Joey
walking somewhere
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2014
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This is a three day backpacking trip I did November 8th through 10th, 2014. It was a 21 mile loop in the Gallatin Mountains, located in the NW corner of Yellowstone National Park. It was cold, snowy, and void of people.
Camped along Specimen Creek
Early Saturday morning, I left Jackson and drove up to West Yellowstone, via Ashton, Idaho. I was able to secure my backcountry permit via email with the park service. From West Yellowstone, I drove north towards Bozeman another 20 miles before reaching the Specimen Creek Trailhead. I started hiking a little after 12pm. There wasn't any snow on the ground, but the ridges and peaks were dusted. Where the trail was melting out (from freezing overnight), fresh bear tracks were in the mud. Thankfully he was heading the other way.
Driving near Island Park on the way to West Yellowstone
Trailhead sign
Specimen Creek
Fresh bear tracks along the trail
Views along the trail the first two miles.
I reached a trail junction 2 miles in, where I headed north up the north fork of Specimen Creek. My destination for camping this night was Crescent Lake, roughly 7.5 miles in. As I slowly gained elevation, I started encountering snow. I hiked through large meadows here which are beautiful.
Views near campsite WE1
Passing through meadows along the trail
Near campsite WE4
After the meadows, the trail entered the woods. About a mile later I reached another trail junction, with the Crescent Lake - High Lake Trail. I headed east. The trail climbs steeply up switchbacks, on the north side of a wooded ridge. A few inches of snow covered the ground. It was a cold, slow climb up to Crescent Lake. I finally reached it a few hours before dark.
Trail junction sign
Crescent Lake
In the summer, Crescent Lake’s water is a beautiful turquoise color. Today it was frozen over. The entire area was snow covered. The sunlight was hitting the peaks around the lake as I set up camp. This would be the last time I saw sunlight for a while. I set my tent down the ridge to block out the high winds that were blowing. I had to bust a hole through the ice to get water from the lake. With the help of a fire starter, I enjoyed a large fire for several hours before heading to bed. (Its easy to burn wet wood with a good fire starter. Tree bark also helps)
The view of Crescent Lake from the fire ring
My tent
A summer picture of Crescent Lake
Sunday was dreary. Colder weather moved in, and snow started flurrying. My water hole had frozen over during the night, and I had to bust through the lake ice again.
Me at Crescent Lake before leaving camp in the morning
After packing up, I headed up the trail towards High Lake. I gained maybe another 1000 ft over a few miles to reach the ridge along Yellowstone‘s Park boundary. High winds, blowing snow, and several inches of snow on the ground made the hiking very slow. It was hard to follow the trail. The bright trail markers helped out a lot. It also helped that I‘ve hiked this trail before, and had an idea of where I was going.
The trail as I left camp
Making my way up to the ridge top.
At the top of the ridge, I couldn’t see much.
Views from the top
The orange trail markers helped a lot.
I dropped down to High Lake, which was also frozen over. The hiker campsite at the south end of the lake is a sweet spot. You can set your tent up right along the shore. I was permitted to camp here for the night, but decided to keep on going. It was freezing cold and windy. Plus heavy snow and below zero temperatures were forecasted for the coming evening. The campsite doesn’t allow wood fires, so it seemed pointless to freeze there for the rest of the day.
Making my way down towards High Lake
The meadows above High Lake
High Lake
Campsite WD4 is in the trees along the lake
Campsite WD5, a horse packer campsite, is on the far side of the lake
High Lake viewed from the southern shore
A view of High Lake during the summer
I hiked down the trail another three tenths of a mile, where I reached a small saddle above the East Fork of Specimen Creek. I headed south along the creek, passing through some pretty country. This is one of my favorite places in the park. The trail stays in the meadows for a while, before entering the woods.
Bear claw marks
The trail nearing the saddle above Specimen Creek
Hiking through the meadows along the East Fork of Specimen Creek
The snow really started coming down when I reached the Sportsman Lake Trail three miles later. I chose to camp here for the night. Campsite WD6 is a horse campsite that sits along meadows several hundred yards away from the main trail. Darkness was setting in, so I quickly set up my tent in a sheltered spot, right next to a large downed tree. I had another fire in the snow, finally heading to bed around 7pm.
