Hidden Creek (Scatman Edition) - Teton Wilderness - August 1, 2024

scatman

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A week after returning from my Jay Creek trip, I was on the road again heading to Cody, Wyoming for another eight day backpacking trip. The last time that I had been to Cody was almost 30 years ago when I did a backpacking trip into Canoe Lake on the east side of Yellowstone National Park through the Shoshone National Forest. I stayed in Cody on my way home from that trip.

My drive to Cody was going to take me about 7.5 hours. I was hoping to meet up with @TractorDoc and @b.stark that afternoon as Tractordoc was flying in and b.stark was picking him up at the airport. After that, @wsp_scott and @Bob would join us for some dinner.

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Lonely road. Somewhere between Thermopolis and Cody

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Stopped to get this shot of the red rocks

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Home for the night

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Dinner at the WYOld West Taproom

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All have arrived

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The Kilted Cowboy Scotch Ale. Seems fitting.

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Yum!

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These ought to get me up the hill - Rocky Mountain Oysters

After dinner, Scott and Bob took off to camp near the trailhead.

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Watching the Cody shoot out after dinner. After the gunfight, I headed back to the hotel room to get a good night's rest so that
I'd be ready to hit the trail in the morning.

And before we go any further down this rabbit hole, @b.stark wrote an excellent trip report that can be found here - Wyoming 2024 -The Hidden Creek Expedition . His report is more factual than the hot mess :hot: that lies ahead should you choose to continue on.

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Trip Overview Map

Our original route had been a near loop that incorporated Deer Creek, Deer Creek Pass, North Fork Butte Creek, Butte Creek, Thorofare Creek, Hidden Creek, North Fork of the Yellowstone, the high country above Thorofare Creek headwaters, then along the ridge, drop down into Fall Creek, and out the South Fork of the Shoshone River. Unfortunately, we couldn't get above the falls on Hidden Creek, so essentially our trip turned into an out and back affair.


Day 1 - Deer Creek Trailhead to upper Deer Creek

Dave and I ate breakfast at the Irma before heading on to the trailhead. Brent had taken off earlier to meet Bob and the outfitter, since they were going to ride horses up to the pass.

We arrived at the trailhead around 8:30 and right after we arrived, Scott and @futurafree showed up after shuttling a vehicle to the Cabin Creek Trailhead.

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Trailhead sign

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Dave, thinking this Outback is one fine vehicle. :)

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Indeed

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Chris and Scott on the switchbacks right off the trailhead. It was a hot day, and the
first hill was brutal, with little shade and the sun beating down on us. About halfway up
the hill, I thought that I might not make it. Once I got to the top of the switchbacks, I
felt much better and got into a better rhythm.

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Washakie Wilderness Boundary

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Gaining some elevation. View is up the South Fork of the Shoshone River

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Chris, manhandling the switchbacks

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First good look up the canyon

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Many steep drop-offs along sections of this trail

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Falls on a side-stream of Deer Creek

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Looking back down canyon

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A Mormon cricket

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See that log about thirty feet downstream? I crossed that log so that I wouldn't get my boots wet.

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I got stuck in this and couldn't get back to the trail. I tried removing my pack and lifting it over the downfall, but it was no use. I
had to tuck my tail between my legs and retreat back across the log. I ended up getting my boots wet. :)

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Deer Creek

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Mountain ash

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More Deer Creek

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More tributary falls

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Views from along the trail

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Sulphur buckwheat

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A mule and horse from Bob and Brent's outfitter. Who was riding this horse?

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Views from the trail

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Wildflowers

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Camp for night one

Once comfortably in my tent for the evening, Dave called to me and said that he had received a message from Brent on his satellite connection that told us not to come down the North Fork of Butte Creek because it was "sketchy." What did sketchy mean? No old horse trail? No good campsites to be had? Too many willows to contend with? bad fishing? I would have preferred the message be sent by smoke signals, but since there are fire restrictions in place, I'll let the techies win this one. :)


Day 2 - Upper Deer Creek to Junction of North Fork Butte Creek with Butte Creek

After the "sketchy" warning, we decided to take the Butte Creek Trail down and meet Bob and Brent where the North Fork flows into Butte Creek.

