Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Fall Backpacking Trip to the Thorofare

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