| (Yellowstone Trip - June 9 to June 24, 2000 - Part 4 ) | |||||||
| Tuesday,
June 13, 2000
Packed up this morning and left Mammoth Hotel. Stopped by the visitors center before we set out for Roosevelt Cabins and confirmed meeting Ballpark Frank and Cathy for a hike the next Sunday. We were interested in a light hike in the Roosevelt area, and to our good fortune, Ranger Bill was working and suggested we try the Yellowstone River picnic area trail. On the way, we took the turnoff to Blacktail Plateau Drive to look for wildlife and were rewarded with spotting two black bears on top of the ridge. We grabbed some sandwiches for lunch along the canyon's edge. After a short, steep climb away from the picnic area, the trail levels off and heads along the canyon cliff for a great view. |
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We passed by some marmots
sunning on a big rock, |
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and saw an expectant
bighorn ewe
in the distance, coming our way! She came closer for some cool pics! |
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while another turned its tail and ran for cover! |
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| Stopped at the sign for the Specimen Ridge Trail and turned back, looking for a scat-less spot to picnic (not easy to find!). What a beautiful day and a perfect place for a picnic! | |||||||
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| As we headed back down the trail, we saw more bighorn ewes that had just come up the cliff. They continued coming closer and closer to us. John emptied the camera, and still they came closer - within about 20 feet as we were pinned to the edge of the cliff, and could not increase our distance from them. | |||||||
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| Later, as we walked back down the hill to the picnic area, we heard the commotion of a bear jam. We passed a worried cook in the parking lot grilling burgers. A young black bear was across the road near a pond, but was headed toward the picnic area. |  |
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Sure enough, he crossed the road (the cook had grabbed his burgers & jumped in the van), and then he started up the hill where we had just been hiking. | ||||||
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We were lucky not to have met this frightened youngster on the trail down this hill! |
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Back at Roosevelt, we got ready for the chuck wagon dinner. Disappointingly, yesterday's rains canceled Carol's trail ride to the cookout, so we both rode in the wagons to dinner. |
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It was a beautiful setting, perfect weather, and a crooning cowboy provided some good entertainment while everyone gorged -– big steaks, the famous Roosevelt beans, potato salad, slaw, apple crisp and muffins – yum!
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| A peaceful ride back to the Roosevelt Cabin, a dash to the showers and we were prepared to rise early the next morning for an early appointment with wolves in the Lamar Valley. | |||||||
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