It snowed all night. It was also very cold. My water bottle froze solid. Around 4am, I woke up to the sound of something walking on the snow near my tent. It was a long drawn out crunch, like a large pad hitting the snow. Several of them. It got closer and closer. I turned my headlamp on, and started talking out loud to myself. The foot steps continued to get louder and louder. A bear? A moose? I couldn‘t tell. So I grabbed my air horn, stuck it outside my tent door, and blew it. It sounded absolutely pathetic. Not loud at all. I imagine it has something to do with the cold air. I blew it a second time, which was much better. Everything was quiet. Nothing took off. So I just sat there. After a short while, the foot steps started up again, this time heading away from me.
The next morning, I was eager to look for tracks. Quite a few inches of snow had fallen over the night. To my surprise, it was sunny outside.
Views around camp in the morning
Views of my tent in the morning
The fire ring
My tent was set up behind the downed tree along the edge of the trees.
The sun wouldn’t last though. To my dismay, the only tracks I found near my tent were some type of rodent tracks. So I actually blew my air horn at a mouse.
Tracks near my tent
As I packed up, more snow clouds came in. My tent poles were frozen together, and I couldn’t break some of them down. So I left them sticking up a few feet above my pack. I headed back to the trail, and started hiking west. Fresh snow covered the trees and the trail. The tent poles sticking out from my pack knocked all the snow off the branches above me onto my head as I hiked.
Views along the trail.
Specimen Creek
The trail
Soon I found wolf tracks in the snow on the trail. They were from that morning. I could see where they had peed in a few spots. The wolves used the trail for about 4 miles, before they finally disappeared into a meadow. Snow kept falling, and I hurried up my pace to get out of the woods.
Wolf tracks
Dropping down towards the creek junction
Views across the river towards campsite WE1
Finally I reached my last trail junction, where I backtracked the first two miles of my trip to the trailhead. It looked much different from my first day hiking in.
Trail junction sign
Views along the hike back to the trailhead
The End.
Featured image for home page:
Camped along Specimen Creek
Early Saturday morning, I left Jackson and drove up to West Yellowstone, via Ashton, Idaho. I was able to secure my backcountry permit via email with the park service. From West Yellowstone, I drove north towards Bozeman another 20 miles before reaching the Specimen Creek Trailhead. I started hiking a little after 12pm. There wasn't any snow on the ground, but the ridges and peaks were dusted. Where the trail was melting out (from freezing overnight), fresh bear tracks were in the mud. Thankfully he was heading the other way.
Driving near Island Park on the way to West Yellowstone
Trailhead sign
Specimen Creek
Fresh bear tracks along the trail
Views along the trail the first two miles.
I reached a trail junction 2 miles in, where I headed north up the north fork of Specimen Creek. My destination for camping this night was Crescent Lake, roughly 7.5 miles in. As I slowly gained elevation, I started encountering snow. I hiked through large meadows here which are beautiful.
Views near campsite WE1
Passing through meadows along the trail
Near campsite WE4
After the meadows, the trail entered the woods. About a mile later I reached another trail junction, with the Crescent Lake - High Lake Trail. I headed east. The trail climbs steeply up switchbacks, on the north side of a wooded ridge. A few inches of snow covered the ground. It was a cold, slow climb up to Crescent Lake. I finally reached it a few hours before dark.
Trail junction sign
Crescent Lake
In the summer, Crescent Lake’s water is a beautiful turquoise color. Today it was frozen over. The entire area was snow covered. The sunlight was hitting the peaks around the lake as I set up camp. This would be the last time I saw sunlight for a while. I set my tent down the ridge to block out the high winds that were blowing. I had to bust a hole through the ice to get water from the lake. With the help of a fire starter, I enjoyed a large fire for several hours before heading to bed. (Its easy to burn wet wood with a good fire starter. Tree bark also helps)
The view of Crescent Lake from the fire ring
My tent
A summer picture of Crescent Lake
Sunday was dreary. Colder weather moved in, and snow started flurrying. My water hole had frozen over during the night, and I had to bust through the lake ice again.
