Today was yet another long day in the park. From the moment we were handed the park map at the entrance gate, we knew there was no way we could even scratch the surface of the park, but we certainly did want to see and do as much as possible.
We had pancakes and sausage with pineapple (surprisingly delicious combo) at our sweet little B&B in Gardner, MT and then hit the road for Mt. Washburn. We’re glad we waited until Day 3 to hike it – there was hardly a wispy cloud in the sky. Mt Washburn is a 10,300 foot peak that you can access via a fire road (there’s a fire tower atop the peak). We were promised 360 degree views and it did not disappoint. We were also told to pack hat, gloves, thermals, because of the extreme wind and temperature drop at such elevation. This was made obvious to us when we stepped out of our car in the parking lot. We proceeded to put on ever warm layer we brought with us on the trip.
The hike itself wasn’t as strenuous at one would imagine scaling a 10,000 foot peak might be. It was 2.5 miles one way with 1,400 feet of elevation gain. The fact that we were starting out at over 8,000 feet was what made it hard. Even if you are in shape, the lack of oxygen (and insufficient red blood cells on our part) resulted in a lot of huffing and puffing.
[gfycat data_id="FoolhardyScaryDugong" data_autoplay=true data_controls=false]Along the way, we saw a few marmot and some big horn sheep in the distance. At the top of the fire tower the winds must have been 80+ miles per hour. Thankfully there was a shelter area below where we enjoyed lunch. We were next to a group that had hired a guide to hike with them (not sure why walking a fire road would require a guide, but oh well) and he made them crab salad for lunch at the base of the fire tower. He insisted we help eat the leftovers otherwise they were going in the trash and it would be a sad thing to see crab salad go to waste. (We survive on PB&J – crab salad on the trail?…that’s champagne taste). Views were at least 75 miles – we could even see the Grant Teton, snow-capped in distance!
After our blustery but beautiful hike we made our way down to the canyon area of the park – it was a bit too crowded for our taste. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone was beautiful, no doubt, but I still think it pales in comparison to the actual Grand Canyon (which JD will soon discover). We then checked out Mud Volcano which was a cool boardwalk area with several features, including a cave that roared and spit out smoke like a dragon’s snout. Coolest feature yet.
[gfycat data_id="GivingAfraidBettong" data_autoplay=true data_controls=false]We drove past fishing bridge, only to find no fishing due to Cutthroat trout spawning. Our drive past Lake Yellowstone was amazing. One day 1 in the park, we didn’t get a feel for how incredibly HUGE the lake is!
The drive out of the east entrance of the park headed towards Cody, WY was spectacular. Giant mountains give way to red cliffs and rolling hills along river. We kept trying to spot deer, but we did manage to see a mamma moose with a calf. We were sure to keep our distance, but were excited to check another animal off our list.
We arrived at our Air BnB just as it was getting dark. We can’t wait to take pictures in the morning – it’s the coolest place we’ve found yet: we are on a lovely covered porch with a big queen sized bed and a seating area. I guess you could saw it’s “glamping”. We hope to see some awesome stars tonight and wake up to a nice sunrise and the sound of the river on the ranch.
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