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A deer strolls by near camp in the morning

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Chris, beginning the switchbacks up to Deer Creek Pass

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Monkey flowers along the trail

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The north side of Fingfisher Peak

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The Deer Creek Trail

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First good view of the pass

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It just might be scary riding a horse through the sections ahead.

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The logs have been set in place with long rods of rebar hammered into the hillside to
keep the trail from slumping off

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Seems like we are almost there. :)

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View back down the canyon

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Deer Creek Pass

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Chris waiting at the pass

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Scatman crawling to the pass

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Help! I've fallen and I can't get up. :D I couldn't lift my left leg to get a proper turtle on its back pose because I would have
rolled down the hill. :)

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Leaving the Washakie Wilderness and entering the Teton Wilderness

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View to the west from the pass

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Scott arrives at the pass

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Dave arrives at the pass

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As promised, the bikini pose in all cardinal directions if I made it to the pass. Sorry @Rockskipper, no real bikini.

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@Bob and @b.stark disappeared over this hill to sketchiness.

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The Thorofare Buttes

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A horse highway heading down this side of the pass

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A natural arch on the east end of the Thorofare Buttes

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One of my favorite pictures of our trip

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Time to purify some water at the headwaters of Butte Creek

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A look back at the pass

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Bear track on the trail

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Old signpost at the junction with the Woody Creek Trail

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The basin above is know as The Cathedral

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Butte Creek

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Where are @Bob and @b.stark ?

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Outfitter's camp on North Fork Butte Creek

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Interesting

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@wsp_scott and @futurafree crossing Butte Creek to get to our campsite

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Where the Hell are we? :)

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Ledge stonecrop

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My tent


Day 3 - Junction of Butte Creek and North Fork Butte Creek to Outfitter's Camp up Hidden Creek

We were originally going to camp at the mouth of Hidden Creek, but the overall sketchiness changed our plans.


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A deer yesterday and a squirrel today to start the morning off

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Heading down Butte Creek again

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Getting close to the Thorofare Creek Trail

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Thorofare Creek

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The old Cabin on Pass Creek

At this point, we saw someone heading up the Thorofare Creek trail and Scott called out to him. It turned out to be @Georgia Yankee who was looking for us. He joined us at the cabin for a group shot.

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Group shot at the cabin - @b.stark , @futurafree , @Georgia Yankee , @wsp_scott , @Bob , @TractorDoc , and Scatman

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Back on Thorofare Creek

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Heading towards Hidden Creek

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Hidden Creek cuts through the "V" in the ridge

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@Georgia Yankee and a bear box near the mouth of Hidden Creek

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@wsp_scott crossing Thorofare Creek

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@Georgia Yankee showing us all how easy the crossing is

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Steep switchbacks going up the hill on the first part of the Hidden Creek Trail

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Dave and Chris on the switchbacks. I think they are thinking, "Get out of the way
slowpoke!"

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A deer on the hillside runs away from us

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Brent and Jim making their way through this neat little valley before climbing again

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Looking back down on that small valley

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Geranium

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The mountain directly ahead (unnamed peak 10,770) is the divider between the east and west branches of Hidden Creek

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Monkey flower

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Another sign near the outfitter's camp

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Dinner time at the outfitter's camp. This is where we learned the story of the soon to be legendary Rooster Allen Seacrest.

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GoPro - Take a picture!


Day 4 - Outfitter's Camp on Hidden Creek to the end of the Second Meadow on Hidden Creek

This was a short day which gave us time to try and get to the waterfall at the end of the valley

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First view of Hidden Creek

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Something is picture worthy after fording Hidden Creek

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Yellows monkey flower

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Another small arch above

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Making our way through the first meadow

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Grizzly scat

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And guess who is bringing up the rear? :scatman:

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Mountains along east side of Hidden Creek Canyon

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Last break before reaching our campsite

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Making our way through the second meadow

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U turn on Hidden Creek

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Group shot

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Hidden Creek Falls

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Once last stream to cross to get to camp

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Our campsite. It rained for a short time, but once it stopped some of us headed for the falls

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A police car moth on some ragwort

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Making our way towards the falls between the willows and the forest

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Hidden Creek

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Another taste test. Yep, grizzly. :hungry:

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No getting up the cliffs here

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@futurafree crossing Hidden Creek

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Zoomed in on the mist from the falls

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More wonderful paintbrush just above the creek

