Brian and the Bear

Yellowstone was spectacular. I really enjoyed the park. After arriving I checked out the park headquarters in Mammoth and then headed off on a hike in the Northwest corner of the park. Since the trail was near the HQ I figured it would be a pretty popular trail, and there were a good number of people on the first 0.3 miles. But after that point it emptied out and I didn't see anyone the rest of the hike. I climbed about a 2 miles up the trail until I reached a clearing where the forest had been destroyed by a forest fire and many trees were burnt out and fallen. I spent a few hours up there exploring some ponds and hilltops. I saw deer and elk and many birds but and best of all, not another human.

Gardnier, WY

As I began my decent back down the trail I stopped to sit on a log and drink some water. I heard what I thought was another hiker coming up the trail. As I looked over, I saw it wasn't a human but it was a momma black bear and her cub. The cub scurried up a tree about 150 feet away while the momma bear just stared at me. I tried not to panic and grabbed my backpack and retreated to about 300 feet away from the bear which was still sitting there watching me.

On top of the mountain

I found a somewhat protected point and then fashoned two spears out of deadfall, in case it came to that. Since I pack light I didn't have a hatchet, machete, bear spray or a pistol. I got my phone out to make a video to document my impending death by mauling in which I'm embarrassed (em-bear-essed) to say I made more than one bear pun.

There is a bear somewhere in there.

After about 5 minutes the bear and her cub wandered off. Unfortunately they wandered off right down the trail I was also trying to descend. After giving it about 10 minutes I slowly started making my way down the trail afraid I was going to catch up with it. I made lots of noise, and was praying I'd run into another hiker. It wasn't until I got about a tenth of a mile from the trailhead that I saw someone else. It was a solid hour of an adrenaline rush.

Bison on the road!

After getting back to the HQ I treated myself to a chicken sandwich, ice cream and a cool beer to take the edge off.  I then drove south to the Norris campsite where I made camp. I got into camp early which was nice and got everything set up and a nice fire going. It pretty much drizzled all night but the campfire kept me warm and I had a few blankets for the tent. It got down into the 30's during the night but didn't freeze my water bottle.

This morning I woke up packed the site up in the rain and got in my car. I stopped by old faithful to see the eruption. It was very cool but my phone crapped out so I didn't take any pictures. Then I continued driving south through the Grand Tetons which looked gorgeous but the low cloud cover made it hard to truely appreciate it.

Now I turn back west to head to San Francisco for the weekend.

Montana

I crossed the Continental Divide for the first time

I'm sitting in a McDonalds in Livingston, MT writing this. In the 15 minutes I've been here I've had 2 sets of Michigan Grads walk in and talk to me. Which is great because yesterday I was feeling a little lonely.

I woke up in Idaho and hit the road early. After some mega-blogging in Coeur D'Alene, I got to drive through Northern Idaho which I remember from my drive out west 4 years ago as spectacular. It did not disappoint.

I then turned onto the country roads in Montana to drive up to Kalispell. Even the two lane country roads in Montana have a speed limit of 70MPH, so the Camaro really got to hug the roads. I drove up next to Flathead lake which was georgous before stopping in Kalispell fol lunch. From there it was on to Glacier National Park. The going to the sun road was still closed with snow, but I went as far as I could from the west side of the park. It was spectacular but driving through Highway 2 to the east side I think I would have really enjoyed that portion of the park even more.

From there it was more country roads all the way to Great Falls and onto my campsite at the Lewis and Clark Nat'l Forest. I made camp at a roadside campsite which was very unlike the campground I had stayed in the previous nights. Instead of having 30+ campsites packed with people and crying babies, I was the only person at this 6-site campground situated between the road and a mountainside. I also didn't have a cell signal which made me acutely aware of just how alone I was. I ended up retreating to me tent early.

This morning I woke up around 5:30 and packed up camp and after a few rainy hours on the road ended up at this here McDouglass's. Today I explore Yellowstone! Upwards and Onwards!