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Post by topshot on Nov 29, 2021 6:08:10 GMT -8
TL;DR - What backcountry trails if any can be possible for backpacking early season? Any areas that don't need a permit/reservation?
I know snow will still be a major issue this early. I want to know if any options could be available given just microspikes and no snowshoes/skis. We could just mostly car camp and do day hikes, but I'd love to get at least some overnights in the backcountry to see what most people don't. The trip is mostly for my son who wants to visit Yellowstone (and the Redwoods), and it's his marching band schedule that is constraining our availability. I've taken him to the Winds and other areas when he was younger.
If he's willing to not do church camp this year, we could push it back a month, which would give us much more options though I assume permitting would likely be more of an issue. I'd prefer to stay away from that hassle, but it may not be possible for the Yellowstone area like it sort of is for Tetons if you remain on the west side.
What are your suggestions?
Make it a great day!
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TrailElder
Trail Wise!
Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed
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Post by TrailElder on Nov 29, 2021 6:35:48 GMT -8
I'm following along with a similar set of questions. My wife would like to XC ski for a few days in the park to celebrate our 40th -- either this winter or next. We would want to stay in a cozy cabin-like place in or near the park.
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Post by absarokanaut on Nov 29, 2021 11:50:59 GMT -8
LOTS of BEAR closures in the park in June.
The Northern Section of the Park is lower elevation and opens up earlier. Black Canyon is a popular albeit short early season option. Slough Creek could be a sloggy hell but sometimes is OK earlier season and if you can add Lake McBride REALLY sweet. Lamar Valley could also have opportunities. Everything depends on streamflows.
Sometimes the Bechler is OK earlier in June but usually not. If bugs and stream flows aren't prohibitive a loop taking in Dunanda Falls from the Bechler Ranger Station could be awesome. Guessing fording either Falls River or Bechler River could be out.
BUGS COULD be issue everywhere.
When it comes to Dayhiking I've done Washburn in late May but will not think about Avalanche until the end of June if not later.
One of my early season favorite is the Winds from the Glacier Trailhead outside Dubois. Bomber Basin usually OK later in May.Car Camping right on the creek near the Outfitter Camp is AWESOME. Could dayhike bomber Basin/Falls One day, Lake Louise One Day, and probably Whiskey Mt. one day. Arrow Mt. is a BIG day and you have a potentially HUGE water crossing right at the begining. Some awesome archaeology up on Arrow.
If it is a light winter all kinds of great earlier season opportunities in the Upper Wind River Valley and some up the Gros Ventre River Valley. Really can't speculate a whole lot until May. If stream flows are down Double Cabin to Caldwell Basin might be seminal.I do the g Granite Hi-Line and Swift Creek dayhikes every late May/ealier June and although SE of Jackson depending on your travel a great stop with awesome boondocking, the Hot Springs, Falls, etc.Hippie Dip would almost certainly be flooded that early.
In 2012, a very early Spring, I dayhiked Coal Creek Meadows and Taylor Mt. on June 10th.
Marmot Boi at backcountrypost.com has done a lot of early season backpacking in the area here.
If I can help you out at all let me know.
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Post by topshot on Nov 29, 2021 15:24:57 GMT -8
He has agreed with my assessment so we'll be pushing the trip back a month. We'll start heading West on July 1st and begin at Redwoods, likely hit Crater Lake, maybe Craters of the Moon and then Yellowstone (and perhaps Tetons).
I'd guess bug pressure will be steep no matter where we are, but we typically wear long sleeves/pants and use headnets when needed. I assume there are popular areas of the park that are a crapshoot on getting permits. It will have been 40 years next summer since I was at Yellowstone/Tetons.
I haven't looked at all yet, but are there any of the neat geothermal features that are not easily accessible by car so they wouldn't be as swamped by people?
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Post by burntfoot on Nov 29, 2021 18:45:38 GMT -8
When I worked in the park, the Black Canyon was ALWAYS my first backpack of the season. You need permits to camp out, but there are enough campsites and few enough hikers that it shouldn't be a problem. Go to the backcountry office at Mammoth. My favorite 2-3-day version is starting at one of the two trailheads near Tower Jct. and Roosevelt area, hitting the Black Canyon near Hellroaring Creek and following the Yellowstone River downstream to Gardiner, Montana. Downhill most of the way. I've seen both black bears and grizz down in there, as well as a bunch of other wildlife in June.
If you go a month later, the Skyrim should be open. That is my favorite hike in the park, as it follows a ridge with great views for 11 miles. Also good is Heart Lake, which has a little of everything Yellowstone has to offer (a creek, a thermal area, a lake, a mountain you can climb). If you want more solitude, go for Hoodoo Basin, which is accessed by the Lamar Trailhead and Miller Creek. I've been back in there twice and have never seen anyone beyond Miller Creek. The southern part of the park is great, but usually not good until mid-August (bugs, snowmelt and high fords, and muddy trail).
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Post by absarokanaut on Nov 30, 2021 7:52:17 GMT -8
He has agreed with my assessment so we'll be pushing the trip back a month. We'll start heading West on July 1st and begin at Redwoods, likely hit Crater Lake, maybe Craters of the Moon and then Yellowstone (and perhaps Tetons). If you go to the Tetons and have a couple of days flexibility you should get a great walk up permit if you get in line EARLY. There are also campsites right outside park boundaries you do not need permits for but beware just like all other spectacular National Park areas COVID has a lot more folks seeking out those former secrets. Craters of the Moon could be stifling hot but there's a great dayhike there. I look at Craters like the Colorado Plateau, a great shoulder season destination. If you have any interest in the Bridger-Teton National Forest or Wind River Ranger District of the Shoshone I horsepacked and backpacked them a lot in years past and am still an avid dayhiker who's favorite places on Earth are in the Absaroka. For instance you could get off trail and summit this precipitous plateau and almost certainly never see an other human for a few days. Lots of grizz though.
