WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.839 From Yellowstone National Park where the bison 00:00:02.839 --> 00:00:05.339 are indeed super aggressive as I'm sure you've 00:00:05.339 --> 00:00:07.759 seen This is that Scott guy you know in love 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:11.099 with a brand new episode of this week in Yellowstone 00:00:11.099 --> 00:00:22.899 What's up everybody this week in Yellowstone 00:00:22.899 --> 00:00:27.120 National Park from July 16th to July 22nd, 2026. 00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:29.920 I'll talk to you about the bison incident, tell 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:31.679 you about one of the best scenic drives in the 00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:34.380 country, share an awesome and free resource full 00:00:34.380 --> 00:00:37.000 of park information, and talk about that green 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:39.000 streak in the Yellowstone River at the falls. 00:00:39.539 --> 00:00:41.320 I'll also give you the complete weather forecast, 00:00:41.719 --> 00:00:44.479 a cool trail to hike, the wildlife report, and 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:46.420 everything else you need to have an incredible 00:00:46.420 --> 00:00:50.259 time this week in Yellowstone. Standard disclaimer, 00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:53.039 I may miss a few details here and there, and 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:56.380 also I talk about places very casually, so if 00:00:56.380 --> 00:00:58.579 you're unfamiliar with a place I'm talking about, 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:01.039 a quick search can help, or you can contact me 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:03.539 directly and ask, what were you talking about 00:01:03.539 --> 00:01:06.700 when you said blank? You can contact me via text 00:01:06.700 --> 00:01:12.620 at 406 -589 -1873. Also, please know that this 00:01:12.620 --> 00:01:15.140 podcast is a passion project of mine. I'm not 00:01:15.140 --> 00:01:17.659 paid. I'm not sponsored for it. So if you enjoy 00:01:17.659 --> 00:01:20.079 it, I'd love a review or a quick email. If you 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:21.939 want to support my work more, you can check out 00:01:21.939 --> 00:01:24.420 my hiking and wildlife watching guidebooks, or 00:01:24.420 --> 00:01:26.760 join me for a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone's 00:01:26.760 --> 00:01:29.319 backcountry. For more information on all of that, 00:01:29.620 --> 00:01:33.120 visit outdoor -society .com or contact me via 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:38.939 text 406 -589 -1873. This week's Yellowstone 00:01:38.939 --> 00:01:42.060 news. So a few things before we get to the bison 00:01:42.060 --> 00:01:44.280 incident. The first is we just had some record 00:01:44.280 --> 00:01:46.400 heat out in the park If you're in the park and 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:48.879 you thought wow, it's hot out it was it was some 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:51.579 record heat all around the region But we made 00:01:51.579 --> 00:01:53.500 it it's still gonna be pretty warm this coming 00:01:53.500 --> 00:01:56.219 week as I'll talk about the weather But it's 00:01:56.219 --> 00:01:58.840 not gonna be anything like it was or at least 00:01:58.840 --> 00:02:00.799 it's gonna be about 10 degrees cooler So that'll 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:04.219 be good with this heat dried things out a bit 00:02:04.219 --> 00:02:06.920 so the bugs are out mosquitoes are hit and miss 00:02:06.920 --> 00:02:08.979 in places but the thing i've been encountering 00:02:08.979 --> 00:02:11.900 in the backcountry are flies lots of different 00:02:11.900 --> 00:02:15.139 types of biting flies and off doesn't appear 00:02:15.139 --> 00:02:19.199 to work for them so good luck it's short -lived 00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:20.979 it'll be a couple weeks and then they'll die 00:02:20.979 --> 00:02:24.419 down but right now the bugs are out so do what 00:02:24.419 --> 00:02:27.689 you can One other thing of news is there is a 00:02:27.689 --> 00:02:30.750 kitchen fire at the Cowboys Lodge and Grill in 00:02:30.750 --> 00:02:33.729 Gardner That is the place right next to kind 00:02:33.729 --> 00:02:35.530 of the river. It's on the right side. They put 00:02:35.530 --> 00:02:38.710 in a lot of work The kitchen is burnt. Everything 00:02:38.710 --> 00:02:40.870 like that is gone. The restaurant will not be 00:02:40.870 --> 00:02:43.990 open for the rest of this year and From what 00:02:43.990 --> 00:02:47.750 I'm reading it may be a while for Cowboys to 00:02:47.750 --> 00:02:51.759 be open at all if it opens under the current 00:02:51.759 --> 00:02:55.560 management. We are still waiting to see how bad 00:02:55.560 --> 00:02:57.599 the damage is to the inside of that building, 00:02:57.900 --> 00:03:00.479 and so I will keep you updated, but there is 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:03.360 now one less place to eat in Gardener, so if 00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:06.080 you are there, know that it's gonna be harder 00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:09.310 to find a meal. All right, the bison incident 00:03:09.310 --> 00:03:12.449 I've been debating what to do what to say I almost 00:03:12.449 --> 00:03:15.610 did a standalone episode on this I still might 00:03:15.610 --> 00:03:18.909 but I think the dust has settled no pun intended 00:03:18.909 --> 00:03:22.830 there about what happened and Who is at fault 00:03:22.830 --> 00:03:25.110 blah blah blah So I'm not gonna weigh in on that 00:03:25.110 --> 00:03:26.849 too much if you haven't heard about the bison 00:03:26.849 --> 00:03:30.189 incident that happened There was a man who got 00:03:30.189 --> 00:03:32.569 tossed by a bison. That is the long and short 00:03:32.569 --> 00:03:37.129 of it. It was filmed it was There were pictures 00:03:37.129 --> 00:03:40.229 being passed around now and it was at a campground, 00:03:40.610 --> 00:03:43.789 which is a unique thing. The man did not get 00:03:43.789 --> 00:03:46.569 too close to the bison. The bison ran at him 00:03:46.569 --> 00:03:52.110 from estimates of 40 to 75 yards away. Park regulations 00:03:52.110 --> 00:03:55.250 say to stay 25 yards from bison at all times. 00:03:55.930 --> 00:03:57.849 Those who have watched the video will blame the 00:03:57.849 --> 00:04:01.449 guy for stopping and taking a picture. No one's 00:04:01.449 --> 00:04:03.530 blaming the person that was filming the entire 00:04:03.530 --> 00:04:06.289 thing who is about the same distance away as 00:04:06.289 --> 00:04:08.590 the guy who got tossed I just want to throw that 00:04:08.590 --> 00:04:10.289 out there. I'm not saying anybody's at fault 00:04:10.289 --> 00:04:14.189 here, but People are gonna take pictures of wildlife 00:04:14.189 --> 00:04:16.629 in the campgrounds out of the campgrounds any 00:04:16.629 --> 00:04:20.689 place in the park to Go after somebody online 00:04:20.689 --> 00:04:22.529 for stopping to take a picture and saying that 00:04:22.529 --> 00:04:25.850 they deserve to have that happen is very insensitive. 00:04:25.850 --> 00:04:29.279 It is a kind of plague that's going through the 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:33.379 internet and society of blaming people and celebrating 00:04:33.379 --> 00:04:37.000 victory over people getting injured. It's not 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:39.779 a good look for anybody. So if you're somebody 00:04:39.779 --> 00:04:42.399 listening to podcasts and you laugh about someone's 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:45.699 injuries, especially this guy, this podcast may 00:04:45.699 --> 00:04:48.740 not be for you. I don't like to say that. I think 00:04:48.740 --> 00:04:50.339 everybody deserves to have a good time in the 00:04:50.339 --> 00:04:53.420 park. But at the end of the day, accidents happen. 