Sunday, September 23, 2012

Backpacking Yellowstone—Southwest (5 of 5): Pitchstone Plateau; Bechler; Lone Star

A high meadow near Douglas Knob.

View from the pit toilet at site 9D3.

Footbridge near Shoshone Meadows and site 8G1.

After I made camp at 8G1, I set off on a day hike to Shoshone Geyser Basin, following the trail down Shoshone Creek.

Approaching the geyser basin.

Various thermal features in Shoshone Geyser Basin. 







Union Geyser cone.

Looking toward Shoshone Lake.



 Back at camp. Evening at Shoshone Meadows.

The following day, looking across a meadow on the upper Firehole River, near campsite 0A3.

Upper Firehole River.

Lonestar Geyser, getting warmed up.

Coyote near Lonestar Geyser.

Lonestar Geyser eruption.

Closeup of Lonestar.

 The bicycle trail between Lonestar Geyser and the trailhead.

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Backpacking Yellowstone—Southwest (4 of 5): Pitchstone Plateau; Bechler; Lone Star

Heading toward the mouth of Bechler Canyon.

Ouzel Falls.

Along the Bechler River in the canyon.

Falls colors.

Young bull moose.


Colonnade Falls.

Bechler River above Colonnade Falls.

Chipmunk in site 9B5.

Iris Falls.

A park ranger told me to look for a spring "shooting out of the hillside" and said I should fill my bottles there because it was the best tasting water in the park. It was excellent water.

 American dipper at campsite 9B9.

More fall colors.





Three Rivers Patrol Cabin.

The three rivers area just above the cabin.


Thermal area on the lower Ferris Fork.




Mr. Bubbles.

Outlet channel from one of the hot springs.

Climbing out of Bechler Canyon along the Gregg Fork.

Twister Falls.

The Gregg Fork, near campsite 9D2.



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Backpacking Yellowstone—Southwest (3 of 5): Pitchstone Plateau; Bechler; Lone Star

Footbridge across Boundary Creek (near 9M1).


Bechler Meadows.

Small ford of an unnamed creek on the way to Dunanda Falls.

Tentsite at 9A3, overlooking Bechler Meadows and the Tetons in the hazy distance.

View from the pit toilet at 9A3. You can't tell from the photo, but the Tetons were barely visible through the smoke on the horizon.

Silver Scarf Falls.

Dunanda Falls, from the brink.



 Dunanda Falls, from near the base.





Back on the trail toward Bechler Meadows, with a stock party just ahead.

Ford of the Bechler River. Not very wide, but waist deep on the far side.

Stock party campsite at 9B2. Earlier on the trip I met three park rangers who said they had just replaced a bear pole at another site because an outfitter had overloaded it. Now I understand how that can happen.

Sandhill Cranes.



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