Yellowstone National Park/Grand Teton National Park, 9.26.21 - 10.6.21, Part 7 of 11
It was a joy driving out towards Lamar Valley. We were ahead of schedule and there were very few cars on the road. Along the way we saw pronghorn, elk and plenty of bison. Sometimes large groups of bison will cross the road or even use the road as their trail and this will cause what is referred to as a “bison jam”. We experienced a couple of bison jams and Bridgit got an outstanding shot of one of the big, bad boys right from her car window.
Bridgit’s bison buddy
The scenery all along the way is spectacular, but once you pass Tower/Roosevelt and enter Lamar Valley proper, the vastness of Yellowstone becomes more apparent than in any other part of this special park. Huge tracts of sage flats extend to the horizon. Groves of golden Cottonwoods are scattered across the valley, prime aspen groves dot the hillsides and the Lamar River winds its way through the midst of it all. If you looked up “The West” in the dictionary, you might find Lamar Valley as the definition. The only thing missing was The Duke on his horse, reins in his teeth and a six gun in each hand riding down from the trees.
Cottonwoods in Lamar Valley
Cottonwoods near the Lamar River
We drove all the way across Lamar Valley, past Slough Creek and Pebble Creek to a small parking area for the trail to Trout Lake. This is a very popular trail since it is only .7 miles to the lake, but unlike the boardwalks through exotic landscapes, this was a good old fashioned dirt trail to a mountain lake. Since the entire Lamar Valley and especially this end of the valley is known for its population of rabid, man eating grizzlies, we did carry our bear spray just in case.
Trout Lake was exactly what I had in mind for a real hike for the four of us. It was a very easy hike so we didn't have to deal with lack of oxygen or profuse sweating but the payoff was huge in that we felt very far from the road (even though we weren’t) and the lake was simply gorgeous. We hiked all the way around the lake and then halfway around a second time to a nice lunch spot under the trees.
Trout Lake
Trout Lake
Trout Lake
Trout Lake
There is no other word to describe the hike around Trout Lake and our idyllic lunch spot than delightful. Since we were so close to the northeast entrance, we decided to drive a bit further, leave the park and check out Cooke City. Thanks to this small little community, the road from the north entrance at Mammoth Hot Springs out through the Lamar Valley to Cooke City is plowed year round. This is the only part of the entire park that is open throughout the winter months and I would so love to go back sometime in the winter with snowshoes and look for wildlife.
The road, now following Soda Butte Creek wound through what looked like very bear infested terrain, with the mighty Absaroka Mountains towering in front of us. We wanted to get a beer in Cooke City but it was slim pickings so we turned around and headed back the way we had come, stopping at the trailhead for the Lamar River Trail.
Soda Butte Creek
10,442’ Barronette Peak
10,334’ Amphitheater Mountain
9,985’ Mt Norris
A couple of grizzlies by the park entrance sign
Bison below Amphitheater Mountain
Barronette Peak
Next up - The Lamar River hike in Part 8