00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:57.680 And that's what this was. This was Maybe an avoidable 00:04:57.680 --> 00:05:00.339 accident, but also it wasn't. No one did anything 00:05:00.339 --> 00:05:02.500 wrong. The bison did what the bison is supposed 00:05:02.500 --> 00:05:05.360 to do, right? The bison's all amped up on, you 00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:08.199 know, testosterone and it's like ready to go 00:05:08.199 --> 00:05:11.500 mate and it's just angry and everything is a 00:05:11.500 --> 00:05:15.500 threat and sure enough, somebody was a threat 00:05:15.500 --> 00:05:18.259 so it ran after him. The person was far enough 00:05:18.259 --> 00:05:21.600 away and as we saw in the video, bison are fast. 00:05:22.140 --> 00:05:25.319 The main takeaway from this video, for me, that 00:05:25.319 --> 00:05:28.500 I hope everyone sees, is that bison can indeed 00:05:28.500 --> 00:05:32.300 run 30 to 35 miles an hour. That is a closing 00:05:32.300 --> 00:05:34.420 speed that you cannot keep up with. If you watch 00:05:34.420 --> 00:05:37.639 that video, the man ran away, he did what he 00:05:37.639 --> 00:05:39.160 thought he needed to do, was kind of stay in 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:43.259 the trees, and that bison found him. If a bison 00:05:43.259 --> 00:05:44.959 wants to get you, if an animal wants to get you, 00:05:44.980 --> 00:05:47.240 that's what's going to happen. You have to be 00:05:47.240 --> 00:05:49.060 alert, you have to be aware, and you have to 00:05:49.060 --> 00:05:51.939 have an exit strategy. Also, you have to know 00:05:51.939 --> 00:05:55.860 that things happen. Some things are beyond anyone's 00:05:55.860 --> 00:05:59.259 control. Now maybe this man would have been able 00:05:59.259 --> 00:06:01.139 to get away if he wasn't concerned about his 00:06:01.139 --> 00:06:03.860 grandson. Maybe there's, you know, maybe the 00:06:03.860 --> 00:06:06.160 truck that drove by set the bison off a little 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:08.699 more. Maybe this, maybe that. At the end of the 00:06:08.699 --> 00:06:12.120 day, it doesn't matter. What happened is a guy 00:06:12.120 --> 00:06:15.120 was at a campground and a bison charged from 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:19.810 very far away and he got tossed and got very 00:06:19.810 --> 00:06:24.089 injured. What we need to remember here is that 00:06:24.089 --> 00:06:27.149 wildlife in Yellowstone is wild. Every time you 00:06:27.149 --> 00:06:29.589 do anything, you take a risk. When you get into 00:06:29.589 --> 00:06:32.769 your car, there's a risk that you could get into 00:06:32.769 --> 00:06:35.170 a fatal accident. If you fly a plane, there could 00:06:35.170 --> 00:06:36.889 be something wrong with the plane. If you go 00:06:36.889 --> 00:06:38.730 outside and there's a thunderstorm nearby, you 00:06:38.730 --> 00:06:40.649 can get struck by lightning, right? You could 00:06:40.649 --> 00:06:44.069 eat lettuce and you could get explosive diarrhea 00:06:44.069 --> 00:06:46.189 right now, right? These are things that are happening 00:06:46.189 --> 00:06:49.230 that aren't necessarily any of your faults if 00:06:49.230 --> 00:06:52.230 it happens to you. Same thing with the park. 00:06:52.329 --> 00:06:57.110 If you're smart, if you follow rules, 99 .99999 00:06:57.110 --> 00:07:00.329 % of the time, you're going to be perfectly fine. 00:07:01.029 --> 00:07:03.810 Hopefully, if you aren't perfectly fine, it's 00:07:03.810 --> 00:07:05.769 not filmed and then put everywhere so everyone 00:07:05.769 --> 00:07:08.110 can laugh at your plight like that's really not 00:07:08.110 --> 00:07:11.529 cool. But I just want everybody to know with 00:07:11.529 --> 00:07:16.259 this bison incident, this Don't think was avoidable. 00:07:16.420 --> 00:07:18.980 I don't think there was anything if the park 00:07:18.980 --> 00:07:21.540 would have moved that bison somewhere else great 00:07:21.540 --> 00:07:23.160 they would have had to close down the entire 00:07:23.160 --> 00:07:26.639 campground and They would have had to move everybody. 00:07:26.680 --> 00:07:28.100 They would have had to do a bunch of things because 00:07:28.100 --> 00:07:31.560 of one bison and Previously, I think I talked 00:07:31.560 --> 00:07:34.759 about this on earlier a week things like this 00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:37.660 don't happen that much That's why this is news 00:07:37.660 --> 00:07:40.899 if every bison that was a little irate ran after 00:07:40.899 --> 00:07:43.660 somebody there would be a lot more injuries in 00:07:43.660 --> 00:07:47.810 the park There's between four and six and a half 00:07:47.810 --> 00:07:49.949 thousand bison in the park and we have five million 00:07:49.949 --> 00:07:52.889 visitors. Let's say that a third of those bison, 00:07:53.189 --> 00:07:56.850 let's say 1200 of those bison are male bison 00:07:56.850 --> 00:08:02.470 in their rut breeding era and are angry. If even 00:08:02.470 --> 00:08:05.649 ten of those were charging people consistently, 00:08:06.389 --> 00:08:08.430 this would be a serious problem and we would 00:08:08.430 --> 00:08:11.529 have to change how the park operates. Incidents 00:08:11.529 --> 00:08:14.430 like this are extremely rare, especially when 00:08:14.430 --> 00:08:18.230 people are following the rules to a T and just 00:08:18.230 --> 00:08:20.029 happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong 00:08:20.029 --> 00:08:22.949 time. I hope when we see things like this we 00:08:22.949 --> 00:08:26.509 can use it as a discussion about what it's like 00:08:26.509 --> 00:08:29.589 to be around wild animals and what it's like 00:08:29.589 --> 00:08:31.649 to be around animals during their mating season 00:08:31.649 --> 00:08:34.450 when they're unpredictable. Most of the time 00:08:34.450 --> 00:08:36.950 bison don't act like that when they do act like 00:08:36.950 --> 00:08:39.490 that We need to be even more vigilant about really 00:08:39.490 --> 00:08:42.029 maintaining distance keeping things between us 00:08:42.029 --> 00:08:44.389 and doing the best we can but at the end of the 00:08:44.389 --> 00:08:48.309 day Mistakes are gonna happen accidents are gonna 00:08:48.309 --> 00:08:51.169 happen aggressive bison are gonna happen things 00:08:51.169 --> 00:08:54.830 happen, right so Know this is a weird rant. I 00:08:54.830 --> 00:08:56.789 wanted to talk about it I didn't write anything 00:08:56.789 --> 00:08:58.870 out because I've been talking about this non 00:08:58.870 --> 00:09:00.990 -stop If you really want to talk to me about 00:09:00.990 --> 00:09:03.789 it Shoot me a text set up a call happy to talk 00:09:03.789 --> 00:09:06.190 but at the end of the day with all of this I 00:09:06.190 --> 00:09:09.710 said this a few times No one did anything wrong 00:09:09.710 --> 00:09:12.389 the bison acted like a bison the person acted 00:09:12.389 --> 00:09:15.700 like a person following park rules this was just 00:09:15.700 --> 00:09:18.419 a freak accident nothing's going to happen to 00:09:18.419 --> 00:09:21.240 the bison and hopefully this guy recovers well 00:09:21.240 --> 00:09:24.860 from his injuries and everyone can move on until 00:09:24.860 --> 00:09:27.399 then if you're visiting the park the rut is going 00:09:27.399 --> 00:09:29.779 on I will say that the same day that this happened 00:09:29.779 --> 00:09:34.429 I ran into a tour group that allowed their tours 00:09:34.429 --> 00:09:37.210 or the people in their tours to walk within 15 00:09:37.210 --> 00:09:39.889 feet of a bull bison that minutes earlier had 00:09:39.889 --> 00:09:43.289 been grunting and charging around and When I 00:09:43.289 --> 00:09:46.370 told the other tour guide that hey the bison 00:09:46.370 --> 00:09:48.490 rut's going on He corrected me and said no the 00:09:48.490 --> 00:09:52.029 bison rut doesn't start until August Please when 00:09:52.029 --> 00:09:54.970 you're booking a tour guide Just ask them some 00:09:54.970 --> 00:09:56.629 simple questions of things that you've heard 00:09:56.629 --> 00:09:59.789 here and see what they say There's a lot of people 00:09:59.789 --> 00:10:02.279 that are tour guides that do know do not know 00:10:02.279 --> 00:10:04.620 what's going on in the park correctly and will 00:10:04.620 --> 00:10:07.080 tell you inaccurate information and do things 00:10:07.080 --> 00:10:09.620 that are not following park rules i'm not going 00:10:09.620 --> 00:10:13.000 to call this tour group out on here but i reported 00:10:13.000 --> 00:10:15.279 them to the park and the park said we will talk 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:19.179 to them so if you see a tour group doing something 00:10:19.179 --> 00:10:21.759 that they shouldn't be doing report them all 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:23.379 right sorry i didn't write anything out there 00:10:23.379 --> 00:10:26.460 i really should have but as i think you can tell 00:10:26.460 --> 00:10:28.679 how i feel about this whole bison incident so 00:10:29.019 --> 00:10:31.480 I'm gonna move on, I hope everyone else can too, 00:10:31.500 --> 00:10:33.460 and we can let this guy heal and let the bison 00:10:33.460 --> 00:10:38.139 be a bison. My experience of the week. Go drive 00:10:38.139 --> 00:10:41.940 the Beartooth Highway. I say this a lot. I love 00:10:41.940 --> 00:10:43.980 the Beartooth Highway, it is an incredibly scenic 00:10:43.980 --> 00:10:47.440 road, and I'm gonna say it again before this 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:50.279 year's over, but go drive the Beartooth Highway. 