Yellowstone Backcountry Trails

[TripLeader]

Part 1 [Introduction]

Back in late summer 2009, five of us friends got together and drove overnight to Yellowstone National Park. It was high time for us to be there. The place had been founded in 1872, after all.

We had two backpacking hikes planned out. We hit the ranger station and got our permits. There was no time to waste--we'd already put the trip off for nearly 140 years. (1872 and all.) We hit the Hellroaring Creek Trailhead post-haste.

No sleep? No problem! Hiking would keep us awake.


Part 2 [Here We Go]

Setting off on the Hellroaring Creek Trail. It would take us to the Yellowstone River Trail, and to the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone River.






The Yellowstone River in the distance.

 

[TripLeader]

Part 3 [Hellroaring Suspension Bridge]

In the middle of nowhere.

 

[TripLeader]

Part 4 [Continuing on the Hellroaring Creek Trail]

We headed toward the Yellowstone River Trail.












Gaining distance and coming to a fork in the trail. We were headed to the ford.

 

[TripLeader]

Part 5 [Fording Hellroaring Creek]







The water was low, but cold.






One of many elk sheds we would come upon.



One of many bison we would come upon.

 

[TripLeader]

Part 6 [Getting Close to Camp]

Daylight started fading.

 

[TripLeader]

Part 7 [1R1]

We set up camp for the first night of our three-day, two-night backpack.

 

[TripLeader]

Part 8 [Hiking Along the Yellowstone River]

Setting out the next day.

 

[TripLeader]

Part 9 [More Hiking]






The others were ahead of me. They found a rattlesnake on the bridge before I got there.

 

[TripLeader]

Part 10 [Black Canyon of the Yellowstone]

We were at the eastern end of it.

 

[TripLeader]

Part 11 [1Y1]

We descended our rough, rocky stretch and found our campsite shortly after.















This was a special campsite. We stood on the beach after dark. The sky was dark, except for the billions of stars. We counted satellites and one glimpse of the International Space Station.

 

[TripLeader]

Part 12 [The Backpack Out]

We were on the third day of our three-day backpack. It was time to retrace our steps back to the trailhead.



























A pronghorn saw us out.


And we were back at the trailhead. There was more to come.

 

[TripLeader]

Part 13 [Intermission]

We camped at Bridge Bay Campground after coming out of the backcountry. We had our deluxe accommodations of a giant Cabela's outfitter tent. We prepped for our next backcountry backpack.

Ah, the olden days of the plywood topper and swing-out hitch rack.

 

[TripLeader]

Part 14 [The Other Backpack]

We set out from Glen Creek Trailhead on Fawn Pass Trail. Maybe this wasn't exactly a fawn we saw, but, close enough.



Two of the crew weren't feeling up to this hike. They remained behind. The other three of us had our sights set on Electric Peak during this outing.












Getting closer to Electric Peak.






And at camp that evening.

 

[TripLeader]

Part 15 [1G4]

We arose on our first night at our campsite. It was a tad bit frosty.



We had the campsite for two nights. That would give us an extra day to climb Electric Peak before continuing on the backpack out.

 

[TripLeader]

Part 16 [To Electric Peak]

We set off. It was pretty much over the river and through the woods.