820 or pick up my Wildlife Watching Guidebook. It's 00:40:38.820 --> 00:40:42.119 a great guide and I'm still proud of it even 00:40:42.119 --> 00:40:44.739 though it's a few years old. Speaking of guidebooks, 00:40:45.039 --> 00:40:48.900 if you order a guidebook from me, an ebook, know 00:40:48.900 --> 00:40:51.739 that I process all of those orders by hand. There 00:40:51.739 --> 00:40:53.780 probably is an automated system that is easier. 00:40:53.780 --> 00:40:57.019 I have not found it. So when you order it, you 00:40:57.019 --> 00:41:00.619 will get a receipt via email that says, I will 00:41:00.619 --> 00:41:03.420 ship that to you within 24 hours of your order. 00:41:03.980 --> 00:41:07.030 Generally, I ship them within an hour. But sometimes 00:41:07.030 --> 00:41:08.530 it takes me a little longer, especially if I'm 00:41:08.530 --> 00:41:10.449 out guiding and in service. I appreciate all 00:41:10.449 --> 00:41:13.949 your understanding for this. 99 .999 % of you 00:41:13.949 --> 00:41:16.289 have been very nice about this. Over the weekend, 00:41:16.329 --> 00:41:18.070 there was somebody that wasn't nice about this. 00:41:18.349 --> 00:41:19.989 So I just wanted to remind people, like, this 00:41:19.989 --> 00:41:22.750 is the policy. It says so in the receipt. And 00:41:22.750 --> 00:41:24.730 I do my best. If there's ever a complaint or 00:41:24.730 --> 00:41:26.889 anything, just let me know. Very happy to work 00:41:26.889 --> 00:41:31.250 with you. Trail alerts and updates. The backcountry 00:41:31.250 --> 00:41:33.730 conditions page on the park website is updated. 00:41:34.360 --> 00:41:36.380 I will always have a link to it in the show notes 00:41:36.380 --> 00:41:38.059 during the summer, and this is the easiest way 00:41:38.059 --> 00:41:39.739 to check the status of the trail you want to 00:41:39.739 --> 00:41:43.800 hike. It is updated, it is great, and there are 00:41:43.800 --> 00:41:45.619 a few closures here and there, but nothing that 00:41:45.619 --> 00:41:47.980 really should impact your visit. Do you want 00:41:47.980 --> 00:41:51.179 to say carry bear spray, have it readily accessible 00:41:51.179 --> 00:41:53.679 and not in your backpack, and know how to use 00:41:53.679 --> 00:41:56.820 it? My Trek of the Week. So when I talked about 00:41:56.820 --> 00:41:59.119 the bugs, I talked about recommending a hike 00:41:59.119 --> 00:42:02.320 that is in a buggy area. That is the Beckler 00:42:02.320 --> 00:42:06.239 Falls Trail. Beckler Falls is one of those Yellowstone 00:42:06.239 --> 00:42:08.320 hikes that feels like a secret. You were just 00:42:08.320 --> 00:42:10.420 lucky enough to hear about it. It's not a secret. 00:42:10.760 --> 00:42:13.539 It's well publicized. There's a road that leads 00:42:13.539 --> 00:42:15.699 basically right to the trailhead. Actually, it 00:42:15.699 --> 00:42:17.239 does lead to the trailhead. Don't know why I 00:42:17.239 --> 00:42:20.800 said basically. And the only thing that makes 00:42:20.800 --> 00:42:23.679 it difficult is that it's tucked into the park's 00:42:23.679 --> 00:42:27.300 far southwest corner, only accessible from outside 00:42:27.300 --> 00:42:30.820 the park in Idaho. The trail to the falls is 00:42:30.820 --> 00:42:33.860 short. It's quiet, surprisingly lush compared 00:42:33.860 --> 00:42:35.880 with the sagebrushed and thermal landscapes most 00:42:35.880 --> 00:42:38.380 visitors associate with Yellowstone, and instead 00:42:38.380 --> 00:42:41.300 of boardwalk crowds or geyser traffic jams, you 00:42:41.300 --> 00:42:43.679 get this green corridor of river bends, shaded 00:42:43.679 --> 00:42:46.800 forests, and constant water sound as the Beckler 00:42:46.800 --> 00:42:48.900 River gathers strength on its way downstream. 