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:55.480 Especially this week. This week, this legendary 00:10:55.480 --> 00:10:58.730 mountain road starts to hit what I consider one 00:10:58.730 --> 00:11:00.809 of the most spectacular moments of the year. 00:11:01.450 --> 00:11:03.389 The towering snow banks that made headlines when 00:11:03.389 --> 00:11:07.669 the road first opened are mostly gone, and replaced 00:11:07.669 --> 00:11:09.809 with them are the alpine wildflowers that are 00:11:09.809 --> 00:11:12.750 just bursting into bloom. Wildlife is taking 00:11:12.750 --> 00:11:15.350 full advantage of the short mountain summer, 00:11:15.509 --> 00:11:17.850 there's baby mountain goats running around, people 00:11:17.850 --> 00:11:20.809 are seeing bears, there's marmots, there's pikas, 00:11:20.889 --> 00:11:23.500 there's everything. end up from almost every 00:11:23.500 --> 00:11:26.179 overlook and pull out, the view is just open 00:11:26.179 --> 00:11:28.779 and inviting. This time of the year is one of 00:11:28.779 --> 00:11:30.639 those rare times of the year where nearly everything 00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:33.960 comes together. Structuring roughly 68 miles 00:11:33.960 --> 00:11:36.620 between Red Lodge and Cook City, the Beartooth 00:11:36.620 --> 00:11:40.960 Highway climbs to an astonishing 10 ,947 feet 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:43.679 at Beartooth Pass. If you stop at Beartooth Pass 00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:45.759 at the parking area, you can scramble up a rock 00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:48.179 and hit 11 ,000 feet, so that's kind of a cool 00:11:48.179 --> 00:11:50.779 thing to do. If you're driving this road, know 00:11:50.779 --> 00:11:54.299 that it takes about two hours just to drive it, 00:11:54.299 --> 00:11:56.419 but it's going to take longer than that because 00:11:56.419 --> 00:11:59.360 you should stop. This is a road that deserves 00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:02.559 to be experienced, not simply driven. Plan to 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:05.039 spend at least four to six hours here, and don't 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:07.120 be surprised if you end up staying longer, because 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:10.080 nearly every mile offers another reason to pull 00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:12.799 over. There's hiking trails, there's beautiful 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:15.960 vistas, there's all sorts of things. The climb 00:12:15.960 --> 00:12:18.159 is unforgettable, so I'm going to talk about 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:20.960 driving it from Red Lodge to Cook City. Last 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:22.799 time I talked about Cook City Red Lodge, just 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:24.379 trying to mix things up. So if you're listening 00:12:24.379 --> 00:12:26.659 to this, just flip it if you're driving from 00:12:26.659 --> 00:12:30.450 Cook City up. So leaving Red Lodge, You'll wind 00:12:30.450 --> 00:12:32.750 through this forest before climbing up a series 00:12:32.750 --> 00:12:35.309 of dramatic switchbacks that really just lift 00:12:35.309 --> 00:12:38.330 you straight into the sky. With every sharp turn, 00:12:38.789 --> 00:12:40.870 the view becomes more expansive. Soon you're 00:12:40.870 --> 00:12:43.429 looking across rugged mountain ranges, deep valleys 00:12:43.429 --> 00:12:45.750 carved by glaciers, and rocky peaks that still 00:12:45.750 --> 00:12:48.889 are holding snow despite how hot it was recently. 00:12:49.920 --> 00:12:52.159 One of the first places you'll want to stop as 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:54.440 you're climbing up is Rock Creek Vista Point. 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:57.100 This overlook provides sweeping views down Rock 00:12:57.100 --> 00:13:00.200 Creek Canyon. It gives you your first real appreciation 00:13:00.200 --> 00:13:02.700 for just how much elevation you've gained. When 00:13:02.700 --> 00:13:04.240 you're driving this it seems to be like, man, 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:06.679 we've climbed. But when you get up there, you 00:13:06.679 --> 00:13:09.460 really know how much you've climbed. Once you're 00:13:09.460 --> 00:13:12.179 past that Vista Point, you then just kind of 00:13:12.179 --> 00:13:15.120 meander on the top of these ridges. And it's 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:17.000 absolutely beautiful and gets more beautiful 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:19.840 as you get close to the ski area. Around the 00:13:19.840 --> 00:13:22.740 ski area. You're gonna have great views like 00:13:22.740 --> 00:13:24.179 right before the ski area You're gonna have some 00:13:24.179 --> 00:13:26.519 great views looking back at these lakes and we 00:13:26.519 --> 00:13:28.419 get to the ski area There's gonna be mountain 00:13:28.419 --> 00:13:31.039 goats there and you're just gonna get even more 00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:34.220 impressed by what you can take in It is truly 00:13:34.220 --> 00:13:36.659 stunning. Well, if you've driven the million 00:13:36.659 --> 00:13:39.200 dollar highway, you may think like oh, this is 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:42.100 a really pretty road These are not comparable, 00:13:42.340 --> 00:13:44.460 they're completely different. I like the million 00:13:44.460 --> 00:13:46.879 dollar highway and I like this. I like the Beartooth 00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:49.139 Plateau because you don't even get cities on 00:13:49.139 --> 00:13:51.659 this road. You are just climbing and then you're 00:13:51.659 --> 00:13:54.620 in this uninterrupted above 10 ,000 foot terrain 00:13:54.620 --> 00:13:58.830 that's truly incredible. As you keep going along 00:13:58.830 --> 00:14:01.090 and you go past the ski area and then you start 00:14:01.090 --> 00:14:04.149 dropping or then you get to the actual pass and 00:14:04.149 --> 00:14:05.990 then you drop down. There's going to be some 00:14:05.990 --> 00:14:08.190 lakes you can stop at. There's some waterfalls. 00:14:08.490 --> 00:14:12.149 It is just perfect. But my favorite stretch is 00:14:12.149 --> 00:14:15.549 that top of the Beartooth Plateau and it's fully 00:14:15.549 --> 00:14:17.850 awakened after spending much of the year buried 00:14:17.850 --> 00:14:20.950 beneath snow. The alpine growing season here 00:14:20.950 --> 00:14:23.690 lasts only a few weeks so the wildflowers waste 00:14:23.690 --> 00:14:27.879 no time. Entire hillsides just erupt in wildflowers. 00:14:27.960 --> 00:14:31.399 Marmots are running around. Every color is out 00:14:31.399 --> 00:14:33.519 there. You have whites and pinks and purples 00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:36.879 and reds and yellows, and it's just fantastic. 00:14:37.879 --> 00:14:40.899 Everything that lives here is a flower that thrives 00:14:40.899 --> 00:14:45.059 in these harsh conditions at the highest of elevations. 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:47.620 And some of the best displays are found, like 00:14:47.620 --> 00:14:50.360 I said, around that Beartooth Pass, Island Lake, 00:14:50.679 --> 00:14:54.710 and that broad Alpine Tundra. It's... honestly 00:14:54.710 --> 00:14:58.610 last year I drove it and I was like okay I think 00:14:58.610 --> 00:15:00.470 you know I've done this enough I'll just drive 00:15:00.470 --> 00:15:03.389 it quickly and I spent so many hours just taking 00:15:03.389 --> 00:15:06.029 pictures of marmots running through wildflowers 00:15:06.029 --> 00:15:08.070 you know holding little flowers up to their faces 00:15:08.070 --> 00:15:10.909 and eating them and then you round another corner 00:15:10.909 --> 00:15:14.769 and there's a couple other animals right you 00:15:14.769 --> 00:15:16.850 get a little pika darting in and out of rocks 00:15:16.850 --> 00:15:19.990 and then you see baby mountain goats frolicking 00:15:19.990 --> 00:15:24.070 about and it's just Perfect. The balance between 00:15:24.070 --> 00:15:27.029 just natural beauty and wildlife is so rewarding 00:15:27.029 --> 00:15:30.549 here. The mountain goats are just all around 00:15:30.549 --> 00:15:32.950 the Beartooth Pass area, the yellow -bellied 00:15:32.950 --> 00:15:35.169 marmots are whistling, the pikas are darting, 00:15:35.210 --> 00:15:38.710 like I said, and then when you get to lower elevations... 00:15:38.889 --> 00:15:40.950 This is where you're going to start seeing elk, 00:15:41.269 --> 00:15:43.590 mule deer, moose, black bears, and grizzly bears. 00:15:44.129 --> 00:15:46.529 There's also birds all over the place. There's 00:15:46.529 --> 00:15:49.250 even a little lookout tower you can get to down 00:15:49.250 --> 00:15:52.389 a side road near Beartooth Lake. Beartooth Lake 00:15:52.389 --> 00:15:54.429 is absolutely gorgeous. I stop there all the 00:15:54.429 --> 00:15:58.129 time. This is a road that if you take the time 00:15:58.129 --> 00:16:01.909 and just stop and say, well, what's here? Go 00:16:01.909 --> 00:16:04.129 to all these little parking areas, drive to the 00:16:04.129 --> 00:16:06.450 lakes you can get to. and you're going to find 00:16:06.450 --> 00:16:08.649 a place that you want to come back to year after 00:16:08.649 --> 00:16:11.149 year after year. Along the same thing that I'm 00:16:11.149 --> 00:16:13.070 talking about, one of the greatest joys of the 00:16:13.070 --> 00:16:15.370 Beartooth Highway is that some of its best moments 00:16:15.370 --> 00:16:19.110 are completely unplanned. You can have this checklist 00:16:19.110 --> 00:16:20.610 of what you want to see, and I talk about this 00:16:20.610 --> 00:16:23.429 in the park and it's the same here, but you might 00:16:23.429 --> 00:16:26.389 round a corner and you're going to find that 00:16:26.389 --> 00:16:28.950 a mountain lake is glowing just a little differently 00:16:28.950 --> 00:16:31.529 than the other lake was just because the sun's 00:16:31.529 --> 00:16:33.409 hitting it different. You might stop and take 00:16:33.409 --> 00:16:35.889 pictures of wildflowers and see those marmots 00:16:35.889 --> 00:16:39.529 playing. You may watch a storm drift off in the 00:16:39.529 --> 00:16:41.809 distance and watch lightning strike far away 00:16:41.809 --> 00:16:44.690 mountains, right? There's so much to see here 00:16:44.690 --> 00:16:47.570 and so many different experiences that every 00:16:47.570 --> 00:16:52.509 stop could become the stop of a lifetime. I always 00:16:52.509 --> 00:16:54.929 encourage visitors to slow down and embrace these 00:16:54.929 --> 00:16:57.230 unexpected moments. Rather than treating the 00:16:57.230 --> 00:16:59.570 Beartooth Highway as simply the road to Yellowstone 00:16:59.570 --> 00:17:02.269 or the road from Yellowstone, it's not just a 00:17:02.269 --> 00:17:05.210 quick detour. This is a destination in its own 00:17:05.210 --> 00:17:08.470 right. Pull over whenever it's safe, wander a 00:17:08.470 --> 00:17:10.529 short distance from the pavement, breathe the 00:17:10.529 --> 00:17:12.470 cool mountain air, and take time to appreciate 00:17:12.470 --> 00:17:15.190 one of the largest high elevation plateaus in 00:17:15.190 --> 00:17:17.910 the United States. There are few places where 00:17:17.910 --> 00:17:20.150 you can so easily experience an alpine landscape 00:17:20.150 --> 00:17:22.809 that feels more like the Rockies of Canada than 00:17:22.809 --> 00:17:25.089 the Lower 48. And even if you're in the Rockies 00:17:25.089 --> 00:17:26.670 of Canada, it doesn't feel like the Beartooth 00:17:26.670 --> 00:17:29.769 Highway. I do have one final piece of advice 00:17:29.769 --> 00:17:32.529 that's really simple. Start early if you're going 00:17:32.529 --> 00:17:35.839 to do the Beartooth Highway. Morning light. really 00:17:35.839 --> 00:17:38.059 helps just paint the mountains with warm color. 