Showing posts with label elk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elk. Show all posts

Thursday, June 26, 2025

Yellowstone Interlude (2024)

 July 30 - 31, 2024

In between my Winds trip and my Hidden Creek trip, I spent a night in Yellowstone. I was able to get  one night in a cabin at Lake Lodge. So I drove up from Dubois through the south entrance of Yellowstone and headed to the Hayden Valley for a day hike on the Mary Mountain Trail. 

I knew that the Hayden Valley is closed to off-trail hiking in the summer (sign below), but my understanding is the Mary Mountain Trail should be fine (bottom of sign).


I got to the trailhead and this is what I found, argh!!

I would not have seen much, but I wanted to do a stretch of this trail. No what?

Driving towards the Falls, this guy was trotting along on the side of the road.

I decided to do a loop on the Wapiti Trail, in retrospect, I wish I had gone south on the Howard Eaton. 

When the animal notices you, you are too close. This is 200mm lens and heavily cropped and this guy was noticing me, actually seemed annoyed by my presence. I moved down the trail away from him ...

... and he decided to follow me. He actually come over to the trail and started coming in my direction. I stepped off into some trees and he stared a bit and then went off doing his thing. And I continued along the trail.

It started to sprinkle as I got to Clear Lake where I ran into these two on the far side of the lake.


Clear Lake is very pretty with a very blue/green color. 

This guy decided to pose for a minute. 

Almost back to the trailhead, looking south.

And then I decided to be a tourist and check out the Lower Falls. 



I was hoping for a nice sunset as I drove through Hayden Valley, but there were too many clouds.


Found these guys in either Elk Antler or Trout Creek. I thought they were beavers at first and then saw the tails, never seen a muskrat before. 


I did not need to be in Cody until dinner time and had not really planned this part of the trip, so I wasn't sure what to do to kill time. When I woke up early, I decided to head back to the Falls to enjoy with fewer crowds. This time, I went to the North Rim.


Yellowstone River through Hayden Valley


Then over to Storm Point for a short hike. I did not know there were marmots in Yellowstone, actually, I had never thought about it before. 

There were tons of them out near the point. 

Hard to argue with this view

Looking towards Fishing Bridge

And east towards the Absorkas and the East Entrance


As I got close to the entrance, I decided to pull over and enjoy one more look at the lake, pulled out my chair and a book and just enjoyed for an hour or so. Then off to Cody and the next adventure.


Friday, March 3, 2023

Point Reyes

Point Reyes and Samuel P. Taylor State Park
6/20 - 6/22/22 (2 nights)
2022 Bag Nights: 15

I drove over from Yosemite and got settled into my campsite at Samuel P Taylor SP and then drove over to Point Reyes to start exploring.

First stop was Tomales Point to see if I could see some elk, preview: lots of elk

Song Sparrow

Tons of lupine blooming all over the place








This guy popped up out of a hole right in the middle of the trail. He saw me and disappeared. I decided to see if he would stick his head up again and after about a minute he did. 


Lots of elk before this one, but first reasonable photo

So many flowers






California Red-sided Garter Snake, still don't like snakes








Down to McClures Beach for the sunset



Day 2: Up early and off to Abbots Lagoon, I hoped to find otters but no such luck, lots of birds instead.

Another Sparrow

Scrub Jay

Quail

A badger? Only a couple shots and then it disappeared.


California Killer Rabbit, run away!

Abbots Lagoon

The tidal flats near the beach were crawling with birds and only a couple other hikers out early.

Immature Great Blue Heron?

Don't know?



Pelicans, seagull, and Merganser Duck?


Immature Great Blue Heron?




White Egret


Brewer's Blackbird?


Then over to Drakes Beach to find Elephant Seals



Chimney Rock from Drakes Beach





Then up to check out the lighthouse, the path to the lighthouse ended up being shut so no good photos or the lighthouse. But great views looking north at Point Reyes Beach

Over towards Chimney Rock and down to the Elephant Seal lookout



Drakes Beach in the distance

Old Lifeboat Station

Whales

Coast Guard



Sea Lions down below

Over to Limantour Spit for the sunset. I first hiked the couple miles down to Coast Camp to see what the backpacking would have been like. Hot and exposed, probably would have been fun.

Then towards Limantour Spit


Chimney Rock in the distance

Seagull and crab fight to the death


Seagull won








Then back to camp and then home the next day, wish I had more time to explore Point Reyes, but I got a nice taste.