Tom is a retired Navy Captain who thinks that Navy plays better golf than Air Force. I’ll set him straight on that some day. Ed Hubbard was my boss 30+ years ago in Vietnam. We keep in contact with them and consider them our mentors. Seems we have developed a pattern of following in their footsteps. They talked us into buying a big boat and taking off and now they have gotten us into RVing. We spent time driving around the park, looking at wildlife, trying to find erupting geysers, all and all just visited. Dave and Kathy Cramer served with me at Andrews AFB back in the 80s. We just stumbled on each other at an RV Rally in Charlotte NC about a year ago. We spent time running around the park, saw wolves, moose, geysers, climbed Mt Washburn, and saw more that the park had to offer. There is something special about running into friends when out traveling like this.
Highlights of the last few weeks here, in addition to getting together with friends, include a great hike from Beckler Ranger Station to Great Fountain Trail head near Old Faithful, Climbing Mount Washburn, seeing wolves and moose, and catching some great fish.
Two of the musicians in the string quartet at Lake Village are also skilled backcountry campers. I met Leanne through her mother who we were with on a trip into Mexico last winter. Leanne is the viola player and Renee, the cellist, were planning their final trip of the season and I was most fortunate to be able to team up with them for the trek along the Beckler River. They departed a day earlier and hiked a two-day 20 mile out and back to see some falls and met me at a campsite near Beckler Medows. They had seen two bear during their two days out and I was hoping that we might see more before we finished our hike. We were going an additional 30 miles in four more days through what some consider some of the most beautiful hiking in Yellowstone National Park. We had an awesome experience. Despite the almost daily rain we kept smiling as we passed one magnificent waterfall after another. Our bushwhacking adventure up to Ouzel Falls was special and in addition to experiencing one of the tallest falls in the park, we got a good close up of Water Ouzels, or Western Dippers that the falls are named for.
A few minutes of fishing near the second night’s campsite got me my native cutthroat trout but rain through the night made for less than ideal camping. The next day we pressed on to a campsite along a massive meadow. In route we took a side hike to “Mister Bubbles” a magnificent hot pool that provides an awesome opportunity to relax and recharge. One of the thermal features we passed is perhaps the most beautiful I have seen in the park.
We soaked in the pool for about an hour before continuing on toward out last campsite. After diner we watched over the meadow in hopes of sighting wildlife of any kind. Our sightings were limited to birds and chipmunks. We completed out backpacking adventure by crossing the Continental Divide three times and arrived at Lone Star Geyser just after an eruption.
Sandi met us there and I left the girls who remained behind for one more night of sleeping on the ground at a campsite that has a history of bear activity. This was certainly my best and most enjoyable backpacking trip in the park. I am certain the great company had a lot to do with it.
I recovered for a few days and then Sandi and I joined the Cramers for another hike to the top of Washburn Mountain. Three miles of uphill from the trail head at Dunraven Pass at about 8600’ to the Observation Platform at the top of the mountain is 10,240’. It is no wonder we saw Mountain Sheep on the way up and down. We also saw blue grouse and I saw my first rosy finch.
Sandi continued to put one foot in front of the other and made the six-mile hike up and down seem much more moderate than the strenuous rating the park service gives to this hike.
The total six mile hike was most arduous but seeing the wildlife on the mountain as well as the wolves, elk, and moose we saw during the rest of the day made for an unbelievable outing.
With the end of our “tour of duty” approaching we felt we had seen or done everything on our list except for hearing elk bugle and I really wanted to join the 20-20 club by catching a 20” or longer fish on a #20 fly.
With only a few days off before we leave I went fishing nearly every day. Each day seemed more unbelievable than the previous. I was regularly catching fish between 14’ and 21” but small files were not producing. Virtually all fish were caught on #16 nymphs which is impressive but I did want to get one on a really small hook. On my next-to-last day off I hit the Madison River again and I fished hard but the fish were anything but cooperative. In desperation I switched from pattern to pattern and finally decided to try a small #20 Zug Bug, a nymph tied with peacock heril and silver floss. A 16 inch Madison brown trout took my third cast but I lost him by trying to horse him in – not the thing to do with a fish on a #20 hook. Many casts later I hooked and after about a 15 – 20 minute fight, finally landed him. A passing photographer saw the ensuing battle and stopped to take some photos. The fish measured 22” was probably 5 – 7 pounds and is certainly a fish of a lifetime for me.
Welcome to the 20-20 club.
I left the fishing hole and heard a bugling elk not far from where our RV was parked. I convinced Sandi to go for a ride and we ended up watching a massive 7X6 bull elk standing in the Madison River raise his head and snort and bugle to nearby cows. During the next two days at the visitor center we saw this same bull with his developing harem. On my last day at “work” he became belligerent and very protective of his cows.
He charged several times toward park visitors and more than just a few folks gained a healthy respect for the need to keep a safe distance from these magnificent animals—especially when it is the breeding season or the rut.
We’re packed and nearly ready to leave. Tomorrow we’ll head north then east to see more of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and then into Colorado where we will fly back to family. Life is good.