00:17:38.359 --> 00:17:40.519 The temperature is also going to be lower. Wildlife 00:17:40.519 --> 00:17:42.759 is going to be more active and the overlooks 00:17:42.759 --> 00:17:45.579 are often more quiet than they will be later 00:17:45.579 --> 00:17:47.660 in the day. Right now you're going to have a 00:17:47.660 --> 00:17:50.039 lot of motorcycles going through so there's going 00:17:50.039 --> 00:17:51.940 to be a lot of road noise as well. The earlier 00:17:51.940 --> 00:17:54.119 you go in the morning the less you're going to 00:17:54.119 --> 00:17:56.279 have that. Also, afternoon thunderstorms are 00:17:56.279 --> 00:17:59.119 very common out here, so an early start increases 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:02.759 your chances of a clear day instead of only seeing 00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:05.880 a third of it before you get run off with a thunderstorm. 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:10.059 Please know that even on warm summer days, temperatures 00:18:10.059 --> 00:18:12.420 on the Beartooth Pass can be 20 to 30 degrees 00:18:12.420 --> 00:18:16.259 cooler than in Cook City or Red Lodge, and so 00:18:16.259 --> 00:18:18.660 make sure you bring a jacket and expect some 00:18:18.660 --> 00:18:22.009 wind. Early season on the Beartooth Highway has 00:18:22.009 --> 00:18:24.609 something special to offer for everyone, but 00:18:24.609 --> 00:18:28.970 this time of the year is really perfect. I think 00:18:28.970 --> 00:18:31.549 if you drive it right now, and then you drive 00:18:31.549 --> 00:18:33.349 it the next week, too, or you just drive it as 00:18:33.349 --> 00:18:35.789 soon as you can, you're going to love it. This 00:18:35.789 --> 00:18:37.450 is my favorite time to drive the Beartooth Highway. 00:18:37.670 --> 00:18:40.930 That's why I'm recommending it this week. My 00:18:40.930 --> 00:18:44.890 tip of the week. Get an ebook copy of the Yellowstone 00:18:44.890 --> 00:18:47.809 Resources and Issues Handbook. Doesn't that sound 00:18:47.809 --> 00:18:51.150 exciting? So if you're the kind of person who 00:18:51.150 --> 00:18:53.289 likes to know the story behind the places you 00:18:53.289 --> 00:18:56.150 visit, there's a Yellowstone resource that you 00:18:56.150 --> 00:18:58.910 need to download before your trip. That is the 00:18:58.910 --> 00:19:02.250 Yellowstone Resources and Issues Handbook. The 00:19:02.250 --> 00:19:05.470 title sounds dry, like it's going to be a really 00:19:05.470 --> 00:19:08.109 boring government manual, and it's easy to think 00:19:08.109 --> 00:19:10.990 that, but don't let that fool you. This is one 00:19:10.990 --> 00:19:13.430 of the most informative and surprisingly engaging 00:19:13.430 --> 00:19:17.089 guides to Yellowstone ever produced. Even better, 00:19:17.240 --> 00:19:20.539 It's available as a free ebook from Yellowstone 00:19:20.539 --> 00:19:23.200 National Park, making it easy to keep on your 00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:25.500 phone, tablet, or e -reader while you're traveling 00:19:25.500 --> 00:19:28.339 through the park. The Yellowstone Resources and 00:19:28.339 --> 00:19:31.039 Issues Handbook explains why Yellowstone is unlike 00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:33.640 anywhere else in the world. It answers the questions 00:19:33.640 --> 00:19:35.380 that naturally come to mind as you drive through 00:19:35.380 --> 00:19:38.539 the park. Why do geysers erupt? Why are the hot 00:19:38.539 --> 00:19:40.420 springs so colorful? How do the Grand Canyon 00:19:40.420 --> 00:19:42.980 and Yellowstone form? Why are the wolves, bears, 00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:45.460 and bison managed the way they are? What makes 00:19:45.460 --> 00:19:47.539 Yellowstone one of the most important ecosystems 00:19:47.539 --> 00:19:51.539 on the planet? What was Mission 66? By answering 00:19:51.539 --> 00:19:54.039 these questions, the handbook transforms a sightseeing 00:19:54.039 --> 00:19:56.579 trip into an opportunity to better understand 00:19:56.579 --> 00:19:59.839 the remarkable landscape around you. Published 00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:01.660 and regularly updated by Yellowstone National 00:20:01.660 --> 00:20:03.599 Park, the handbook reflects the latest science, 00:20:03.799 --> 00:20:06.619 wildlife research, historical information, and 00:20:06.619 --> 00:20:09.720 park management practices. While it was originally 00:20:09.720 --> 00:20:11.680 developed as a reference for park employees, 00:20:12.019 --> 00:20:14.740 educators, researchers, and anyone seeking reliable 00:20:14.740 --> 00:20:16.980 information about Yellowstone, it has become 00:20:16.980 --> 00:20:19.920 a favorite among photographers, hikers, wildlife 00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:22.380 watchers, tour guides, and repeat visitors who 00:20:22.380 --> 00:20:25.140 want to go beyond the basics. The information 00:20:25.140 --> 00:20:27.980 in this is written in a way that's easy to understand, 00:20:28.339 --> 00:20:30.579 even when explaining topics like volcanology, 00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:33.940 geothermal activity, ecology, and wildlife management. 00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:37.740 One of the handbook's greatest strengths is the 00:20:37.740 --> 00:20:40.160 incredible variety of subjects that it covers. 00:20:40.819 --> 00:20:43.079 The geology chapters explain how Yellowstone's 00:20:43.079 --> 00:20:45.599 volcanic past created the world's largest concentration 00:20:45.599 --> 00:20:48.539 of geysers, hot springs, mudpots, and fumaroles, 00:20:48.599 --> 00:20:51.079 and it helps you understand why every thermal 00:20:51.079 --> 00:20:54.769 basin has its own unique personality. The wildlife 00:20:54.769 --> 00:20:56.930 sections introduce not only the park's iconic 00:20:56.930 --> 00:20:59.430 animals such as wolves, grizzly bears, black 00:20:59.430 --> 00:21:02.049 bears, bison, elk, cutthroat, trout, but also 00:21:02.049 --> 00:21:05.029 explain how they interact with one of the world's 00:21:05.029 --> 00:21:08.410 last largely intact temperate ecosystems. It 00:21:08.410 --> 00:21:10.970 also tells you like how many animals there are. 00:21:11.529 --> 00:21:14.190 How many bighorn sheep are there? This will tell 00:21:14.190 --> 00:21:16.769 you. It's great. Readers gain an insight into 00:21:16.769 --> 00:21:19.250 predator -prey relationships, seasonal migrations, 00:21:19.769 --> 00:21:22.349 ongoing wildlife research, fisheries management, 00:21:22.700 --> 00:21:25.160 and the many conservation challenges the park 00:21:25.160 --> 00:21:28.720 biologists continue to study today. History receives 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:31.440 just as much attention. The handbook traces Yellowstone's 00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:33.880 story from thousands of years of indigenous connections 00:21:33.880 --> 00:21:37.440 to the land through the famous Washburn expedition, 00:21:37.779 --> 00:21:39.119 the establishment of the world's first national 00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:42.799 park in 1872, the years when the U .S. Army protected 00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:44.859 Yellowstone, and then eventually the creation 00:21:44.859 --> 00:21:47.799 of National Park Service. Reading these chapters 00:21:47.799 --> 00:21:50.960 before visiting places like Mammoth, Fort Yellowstone, 00:21:51.140 --> 00:21:53.180 Old Faithful, and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone 00:21:53.180 --> 00:21:56.079 gives these landmarks an entirely new level of 00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:58.720 meaning. Instead of simply admiring the beautiful 00:21:58.720 --> 00:22:01.059 scenery, you begin to understand the people, 00:22:01.180 --> 00:22:03.180 events, and discoveries that shaped the park 00:22:03.180 --> 00:22:06.839 into what it is today. I strongly recommend that 00:22:06.839 --> 00:22:08.779 anyone planning the Yellowstone trip download 00:22:08.779 --> 00:22:11.500 this handbook before arriving. It completely 00:22:11.500 --> 00:22:14.119 changes the way you experience the park. A hillside 00:22:14.119 --> 00:22:16.599 of lodgepole pines becomes a living reminder 00:22:16.599 --> 00:22:19.880 of the 1988 fires. A herd of bison grazing in 00:22:19.880 --> 00:22:22.660 Hayden Valley becomes part of a much larger ecological 00:22:22.660 --> 00:22:25.119 story. The colorful walls of the Grand Canyon 00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:27.640 of the Yellowstone suddenly make sense once you 00:22:27.640 --> 00:22:30.819 understand how volcanic rock, hydrothermal alteration, 00:22:31.160 --> 00:22:33.440 and thousands of years of erosion work together 00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:35.880 to create one of the park's most iconic landscapes. 