Lamar River, Mirror Plateau, and Pelican Valley (Yellowstone NP) - mid-September 2024

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This is a pretty similar trip to one I did with my brother back in 2020, so I'll keep the exposition fairly brief. (See that trip report here.)

If we limit it to trips that happen 100% inside the park, I think this is one of my favorites in Yellowstone NP. It's missing some of the higher ridgelines and alpine 'flavor' that I love, but it just feels like Yellowstone the whole way through - in the very best way. It should also theoretically be some of the best wildlife spotting in the park, too - but tell that to the bears, because I still haven't seen one on this route. :roflmao:

My buddy and I were supposed to be doing a trip in the Beartooths, but weather precluded it unfortunately. We were both already in Cooke City by the time we made that call, so we went looking for an alternative. Turns out having a route w/ no high ridgelines or alpine exposure can be a good thing...

Sadly this was also the week that the young YNP concession employee went missing on Eagle Peak.


Day 1: Lamar River TH to Lower Lamar
Like the trip 4 years earlier, we would have to cross Mirror Plateau in one day, since the seasonally available campsites on the plateau were not available. As a result, we ended up hiking in just a few miles and staying along the Lamar River - ready to head up onto the plateau first thing. Compared to last time I followed this route, we had much less smoke and much more rain/snow. The pictures reflect this - for better and worse.

But the weather started out wonderful - no real rain until the tents were up!
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Day 2: Lower Lamar to Wapiti Lake
Having trod much of this path before made this one a wonderful, stress-free stroll. The rain again threatened all day - which did cause us to push our pace a bit - but withheld the worst of the forecast rain until we were in camp yet again! (Our luck on this front would end here. :roflmao:)

Up the drainage!
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Small fumaroles.
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Almost there.
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Upper Pelican Creek site - only available for a small window mid-summer.
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Cozy little camp on the Wapiti Lake peninsula. Great spot - good thing, too, because it would be a long, stormy night (and half another day).
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Wapiti Lake.
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Day 3: Wapiti Lake to Broad Creek
We had planned a very short day here to allow us to explore Hot Springs Basin or further up Broad Creek, but the weather was downright miserable - so we slept in. The snow wasn't deep, but it was heavy and wet. Not my favorite conditions. (It's still pretty magical to walk through a snow-covered Yellowstone backcountry though...)

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Broad Creek.
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Day 4: Broad Creek to Mist Creek Meadows
Mist Creek Meadows is one of my favorite sites in the park, so it was a pleasure to revisit this one. And a day that includes Pelican Valley is almost always a day well spent.

Just as quickly as the snow arrived... it was gone. (Still very, very wet though.)
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The walk down to the greater Pelican Valley along Pelican Creek is one of my favorites, too. (No wonder I wanted to do this trip again...)
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Pelican Valley!
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Pelican Springs Patrol Cabin. (The outhouse blew over, but the toilet seat still works!)
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Mist Creek Meadows.
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Beautiful weather for a yard sale. (Nice of Mother Nature to let us get everything dried out.)
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Nice and (mostly) dry spot for the night. Our first and only night w/o rain.
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Day 5: Mist Creek Meadows to Lower Lamar
Easy stroll downhill all day to and along the Lamar River. Mostly wonderful weather until the evening, too. We followed wolf tracks down Mist Creek most of the morning, before finally getting to see our canine friends just after the Cold Creek/Lamar River confluence.

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Sadly there's not much in the way of photographic evidence of our wolf sightings... but they were wonderful nonetheless. I first spotted a black wolf running over a hill, but soon we heard a number of wolves howling. After noticing a few ravens, we started to realize there might be a kill nearby. There was, in fact, but it was pretty well picked over by the time we arrived. We could see some remaining fleshy ribs poking up and then a few wolves slinking around nearby. We watched for a while, but our presence was clearly bothering them - even at that distance - so we moved on.

Best picture there is - not much to see.
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Heard some bugling, but hadn't seen any elk yet. Until we sent a very healthy sized harem running uphill...
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...with the big man not far behind.
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Not a bad day - and an equally wonderful evening.
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Day 6: Lower Lamar to Lamar River TH
Early start, back to the truck, and home in Denver for a late dinner. Shame the Beartooth Trip didn't work out (trying again in 2025), but this is one route through Yellowstone I think I could do again and again. (At the very least until I see a damn bear or ten!)

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Fabulous!

When staying at the same Wapiti Lake campsite several years ago we had our share of moisture too. Glad you guys had a break in the weather to dry out.

If one looked up "Yellowstone" in a picture dictionary they would definitely see all your photos there. Very nice.

Now I have to put a return to the Pelican Valley on my future Yellowstone list. :)
 
I can never get enough of this. Thanks for your report.

The snow covered Broad Creek Valley is a great shot.

Congrats on the wolves sighting, and I still can't believe that you haven't run into a grizzly in this area. I think I saw nine of them back in there. You must not be holding your mouth just right. :)

I thought it was common knowledge that if you see a carcass, you need to head down to it, find a good seat nearby, open up your tuna packet, and have lunch. Am I wrong on this? :D
 
That's an area of Yellowstone that's still on my need-to-hike list.

We did a short trip up Lamar & Miller Creek a few years back, & had a wolf pass by about 20' from us by Cache Creek on the last day.
 
I love the pictures. I know I’m not ever getting to those spots, so I sure am grateful you sake pictures and share them. Thank you.
 

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