Pahaska Tepee Resort to Lake Yellowstone Hotel Friday, June 21, 2024
Yellowstone National Park has an outsized reputation as the nation’s (if not the world’s) first national park, one of the largest, and one of the most legendary. Everybody has heard of it, it’s a UNESCO world heritage site. I have been there six times already, and seen all the major draws: Old Faithful and most of the other thermal features, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Lower Falls, Mammoth Hot Springs; and climbed Sepulcre Mountain, Specimen Ridge, and Mount Washburn. I’ve seen grizzlies, black bears, bison, wolves, elk, marmots, coyotes, etc. I’ve done Yellowstone.
This time, I was just passing through, on my way to the next highpoint. The first day of summer, today is early in the season, and the crowds weren’t too bad. On my last trip, in August, the traffic was oppressive. It seemed every parking lot had a 2 mile back up, no car could enter until a car left. On my bicycle, I was able to bypass those lines, but it still soured the experience.
Less than a year ago, Jane and I had seen one of the worlds other major thermal areas, on the north island of New Zealand. Impressive, but none can hold a candle to the features in Yellowstone. Even so, I didn’t feel the need to see Old Faithful et al again.
Nope, I was just passing through. But I still got a thrill when I passed the iconic sign.
The place is just special, even when you’re not really trying to see it. It feels like hallowed ground. My 70-hour audiobook, The Dying Grass, was just getting to the part where Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce were chased through Yellowstone by the army. I passed a stereotypical scene, a collection of cars and camera tripods, apparently a grizzly and her cub had just left before their equipment had gotten a chance to capture them.
The only “feature” I was really going to see was Yellowstone Lake, the highest large freshwater lake on the continent, and the source of the eponymous river. So big, it’s hard to capture in a single shot.
but if you zoom in, you can see a bison grazing
and the Tetons rising over the lake, 60 miles distant
I had hoped to have the quintessential Yellowstone camping experience at Grant Village, 55 miles away; but another late start, a headwind, my ongoing struggles with caffeine withdrawal, and the highest pass to date, Sylvan Pass at 8,524 feet, really kicked my butt. At 30 miles I passed the posh Lake Yellowstone Hotel
always booked months in advance, and found that they had a cancellation. So I wimped out. Evening was coming, I felt a little vulnerable on my bicycle when the wildlife would be more active, I had my bear spray at the ready, but still. Cut me some slack, I’m an old man.
The restaurant was sumptuous, I had cassoulet, a combination of Coq au Vin, Jackalope sausage, and white beans. My waitperson, Juneau, was planning a moonlight ice climb of Avalanche Peak with friends overnight, before returning to work tomorrow morning. Ah, to be young again.
Distance 30 miles, 2,162 total. Time 6 hours with stops. Elevation gain 2,600 feet
©️ 2024 Scott Luria
The Ends of the Earth 