00:22:36.859 --> 00:22:39.160 Even waiting for Old Faithful becomes more interesting 00:22:39.160 --> 00:22:41.220 when you understand the underground plumbing 00:22:41.220 --> 00:22:44.170 system that powers its eruptions. One of the 00:22:44.170 --> 00:22:46.289 best features of the Yellowstone Resources and 00:22:46.289 --> 00:22:48.390 Issues Handbook is that you don't have to read 00:22:48.390 --> 00:22:50.769 it cover to cover. Although it contains hundreds 00:22:50.769 --> 00:22:53.470 of pages of information, it's organized so readers 00:22:53.470 --> 00:22:56.109 can jump directly to the topics that interest 00:22:56.109 --> 00:22:58.369 them most. You can spend a few minutes reading 00:22:58.369 --> 00:23:00.369 about wolves before heading to Lamar Valley, 00:23:00.849 --> 00:23:03.170 brush up on geothermal features before exploring 00:23:03.170 --> 00:23:05.990 the Upper Geyser Basin, or learn about Yellowstone's 00:23:05.990 --> 00:23:08.609 history while relaxing at your campsite after 00:23:08.609 --> 00:23:12.039 a day of hiking. It works equally well as a trip 00:23:12.039 --> 00:23:14.339 planning resource, an evening read after a day 00:23:14.339 --> 00:23:16.819 in the park, or a reference whenever curiosity 00:23:16.819 --> 00:23:20.019 strikes. Yellowstone is one of those places that 00:23:20.019 --> 00:23:22.059 becomes more fascinating the more you learn about 00:23:22.059 --> 00:23:24.299 it, and the Yellowstone Resources and Issues 00:23:24.299 --> 00:23:26.700 Handbook helps reveal some of those deeper stories, 00:23:27.119 --> 00:23:29.680 turning every overlook, trail, wildlife sighting, 00:23:29.740 --> 00:23:32.200 and thermal basin into part of a much larger 00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:35.920 picture. Since the ebook is free and regularly 00:23:35.920 --> 00:23:38.839 updated, you can get one every year and carry 00:23:38.839 --> 00:23:42.319 it with you. and know that your Yellowstone adventure 00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:44.619 is going to be even more rewarding with all of 00:23:44.619 --> 00:23:48.240 this information. I'll be sharing a link to download 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:50.799 the ebook in the show notes. You can also pick 00:23:50.799 --> 00:23:53.240 up printed copies from Yellowstone Forever Stores 00:23:53.240 --> 00:23:56.099 in visitor centers outside or inside the park. 00:23:56.720 --> 00:23:58.640 Just, you know, find one of these Yellowstone 00:23:58.640 --> 00:24:02.019 Forever Stores and ask about the resources and 00:24:02.019 --> 00:24:03.519 issues handbook and they should be able to hook 00:24:03.519 --> 00:24:06.609 you up. But for now, download the ebook, flip 00:24:06.609 --> 00:24:09.829 through it online, and enjoy way too much information. 00:24:10.670 --> 00:24:13.549 My random Yellowstone fact of the week. That 00:24:13.549 --> 00:24:15.710 green part in the river at the lower falls of 00:24:15.710 --> 00:24:18.789 the Yellowstone. Millions of people visit Yellowstone 00:24:18.789 --> 00:24:21.470 National Park's lower falls every year, admiring 00:24:21.470 --> 00:24:25.190 the 308 -foot waterfall as it crashes into the 00:24:25.190 --> 00:24:27.869 colorful Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Most 00:24:27.869 --> 00:24:29.869 visitors are focused on the sheer power of the 00:24:29.869 --> 00:24:32.150 falls or the canyon's vibrant walls, but those 00:24:32.150 --> 00:24:34.450 who look closely often notice something unusual. 00:24:35.250 --> 00:24:37.690 Near the center of the waterfall, a narrow ribbon 00:24:37.690 --> 00:24:40.450 of emerald green water flows over the brink before 00:24:40.450 --> 00:24:42.670 disappearing in the churning white water below. 00:24:43.470 --> 00:24:46.230 At first glance, it seems almost out of place. 00:24:46.460 --> 00:24:49.559 Many people assume the green streak must be caused 00:24:49.559 --> 00:24:52.240 by algae, minerals, or even Yellowstone's famous 00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:55.559 geothermal features. The real explanation is 00:24:55.559 --> 00:24:57.680 much simpler, and it's a great example of how 00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:00.039 water behaves as it moves over the edge of the 00:25:00.039 --> 00:25:04.140 falls. The green streak is actually the Yellowstone 00:25:04.140 --> 00:25:06.920 River's natural color. A notch in the lip of 00:25:06.920 --> 00:25:08.980 the lower falls creates a deeper channel where 00:25:08.980 --> 00:25:11.740 the water remains relatively smooth as it flows 00:25:11.740 --> 00:25:14.519 over the brink. Because the water in the channel 00:25:14.519 --> 00:25:17.339 contains far fewer air bubbles than the surrounding 00:25:17.339 --> 00:25:20.460 rapids, it stays clear enough for this deep green 00:25:20.460 --> 00:25:24.220 color to remain visible. That green color is 00:25:24.220 --> 00:25:26.759 a result of the way water interacts with sunlight. 00:25:27.359 --> 00:25:29.819 Pure water absorbs the longer red wavelengths 00:25:29.819 --> 00:25:32.319 of visible light much more readily than blue 00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:35.400 and green wavelengths. As sunlight penetrates 00:25:35.400 --> 00:25:38.519 deeper water, more of that red light is absorbed. 00:25:38.829 --> 00:25:41.130 while blue and green light continues to be scattered 00:25:41.130 --> 00:25:44.650 back toward our eyes. In rivers like the Yellowstone, 00:25:44.769 --> 00:25:47.369 the combination of water depth, reflected light, 00:25:47.690 --> 00:25:50.170 and small amounts of naturally occurring suspended 00:25:50.170 --> 00:25:53.069 particles often shifts to color from blue toward 00:25:53.069 --> 00:25:56.109 a rich emerald green. The rest of the waterfall 00:25:56.109 --> 00:25:58.710 tells a different story. As the river rushes 00:25:58.710 --> 00:26:00.910 over the uneven rock, it becomes filled with 00:26:00.910 --> 00:26:03.849 millions of tiny air bubbles. Those bubbles scatter 00:26:03.849 --> 00:26:05.769 light in every direction giving the falls their 00:26:05.769 --> 00:26:08.710 brilliant white appearance. The deeper notch 00:26:08.710 --> 00:26:10.829 avoids much of that turbulence, allowing visitors 00:26:10.829 --> 00:26:12.869 to see the river's true color for just a brief 00:26:12.869 --> 00:26:15.990 moment before it too becomes a frothy torrent. 00:26:16.410 --> 00:26:18.490 The colorful canyon surrounding the falls makes 00:26:18.490 --> 00:26:21.049 the streak stand out even more. The Grand Canyon 00:26:21.049 --> 00:26:22.890 of the Yellowstone was carved over thousands 00:26:22.890 --> 00:26:25.970 of years as the river cut through volcanic rhyolite 00:26:25.970 --> 00:26:28.069 that has been weakened by hot water and acidic 00:26:28.069 --> 00:26:31.519 gases circulating underground. Iron compounds 00:26:31.519 --> 00:26:34.619 within the altered rock oxidized over time creating 00:26:34.619 --> 00:26:36.920 the striking shades of yellow, orange, pink, 00:26:36.960 --> 00:26:39.460 and red that have made the canyon one of Yellowstone's 00:26:39.460 --> 00:26:42.279 most photographed landscapes. Against these warm 00:26:42.279 --> 00:26:45.359 colors and the bright white waterfall, the emerald 00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:47.539 green ribbon becomes surprisingly easy to spot 00:26:47.539 --> 00:26:50.339 when you know where to look. Several overlooks 00:26:50.339 --> 00:26:53.380 provide excellent Views of this, artist point 00:26:53.380 --> 00:26:57.720 obviously, lookout point on the north rim, red 00:26:57.720 --> 00:27:00.079 rock point, the brink of the lower falls even 00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:02.680 brings visitors to the edge where you can see 00:27:02.680 --> 00:27:05.099 that smooth green water flowing right before 00:27:05.099 --> 00:27:08.680 it just takes over and falls straight down. This 00:27:08.680 --> 00:27:10.619 green streak is a reminder that Yellowstone's 00:27:10.619 --> 00:27:13.400 most interesting features are not always the 00:27:13.400 --> 00:27:16.180 biggest or loudest. It's simply a small section 00:27:16.180 --> 00:27:18.539 of river that behaves differently because of 00:27:18.539 --> 00:27:21.369 the shape of the bedrock beneath it. Yet, This 00:27:21.369 --> 00:27:23.130 subtle difference has created one of the park's 00:27:23.130 --> 00:27:25.829 more intriguing natural curiosities, one that 00:27:25.829 --> 00:27:28.410 continues to spark questions from observant visitors 00:27:28.410 --> 00:27:31.190 every day. The next time you find yourself looking 00:27:31.190 --> 00:27:33.769 out over the lower falls, take an extra moment 00:27:33.769 --> 00:27:36.730 before moving on