Flowers and Fireworks

On Wednesday June 28, a group of us hiked the Slough Creek Trail. I did the first couple miles my first week in the park last year, but I've always wanted to hike in further. The wildflowers have been insane recently, and this trail was no exception. Haileigh and I decided to go take pictures in them, and right as she was about to sit down, I noticed a giant spider right next to where she was going to sit. It was simultaneously horrifying and amazing to see such a huge spider, and that's saying a lot from someone who is used to scorpions and tarantulas. 

Super Spider, Slough Creek Trail, 6/28/17.

Wild Chives on the Slough Creek Trail, 6/28/17. 

About 6.5 miles in, we decided to stop by the creek for a late lunch/fishing break. There had been storm clouds moving around all day, but the storm finally decided to settle in. Right as we got back on the trail to head back, it started raining. A mile or so later, we ran into another group of hikers that said that there was a yearling grizzly up ahead. We pulled out our bear spray only to find that it was just a cinnamon colored black bear. He was pretty far off the trail, so we continued onward. 

Daniel being eaten by the storm, Slough Creek Trail, 6/28/17. 

Not much happened between the Slough Creek hike and the next weekend, which included the Fourth of July. Like typical Yellowstone employees, we decided to go camp on Shadow Mountain for the 4th. A small group of us went down on Monday night to get a good campsite. We put our tents in a giant field that had a great of Mount Moran, which is my favorite mountain in the Teton Range. The next day, we went to String Lake to hang out. On the way there, we came across a fox. Luckily, she was close enough to the car that I could get some awesome pictures from the window of my car. At the lake, I hung my hammock over a little inlet and laid there for about 2 hours while the rest of the group sunbathed and swam in the freezing cold water. That night, we went to watch the fireworks in Jackson. I ended up moving my tent when we got back, because most of the group had migrated to the next camp which had a less obstructed view of the mountains. A group of us stayed awake until 5:30 to watch the sunrise onto the mountains, which was a pretty incredible way to end the holiday. 

My little tent with Mount Moran, Shadow Mountain, 7/3/17. 

Lady fox, Shadow Mountain, 7/4/17. 

Learning to shoot fireworks, Jackson, WY, 7/4/17. 

Jackson, WY, 7/4/17.

The crew, Shadow Mountain, 7/5/17

The next morning, we went into Jackson to get brunch. Then we went to Phelps Lake to go cliff jumping. We ended up taking the wrong trail, so we missed the rocks that people use to jump off of, but we still were able to get in a good hike. The rest of the group swam, but I knew that I would turn into an instant popsicle in that water considering that I'm used to swimming pools when it's 100 degrees outside. On the way back down the trail, while once again trying to outrun a storm, we nearly ran into a female moose that was off the side of the trail. She kept eating, and it was clear that she was used to people. We stayed for a while, then left to give her some privacy. When we were leaving the Moose-Wilson Road, we saw another moose with a baby off of the road. We parked and got out, but decided not to take pictures since she was fairly hidden in the trees. 

The girls at Phelps Lake, 7/5/17. 

Moose Friend, Death Canyon Trail, 7/5/17. 

This week has been exhausting and it has been raining a lot, so I haven't gotten in much hiking. This weekend, a group of us is going to hike Skyrim, which is about 18 miles, so we'll see how that goes! 

My animal count is now up to 6 grizzlies (two female, two male, and two cubs), sixteen black bears (three separate moms with two cubs each, one adult in the distance, four separate yearlings, and two cinnamon ones), one fox, 7 bighorn sheep (one male, six females), a bull moose, two female moose and one baby, two swans, two ospreys with hatchlings, and two bald eagles.

Camping (finally!!)

The past two weeks have been insane. I haven't worked anything less than a 10 hour shift since the first week of June, which is seriously hampering my ability to be able to hike after work. I guess it helps that I start at 5:30 am, because I tend to be off by 3:30 or 4 and can still fit in a short hike.

A few days after we went to the Tetons, a group of us hiked Hellroaring Creek after work. The trail goes down a steep hill into the valley along the Yellowstone River. We hiked about 2.5 miles in and sat by the creek for a bit. The cloud patterns on the way out were insane, and we saw three black bears (a mom and two cubs across the canyon from us). The cubs were wrestling, which was adorable, but they were too far away to get good pictures of.

