Ockey Family Adventures: Yellowstone Day 3

The Tetons are beautiful even when cloudy.

We had to make the best of this day. We checked out of the cabin at Colter Bay at eight o’clock and went and turned in our Junior Ranger booklets. The plan was to make one long hike to Swan Lake and Heron Pond and then drive north to Yellowstone. The hike looked promising enough as the boys spotted a muskrat at the dock when we started around Jackson Lake. Unfortunately, it started to rain before we got very far up the trail. At first it was just a little sprinkle, but it got heavier as we approached Heron Pond. It wasn’t long until we were soaked. The only exciting thing that happened was we passed the female fox. She came right down the trail toward us, so we moved to the right. She left the trail to the other side by about ten feet, passed us, and then came back down to the trail and hurried along.

These two buck walked right by us as we began the trail.

The fox didn't seem to worried about us. She just passed us on the left.

It was really pouring when we reached Swan Lake.

We finally decided to turn around.

We finally decided that we needed to turn around. We’d only come a little over a mile, and it was over two more miles around the loop. It seemed pretty certain that the sun would come out as soon as we turned back, and of course, it did. We trudged back sopping wet under the blue sky, with only a sage grouse sighting that most of us didn’t even see to show for our failure.

Mom and Dax were drenched and cold.

This stone was on display when we were there because it was John Colter Day.

The drive north was pleasant, but uneventful. We didn’t see any animals, and we only stopped to get through the south gate and to have a look at Moose Falls. We love Moose Falls because it is a very short walk to a very nice waterfall that you can get right up close to. It was really roaring, too.

Mom made everyone stop so she could take a picture with the purple flowers.

Moose Falls is always a fun stop.

Mom loves seeing moments like this when her kids help each other.

We got a family picture at Moose Falls.

The plan was to meet up at Fishing Bridge, but by the time we were halfway across the bridge, we knew that crossing was a mistake. They are redoing the bridge and most of the road, and it was an absolute parking lot. Dad made a daring turn around and somehow managed to avoid getting gridlocked on the other side of the bridge for most of the day, but we couldn’t hook up with anyone from our party, and since there is no communication available in Yellowstone, we didn’t get back together with family until well after dinner.

We drove north and spotted a beaver and a lot of different kinds of birds. Finally, we pulled out and had a picnic at a nice spot along the Yellowstone River. It was good to get out of the car for a few minutes.

We love having picnic lunches together.

Our next hike was a new one for us called Ribbon Lake, which takes off from Artist Point. We took our picture at the waterfall like we always do and then started up the trail. It was supposed to be four miles (two out to Ribbon Lake and two back), but it seemed like about ten. The trail followed the canyon rim for about a half mile and it went up and down right along the edge like a roller coaster. We got lost somehow and back-tracked a bit, but by the time we made it to the first junction, we were worn out. Still, we turned and went down to the second junction at a place called Lily Pad Pond. That was when the mosquitoes began to thicken up. Soon we couldn’t stop walking at all or we would have four or five of them on our hands and face. Finally, after a little mud and a lot of walking, we made it to the lake. The sad thing about Ribbon Lake, though, is that you can only get about a hundred yards from it. There are thick trees, so you can’t even really see it other than a few glimpses between the trees. For the hike back, we thought we might not make it, but we all told our birth stories, and Mom drew hers out really long so that the boys forgot about their tired feet and listened to the story. I think we were all in agreement, though, that it was our least favorite Yellowstone hike.

Our tradition of having a picture at Artist Point.

The trail walked along the edge of the canyon for quite awhile.

We liked this little pond that was on the trail.

This little puddle was bubbly, so the boys had to see how hot it was.

We told a lot of stories on this hike.

Good thing we have boys since they pee all the time on the trails.

We were starving, and it was getting to dinnertime, so we stopped at Canyon. We picked up the Junior Ranger booklets and had some dinner at the new grill. Dad’s huckleberry float was really delicious.

Dinner was yummy, especially the Huckleberry float.

This year we decided to try some different lodging options. We’ve never stayed in Roosevelt because the cabins are tiny and they have shared bathroom and shower facilities. They are also the cheapest option, so we wanted to try them out. As we were driving north toward Tower we spotted a moose from about a thousand yards away. The binoculars confirmed it, and even though it wasn’t a great sighting, it was the first moose we’d seen in Yellowstone in about ten years.

We got checked into our cabin but still had no idea where the Ferlans or Webbs were, but as we unloaded, they both showed up, so everything worked out okay. After squeezing into the tiny cabins we took an evening drive out toward Lamar Valley. We didn’t get very far before we came to a crowd. They were watching a black bear and her two cubs a long way off. We also spotted some bighorn sheep as we waited for the bears to come out of the trees. Eventually, the bears worked their way right down to the road, and dozens of fools kept blocking them from going across and getting way too close. We got some nice pictures with Mom’s telephoto lens, and we stayed safe in the bargain. With the rainout and the mosquito hike, it wasn’t our best day in Yellowstone, but it was still better than a day at home!