Wanting to get in (at least) one more Yellowstone trip before winter sets in, I set out for the Thorofare on September 20, 2014 for a twelve-day outing. Here are the best of the pics:
First campsite, on the shore of Yellowstone Lake
Clark's Nutcracker, taking a dip in Yellowstone Lake
Hiking south on a rainy day
View from the tent at site 6C2: Colter Peak, Table Mountain, and Turret Mountain
Table Mountain and Turret Mountain, from the Yellowstone River near site 6D1
Looking up the Yellowstone River near site 6D1
Building storm clouds
Site 6Y6 on the upper Yellowstone River
A turbulent sky reflected in the upper Yellowstone
Hot chicken soup on a cool, rainy day on the Yellowstone
Near the turnaround point, on a trail made muddy by four days of rain
Turning colder; snow begins to accumulate at higher elevations in the Absarokas
Wolf tracks in the mud
Mountain bluebird
On the last night, the rain turned into snow
The last morning, at site 6B4
Food area at site 6B4
Crashing through icy willows to reach the main trail
Fording Beaverdam Creek
Songbirds on a frozen pond
Pelicans, geese, ducks, and coots
Looking south toward the Thorofare
Bear tracks in the fresh snow
Following the bear tracks toward the trailhead
Snow, slush, mud, and water make for slow travel
More snow in the afternoon
Five miles from the trailhead, a lone bison on the trail required a detour through the forest
Near the Nine Mile trailhead at sunset, looking across Yellowstone Lake toward the West Thumb Geyser Basin