Clouds over Hellroaring Creek, 6/17/17. 

Last "weekend", Haileigh and I hiked in to a campsite that is about 3 miles in from the Ice Lake trailhead. It took us an hour to get the fire started, because everything was still damp from the rain a few days before. The whole time, we were being devoured by mosquitos. The sunset across the meadow was amazing though. At around 10:30, three more people hiked in, and then the last two got there around 11:15. We all sat around the fire until around 3 am. It was my first night sleeping in my new tent, which takes a grand total of 3 minutes to set up alone. The whole group slept in until 10:30 am, which was awesome except that we all woke up because we were insanely hot with the sun directly over our tents. We packed up and hiked out, then got burgers at the General Store at Canyon. That afternoon, I drove to West Yellowstone to get internet because it had been out for 5 days in Canyon, and I needed to finish FAFSA. Naturally, while I was there, I went to Taco Bus. You can take the girl out of Arizona, but you can't take the Arizona out of the girl!

Sunset from Norris Meadows Campsite, 6/20/17. 

The Crew at Norris Meadows Campsite, 6/21/17. 

Mosquitos are mean, 6/21/17. 

On both Saturday and Sunday, two different groups of us hiked up Gneiss Creek. The hike goes along the Madison River, then through a burn zone from last years fire, then up to a giant meadow. It was a pretty Gneiss hike (ahh rock puns). Both times, we hiked up a huge hill and laid in the grass (yes, I did have to check for ticks after both times, but it was totally worth it). The second time, we hiked back down, and Daniel fished in the Madison while the rest of us chilled by the river. I found a perfect log to lay down on, and I laid there and attempted to mediate, but it was a challenge with people talking and cars going by. It was still a lovely way to end the day.

Gneiss Creek Trail burn zone, 6/24/17. 

Flowers on Gneiss Creek Trail, 6/24/17.

Friends and hats, 6/24/17. 

Yesterday, I got roped into working a double, because there really was no one else to cover the closing shift. Let me tell you, working from 5:30 am to 10 pm is hard. But I luckily worked with good people all day, so that made it infinitely more manageable. Giant paycheck, here we come!

I finally have two days off in a row (yay!!). The weather is supposed to be bad, so we're not camping tonight, but we will most likely to a long day hike tomorrow.

My animal count is now up to 6 grizzlies (two female, two male, and two cubs), fifteen black bears (three separate moms with two cubs each, one adult in the distance, four separate yearlings, and the cinnamon one), 7 bighorn sheep (one male, six females), a bull moose, two swans, two ospreys with hatchlings, and two bald eagles.

Pizza and Adventures

Last Saturday, Haileigh and I went and hiked Mystic Falls. Because of the huge snowfall this winter, the falls were roaring. When we got back, I compared pictures from when I hiked it last year, and the difference was unbelievable. Also different between the two shots is that the first time, I had bug spray on my lens and did not yet know how to shoot manual. What a difference a year of practice and some alcohol wipes can make.

Mystic Falls, 6/9/16. 

Mystic Falls, 6/6/17.

On Tuesday, Haileigh, Paul, Daniel, and I did the short hike from Canyon to Cascade Canyon. It's just across the road, but it is fairly unknown, even amongst staff. We set up hammocks and listened to music as the sun set. The next day, I didn't work until 3 pm, so I drove down to the lake. I was going to sit outside and journal, but the mosquitos were insane. Instead, I went up to the hotel and sat in their lobby. It overlooks the lake and was thankfully bug-free.

Hammocking at Cascade Canyon, 6/6/17. 

I worked Thursday morning, but my managers let me leave early because Mackenzie, her boyfriend, and his family were coming through the park just for the afternoon. I decided to do Mystic with them, because I thought it would be a good, easy hike that we could get done pretty quickly.  On the way to Gardiner after the hike, Mackenzie and I saw a yearling black bear chilling on a log by the side of the road near Tower. We had pizza and ice cream there (I highly recommend Yellowstone Pizza Company. The service is so-so, but the pizza and cheesy bread are amazing), then they left for Bozeman and I drove back to Canyon. On my way, I saw a mama black bear with two yearling cubs. They quickly disappeared behind the hill, so I couldn't get any pictures. A little further up the road, there was one more yearling, but at that point, I just wanted to get home, so I kept driving. I stopped at Tower Falls to get a few pictures of the moon rising (it was the day before the full moon).