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Remember the boulder in Indiana Jones? :D

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Columbine

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A tall column on the west side of Hidden Creek

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Good flow to the creek

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At the base of the cliff band I ran into a game trail

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Straight down to the creek

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Butt pucker time at this point as I try to round the bend to get to the waterfall

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Don't like the loose rocks

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Made it to the falls

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Dave and the column on our way back down

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Very steep at this point as we try to make our way back down to the creek

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Back on the creek

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Looking down Hidden Creek

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More columbine

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Flies on cow-parsnip

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Last look at the falls

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Some willows to contend with on our way back to camp

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Dave and the falls

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Dinner time

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Meeting of the brain trusts

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Camp


Day 5 - Upper Hidden Creek Meadow to Thorofare Creek

@Georgia Yankee would be leaving us today to continue his adventure to upper Thorofare Creek, Majo Pass, North Fork of the Yellowstone, Younts Peak, and beyond. It was a pleasure meeting you Jim and hope that someday we can meet on the trail again.


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Sunrise on Hidden Creek

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Sulphur paintbrush

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Back the way we came

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Unnamed peak 10,770

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@Bob , finding the optimal crossing point

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A quick break back at the outfitter's camp

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Petrified Ridge in the distance. Rumor has it someone wants to return to explore that ridge next year. :thinking:

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Dave passing through the pretty little valley before dropping down to Thorofare Creek

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A new grizzly track on the trail since we came in

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Thorofare Creek

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A stonefly. These guys were all over my tent.

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Ducks swimming upstream on Thorofare Creek

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Petrified Ridge to the north

Later in the evening we would have a nice lightning and thunderstorm show.


Day 6 - Thorofare Creek to Upper Butte Creek

@b.stark , @futurafree , and @wsp_scott would be leaving the group today so that they could get out a day earlier. They are wonderful lads and I hope I get to share a trail and a campsite with them in the future.


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Morning sun on Thorofare Creek

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Not exactly sure what this guy is doing, but his camping partner could not catch their horse. Every time he would get close, the
horse would run away. It was wearing a bell, so as it ran you'd hear tinker, tinker, tinker. This made me laugh out loud to watch.
Soon karma would get me back for being amused by his misfortune.

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Muddy Pass Creek flowing into clear Thorofare Creek

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Bear sign

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Back on Butte Creek

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Butte Creek

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Fireweed

Not long after they above picture was taken, e reached North Fork of Butte Creek (Sketchy). @TractorDoc crossed and I followed. As I approached the opposite bank, I stepped on a wet rock with my right foot. I then went to reach out with my left foot to step on the bank when my right foot slipped off the wet rock. I put my leg down into the creek only to encounter another very slick rock. I went down fast and hard and stuck my right arm out without even thinking about it. As soon as I hit I felt immediate pain in my right arm. I knew right away that I had broken something. My wrist? My forearm? Both? If I had been thinking I would have had Bob or Dave snap my picture. Scatman down! But I was too busy curled up in a ball of pain to think about that at the moment. I eventually got up and adrenaline carried me through the rest of the day. I also took less pictures as it hurt to remove my camera from the shoulder strap clip. I did manage to take some though. :)

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Mule train heading in to set up the outfitter's camp on Hidden Creek. This was the same outfitter that took Bob and Brent to the
top of Deer Creek Pass on day one.

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Fireweed on the hillside beneath the dead trees

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Back at the Thorofare Buttes

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Campsite for the night


Day 7 - Upper Butte Creek to Upper Deer Creek

We had a grizzly bear come through our camp in the night.

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Our visitor last night. Its prints were over the top of our boot prints in camp

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Deer Creek Pass once again

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Horse remains

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Bob and Dave approaching the pass

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Bob on the pass. It was really windy on this side of the pass

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Dave on the pass. Ground squirrels were plotting his demise at this point. :)

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The main culprit

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Down the other side

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Bob, thinking how his horse made it through this section

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Deer Creek

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Getting chilly as a cold front moves in


Day 8 - Upper Deer Creek to the Deer Creek Trailhead.

All downhill from here. :D

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Woke up in the clouds. Everything was soaking wet.

