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- Dec 23, 2013
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In preparation for a hike with my son in the Sierras, I headed out with my daughter and a friend to Yellowstone for four days with the intent on camping at Mallard Lake with day hikes to DeLacy Lakes and other unnamed ponds in the area.
I've been meaning to get to DeLacy Lakes for three years now, but thing have always come up that kept me from reaching it, so this trip was planned specifically to reach the lakes.
The hike in to Mallard Lake, at 3.5 miles, is relatively easy though it is uphill for most of the way. The trail makes its way through old burn for the most part, though the new trees are starting to get some height after 30 years. Once at the lake, we pitched our tents at campsite OB3 on the east side of the lake.
Route to Mallard Lake - roughly 3.7 miles to campsite 0B3
Obligatory trailhead shot
Katie runs into a Bison early on
The Firehole River
Typical trail walking to Mallard Lake - I can remember when these trees were knee high
More of what the terrain looks like on the way to the lake - looking down on unnamed stream
Marmot along the way
Chipmunk too
Mallard Lake in the late afternoon
Sunset on the Lake the first night
The second day we day hiked off-trail (about 4 miles one way) past a few unnamed ponds to DeLacy Lakes. When we arrived at the lakes, we were entertained by an otter who caught two fish and ate them at the end of a downed log in the lake, while we ate our lunches.
Map of our day hike to DeLacy Lakes
Hard to do a hike without a couple of superheroes![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Pond #1
Little bit of open space along the drainage - who is the ugly guy in the middle of this shot?
More of the open area, with a touch of snow ahead
Pond #2
Pond #3 - this pond was larger/longer than the first two.
DeLacy Lakes (western portion)
Otter that entertained us while we ate lunch.
Another shot of the otter
Another shot of DeLacy Lakes (western lake)
Katie at DeLacy Lakes
Bearpole back at camp
On day 3, we hiked to an unnamed pond that is located northeast of Old Faithful. Our route began on the Mallard Creek Trail but soon turned into an off-trail adventure to the pond.
Map of our route to unnamed pond on day 3
Hiking along the Mallard Creek Trail
Unnamed pond northeast of Old Faithful - lots of elk prints in the mud along the shore of the pond
Lunch at the pond - rumor has it that that might be @McGimpkins at the end of the log
Balancing act required for making it to this pond - Katie on her way back to camp
Katie at Mallard Lake - apparently didn't get enough of the matchsticks going to and from the pond.
Mosquito Heaven!
Sunset on day 3 at Mallard Lake.
Day four consisted of us hiking back to out vehicle at the Trailhead and heading home.
I've been meaning to get to DeLacy Lakes for three years now, but thing have always come up that kept me from reaching it, so this trip was planned specifically to reach the lakes.
The hike in to Mallard Lake, at 3.5 miles, is relatively easy though it is uphill for most of the way. The trail makes its way through old burn for the most part, though the new trees are starting to get some height after 30 years. Once at the lake, we pitched our tents at campsite OB3 on the east side of the lake.
![Mallard_Lake_01.jpg Mallard_Lake_01.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56299-3df59705e9a93fbb8605200d6ddc5c12.jpg)
Route to Mallard Lake - roughly 3.7 miles to campsite 0B3
![02.jpg 02.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56300-028bf73fd7e92da0d8434390d3aac45b.jpg)
Obligatory trailhead shot
![03.jpg 03.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56301-628b136332f94be5cd60d82b8f69bf9c.jpg)
Katie runs into a Bison early on
![04.jpg 04.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56302-4e50a30d0c6f7e64381f42749b5239be.jpg)
The Firehole River
![06.jpg 06.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56303-b9a84ec931518e0f749307940c6df741.jpg)
Typical trail walking to Mallard Lake - I can remember when these trees were knee high
![07.jpg 07.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56305-b13d06b9f1b028e16e7584df285f3a45.jpg)
More of what the terrain looks like on the way to the lake - looking down on unnamed stream
![16.jpg 16.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56306-e9b7e5e7e38ed9d051f8acff95669dd9.jpg)
Marmot along the way
![17.jpg 17.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56307-d3f2b7b1befe3b52da1cdd68030117ea.jpg)
Chipmunk too
![20.jpg 20.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56308-57483d5817b7398a76a18c1017732f3a.jpg)
Mallard Lake in the late afternoon
![21.jpg 21.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56309-06a7e2469815a87644c2b2d5c2fa29f7.jpg)
Sunset on the Lake the first night
The second day we day hiked off-trail (about 4 miles one way) past a few unnamed ponds to DeLacy Lakes. When we arrived at the lakes, we were entertained by an otter who caught two fish and ate them at the end of a downed log in the lake, while we ate our lunches.