00:42:49.820 --> 00:42:52.179 This area is the waterfall corner of the park. 00:42:52.639 --> 00:42:55.550 It is truly wonderful. I can't recommend going 00:42:55.550 --> 00:42:57.690 here enough. However, I do want to say that if 00:42:57.690 --> 00:42:59.670 you decide to do the Beckler region of the park, 00:43:00.150 --> 00:43:02.869 that's going to be your day. If you're staying 00:43:02.869 --> 00:43:05.110 in Idaho Falls, if you're staying out in Island 00:43:05.110 --> 00:43:07.409 Park or from West Yellowstone, much easier to 00:43:07.409 --> 00:43:09.909 get to. If you're staying in Cook City or Gardner 00:43:09.909 --> 00:43:13.469 and want to go down there, it will be very, very 00:43:13.469 --> 00:43:17.840 long to get there and back. It's worth it. Wholeheartedly 00:43:17.840 --> 00:43:20.340 say it's worth it, but this is a destination 00:43:20.340 --> 00:43:22.980 that might be for your second third or fourth 00:43:22.980 --> 00:43:25.900 trip to the park and maybe not your first trip. 00:43:27.000 --> 00:43:28.920 So reaching Beckler Falls is part of what makes 00:43:28.920 --> 00:43:31.500 it so different from the rest of the park. The 00:43:31.500 --> 00:43:34.079 trailhead is located at Cave Falls on the southern 00:43:34.079 --> 00:43:36.780 boundary of Yellowstone, accessed via Cave Falls 00:43:36.780 --> 00:43:40.320 Road from Ashton, Idaho. This is a long, unpaved 00:43:40.320 --> 00:43:42.960 approach that passes through National Forest 00:43:42.960 --> 00:43:45.460 Land before reaching the park boundary, and it's 00:43:45.460 --> 00:43:48.119 not a quick detour from the main roads. Most 00:43:48.119 --> 00:43:50.280 visitors drive in from the south entrance region 00:43:50.280 --> 00:43:52.739 or from Island Park, then continue west toward 00:43:52.739 --> 00:43:54.840 the Ashton area before turning on the gravel 00:43:54.840 --> 00:43:58.019 road that leads to Cave Falls. The final approach 00:43:58.019 --> 00:44:00.900 to this overlooked region is remote, slow -going, 00:44:01.300 --> 00:44:03.420 and best suited for vehicles prepared for dirt 00:44:03.420 --> 00:44:06.179 road conditions. From the Cave Falls parking 00:44:06.179 --> 00:44:08.840 area, which is super rad anyway, Cave Falls is 00:44:08.840 --> 00:44:12.019 so great. I've camped out there a few times and 00:44:12.019 --> 00:44:14.579 absolutely love it. The hike to Beckler Falls 00:44:14.579 --> 00:44:17.380 is straightforward. Round trip distance is about 00:44:17.380 --> 00:44:19.860 two and a half to three miles with pretty much 00:44:19.860 --> 00:44:22.940 no elevation gain, and the trail traces the Beckler 00:44:22.940 --> 00:44:26.239 River upstream. The walk begins near impressive 00:44:26.239 --> 00:44:28.719 Cave Falls itself, where the Falls River pours 00:44:28.719 --> 00:44:31.099 over a wide rock shelf in a curtain -like drop. 00:44:31.360 --> 00:44:34.000 It's not a super tall waterfall, but it's very 00:44:34.000 --> 00:44:36.719 wide. From there, the path follows the river 00:44:36.719 --> 00:44:39.239 