Rescue Creek Trail

Wildlife Filled Day

My friend Luke and myself had just spent three nights hiking and camping at different sites in the Tetons and Yellowstone. Our last campsite was here. We had intended to enter Yellowstone from the North because all our trail prospects were near the Northwest area of the park. Mammoth Hot Springs was the closet village and our next stop.

The Northwest had more open land between mountain ranges. That day we saw more wildlife than all the other days combined, it all started right next to the visitor center. On the drive in we cruised past a close gang of bison. In Mammoth Hot Springs we witnessed elk lounging not 30 feet from people next to the visitor center.

I admired the calm nature of the elk, not stepping out of my boundaries but well within 100 yards. Inside the visitor center was a small museum and the offices we needed to obtain a backcountry permit. The ranger we spoke to made us search out a campsite for 20 minutes as we asked if they allowed campfires one by one. In retrospect, he could have pointed out all options available as opposed to what happened. He made it more difficult than it had to be, but perhaps he was new. Finally we decided on a campfire friendly site along the Rescue Creek Trail 5.4 miles out and back.

The most open of all hikes and campsites we had experienced by far. It was all in front of us, some soft hills with no thick woods in our way. You could see five hills overlapping each other until the mountain covered the sky in the back. The hike took us up a hefty hill with a fence at the top, a muddy crossing of Rescue Creek and around the hills as they grew bigger. We located our campsite junction just as we saw two bison in the area.

We did not really question our trail as it took us within 100 feet of these beasts. Without a doubt the closest encounter we had over the whole trip. When we passed the bison the closer one turned its head and looked directly at us while its companion kept eating grass and rolling around. The bison could not have cared less about us as long as we did not get any closer. Over the night they moved along the pasture and around some hills until out of view.

On our last night in Yellowstone we arrived at our campsite, dropped all our gear and instantly wandered around. Luke went deep into the trees behind our camp as I followed a back trail up to the top of a hill which spread into more fields with dark forest behind it. I do believe I saw bear tracks and bear scat which was concerning considering how we hadn’t seen any wildlife until then. The moment I turned around to come down the hill searching for firewood a band of pronghorn went shooting across the hill opposite me. I had a little pep in my step to get my camera and I fired off a few shots to get as detailed as I could. Those pronghorn really booked it across that hill, it was probably because we were yelling at each other from a few hundred yards away.

Where was this wildlife the other three days? The last night we set up the tent in Yellowstone, we staked it right under a tree using fallen pine needles as a cushion. The night before I slept on a hard root which killed my already sparse quality sleep, so I insisted on that location. We broke off some dead firewood from surrounding trees, and as Luke was about to start the fire he saw movement by our tent 100 yards up wind. “Where are the binoculars!?”

For the record we had these binoculars the whole time. As we got into the Rockies he would abuse the shit out of them to look at nothing. He would be driving, ask me to get the binoculars and grab the wheel for him. Just so he could look out into an open plain or at a mountain.

Deer. They came out one by one to see how safe it was. Eventually they all exited right out of view. The darkness came but the sky remained star lit and decently bright. We built our fire so big from burning massive logs, stumps, and over time whole trees. I just finished my can of fire cooked beef ravioli, “I am going to climb that hill across from us.” I lit a cigarette and told him to wait five minutes. It was a hell of a climb in the dark. When we reached the top of the hill we could see another meadow leading to another hill hundreds of yards away. We were not prepared to venture further so we returned to our site.

A quick mention of the souvenir I found next to our fire, a single bullet .44 Mag lead flat nose. Buffalo Bore Ammo, Strictly Business. It has been deemed my lucky bullet and encourages me to one day own a gun capable for its use.

When we got back to the campsite our fire was still a flamethrower. We added a few more 10 foot trees hanging out the pit with only three feet on fire until they burnt out. Note; I have grown to be more responsible with my campfires as my experience in the backcountry grew. We made our way to our tent after pouring 15 pots of water to distinguish it. Hours into my slumber I heard sounds of crackling in the direction of our camp. My eyes jolted open, and I waited. After I heard it the second time, I lifted my head from the sleeping bag to remove my hood and winter cap in order to hear better. The third time, “did you hear that?” We were both aware of this unknown noise and knew it had to be dealt with.

I was next to the opening so I volunteered. I grabbed the bear spray can and unzipped the door, my head popped out just enough to look where I needed to. The crackling noise continued quite clear in the open. I reach back into the tent for the binoculars. It took me a few minutes to be sure I saw our fire had grown to full life again. In order to cease the crackling for a more peaceful snooze another 20 pots of water sealed the deal.

The last morning I would wrap up camp and the last time I planned on slamming instant coffee until my next trip. This was the easiest hike out of them all, 2.7 miles to make a total of 24.6ish miles over five days and four nights. It was less than I expected, hell I had never done something like this before.

Over those few days of pure nature, I tried to bask in the solitary feeling of it for influence in my life. A great first experience which has made me realize what people with wanderlust mean when they explain it. I’m not a doctor or anything but if a person is forced to hike in and out of nature everyday for a week, there could be healing powers there or at the very least the R&R you didn’t know you needed. It tests you physically and mentally as well as rewards the senses. At the time I wanted my next trip to be in Northeastern Maine, which would come in time.

We arrived at the car and the first thing I grabbed was a notebook and pen. I sat in the passenger seat and wrote as fast and legible as I could so I never lost a thought. My friend was ready to go so I shoved my gear in the car quickly then returned to writing as he drove off. I found that the nature really does provoke creativity, so I wanted to take advantage of it.

One last drive to the Mammoth Hot Springs Visitor Center.

“Sir, where are the closest public showers?”

He points across the street at the lavish hotel. We walked up to the front desk and asked where the showers were.

“It is actually going to cost you $4.20 for a shower.”

My friend looks at me.

“I feel like we have to do this it has been five days.”

Of course we pay. I could not wait for a luxury Yellowstone hotel shower. The guy behind the desk highlighted on a paper map how to get to the showers behind the housing cabins.

It was my first shower experience in such settings so I should not have been surprised.

In my next Captains Log I will wrap up the rest of the trip and our journey from Montana to our friend in Portland, Oregon down to a three-day ordeal in Vegas and the haul back to Indiana.

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