Backcountry Boys
As we woke up that morning at Flagg Ranch Campground outside Yellowstone, we decided on having an actual breakfast together to start off the day. Reed fired up the stove and started cooking pancakes while Sam and I started to gather our things. The pancakes definitely weren’t coming out the best, but they tasted great. However, the stove was acting up a bit, and it couldn’t turn off. There was likely a leak in the connection between the propane tank and stove, as parts of it froze over. We decided to retire the stove and use Sam’s for the time being, although not before a good fireball burst out when we tried to disassemble it.
After that chaotic morning, we checked out of our campsite and hit Yellowstone. Unexpectedly, there was a massive line to enter. Compared to our experience with the Tetons and Rocky Mountains, this was tourist city. We were able to get through and decided to first find a place where we could get reception. We spent the next few hours roaming around aimlessly, searching for a spot where Reed’s hotspot could find a signal. My phone was practically useless at this point; I’m pretty sure my provider has no idea what or where Wyoming is.
After a long period of wandering the park, we settled down for lunch at Grant Village, planning to obtain a backcountry camping route and permit from the office there. However, the office was closed (of course). Reed whipped out his phone and called up a backcountry camping office, and we were finally given a concrete activity to tackle: a hike out to Grebe Lake from the Canyon area. After squaring away our campsite, we excitedly packed up and rushed to the Canyon Village, which was far northeast from us.
On the way, we saw a cluster of vehicles crowding near some hills and meadows along the road. When we stopped, we quickly saw what everyone was staring at: wolves. There was a pack of wolves about 400 meters from the road, scouting out a cluster of grazing bison. They started howling, a series of unearthly and surreal sounds. We captured some great pictures, but knew we had to keep moving if we wanted to hit out campsite early. We loaded up and set off for the trailhead.
A pack of wolves ominously surround several bison. Onlookers find themselves also in the middle of the wolf pack. After a few pictures, we decided to move on rather quickly to allow nature to “take its course.”
Once at the trailhead, packmaster Reed had us lay out our gear for inspection and collaboration. Once our packs were loaded up, we started down the 4.4 mile trail to Grebe Lake. This hike was a great opportunity for get away from the touristy, over-saturated areas of Yellowstone and see the park for its true beauty. Always vigilantly watching for bears, we made sure to be as noisy as possible (which was no problem for us). We saw a few signs of wildlife, including some trumpeter swans and a coyote, but the trail was otherwise peaceful.
After trudging through a half mile of thick mid, we finally arrived at our site. We were unable to start a good fire (it was too damp), but we luckily had a stove to cook our beef stroganoff (mmm). After our meals, we made extensive bear safety preparations (of which I am very proud).
We strung up our cookwear in Sam’s dry bag before stuffing all our other smellables into a bear canister (I told you it all would fit, Sam). We decided to hit the hay early, as we were all thoroughly exhausted. We settled into our tents at 9:30 to wind down. I played solitaire on my sleeping bag as we waited for the sun to descend. Then, as the temperature approached frigid, I slid into my bag, another big day ahead tomorrow.
Ben and Sam in the backcountry campsite.
Sam jumping in front of Grebe Lake just beyond our campsite, 4G4.
Our bear-proof backcountry set up.