to the next overlook. Watch 00:27:36.730 --> 00:27:38.569 the center of the river as it slides over the 00:27:38.569 --> 00:27:41.250 brink. For an instant, before the water explodes 00:27:41.250 --> 00:27:44.069 into white spray, Yellowstone River reveals its 00:27:44.069 --> 00:27:47.029 true emerald color, creating one of the park's 00:27:47.029 --> 00:27:51.450 most understated but memorable sights. The weather 00:27:51.450 --> 00:27:54.250 for the coming week. As always the following 00:27:54.250 --> 00:27:56.569 forecast is the best forecast I can give you 00:27:56.569 --> 00:27:58.829 at the week at the time of recording. I'm recording 00:27:58.829 --> 00:28:03.190 on Wednesday July 15th at 4 p .m. This forecast 00:28:03.190 --> 00:28:05.170 can change numerous times in a week, but this 00:28:05.170 --> 00:28:06.930 should be within the ballpark of what you'll 00:28:06.930 --> 00:28:09.309 experience when visiting Yellowstone. So let's 00:28:09.309 --> 00:28:12.269 start with Lamar Valley. In Lamar on Thursday 00:28:12.269 --> 00:28:15.369 the high will be 82, the low will be 51, there's 00:28:15.369 --> 00:28:18.089 a 60 % chance of thunderstorms and about a tenth 00:28:18.089 --> 00:28:21.259 of an inch of rain. on friday a high of 80 a 00:28:21.259 --> 00:28:25.180 low of 51 about a 70 chance of thunderstorms 00:28:25.180 --> 00:28:28.779 and a quarter inch of rain on saturday 82 and 00:28:28.779 --> 00:28:32.559 50 53 chance of rain maybe a tenth of an inch 00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:37.940 on sunday 85 and 49 19 chance of rain monday 00:28:37.940 --> 00:28:43.509 83 and 51 21 chance of rain Tuesday 75 and 50 00:28:43.509 --> 00:28:46.549 a 71 percent chance of thunderstorms and a quarter 00:28:46.549 --> 00:28:50.630 inch of rain and then Wednesday 77 and 51 quarter 00:28:50.630 --> 00:28:54.990 inch or 24 percent chance of precipitation Gardner, 00:28:55.230 --> 00:29:00.490 Montana on Thursday high of 87 low of 55 42 percent 00:29:00.490 --> 00:29:03.049 chance of thunderstorms with about two tenths 00:29:03.049 --> 00:29:07.890 of an inch of rain on Friday 86 and 55 51 percent 00:29:07.890 --> 00:29:10.490 chance of a tenth an inch of rain and thunderstorms 00:29:10.490 --> 00:29:15.029 on Saturday 87 and 53 55 percent chance of rain 00:29:15.029 --> 00:29:18.230 about a tenth of an inch of rain there on Sunday 00:29:18.230 --> 00:29:22.529 89 and 53 15 percent chance of rain Monday 87 00:29:22.529 --> 00:29:27.089 and 55 16 percent chance of rain Tuesday 81 and 00:29:27.089 --> 00:29:31.730 54, 53 % chance of about 0 .15 inches of rain, 00:29:31.950 --> 00:29:36.589 and Wednesday 83 and 54 with a 24 % chance of 00:29:36.589 --> 00:29:40.849 precipitation. West Yellowstone. Thursday, 85 00:29:40.849 --> 00:29:44.089 and 49, 41 % chance of some rain, maybe a tenth 00:29:44.089 --> 00:29:47.410 of an inch. Thunderstorms overnight into Friday. 00:29:47.869 --> 00:29:51.910 Friday high 83, low 48, 60 % chance about a tenth 00:29:51.910 --> 00:29:54.430 of an inch of rain and thunderstorms. Saturday 00:29:54.430 --> 00:29:59.349 84 and 47, 38 % chance of rain, two hundredths 00:29:59.349 --> 00:30:03.000 of an inch currently, so light rain. Sunday 86 00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:06.779 and 47 15 percent chance of precipitation Monday 00:30:06.779 --> 00:30:12.720 85 and 51 11 percent chance Tuesday 78 49 a 60 00:30:12.720 --> 00:30:14.579 percent chance of a quarter -inch of rain with 00:30:14.579 --> 00:30:18.900 thunderstorms and Wednesday 79 and 49 with a 00:30:18.900 --> 00:30:22.880 24 percent chance of rain Cody Wyoming Thursday 00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:27.039 84 and 64 44 percent chance of thunderstorms 00:30:27.039 --> 00:30:32.359 Friday 86 and 65 31 % chance of thunderstorms 00:30:32.359 --> 00:30:38.079 and rain Saturday 87 and 64 40 % chance of rain 00:30:38.079 --> 00:30:43.759 Sunday 92 and 65 21 % chance of rain Monday 86 00:30:43.759 --> 00:30:48.779 and 64 18 % chance of rain Tuesday 79 and 63 00:30:48.779 --> 00:30:51.500 50 % chance about a fifth of an inch of rain 00:30:51.500 --> 00:30:54.859 and thunderstorms and then Wednesday is going 00:30:54.859 --> 00:31:00.210 to be 83 and 63 with a 24 % chance of rain and 00:31:00.210 --> 00:31:03.569 finally for the weather cook city montana thursday 00:31:03.569 --> 00:31:08.049 highest 78 low of 53 80 chance of thunderstorms 00:31:08.049 --> 00:31:12.029 with nearly a third of an inch of rain friday 00:31:12.029 --> 00:31:16.190 thunderstorms 76 53 70 chance of those thunderstorms 00:31:16.190 --> 00:31:19.410 a third of an inch of rain saturday is also going 00:31:19.410 --> 00:31:23.990 to be thunderstorms 64 chance with about a tenth 00:31:23.990 --> 00:31:28.690 of an inch of rain 78 and 51 Sunday, 81 and 51, 00:31:28.950 --> 00:31:33.109 15 % chance of rain. Monday, 78 and 52, 20 % 00:31:33.109 --> 00:31:37.950 chance of rain. Tuesday, 72 and 51, 75 % chance 00:31:37.950 --> 00:31:39.809 of thunderstorms and a quarter inch of rain. 00:31:40.230 --> 00:31:44.390 Wednesday, 74 and 51, 37 % chance of a tenth 00:31:44.390 --> 00:31:47.589 of an inch of rain with thunderstorms. The road 00:31:47.589 --> 00:31:50.549 conditions of the park. So there's no main park 00:31:50.549 --> 00:31:52.269 roads that are closed right now. All the side 00:31:52.269 --> 00:31:54.809 roads should be open. If it rains heavily, I'd 00:31:54.809 --> 00:31:57.569 expect Blacktail Plateau Drive to close. That's 00:31:57.569 --> 00:32:00.309 with heavy rain. But other than that, you should 00:32:00.309 --> 00:32:02.829 be good to go wherever you want. Thunderstorms 00:32:02.829 --> 00:32:05.589 will limit where you will want to drive maybe, 00:32:05.690 --> 00:32:08.069 but roads should be open. Please know that there 00:32:08.069 --> 00:32:10.670 are a few spots of construction, but only with 00:32:10.670 --> 00:32:13.750 minimal delays here and there. And while unlikely, 00:32:13.829 --> 00:32:16.859 I do want to say that Roads can close at any 00:32:16.859 --> 00:32:18.900 time due to inclement weather. If you want to 00:32:18.900 --> 00:32:23.740 stay up to date, call 307 -344 -2117 for recorded 00:32:23.740 --> 00:32:26.619 information, or you can sign up to receive Yellowstone 00:32:26.619 --> 00:32:28.940 Road Alerts on your mobile phone by texting the 00:32:28.940 --> 00:32:35.900 number 82190 to the number 888777. Camping information. 00:32:36.660 --> 00:32:38.579 Every campground that's going to open this year 00:32:38.579 --> 00:32:42.220 is open right now, so enjoy that if you're camping 00:32:42.220 --> 00:32:45.829 also. Just know there's wildlife in the campgrounds. 00:32:45.869 --> 00:32:47.789 There always has been, there always will be. 00:32:48.509 --> 00:32:52.829 The Wildlife Report. So wildlife watching is 00:32:52.829 --> 00:32:56.430 really good for it being summer. You know, I 00:32:56.430 --> 00:32:59.269 know last week I talked about how sometimes summer 00:32:59.269 --> 00:33:01.390 drops off a bit because it's just harder to see 00:33:01.390 --> 00:33:04.509 things during the day. That is still true. Thunderstorms 00:33:04.509 --> 00:33:07.190 are going to really limit the visibility during 00:33:07.190 --> 00:33:09.450 the days when you're in the park. So be aware 00:33:09.450 --> 00:33:12.210 of that. But right now the mornings are great. 00:33:12.460 --> 00:33:15.140 Lots of grizzly bears are being spotted out in 00:33:15.140 --> 00:33:18.319 Lamar. Bison are just making their way between 00:33:18.319 --> 00:33:20.779 Little America and Round Prairie and back and 00:33:20.779 --> 00:33:22.920 forth. Sometimes snarling traffic, sometimes 00:33:22.920 --> 00:33:24.799 they're pretty far from the road in Lamar Valley. 00:33:25.500 --> 00:33:28.019 Baby pronghorn are out, adult pronghorn are also 00:33:28.019 --> 00:33:30.579 out and about. A lot more in Little America than 00:33:30.579 --> 00:33:34.319 Lamar, at least my luck. Wolves in that northern 00:33:34.319 --> 00:33:36.980 range area are a little harder to see in the 00:33:36.980 --> 00:33:39.519 Slough Creek Lamar Valley area right now as of 00:33:39.519 --> 00:33:42.819 last week, but That can change in a heartbeat. 00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:45.880 I could wake up tomorrow and then hear that the 00:33:45.880 --> 00:33:48.059 wolves are very easily seen in Little America, 00:33:48.259 --> 00:33:51.160 Slough Creek, or Lamar. Right now, the most dependable 00:33:51.160 --> 00:33:55.559 wolf sightings are happening just beyond the 00:33:55.559 --> 00:33:58.799 Blacktail Ponds area, right at the Forces of 00:33:58.799 --> 00:34:01.440 Nature trail and then looking south. There's 00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:03.200 a pack out there that everybody likes to watch 00:34:03.200 --> 00:34:05.880 that has some pups. They're multiple miles away. 00:34:05.880 --> 00:34:07.799 You're not going to get like the most amazing 00:34:07.799 --> 00:34:10.059 sighting, but you're going to be able to see 00:34:10.059 --> 00:34:13.989 wolves. So that's really cool. Also, if you head 00:34:13.989 --> 00:34:16.889 down toward Hayden Valley, that's where you're 00:34:16.889 --> 00:34:18.769 going to see another large bison herd for the 00:34:18.769 --> 00:34:20.730 rut. You're also going to see some bears off 00:34:20.730 --> 00:34:22.409 in the distance. There's a wolf pack out there 00:34:22.409 --> 00:34:26.130 that has been spotted off and on, but not consistently. 