In September of 2009, I paid my first visit to Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone is such an incredible place and our timing was perfect. It was late September and the park was gearing up for winter. The visitor traffic was low and the weather unpredictable. They had already had their first snow and as you'll see in the pictures, more was coming. I have so many great stories to tell from this trip, but one in particular stands out...
When you go hiking in Yellowstone and get more than a half mile away from the roads, the silence become noticeable. Knowing that there is wildlife in the area that can take you out and seeing evidence of it (such as trees with claw marks or scat) makes you what I would call "bearanoid". My companion and I were hiking the trail to (and this is classic) Grizzly Lake and we were at a part of the trail where you had to straddle fallen trees. I was in mid-straddle and heard a noise in one of the bushes off the side of the trail. With my senses heightened, I though I was done for. When the vicious man-eating animal darted out from the bushes, I screamed like little girl, lost my balance, and fell flat to the ground! I was certain that the next thing that would happen would be my foot getting munched on by a grizzly bear at Grizzly Lake. Instead, I heard the last thing I thought I would hear... the sound of giggling. When I finally managed to open my eyes, I saw my adversary. It was a chipmunk.
There were several hiking excursions in Yellowstone where bearanoia set in, but we never saw a single one. What a rush though, and what an experience to hear utter deafening silence. I have grown to love that feeling and I would be back to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons many times.
I must also add that I think this was the real beginning of adventuring for me. In the year that followed, you'll notice a ton of blog entries and if you were able to see the equipment used, you'll notice some upgrades. I was hooked!
Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park
Morning Glory Pool
Lamar Valley
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Tower Falls
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Mammoth Hot Springs
Mammoth Hot Springs
Lamar River
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