corridor through a mix of forests and riverbanks, 00:44:39.480 --> 00:44:41.159 staying close enough that the sound of water 00:44:41.159 --> 00:44:44.019 rarely fades. Early in the hike, you pass the 00:44:44.019 --> 00:44:46.039 confluence where Falls River meets the Beckler 00:44:46.039 --> 00:44:48.719 River, which is the wide braided junction where 00:44:48.719 --> 00:44:50.960 the water spreads out in multiple channels before 00:44:50.960 --> 00:44:54.980 tightening into the main river again. The final 00:44:54.980 --> 00:44:57.579 approach to Beckler Falls feels less like a dramatic 00:44:57.579 --> 00:45:00.820 reveal and more like a gradual build. The river 00:45:00.820 --> 00:45:03.519 grows louder, the channel narrows slightly, and 00:45:03.519 --> 00:45:05.840 then the falls appear as a broad, low cascade 00:45:05.840 --> 00:45:08.920 rather than a tall drop. Beckler Falls itself 00:45:08.920 --> 00:45:11.860 is only about 15 feet high, but it's powerful, 00:45:12.039 --> 00:45:14.559 wide, and energetic. More of a rushing shoot 00:45:14.559 --> 00:45:17.199 than a vertical plunge. It's not the tallest 00:45:17.199 --> 00:45:19.079 or the most famous waterfall in Yellowstone, 00:45:19.320 --> 00:45:21.760 but it fits the character of this region perfectly. 00:45:22.019 --> 00:45:24.699 This is the waterfall corner, after all. This 00:45:24.699 --> 00:45:27.550 is a landscape defined less by single iconic 00:45:27.550 --> 00:45:30.889 features and more by continuous water movement 00:45:30.889 --> 00:45:35.250 and layered scenery. Mid -July is when this area 00:45:35.250 --> 00:45:38.250 is I think best. It's really green. It's really 00:45:38.250 --> 00:45:40.269 nice. Yes, you're going to have mosquitoes, a 00:45:40.269 --> 00:45:44.989 lot of them, maybe too many, but it's great. 00:45:45.630 --> 00:45:47.929 Snow Mountain Spring runoff are generally over 00:45:47.929 --> 00:45:52.650 by now, which makes any sort of You know bogginess 00:45:52.650 --> 00:45:55.650 along the way much easier to handle water levels 00:45:55.650 --> 00:45:58.090 are still strong vegetation is at its peak there's 00:45:58.090 --> 00:46:02.190 wildflowers out there and This is a place that 00:46:02.190 --> 00:46:05.309 I absolutely love and it deserves the moniker 00:46:05.309 --> 00:46:08.110 cascade corner that Yellowstone refers to it 00:46:08.110 --> 00:46:10.769 It's the wettest place in the park gets a lot 00:46:10.769 --> 00:46:13.769 of rainfall Meadows are thick wildflowers are 00:46:13.769 --> 00:46:15.809 just huge and there's actually like forest with 00:46:15.809 --> 00:46:19.179 understory. That's dense and green Again, it's 00:46:19.179 --> 00:46:20.639 going to be the height of mosquito season. I 00:46:20.639 --> 00:46:25.480 have to reiterate this. This is going to be potentially 00:46:25.480 --> 00:46:28.579 a lot of mosquitoes. If it's windy, that's a 00:46:28.579 --> 00:46:31.719 great day to be there. Backcountry reports right 00:46:31.719 --> 00:46:33.820 now and trail accounts consistently warn that 00:46:33.820 --> 00:46:36.059 biting insects can be quite intense in early 00:46:36.059 --> 00:46:38.659 and mid summer, especially in low and wet areas 00:46:38.659 --> 00:46:42.460 near the river, which is most of that area. Wildlife 00:46:42.460 --> 00:46:44.699 wise, this is not a bison heavy landscape like 00:46:44.699 --> 00:46:46.739 Hayden and