Cheesin' at Mystic Falls, 6/8/17. 

Moonrise from Tower Falls, 6/8/17. 

The next day, it rained all day, so we decided not to hike. That evening, it started snowing like crazy, so of course, some of the staff decided to have a snowball fight in front of the dorms. I had just showered and I went outside without a hat, so my hair froze. It was still hilariously fun.

The rest of the week focused mostly on work. They had me work eleven days in a row, and by the end of the "week", I was getting pretty grumpy. The only thing that kept me going was focusing on how huge my paycheck is going to be.

Yesterday was finally my day off! Haileigh and I were going to camp on Tuesday night, but it snowed all day, so we decided against it. Instead, we left early yesterday morning with a big group to go to the Tetons. We heard about a place called Delta Lake that is on an unmaintained trail. It's accessible from the Lupine Meadows trail head, but then breaks off in a different direction. On the way up, we saw two black bears pretty close up. The first was a cinnamon bear, and he was super close to the trail, so he was easy to photograph. We caught a glimpse of another black bear through the trees, but he was moving fast and didn't seem to even notice us.

Grand Teton from Lupine Meadows Trail, 6/14/17.

Cinnamon black bear, Lupine Meadows Trail, 6/14/17.

The weather was perfect, but when we got to the cutoff, there was a ton of snow on the ground. We tried so hard to find the trail beneath all of the snow, but it was pretty impossible. We were all spread out over this snowy boulder field on the Grand Teton, and we started to worry about someone getting lost or sliding down the mountain, so we sadly decided to turn around. To make ourselves feel better about not making it to the lake, we went to Jackson to get pizza. On the way back, Haileigh, Daniel, Carly, and I stopped at Jackson Lake Lodge to see one of our friends from last season. We chatted with him for a while outside of his dorm, then headed back.

Tetons with the most photographed barn in the world, 6/14/17. 

All of us are working 6 day weeks right now, which makes it a little difficult to do all of the trips that we have been planning. I still have yet to camp in the park, and it's starting to get to me. I need to sleep under the stars soon, for the sake of my sanity.

My animal count is now up to 6 grizzlies (two female, two male, and two cubs), twelve black bears (two separate moms with two cubs each, one adult in the distance, four separate yearlings, and the cinnamon one), 7 bighorn sheep (one male, six females), a bull moose, two swans, two ospreys with hatchlings, and two bald eagles.

Rainbows and Sunsets

Work, as to be expected, has been less than excellent, but I'm finally starting to settle in. It's so much easier now that everyone is here and that I have some friends back from last season. I can't wait for when we finally have our weekends lined up so that we can start doing longer hikes and backpacks. I miss sleeping under the stars. 

On Tuesday, Haileigh, Daniel, Max, and I went fishing in Lamar. There is a spot where a stream comes into the Yellowstone River, and the trout leave the river here to spawn upstream. I didn't fish, but the other three caught something like fifteen fish between them.  It started raining lightly, and I looked up to see the brightest rainbow I've ever seen. It turned to a double, and it lasted probably twenty minutes. I'm used to rainbows in Arizona that last a minute or two before fading. 

Double Rainbow, Lamar Valley, 5/30/17.

After work on Thursday, Daniel, Paul and his roommate Adam, and I decided to drive out towards Tower and Lamar to see if we could find something to do. As we were driving, Paul pointed out a super steep hill that looked nearly impossible to climb. Daniel pulled over, and we all got out. It was probably the steepest hike that I've done in the park, but it was thankfully only about a quarter mile up. The view from the top was stellar. We could see the canyon that the river carves near Tower Falls and out to Lamar Valley. We sat up there and watched the light start to fade. Daniel was using binoculars to look across the canyon, and we saw a bear run into the tree line. It was a tan color, so I thought it was a grizzly, but Daniel said it looked like a cinnamon black bear through the binoculars. We waited for it to come out of the tree line, but it never did. We left soon after so that we could get back to the car before the sun set. 

A subpar shot from the hill, (maybe Thunderer Mountain), 6/1/17. 