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Hand and wrist swollen this morning

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This bear lead us almost all the way down the trail to the trailhead

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Walking out of the clouds

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This guy is 80 years old, carries an external frame pack and went over Deer Creek Pass to The Cathedral. On his way back down
when we ran into him - very inspirational.

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These are what got me up the hill on day one - fresh raspberries.

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Can just make out the valley in the distance where the trailhead is located

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The bear is still leading the way

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Uphill again? :)

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Falls that we stopped at on day one

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I just loved these shots of the grizzly prints on the trail. It turned off at the top of the switchbacks on the last hill to descend before
the trailhead

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Bob, leaving the canyon

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The South Fork of the Shoshone River below

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The Sube! And the eighty's year old car (white one)

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The last switchback

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Trail end group shot

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Celebrated at the Cody Steakhouse

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Enjoying a 24 ox. medium rare T-bone

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Along with a Jeremiah Johnson Mountain Man Scotch Ale. Quite good I might add.

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It was now time to go get the arm checked out

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I liked this image when they took me back to X-ray my wrist and forearm

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Broken wrist is the verdict

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They told me to make an appointment with an orthopedic specialist when I got back to Salt Lake

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We had a day to kill in Cody before Dave flew out, so we did some shopping and had a beer or two.

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@Rockskipper , I may need some help affording these 25,000 dollar boots that commemorate
Yellowstone National Park's 150th anniversary. I promise I will pay you back. ;)

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After dropping Dave off at the Cody airport, this sunrise greeted me on the way to Thermopolis.

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I made an appointment with an orthopedic specialist when I returned to SLC and he confirmed the broken wrist and then put me in
a custom made brace for the next four weeks. He told me that he would put me in a cast instead if I was going to be stupid. I told
him that I'd be a good lad with my right wrist. Does anybody on here believe that? :D

Well, even with the wrist situation, it was a fun trip. I was a little disappointed that we couldn't complete the original route, but hey sometimes that just happens. I would definitely recommend Hidden Creek to anyone who is interested.


The End.
 

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Scatman, Great Trip Report and Photos! Loved It!!!! This is too bad about the wrist. The things that happen to us when in the woods. Just Great Great Great! Now the photo of the ducks is of a female Harlequin Duck with chicks it looks like. Have seen these ducks myself here up in the Thorofare River Drainage. The Wyoming Fish and Game might be very interested in this sighting and photo! This report brought back memories. What a summer you have had with both Jay Creek and Hidden Creek. Wow! Both of these places are really special to myself. Good for you and everyone of you for seeing this area. Hope your wrist heals well and Pronto. Thanks for posting!
 
Excellent report and photos! It was a pleasure to hike with Hugh and the rest of the crew. Shame that the North Fork of Butte Creek took some revenge on you Hugh.
 
Excellent write up Hugh!

This trip definitely had high moments and those that were. . . sketchy. :D

Getting to see the main valley of Hidden Creek was quite the highlight.

@scatman was the only member of the group to get up close to the big waterfall on Hidden Creek (I don't handle steep cliffs and sheer drop offs well!). A lot of admiration/respect goes out to him on that -- great pictures by the way!

Thanks for letting me tag along on another great adventure. Hopefully you are just about all healed up and ready to chase some kittens, play some basketball, and swim in Grebe Lake.

I know you and @Bob are trying to retire from these longer trips. . . but I think you guys might have one or two left in you yet. I bet that is why we encountered our 80+ year old hiker friend on the trail -- to give us some perspective. :)
 
Great TR! Loved the shot of the waterfall pillar with Hidden Creek meadows in the background. I hope your wrist heals quickly. It was great to hike with you. I hope we can do it again.
 
Wow, so much bear sign after the trip was essentially over! And I thought the pics of you walking by the emergency room after the trip was a joke. Can't believe you had to hike out with a broken wrist!
Still jealous you actually saw the waterfall, and wish I'd pushed harder to make it.
 
I wish I had got a photo of @futurafree while you were doing your cardinal directions poses. He looked really confused and I'm sure was wondering what he had got himself into :)

Cool seeing that pillar near the falls up close, still glad I did not continue the bushwack to get that close and really glad I did not have my pack on with the idea we were going over the pass.

Wow the weather really turned on the last day, it was really hot when we hiked out.

Really like the photo of all the bear prints down the middle of the trail

Your wrist looked terrible in that photo. We you shoveling in Advil at that point or just ignoring it?