![Mallard_Lake_02.jpg Mallard_Lake_02.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56310-5022e01e6f51dc1a6ae905c45de7b733.jpg)
Map of our day hike to DeLacy Lakes
![22.jpg 22.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56311-b94cbf534132b2808f792274bdd85235.jpg)
Hard to do a hike without a couple of superheroes
![23.jpg 23.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56312-e89dd0c9296a932a8ac581f69abf8196.jpg)
Pond #1
![24.jpg 24.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56313-ae254996f919dcce886918bda4657948.jpg)
Little bit of open space along the drainage - who is the ugly guy in the middle of this shot?
![25.jpg 25.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56314-3c955853127e7a55489fa6e745b05ddf.jpg)
More of the open area, with a touch of snow ahead
![26.jpg 26.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56315-a02f857c749bea91c014b40c9fccc1ec.jpg)
Pond #2
![27.jpg 27.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56316-9dc2499285edd70361cf0276ade3d8ff.jpg)
Pond #3 - this pond was larger/longer than the first two.
![30.jpg 30.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56317-2859d3c33f94a791243eacefaebde4e7.jpg)
DeLacy Lakes (western portion)
![28.jpg 28.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56318-e79df70e2ba90943e37ef7eb68a45d05.jpg)
Otter that entertained us while we ate lunch.
![29.jpg 29.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56319-7ddb948d96098b7ad296ea5a390bd11f.jpg)
Another shot of the otter
![36.jpg 36.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56320-65dac18e46e8f8d0a181d6db7b0f4e48.jpg)
Another shot of DeLacy Lakes (western lake)
![35.jpg 35.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56321-34e5d95ea66601775f58e59059a7f5ec.jpg)
Katie at DeLacy Lakes
![37.jpg 37.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56322-8aaa98a3286571854cd6714a6434a091.jpg)
Bearpole back at camp
On day 3, we hiked to an unnamed pond that is located northeast of Old Faithful. Our route began on the Mallard Creek Trail but soon turned into an off-trail adventure to the pond.
![Mallard_Lake_03.jpg Mallard_Lake_03.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56323-e2e0682b9abaae82e14a30aa953756df.jpg)
Map of our route to unnamed pond on day 3
![40.jpg 40.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56324-05e197137f93f383dca37cce2513ff94.jpg)
Hiking along the Mallard Creek Trail
![40b.jpg 40b.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56325-d95b3f604cb81387bceee08e9045e7aa.jpg)
Unnamed pond northeast of Old Faithful - lots of elk prints in the mud along the shore of the pond
![41.jpg 41.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56326-b1bbba9b04cbe078556a71b402d7d2e6.jpg)
Lunch at the pond - rumor has it that that might be @McGimpkins at the end of the log
![42.jpg 42.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56327-f343234a83cdd94edf0d2d318b040ab8.jpg)
Balancing act required for making it to this pond - Katie on her way back to camp
![43.jpg 43.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56328-4e27c0798f65d5d0d2ee7b1703eb6d2f.jpg)
Katie at Mallard Lake - apparently didn't get enough of the matchsticks going to and from the pond.
![44.jpg 44.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56329-6a1514fdf3c0f6cbfc66672fbe6e4a00.jpg)
Mosquito Heaven!
![45.jpg 45.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/56/56330-ceb67d6c42811f21355db679ac80a2f9.jpg)
Sunset on day 3 at Mallard Lake.
Day four consisted of us hiking back to out vehicle at the Trailhead and heading home.