Me at Crescent Lake before leaving camp in the morning
After packing up, I headed up the trail towards High Lake. I gained maybe another 1000 ft over a few miles to reach the ridge along Yellowstone‘s Park boundary. High winds, blowing snow, and several inches of snow on the ground made the hiking very slow. It was hard to follow the trail. The bright trail markers helped out a lot. It also helped that I‘ve hiked this trail before, and had an idea of where I was going.
The trail as I left camp
Making my way up to the ridge top.
At the top of the ridge, I couldn’t see much.
Views from the top
The orange trail markers helped a lot.
I dropped down to High Lake, which was also frozen over. The hiker campsite at the south end of the lake is a sweet spot. You can set your tent up right along the shore. I was permitted to camp here for the night, but decided to keep on going. It was freezing cold and windy. Plus heavy snow and below zero temperatures were forecasted for the coming evening. The campsite doesn’t allow wood fires, so it seemed pointless to freeze there for the rest of the day.
Making my way down towards High Lake
The meadows above High Lake
High Lake
Campsite WD4 is in the trees along the lake
Campsite WD5, a horse packer campsite, is on the far side of the lake
High Lake viewed from the southern shore
A view of High Lake during the summer
I hiked down the trail another three tenths of a mile, where I reached a small saddle above the East Fork of Specimen Creek. I headed south along the creek, passing through some pretty country. This is one of my favorite places in the park. The trail stays in the meadows for a while, before entering the woods.
Bear claw marks
The trail nearing the saddle above Specimen Creek
Hiking through the meadows along the East Fork of Specimen Creek
The snow really started coming down when I reached the Sportsman Lake Trail three miles later. I chose to camp here for the night. Campsite WD6 is a horse campsite that sits along meadows several hundred yards away from the main trail. Darkness was setting in, so I quickly set up my tent in a sheltered spot, right next to a large downed tree. I had another fire in the snow, finally heading to bed around 7pm.
It snowed all night. It was also very cold. My water bottle froze solid. Around 4am, I woke up to the sound of something walking on the snow near my tent. It was a long drawn out crunch, like a large pad hitting the snow. Several of them. It got closer and closer. I turned my headlamp on, and started talking out loud to myself. The foot steps continued to get louder and louder. A bear? A moose? I couldn‘t tell. So I grabbed my air horn, stuck it outside my tent door, and blew it. It sounded absolutely pathetic. Not loud at all. I imagine it has something to do with the cold air. I blew it a second time, which was much better. Everything was quiet. Nothing took off. So I just sat there. After a short while, the foot steps started up again, this time heading away from me.
The next morning, I was eager to look for tracks. Quite a few inches of snow had fallen over the night. To my surprise, it was sunny outside.
Views around camp in the morning
Views of my tent in the morning
The fire ring
My tent was set up behind the downed tree along the edge of the trees.
The sun wouldn’t last though. To my dismay, the only tracks I found near my tent were some type of rodent tracks. So I actually blew my air horn at a mouse.
Tracks near my tent
As I packed up, more snow clouds came in. My tent poles were frozen together, and I couldn’t break some of them down. So I left them sticking up a few feet above my pack. I headed back to the trail, and started hiking west. Fresh snow covered the trees and the trail. The tent poles sticking out from my pack knocked all the snow off the branches above me onto my head as I hiked.
Views along the trail.
Specimen Creek
The trail
Soon I found wolf tracks in the snow on the trail. They were from that morning. I could see where they had peed in a few spots. The wolves used the trail for about 4 miles, before they finally disappeared into a meadow. Snow kept falling, and I hurried up my pace to get out of the woods.
Wolf tracks
Dropping down towards the creek junction
Views across the river towards campsite WE1
Finally I reached my last trail junction, where I backtracked the first two miles of my trip to the trailhead. It looked much different from my first day hiking in.
Trail junction sign
Views along the hike back to the trailhead
The End.
Featured image for home page: