First Day in Yellowstone: Bison and the Lamar Valley

We rolled into Yellowstone National Park around 9:00 am, a bit later than we wanted. Our plan had been to camp at Pebble Creek, a small rustic campground in the northeast corner of the park. But on the way in we checked the availability on Lisa's iPad (while we still had a signal) and found that it was full. All the campgrounds that were still open for the season were in the north and west sides of the park, so we had over an hour drive to reach any one of them. We wanted to spend at least part of our time in the Lamar Valley area, so we headed north on the Grand Loop Road towards Tower Falls.

This route takes you up and around Mt. Washburn and across Dunraven Pass. This is an area that typically sees the earliest and latest snowfall in the park, and I think it had already been closed once this year but had reopened. In any case, it's a bit of a harrowing drive when you're pulling a camper, though I saw folks with MUCH bigger rigs than us.

For those of you who have never been to Yellowstone, the place is huge. Approximately 63 miles by 54 miles, it is over 2.2 million acres. The speed limit is 45 mph, (slower in busy places), and the roads wind around geologic features, so it takes a long time to get anywhere. Of course the scenery is amazing, so that's not a problem, but it's certainly something you have to prepare for. Many of the campgrounds are first come/first served, which is why we didn't have reservations--that and the fact we weren't sure when we were going to arrive. We thought coming in on a Monday would mean a better chance of getting a site. We were quite surprised to find that not to be the case, as the park was still very busy.

We made it to the Tower Falls campground some time after 10 am, and there were no sites available. We were told there were still sites at Mammoth, 45 minutes away in the northeast corner of the park, so we headed up. Until we secured a site, I was going to be a nervous wreck. I shouldn't have worried--there were still six sites at Mammoth when we arrived. I was so relieved. We got camp set up, and our site had a beautiful view of the mountains in the Custer Gallatin National Forest. We ended up staying three nights at Mammoth, spending most of that time in the Lamar Valley.

Setting up camp in Mammoth. What a view!

By 1:00 we were back on the road and ready to explore. Our first stop was Lava Creek, a little bump out in the road where there's a picnic area and trail. With the dogs along we couldn't go more than 100 feet from any developed area, (or someone had to stay back with them), so we weren't able to explore as much as I would have liked. The general rule about Yellowstone is that over 90% of people never leave their cars, or venture past developed areas. So if you've avoided the park because of its crowed, bear-jammed reputation, try planning some day hikes, or backpack. Walk more than about a quarter mile down a trail and you may not see another person all day. (But be sure to pack bear spray!!)

Lava Creek

At Tower Junction we continued east along the NE Entrance Road and into Lamar Valley. If you're looking for wildlife in Yellowstone, this is the place to be. While you can reasonably expect to see critters just about anywhere, this is where they gather in the greatest numbers. The famed Druid Pack of wolves made their home here. Bison, pronghorn, elk, all frequent the valley, and nine years ago we saw two bull moose there, although moose are now rarely seen in Yellowstone.

NE Entrance Road crosses first the Yellowstone River, then the Lamar River. We pulled over on the far side of the bridge over the Lamar to poke around and take some photos. Finally feeling freed from the confines of the van and the constant travel, I climbed down to the river's edge. The view wasn't all that great from down there, but I sat for a bit, enjoying the sun, marveling at the huge boulders in the river.

The Lamar River near the NE Entrance Rd overpass

We had timed the trip perfectly with the park's peak color. In this part of the country there's little more than yellow to set the park ablaze, but by golly, it's enough.

Fall color near the Lamar River

Willows ablaze

Even though the day use area and campground were closed, we paid a visit to the Slough Creek area anyway. The Buffalo Creek fire was still burning somewhere over the ridge, and while we could not see or smell smoke on Monday, we did on Tuesday morning when we returned to wolf watch. The Junction Butte pack had denned on the south side of the hills north of the road, and apparently provided quite a show to many folks this year as the pack was clearly visible. Their den area burned, but the pack survived.

(They did not, however, survive Montana hunters. Since being delisted, all the states around Yellowstone have a wolf hunting season. This pack, so close to the border, was hard hit--the day the season opened, three members were shot, JUST outside the border. Hunters learn the pack's habits, then lay in wait, and as soon as the animals cross the invisible line, they're shot dead. This happened the day we left for home at the end of our trip. The pack had lost its Alpha male on September 15th. He was injured, but had taken an elk down in the Lamar River. He had sustained further injury, and was then killed himself by the Prospect Peak pack. Whether the Junction Buttes survive and rebuild, or disperse, remains to be seen. It's not an easy life, being a wolf.)

Bison were plentiful. In 2007 we did not see nearly this many bison, but it could be that this year they were already moving down into the valleys for winter. I could write an entire post--or three--about bison, but I decided to pick a handful of images for this post instead. Such massive animals, they still have a grace about them. And to see them on the plains in Yellowstone, you could imagine what it looked like before we nearly wiped them out.

Bison near Slough Creek

This big bull stood sentinel, the west wind blowing through his thick hair.

Female bison horns tend to curve inward less than the male's, so I am guessing this is a young-ish male, with a European Starling along for the ride. This is typically where you'd see Brown-headed Cowbirds, a species that evolved along with bison and developed nomadic tendencies. This meant they could not incubate their own eggs and raise their own young, so they learned to lay an egg in another bird's nest, and let them do the work.

Bison and starling.

There were mamma's with calves too, though the calves by now were a pretty good size and already growing their horns.

Bison calf

We drove all the way out to the Pebble Creek campground to check it out, then drove back through the Lamar Valley. We stopped at Tower Falls and at the Narrows. I wasn't all that impressed with the view of the falls, but loved the view of the Yellowstone River as it approaches the falls.

Classic West--fast, rocky rivers, spruce-covered hills, and bare buttes.

We stopped a few more times on the way back to camp, including this spot along Yancy Creek to see the basalt cliffs.

Basalt cliffs along Yancy Creek

The warm day brought with it some late pop-up storms. The sky threatened but we did not get any rain where we were. The clouds to the north sure made for a dramatic backdrop for the light of the lowering sun.

And better yet? A Yellowstone rainbow.

Back at camp we had several elk cows wander by. There were two big bull elk in Mammoth, one with a large harem. It's not unusual for them to congregate in areas populated by humans. Elk in the park are not hunted, so they feel safe with us, especially because wolves tend to avoid us. The same thing happens on Isle Royale with the moose, where cows and calves like to hang out near Rock Harbor.

Elk cow in Mammoth campground.

We ended the day with this gorgeous view above the campground. Already, I didn't want to leave. And later that evening, I heard my first elk bugle.

The Magical Slough Creek

The afternoon of July 21st was hot and dry. After leaving Yellowstone Falls we planned to hike along the Slough Creek. I don't recall what made us pick this trail, except that it was on the other side of the road from the Lamar Valley, a hot spot for wildlife viewing. Our first goal however was to find a shady spot to eat lunch.

We pulled into a parking area at the trail head for the Slough Creek Trail. There was no shade to park in, all the prime spots were already taken. We fixed some sandwiches and climbed a rocky outcrop that was surrounded by trees and ate there. While we ate, movement out the corner of my eye caught my attention. I looked to my right and saw the most beautiful coyote trotting past us, not more than 50 yards. This creature looked right at us as it moved past. We stared back, in awe and agony since I'd left my camera in the car.

After lunch we moved the car down near the creek and campground area, donned the water shoes we'd gotten in West Yellowstone to protect our tender feet from the river stones, and went to cool off. Near the camp ground the creek moves through an S curve and a gravel bar with some larger rocks. We sat in the sun with our toes dangling in the cold creek waters. This is the view upriver, with the gravel bar where we sat in the foreground.





While we sat, talking and relaxing, I looked upstream and saw two fairly large objects bobbing side by side, floating down the river. They were a ways off, and in the shade, and it took me a moment to realize it was a pair of river otters. They were heading right for us.




You would think I would have learned my lesson with the coyote, but again I did not have my camera with me. I leapt up, scrambling over rocks and stones in my thin water shoes and dashed to the car. I grabbed my camera--wrong lens! Quickly changed lenses--no polarizer! Crap! No time! I dashed back to the creek and ran down the bank, zigging around tents and jumping over logs as I ran through the campground. I got only a few shots, and most of them were not in focus--hand-holding a 200mm lens when you're panting does not result in very good pictures, but at least I have proof!



They were diving and playing as they floated past. Part of me wanted to join them, such happy and free creatures they seem to be.





Since I was now all hot and dusty we decided to hit the trail. We donned our hiking boots, grabbed our walking sticks (for that all-important false sense of security) and hit the trail.


The Slough Creek has its headwaters in southern Montana, somewhere in the Absaroka/Beartooth Wilderness. It flows southwest, gathering up smaller streams. Downstream from the campground it joins the Lamar River, which flows into the Yellowstone. The area is known for its wolf packs, most notable the Driuds, which has been well-documented by the PBS series Nature, and their rivals the Slough Creek pack. We were well aware of this, and even though it was mid-afternoon on a hot summer day we were very aware of every sound in the woods surrounding the trail.

We hiked for some time, then came to a stretch of the creek littered with boulders. I have no idea where they all came from. Most of the creek is placid, but here the waters tumbled through the rocks.




As far as I can tell the peak in the background is not named, but is part of the Buffalo Plateau.




My intrepid companion, shouldering my camera gear. I look utterly ridiculous in shorts and hiking boots so I'll spare you and myself the agony of a shot of me by the creek.





The woods along the trail were cool, with spruce, pine, and mossy stones. Lisa loved this place, calls it the Fairy Forest. I can understand why.




We reached a spot where it was either cross the river or turn back. I had a rather uneasy feeling, so we turned around and started back to the car.

I don't know if it was the sunlight and the direction that we were walking that caused us not to see the wolf tracks in the mud along the bank on the hike out, or if they weren't there when we passed the first time. They looked very fresh, no drying out of the edges or other signs of age. (BTW, that's a quarter in the shot for scale.)



The idea that a pair of wolves may have crossed the trail behind us was rather electrifying. But whatever the case, a pair of tracks, about 15 feet apart, made a straight line down the bank, across the river, and then followed the far edge of the river for another 30 feet or so until the animals moved up the bank and into the meadow beyond.

A little ways farther downstream we found an old elk skull, partly buried in the mud. It was small, a female or perhaps a youngster. After seeing the wolf tracks I could just imagine the drama that may have played out, one winter day perhaps, the Slough Creek pack surrounding this elk as it foundered in the deep snows, procuring a meal that would ensure its survival for another week or two.





Upon our return to the campground, we changed into our bathing suits and plunged into the cold waters of the creek. There was a deep hole just upstream from where we'd seen the otters, too deep to touch bottom, the current not so strong, perfect for cooling off on a hot summer day.


In hindsight I would have to say this was my favorite place of the entire trip, and when we go back, some day, I want to camp here. A fairyland indeed.



Next: Pronghorn revisited, and maybe a moose.