I was off yesterday, so Haileigh, Columbian Daniel, and I went to Bozeman. On the drive back, we saw a yearling black bear right on the side of the road, munching on grass. We stopped and took some pictures, then as we were driving away, we saw another black bear further back from the road. We didn't stop to look at it though since it was too far away. When we got to Dunraven Pass, the sunset was too pretty not to stop. We missed the best color by just a minute, but it was still gorgeous.

Yearling black bear near Tower Falls, 6/2/17.

Sunset from Dunraven Pass, 6/2/17. 

Haileigh got off work super early today, so we're gonna find something to do this afternoon. 

My animal count is now up to 6 grizzlies (two female, two male, and two cubs), five black bears (a mom with cubs, one adult in the distance, and one single yearling), one bear who was either a grizzly or a cinnamon black bear, 7 big horn sheep (one male, six female), a bull moose, two swans (a mating pair), two ospreys and chicks (from pretty far away), a bald eagle, and the usual countless elk and bison. 

Moose and Sheep and Bears, Oh My!

The past two days have reminded me of just how incredibly lucky I am to be here.

Yesterday, I went out with a group. We drove over the newly opened Dunraven Pass where the snow was easily 8 or 10 feet tall in some places. On the other side of the pass near Tower Falls, we saw a mom black bear with two yearling cubs. I didn't manage to get any good pictures though because they were in the trees and doing a pretty good job of staying hidden. We then drove to Lamar Valley, where we saw a group of big horn sheep. On the way back out, we saw a mom grizzly and her cub. They got into the water to bathe and started tussling, then they got out and ran up the hillside. It was unreal. Then on the Canyon side of the pass on the way home, we saw a lone male grizzly. He was hard to see and get pictures of, but it was still pretty amazing.

Dunraven Pass, 5/27/17.

Bathin' Bears, Lamar Valley, 5/27/17. 

Thinking that we had reached the end of our luck, we were skeptical about going out today. We were almost to Norris Junction, when we saw a bunch of cars pulled over. We joined them, and found a bull moose in the grassy meadow. Haileigh took my camera because she forgot hers, so photo credits go to her (begrudgingly haha). We watched him for probably 20 or so minutes. We went and hiked the small loop near Fountain Paint Pots, which I had never done before. There are a ton of thermal features all in a small area, and the sun was starting to set, so it was pretty amazing. We were almost back to Canyon when we saw a mom grizzly and yearling off the side of the road. It was pretty dark, but we were still able to see them.

Bull Moose near Norris Junction, 5/28/17. 

View from Fountain Paint Pots, 5/28/17. 

So I have now seen 6 grizzlies (two female, two male, and two cubs), three black bears (a mom with cubs), 7 big horn sheep (one male, six female), a bull moose, two swans (a mating pair), two ospreys and chicks (from pretty far away), and the usual countless bison. Not too shabby of a start to the season!!

Ridin' Solo

I didn't realize it until I got here, but my start date was scheduled a week earlier than last year, so the only people here were management and employee dining room staff. New arrivals just started yesterday, so it has been a quiet week around here. In addition to not having a roommate, the dorm was almost empty all week, and combined with only working a few hours a day, I've had a lot of time to myself.

It's been a lot harder being back than I thought it would be. More times than I'd like to admit, I've thought about leaving. I'm desperately missing everyone from last season, and I haven't yet met anyone who I see myself staying friends with throughout the summer. I'm hoping that once training starts that I will meet some people who want to hike and explore as much as I do. Most of the people that I have met so far just want to drink and get high, and I have zero interest in being around all of that. I've mostly been sitting in my room reading, which is nice since I don't have much time to read during the school year, it's not exactly what I want to be doing when I could be out exploring.

Lower Falls. 5/20/17.

My first full day back, I went to the Canyon. It was snowing lightly, as it was when I first went last season, but I managed to get some good pictures. There have been a couple days of sun, but it's mostly been overcast and/or raining. It's supposed to snow and rain the next 5 days, so I'm glad I'll be busy with work and training.