00:34:26.929 --> 00:34:30.550 Elk are pretty common around Gardner right now, 00:34:30.590 --> 00:34:32.869 not so much around Mammoth. There are a few that 00:34:32.869 --> 00:34:34.750 are hanging outside Mammoth, but most of them 00:34:34.750 --> 00:34:37.829 are outside the park at the moment. bighorn sheep 00:34:37.829 --> 00:34:42.230 are also out by devil slide near gardener or 00:34:42.230 --> 00:34:45.269 if you want to see them a little closer in the 00:34:45.269 --> 00:34:48.769 park you can go out the east entrance up by washburn 00:34:48.769 --> 00:34:53.190 or through that kind of um yellowstone river 00:34:53.190 --> 00:34:56.050 picnic area as you get to little america from 00:34:56.050 --> 00:34:59.389 the new bridge across the yellowstone There's 00:34:59.389 --> 00:35:01.789 some baby osprey that have hatched and are young 00:35:01.789 --> 00:35:04.670 in the nests all around the park. The birds are 00:35:04.670 --> 00:35:06.989 really good. Wildlife watching is good in the 00:35:06.989 --> 00:35:09.829 mornings. I've seen some coyotes. I've seen some 00:35:09.829 --> 00:35:12.010 badgers. I've heard of some foxes. People have 00:35:12.010 --> 00:35:14.429 seen moose still out, especially the northeast 00:35:14.429 --> 00:35:17.030 entrance road. So animals are out there. You 00:35:17.030 --> 00:35:19.730 just have to wake up early. Not much is being 00:35:19.730 --> 00:35:22.539 seen in the heat of the day. Now some of these 00:35:22.539 --> 00:35:24.519 colder temperatures are gonna make the afternoon 00:35:24.519 --> 00:35:27.099 evening better during the heat of the day You 00:35:27.099 --> 00:35:29.179 know when we were in the 90s in the park that 00:35:29.179 --> 00:35:31.300 wasn't the best wildlife watching but the bison 00:35:31.300 --> 00:35:33.880 were still active and This is the time where 00:35:33.880 --> 00:35:36.579 you really go for the bison rut everything else 00:35:36.579 --> 00:35:39.619 kind of becomes a bonus and benefit Now if you 00:35:39.619 --> 00:35:42.300 are going for the bison rut few things to know 00:35:42.300 --> 00:35:45.269 obviously stay away stay in your cars at all 00:35:45.269 --> 00:35:47.289 times when you can, if you're driving through 00:35:47.289 --> 00:35:49.449 it, especially at pullouts, things like that. 00:35:49.750 --> 00:35:52.170 Know that they can run fast, but also know that 00:35:52.170 --> 00:35:54.170 right now they're going to get spooked by a lot 00:35:54.170 --> 00:35:56.969 of loud noises and with lots of motorcycles going 00:35:56.969 --> 00:35:59.190 through and revving their engines, sometimes 00:35:59.190 --> 00:36:02.170 on purpose, the Bison are going to be a lot more 00:36:02.170 --> 00:36:04.550 skittish and potentially running. So just be 00:36:04.550 --> 00:36:07.389 aware of that. Always be very close to your car 00:36:07.389 --> 00:36:09.289 if you get out of your car and by very close, 00:36:09.389 --> 00:36:11.090 I mean right next to the door so you can hop 00:36:11.090 --> 00:36:14.800 in. otherwise be smart be safe follow rules and 00:36:14.800 --> 00:36:16.639 if you need more wildlife tips just reach out 00:36:16.639 --> 00:36:21.000 to me happy to help you out trail alerts and 00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:23.119 updates there's not really a lot closed right 00:36:23.119 --> 00:36:26.079 now so go to the backcountry conditions page 00:36:26.079 --> 00:36:28.239 link is in the show notes and you can kind of 00:36:28.239 --> 00:36:30.440 see what's open and what's not as always carry 00:36:30.440 --> 00:36:32.260 bear spray have it readily accessible and not 00:36:32.260 --> 00:36:34.800 in a backpack and know how to use it but also 00:36:35.039 --> 00:36:38.780 Really reconsider doing a hike in a heavy bison 00:36:38.780 --> 00:36:41.280 area. If you are wanting to hike in Lamar Valley 00:36:41.280 --> 00:36:44.980 right now, don't. Go find a different trail where 00:36:44.980 --> 00:36:48.099 bison are not at. Unless you are extremely skilled 00:36:48.099 --> 00:36:51.840 in reading bison behavior and you know the terrain 00:36:51.840 --> 00:36:53.900 well and you know some escape routes and things 00:36:53.900 --> 00:36:56.099 like that, this is not the time to mess around 00:36:56.099 --> 00:36:58.699 and hike in an area where there's lots of bison. 00:36:58.840 --> 00:37:01.340 Do not hike in an area with lots of bison right 00:37:01.340 --> 00:37:04.280 now. Find a different trail. If you need a different 00:37:04.280 --> 00:37:07.480 trail, reach out to me. Happy to help. I mentioned 00:37:07.480 --> 00:37:10.900 this because I took a tour out last week and 00:37:10.900 --> 00:37:12.559 there's a whole herd of bison that ran by and 00:37:12.559 --> 00:37:14.480 luckily I knew the area and I knew where we could 00:37:14.480 --> 00:37:18.500 stand. But this is not a time or a place to mess 00:37:18.500 --> 00:37:21.000 around with aggressive bison. There are hundreds 00:37:21.000 --> 00:37:23.579 of them, if not thousands in certain areas, and 00:37:23.579 --> 00:37:25.599 you don't want to be there because you will get 00:37:25.599 --> 00:37:27.440 surrounded by them if you're not paying attention. 00:37:28.920 --> 00:37:31.400 Hike where there's no bison, carry bear spray, 00:37:31.780 --> 00:37:34.239 enjoy the upper mountains, go walk by some rivers 00:37:34.239 --> 00:37:37.099 away from the things, and maybe if you're looking 00:37:37.099 --> 00:37:39.420 for a good hike, you can check out the one I'm 00:37:39.420 --> 00:37:42.579 talking about for my Trek of the Week. My Trek 00:37:42.579 --> 00:37:45.559 of the Week. If you're looking for a great summit 00:37:45.559 --> 00:37:47.719 hike over the next couple weeks, Observation 00:37:47.719 --> 00:37:50.159 Peak is one I definitely recommend. That's why 00:37:50.159 --> 00:37:52.360 I'm talking about it. One of the reasons I like 00:37:52.360 --> 00:37:54.480 hiking at this time of the year is because there 00:37:54.480 --> 00:37:56.559 are typically fewer bison along the trail than 00:37:56.559 --> 00:37:59.659 many of Yellowstone's other hikes. That's especially 00:37:59.659 --> 00:38:02.079 nice right now because the bison rut is underway 00:38:02.079 --> 00:38:05.460 and as I've talked about this whole episode bulls 00:38:05.460 --> 00:38:07.659 can become much more aggressive as they compete 00:38:07.659 --> 00:38:10.420 for the cows and they're just kind of jerks right 00:38:10.420 --> 00:38:13.099 now and why put yourself in a dangerous situation? 00:38:13.920 --> 00:38:15.739 Hiking in areas with a ton of bison right now 00:38:15.739 --> 00:38:18.139 is definitely not recommended and you should 00:38:18.139 --> 00:38:20.820 not do it. I don't do it. You shouldn't do it 00:38:20.820 --> 00:38:23.619 either. Instead look elsewhere for adventures. 00:38:24.599 --> 00:38:26.460 Observation Peak is one of those adventures that 00:38:26.460 --> 00:38:29.699 rewards you with peaceful meadows, colorful wildflowers, 00:38:30.159 --> 00:38:32.559 and an amazing summit view that very few people 00:38:32.559 --> 00:38:35.920 know about in Yellowstone National Park. Everybody 00:38:35.920 --> 00:38:38.119 knows that there's a lookout tower on Mount Washburn, 00:38:38.219 --> 00:38:39.820 or they know like Mount Washburn and then they 00:38:39.820 --> 00:38:41.739 get there and there's a lookout tower. This is 00:38:41.739 --> 00:38:43.860 also a lookout tower mountain. It's not an open 00:38:43.860 --> 00:38:45.880 lookout tower, but it's still a mountain you 00:38:45.880 --> 00:38:47.820 can climb to that has a lookout tower at the 00:38:47.820 --> 00:38:50.940 top, and it's really cool. The hike begins at 00:38:50.940 --> 00:38:52.980 Cascade Lake Trailhead along the Norris Canyon 00:38:52.980 --> 00:38:55.860 Road just a few miles west of Canyon. The first 00:38:55.860 --> 00:38:57.739 two and a half miles follow the Cascade Lake 00:38:57.739 --> 00:39:02.800 Trail through a broad mountain meadow. This is 00:39:02.800 --> 00:39:04.780 one of those trails where there's no reason to 00:39:04.780 --> 00:39:07.559 rush. Slow down, enjoy the scenery, and keep 00:39:07.559 --> 00:39:14.360 an eye out for wildlife. big elk that you know 00:39:14.360 --> 00:39:16.139 are growing their antlers and it's really cool 00:39:16.139 --> 00:39:18.019 to see them because they're still a little velvety 00:39:18.019 --> 00:39:21.960 but mostly clean now so check that out. The meadows 00:39:21.960 --> 00:39:24.800 will have lots of wildflowers splashed out with 00:39:24.800 --> 00:39:28.400 colors all over the place and you know you might 00:39:28.400 --> 00:39:32.500 see a few bison here and there but I doubt it 00:39:32.500 --> 00:39:34.519 you know most of the bison are really congregating 00:39:34.519 --> 00:39:36.920 in the other areas if there is a bison out here 00:39:36.920 --> 00:39:39.039 it's probably an old male that has been quote 00:39:39.039 --> 00:39:42.340 -unquote put out to pasture, and he's kind of 00:39:42.340 --> 00:39:45.880 beyond the years of anger and mating. So just 00:39:45.880 --> 00:39:47.960 know that you might see some bison here, but 00:39:47.960 --> 00:39:50.340 you'll probably see some other wildlife. Elk 00:39:50.340 --> 00:39:53.500 are common, and I've also seen black bears and 00:39:53.500 --> 00:39:56.239 grizzly bears along this trail. So obviously 00:39:56.239 --> 00:39:59.199 carry bear spray, make plenty of noise, just 00:39:59.199 --> 00:40:01.940 like you do with any other hike in Yellowstone. 