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Post by topshot on Nov 30, 2021 11:57:14 GMT -8
If you go to the Tetons and have a couple of days flexibility you should get a great walk up permit if you get in line EARLY. There are also campsites right outside park boundaries you do not need permits for but beware just like all other spectacular National Park areas COVID has a lot more folks seeking out those former secrets. Craters of the Moon could be stifling hot but there's a great dayhike there. I look at Craters like the Colorado Plateau, a great shoulder season destination. We only have 16 days total which includes over 5 days worth of driving so not much flexibility toward the end of the trip for sure. His brother and I had 21 days when we did a similar trip 10 years ago, but I'm also not going to drive consecutive 16-hour days anymore either. I may consider flying into SLC and doing the driving from there, which would save 3 days of driving, but rental car rates are still pretty steep. Heat doesn't bother me. I've visited Grand Canyon and Death Valley in the summer. I did decide to NOT camp atop Telescope Peak since they were having a record heat wave when we were there, and it was forecast to be a low of 95 F that night at 11,000'.
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Post by hikerjer on Dec 2, 2021 14:25:27 GMT -8
the Black Canyon was ALWAYS my first backpack of the season. I'd agree with buntfoot on this. Any hiking in the park is going to be sketchy in June. However, Black Canyon of the Yellowstone does open up fairly early being at a lower elevation than most of the park. I've only hiked it's entire length in the fall but it is beautiful and to top it off, it's rather easy with little elevation gain/loss. There are few regions left in the country where you can walk along a major river that is completley unspoiled for days. It can be done in two days but would make would make for an excellent three or four day trip. Being a nationlal park, you will need permits but you shouldn't have any trouble getting them. The first time when we hiked it, we met one other party. Second trip, we didn’t see any one.
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TrailElder
Trail Wise!
Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed
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Post by TrailElder on Dec 6, 2021 4:59:42 GMT -8
So good to have some of this intel on the Park. I'd like to spend more time poking around there, but just cannot bear the crowds, excuse the pun. Does anyone have experience skiing there in the deep winter?
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Post by Hikerjer on Dec 6, 2021 7:47:40 GMT -8
I used to go to the park every winter but unfortunately, haven’t for the past several years. Of course, unless you’re going to take a snow coach into the interior you’re limited to the Mammoth area and the north road into Cooke City, MT but that gives you plenty of options. Cross country skiing is great and the wild life viewing in the Lamar Valley can be awesome. Be forewarned though, that it can be very, very cold. It’s often the oldest region in the country with below 0 temps being very common. You will come across people, mostly wildlife watchers - on the road but the trails you’ll have pretty much to yourself. If you plan on being off the road and on the trails at all , skis or snowshoes are a must. Be prepared to break trail a lot of the time. If you can make it to Yellowstone in the winter, by all means, go. It’s pretty magical. I find late February and early March the best times to go. Longer days and generally more moderate temps but it ‘s still cold.
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Post by absarokanaut on Dec 6, 2021 11:28:05 GMT -8
I'm following along with a similar set of questions. My wife would like to XC ski for a few days in the park to celebrate our 40th -- either this winter or next. We would want to stay in a cozy cabin-like place in or near the park. I am not sure if Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is open this winter? If its not Gardiner is very close but if wildlife in the Lamar is a priority I'd favor Cooke City. In the Lamar the Lamar River Trail and Slough Creek Trails could be awesome. You'll almost certainly find Mountain Goats on Barronette Peak. Not sure how good Specimen Ridge would be for skiing. Some folks that don't know better will laugh at this but I would DEFINITELY be holstering bearspray, even in the depths of winter. Like Colorado aside from Sows birthing cubs bears here are not true hibernators at this latitude either. I also have a little frion marine airhorn I've used far more often. About 15 years ago I snowshoed into the Hot Springs on the Snake East of the South Entrance in late February. There were fresh grizzly tracks from a sow and two larger cubs. If you can take the snowcoach to Old Faithful I would also SERIOUSLY consider that for a night if not two. Assuming it is allowed skiing to Lonestar and then Grants Pass should be a lot of fun. The Geyser basins can be magical, especially in moonlight. Going from Flagg Ranch near the south entrance is awesome and would allow you to come through GTNP with all its sensational skiing and amazing restaurants here in town. If I can help you with anything Trailelder just let me know. Whatever you do I hope you have an awesome visit.
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Post by nickhowes on Dec 6, 2021 15:41:49 GMT -8
I've skied in Yellowstone National Park many times, and it's a great IMHO. It can be very cold - one memorable trip was -37°F - but the cold days are often calm and sunny. Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is where we usually stay; decades ago we took the old Bombardier snow coach to Old Faithful's Snow Lodge (not the luxurious new one). If you can manage it, YNP in the Winter is pretty magical.
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TrailElder
Trail Wise!
Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed
Posts: 507
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Post by TrailElder on Dec 7, 2021 5:23:52 GMT -8
If I can help you with anything Trailelder just let me know. Whatever you do I hope you have an awesome visit. Thank you! I'll keep you posted. It might be next winter at this point -- assuming we have one. :-(
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TrailElder
Trail Wise!
Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed
Posts: 507
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Post by TrailElder on Dec 7, 2021 5:25:35 GMT -8
nickhowes did you say MINUS THIRTY SEVEN? Yow. Otherwise, thanks for the encouragement! :-)
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TrailElder
Trail Wise!
Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed
Posts: 507
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Post by TrailElder on Dec 7, 2021 5:40:28 GMT -8
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