The road that goes south out of Canyon finally opened today after a water line break, so I was finally able to go to some of the places that I've been wanting to go back to. I left early this morning and drove down to the lake, stopping at a lot of the pullouts on the way. The first time I went to Mud Volcano last season, it was with about ten other people. Today, it was just me. It was sort of peaceful though to wander around, stopping whenever I wanted to take pictures and not having to worry about making other people wait for me.

Frozen faces make for funny smiles. Mud Volcano, 5/26/17. 

Mud Volcano. 5/26/17. 

A lucky shot, Lake Yellowstone. 5/26/17.

They also opened the road over Dunraven Pass today, so I might go to Lamar Valley this evening. There are a couple guys that I worked with last season who are back, so whenever they are done with training, I might drag them with me depending on what the weather is doing. Here's to hoping that things get better soon!

Yellowstone Round Two

It's that time of year again!! After enduring the desert all year, I'm beyond ready to be back to country where 100 degree days are few and far between. I packed up my apartment, left my stuff at home (thanks parentals for storing my crap for 3 months!), and headed off.

The biggest thing to come of this road trip is that, after 9 months, I finally named my car! Drumroll please.... his name is Eddie! He still is in need of a middle name, but I'm sure that'll come in time.

The first night of my drive, I camped at Quail Creek State Park right outside of Hurricane, Utah. It was gorgeous, and the color of the lake was unreal (see my Facebook for that picture). The next morning, I had to go to the next town over to get coffee at River Rock Roasting Company. Their chai was amazing, so it's a good thing that I don't live close or I would spend all of my money there. The cafe is on a cliff overlooking a canyon; it was cloudy and dreary so the pictures don't do it justice, but it was the perfect view and the perfect drink. There was a trio of rock climbers sitting at the table next to me who were in the midst of a climbing tour of the southwest; they were talking jubilantly about their trip. I tried not to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help but be amazed by how perky they were for having just gotten their coffee.

The view from River Rock Roasting Company, Le Verkin, Utah. 5/17/17. 

After finishing my chai, I left Hurricane in the direction of Provo. My lovely friend Kaitlyn lives there with her husband, and they were sweet enough to let me crash on their couch. Coming over one of the passes north of Cedar City, I hit a huge storm. It started with rain which turned to sleet and eventually snow, and it quickly turned into the most adventurous and hair-raising driving that I have ever done. Thank goodness I didn't have any passengers, because there was a lot of swearing and panicking involved. But I survived, and made it to Provo in good time considering the weather. I have never been to Provo, so I was shocked to find that it is bordered on one side by enormous mountains. They were covered in new snow and were absolutely gorgeous. I had a lot of fun with Kaitlyn, and we ended up staying up way too late eating sweet potato fries and taking care of her bunny, Yeti. I dragged myself out of bed around 6 this morning and snuck out quietly.

Reunited!!! 5/17/17. 

The drive today was the longest by far. With only taking three short breaks (one to get gas at this tiny station where I couldn't help but pull out my camera and take a few shots, once to stop at Taco Bus in West Yellowstone where I randomly met two of my sister's coworkers, and once more to get supplies in Bozeman), I made it to Livingston in around 8.5 hours. I think the excitement kept me awake, because I did the whole drive without coffee.

Newly snowy mountains, Cove Fort, Utah. 5/18/17. 

The Famous West Yellowstone Taco Bus. 5/18/17. 

I'm now sitting in my tiny hotel room in Livingston (I sprung for a hotel because I was not about to camp in 6 inches of snow). Because of the storm, the road into Canyon Village is still closed, so I'm sincerely hoping that they get it plowed in time for me to get in tomorrow. If not, I guess I'll just have to be a drifter until they get it open.

The Drive from Bozeman to Livingston. Last year on May 20, this was totally green. 5/18/17. 

This almost never happens. Courtesy of some random person on Facebook. 5/17/17.

I'm anticipating that the cell service and internet situation will be as dismal as it was last summer. I can usually get texts, but they usually come in way after they're sent. Phone calls sometimes make it through, but it's easier for me to call out when I find a strong enough signal. Snapchats do not load, but I can check them whenever I go into one of the surrounding towns, so every 2-4 weeks usually. I promise I'll reply to whatever communication as quickly as I can. It just may take a little time.

I'll continue to post updates whenever I have the time/signal strength. It's good to be back, and I'm hoping that it shapes up to be another amazing summer!!