00:40:02.599 --> 00:40:04.940 As you get to Cascade Lake, consider stopping 00:40:04.940 --> 00:40:07.800 here if the mosquitoes aren't bad. On calm mornings, 00:40:08.010 --> 00:40:10.969 the lake reflects the landscape perfectly and 00:40:10.969 --> 00:40:13.010 it's hard not to just sit down for a few minutes 00:40:13.010 --> 00:40:16.570 and simply enjoy the quiet. Even during Yellowstone's 00:40:16.570 --> 00:40:18.710 busiest season, which we're in right now, this 00:40:18.710 --> 00:40:21.570 spot often feels surprisingly peaceful and this 00:40:21.570 --> 00:40:25.050 lake is way more popular than going up to the 00:40:25.050 --> 00:40:28.730 top of the observation peak. So once you leave 00:40:28.730 --> 00:40:31.460 the lake behind, The hike starts to earn its 00:40:31.460 --> 00:40:33.539 reputation. The trail begins to climb steadily 00:40:33.539 --> 00:40:36.260 through a forest of lodgepole pine before gradually 00:40:36.260 --> 00:40:39.340 opening up into higher country. As you gain elevation 00:40:39.340 --> 00:40:41.340 the views become bigger with every switchback 00:40:41.340 --> 00:40:43.659 and it's hard not to stop every so often just 00:40:43.659 --> 00:40:45.679 to look back where you've come from and you know 00:40:45.679 --> 00:40:48.420 catch your breath. During July and August the 00:40:48.420 --> 00:40:51.239 mountainside continues to put on this absolutely 00:40:51.239 --> 00:40:54.360 beautiful show of wildflowers and there's marmots 00:40:54.360 --> 00:40:57.280 running around and picas are racing around and 00:40:57.280 --> 00:41:00.099 it's just great. You'll keep hiking, you'll keep 00:41:00.099 --> 00:41:02.579 climbing, and then the final climb helps build 00:41:02.579 --> 00:41:04.840 your anticipation as you gain elevation and weave 00:41:04.840 --> 00:41:07.820 through the trees. And then you kind of peek 00:41:07.820 --> 00:41:11.119 out and you see the observation peak fire lookout. 00:41:11.940 --> 00:41:13.920 While the lookout itself is no longer open to 00:41:13.920 --> 00:41:16.380 visitors, it's a fun reminder of the days when 00:41:16.380 --> 00:41:19.360 fire spotters spent entire summers watching Yellowstone's 00:41:19.360 --> 00:41:22.980 forest from this incredible perch. When you reach 00:41:22.980 --> 00:41:26.440 the summit, you... all of a sudden understand 00:41:26.440 --> 00:41:30.219 that you're standing 9 ,406 feet above sea level 00:41:30.219 --> 00:41:32.760 and a couple thousand feet above where you just 00:41:32.760 --> 00:41:35.440 hiked from. Observation Peak delivers one of 00:41:35.440 --> 00:41:37.639 the most impressive panoramic views in this region 00:41:37.639 --> 00:41:40.179 of the park. You get mountains in the distance, 00:41:40.360 --> 00:41:42.300 you have little lakes way off in the distance 00:41:42.300 --> 00:41:46.460 below you too, and it is fantastic. On exceptionally 00:41:46.460 --> 00:41:49.699 clear days, you can probably even see the Tetons, 00:41:50.099 --> 00:41:52.570 and so keep an eye out for those. You're also 00:41:52.570 --> 00:41:54.630 going to see where the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone 00:41:54.630 --> 00:41:57.150 cuts through the forest, and on cool mornings 00:41:57.150 --> 00:41:59.829 you can see some steam rising from distant geyser 00:41:59.829 --> 00:42:03.650 basins. Don't be surprised if the winds up here 00:42:03.650 --> 00:42:06.269 are just brutal though. Observation Peak has 00:42:06.269 --> 00:42:09.269 a reputation for being ridiculously breezy, even 00:42:09.269 --> 00:42:13.010 on a nice summer afternoon. So throwing a jacket 00:42:13.010 --> 00:42:14.789 or something into your pack is well worth it. 00:42:14.989 --> 00:42:17.190 While the wind will be blasting you, try to stay 00:42:17.190 --> 00:42:20.269 up here a little longer. It's a really nice view. 00:42:20.550 --> 00:42:23.869 It's not super dynamic. It's not like Avalanche 00:42:23.869 --> 00:42:27.070 Peak or Bunsen or Washburn, but you're on the 00:42:27.070 --> 00:42:28.690 top of a mountain and you just get to sit there 00:42:28.690 --> 00:42:30.710 and really look out and take in the landscape. 00:42:31.250 --> 00:42:33.030 If there's one thing I've learned about all the 00:42:33.030 --> 00:42:34.969 hikes I've done in the park, it's that every 00:42:34.969 --> 00:42:36.809 time I get a chance to get to the summit of a 00:42:36.809 --> 00:42:39.670 mountain and look around, I gain a deeper understanding 00:42:39.670 --> 00:42:42.780 for how the landscape works together. Climbing 00:42:42.780 --> 00:42:45.300 mountains taking in these bigger views helps 00:42:45.300 --> 00:42:47.679 you see the size and scale of the park in a way 00:42:47.679 --> 00:42:51.239 that you never get. Observation Peak is about 00:42:51.239 --> 00:42:54.440 11 miles round trip with only 1 ,400 feet of 00:42:54.440 --> 00:42:57.340 elevation gain. So while it's not the easiest 00:42:57.340 --> 00:42:59.619 hike in Yellowstone, it's a pretty easy mountain 00:42:59.619 --> 00:43:02.750 summit. It's one that I find myself returning 00:43:02.750 --> 00:43:05.349 to almost every year because the combination 00:43:05.349 --> 00:43:07.630 of quiet meadows, decent wildlife sightings, 00:43:08.050 --> 00:43:10.190 a peaceful little lake, colorful wildflowers, 00:43:10.250 --> 00:43:14.110 and a summit that puts me up high in Yellowstone 00:43:14.110 --> 00:43:17.349 is really cool to do as often as you possibly 00:43:17.349 --> 00:43:20.170 can. If you're looking for a trail that offers 00:43:20.170 --> 00:43:22.769 pretty good solitude while helping you avoid 00:43:22.769 --> 00:43:24.610 some of the larger concentrations of rutting 00:43:24.610 --> 00:43:28.570 bison, go to Observation Peak right now. I truly 00:43:28.570 --> 00:43:32.360 love this hike, I think you will too, It's not, 00:43:32.360 --> 00:43:35.260 like I said, the most dynamic place, but it's 00:43:35.260 --> 00:43:39.460 also very remote and for being so close to Canyon, 00:43:39.599 --> 00:43:42.340 it's not a popular hike. Last time I did it, 00:43:42.340 --> 00:43:46.199 over the 11 miles, I saw three people. One of 00:43:46.199 --> 00:43:49.539 them was a ranger. So know that, go out there, 00:43:49.539 --> 00:43:52.280 enjoy the hike, and if you need more hikes, I 00:43:52.280 --> 00:43:54.039 do have a hiking guidebook for the region that 00:43:54.039 --> 00:43:57.219 covers both the park and outside of the park 00:43:57.219 --> 00:43:59.340 where there's even more amazing trails, so consider 00:43:59.340 --> 00:44:02.579 picking that up. Otherwise, that's it for this 00:44:02.579 --> 00:44:04.679 week. In next week's episode, I'll return with 00:44:04.679 --> 00:44:06.440 all the information you need to have a good week 00:44:06.440 --> 00:44:09.179 in the park. That includes the wildlife, weather, 00:44:09.360 --> 00:44:12.559 and trail updates. Until then, pick up a guidebook 00:44:12.559 --> 00:44:15.539 of mine, share this podcast with a friend, family 00:44:15.539 --> 00:44:17.639 member, enemy, it doesn't matter, share this 00:44:17.639 --> 00:44:20.599 podcast with whoever you can, and have an amazing 00:44:20.599 --> 00:44:34.599 time visiting Yellowstone. Happy Trails! Abrupt 00:44:34.599 --> 00:44:37.039 ending! This week in Yellowstone is brought to 00:44:37.039 --> 00:44:39.260 you by The Outdoor Society. That's my company. 00:44:39.659 --> 00:44:41.960 It's just me, I do this, it's a labor of love. 00:44:42.340 --> 00:44:44.599 If you like it, tell your friends, rate and review 00:44:44.599 --> 00:44:47.900 it. Shoot me a message. Otherwise, keep listening 00:44:47.900 --> 00:44:50.739 and I hope to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright 00:44:50.739 --> 00:44:56.119 2026, baby! I know, a hidden thing, if you've... 00:44:56.159 --> 00:44:58.980 If you remember CDs, not everybody does, but 00:44:58.980 --> 00:45:00.400 if you remember CDs, sometimes there are hidden 00:45:00.400 --> 00:45:02.500 tracks at the very end. That's kind of what this 00:45:02.500 --> 00:45:05.239 is. If anybody is still listening and you'd like 00:45:05.239 --> 00:45:07.519 to hear more in -depth thoughts about the bison 00:45:07.519 --> 00:45:10.679 attack and bison incidents in general, I will 00:45:10.679 --> 00:45:14.199 happily do a standalone episode for that. I just 00:45:14.199 --> 00:45:17.420 didn't want to muddle this one because I want 00:45:17.420 --> 00:45:19.699 to do regular episodes. So if people aren't interested 00:45:19.699 --> 00:45:22.380 in that, then... I don't want to waste too much 00:45:22.380 --> 00:45:25.079 time, but I will do a standalone episode about 00:45:25.079 --> 00:45:27.579 this bison attack and historical bison attacks 00:45:27.579 --> 00:45:30.659 in the park if anyone is interested. If I get 00:45:30.659 --> 00:45:32.760 enough people being like, yes, do it, I will 00:45:32.760 --> 00:45:35.099 record that in the next week or two. If I don't 00:45:35.099 --> 00:45:37.360 get anybody interested in that, that's fine too. 00:45:37.639 --> 00:45:39.679 I just want you to know that that is an option, 00:45:39.739 --> 00:45:43.000 but I didn't want to make this episode just mainly 00:45:43.000 --> 00:45:45.800 about that bison incident. Also, there's there 00:45:45.800 --> 00:45:48.599 is some grizzly bear news about hunting grizzlies 00:45:48.599 --> 00:45:51.519 in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. I will talk about 00:45:51.519 --> 00:45:54.820 that next week as well. But until then, enjoy 00:45:54.820 --> 00:45:57.280 this bonus track. I'm not going to play any music. 00:45:57.300 --> 00:45:59.760 I'm just going to slowly fade out.