Hope your wrist heals quickly
 
Looks like a fantastic trip, but what a bummer about the wrist! Hopefully it's plenty healed here in another week and a half!

I thought you were doing the sprinkler dance at the top of the pass...
 
Awesome trip report. My brother and I went up Deer Creek to Bridger Lake/Hawks Rest last year. When we were headed in/west coming down deer Creek pass, we saw a horse maybe 50 feet from the trail. It didn't move from its spot as we passed by and there was nobody anywhere near. It watched us closely and looked skinny / not in good shape. I wonder if this is the same horse that died right on the trail below the pass? Wild. This year we went in from Brooks Lake and made it to the head of the Yellowstone and explored all over the Buffalo Plateau as well as summited Wall mountain
 

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Awesome trip report. My brother and I went up Deer Creek to Bridger Lake/Hawks Rest last year. When we were headed in/west coming down deer Creek pass, we saw a horse maybe 50 feet from the trail. It didn't move from its spot as we passed by and there was nobody anywhere near. It watched us closely and looked skinny / not in good shape. I wonder if this is the same horse that died right on the trail below the pass? Wild. This year we went in from Brooks Lake and made it to the head of the Yellowstone and explored all over the Buffalo Plateau as well as summited Wall mountain
Welcome to BCP. Time to post some trip reports :)
 
This trip report was really something else, in a good way and in a bad way. Keep an eye out as the boots are on their way. Hope the size works (all they had was a size 4).
 
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Looks like a fantastic trip, but what a bummer about the wrist! Hopefully it's plenty healed here in another week and a half!

I thought you were doing the sprinkler dance at the top of the pass...

I do kind of look like an impact sprinkler. :D
 
Awesome trip report. My brother and I went up Deer Creek to Bridger Lake/Hawks Rest last year. When we were headed in/west coming down deer Creek pass, we saw a horse maybe 50 feet from the trail. It didn't move from its spot as we passed by and there was nobody anywhere near. It watched us closely and looked skinny / not in good shape. I wonder if this is the same horse that died right on the trail below the pass? Wild. This year we went in from Brooks Lake and made it to the head of the Yellowstone and explored all over the Buffalo Plateau as well as summited Wall mountain

What are the chances of that? Probably was the same horse. I'm with @wsp_scott in hoping for some trip reports. :thumbsup:
 
This trip report was really something else, in a good way and in a bad way. Keep an eye out as the boots are on their way. Hope the size works (all they had was a size 4).

I haven't been a size four since I was a wee little lad. I may need to cut open the toe box.
 
Route redirections, horseback riding, precarious ledges and sketchy heights, waterfalls, stretches of wild country, a broken something, and Seven of you all together. It is like a tale of legends now.

I hope the wrist heals soon. Some of those cameras you have are heavy, and getting down for a closeup might be hard to keep still and not shaky.
I guess it is good that wildflower season is about over.
You can still bushwack or take the long way on steep trails with that brace and still be in the confines of being a good lad, right?

Also, do you all use the BCP salute when running into a fellow backcountry hiker? or was that just some snipe-hunt where the next time I do it, everyone is just going to laugh?
 
Route redirections, horseback riding, precarious ledges and sketchy heights, waterfalls, stretches of wild country, a broken something, and Seven of you all together. It is like a tale of legends now.

I hope the wrist heals soon. Some of those cameras you have are heavy, and getting down for a closeup might be hard to keep still and not shaky.
I guess it is good that wildflower season is about over.
You can still bushwack or take the long way on steep trails with that brace and still be in the confines of being a good lad, right?

Also, do you all use the BCP salute when running into a fellow backcountry hiker? or was that just some snipe-hunt where the next time I do it, everyone is just going to laugh?

Legends in our own minds maybe. :D

The wrist is making progress I think. Twisting it is definitely a no-no still. I'm heading back to Yellowstone next week for three nights in the backcountry. Bushwhacking shouldn't be an issue if I can keep my wrist still and not fall on it again that is. :D I think I can keep my "Good Lad" promise to my doctor.:thinking:

We need to get you on one of these epic adventures. Wait a minute, I've retired! :)

Of course I still use the BCP salute, as should all other members.
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What I went out on the deck for in the first place before I was so rudely interrupted. :p

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