Lamar. Instead, you're more likely 00:46:46.739 --> 00:46:51.300 to see deer, elk, moose, and bears. Also some 00:46:51.300 --> 00:46:53.099 really good bird life along the area. There's 00:46:53.099 --> 00:46:54.780 also some beavers out there, so that's pretty 00:46:54.780 --> 00:46:58.679 cool. You're gonna have solitude here. This is, 00:46:58.679 --> 00:47:00.840 like I said, largely overlooked. I have been 00:47:00.840 --> 00:47:03.760 there numerous times, and I'm always shocked 00:47:03.760 --> 00:47:07.420 when I see another car there. What stands out 00:47:07.420 --> 00:47:10.360 most on this hike in this region is that it's 00:47:10.360 --> 00:47:12.340 so much different than the rest of Yellowstone. 00:47:12.860 --> 00:47:15.940 Even though it's a short hike, this setting feels 00:47:15.940 --> 00:47:20.079 deeply backcountry. The trail is shaded. It's 00:47:20.079 --> 00:47:23.119 really easy to follow. It's beautiful. You're 00:47:23.119 --> 00:47:26.599 going to just have a blast out here. For many 00:47:26.599 --> 00:47:28.800 visitors, Beckler Falls is less about the waterfall 00:47:28.800 --> 00:47:31.039 and more about this atmosphere. It's about getting 00:47:31.039 --> 00:47:32.599 there. It's about this journey and it's about 00:47:32.599 --> 00:47:35.099 going to a place in the park that no one sees. 00:47:35.559 --> 00:47:37.960 People often ask, where can I go in Yellowstone 00:47:37.960 --> 00:47:40.000 that no one else goes to? I want to have Yellowstone 00:47:40.000 --> 00:47:41.980 to myself. Well, you're not going to have the 00:47:41.980 --> 00:47:44.000 thermal area and you're not going to have the 00:47:44.000 --> 00:47:45.639 wildlife that you're going to get in the main 00:47:45.639 --> 00:47:49.360 part of the park. This is a place in Yellowstone 00:47:49.360 --> 00:47:52.920 where it feels wilder, quieter, and more remote 00:47:52.920 --> 00:47:55.400 than anywhere else accessible by trailhead and 00:47:55.400 --> 00:47:58.199 road. The reward is not just the falls, but the 00:47:58.199 --> 00:47:59.840 sense that you've stepped into a different version 00:47:59.840 --> 00:48:02.920 of Yellowstone entirely. One defined by water, 00:48:03.519 --> 00:48:06.079 solitude, and deep green forests instead of the 00:48:06.079 --> 00:48:10.519 crowds and geothermals that everyone loves. That's 00:48:10.519 --> 00:48:12.980 it for this week in next week's episode I'll 00:48:12.980 --> 00:48:14.880 return with all the information you need to have 00:48:14.880 --> 00:48:17.039 a great week in the park including wildlife, 00:48:17.079 --> 00:48:20.480 weather, and trail updates. Until then, pick 00:48:20.480 --> 00:48:23.199 up a guidebook of mine, recommend this to friends, 00:48:23.400 --> 00:48:25.880 anybody you know that loves the park, and thank 00:48:25.880 --> 00:48:28.880 you so much for listening. Until next week, happy 00:48:28.880 --> 00:48:42.460 trails! Abrupt ending! This week in Yellowstone 00:48:42.460 --> 00:48:44.659 is brought to you by The Outdoor Society. That's 00:48:44.659 --> 00:48:47.400 my company. It's just me. I do this. It's a labor 00:48:47.400 --> 00:48:50.079 of love. If you like it, tell your friends. Rate 00:48:50.079 --> 00:48:53.019 and review it. Shoot me a message. Otherwise, 00:48:53.320 --> 00:48:55.460 keep listening, and I hope to see you in Yellowstone. 00:48:56.239 --> 00:48:58.139 Copyright 2026, baby!