Be Bear Aware in Yellowstone

August 7, 2019May 13, 2020Travel & Adventure2 Comments

If you have seen my videos of our Yellowstone trip this summer, you will hear me poke a little fun at my husband for carrying bear spray on his belt. Although I think he got a little too excited about the bear spray (I think he just thought it made him look like a macho mountain man – I mean do you really need to wear it inside?), it actually could save your life in Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding wooded areas.

This post may contain affiliate links, and I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.

What visitors to the park don’t seem to understand is that animals are dangerous. The rules clearly state that you are not to approach or feed any animal in the park.

It is a fact that bison, bears, and elk have injured and killed people. The National Park Service advises staying 100 yards (91 m) from bears and wolves and at least 25 yards (23 m) from all other animals. You are not supposed to stop in the road to watch or take pictures, but are to use the pullouts instead.

Be bear aware in Yellowstone National Park — There are no words. 🙂

How to Stay Safe

Seeing a bear in the wild is a very exciting and memorable experience, but learning safety precautions is imperative. You are responsible for your safety and the safety of the bears.

First, make sure to keep all food and trash in bear proof containers. If bears ever obtain human food, pet or livestock feeds, or garbage they may become aggressive towards people or cause property damage. Many times in order to protect people, these bears have to be destroyed. This is a tragedy.

Wild bears have a natural fear of humans and will attempt to avoid people and developed areas, but fed bears do not. Fed bears will abandon vital natural food sources such as berries, fish, ants, roots, and grubs they need for proper nutrition in order to obtain human foods and garbage. They quickly become conditioned to being fed and will teach their cubs to approach people to do the same. Also, wild bears fed near roads tend to stay near roads, increasing the number of vehicle-animal accidents. There is a common saying that a fed bear is a dead bear.

Black bear in Yellowstone National Park — Black bear we saw in Yellowstone

Tips for Hiking in Bear Country

Hike in groups of three or more people, and make noise to avoid surprise encounters.
Let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return.
Read all signs at the trail head.
Carry bear spray and know how to use it.
Don’t leave backpacks unattended.
Scan ahead for signs of bear activity. Bear signs include scat, claw marks, diggings, and logs or stumps torn apart.
Avoid taking pets; they may attract bears to you. If they are allowed, always keep them leashed.

Bear Spray

Bear spray is not the same as regular pepper spray. It is a unique formula specially prepared for use on bears. Personal defense or pepper spray is not formulated for bears. Official bear spray must have an EPA registration number. It has to contain 1 – 2% of the active ingredients capsaicin and related capsaicinoids. The suggested spray distance is 25 ft. and for a duration of at least 6 seconds.

Bears in Yellowstone National Park — Don’t get too close to bears.

Never run from a bear! Remain calm, group together, and pick up small children. Continue facing the bear, and slowly back away. If the bear continues to approach try to scare it by shouting and acting aggressively.

If a black bear attacks, use your bear spray and fight back using everything you can – fists, rocks, etc. If a grizzly bear attacks, use bear spray or “play dead” by dropping to the ground, lying flat on your stomach with hands clasped together behind your neck, and bracing yourself with your elbows and toes. All of this advice may sound extreme and unlikely to be needed. However, when we were there a Bed & Breakfast owner told us that one of her former guests was attacked by a bear in Yellowstone Park. So it is real.

For more information about this awareness campaign visit www.BeBearAware.org.

Have you ever seen a bear in the wild? I remember camping in the Smoky Mountains as a child and seeing black bears. Leave a comment below and share your story.

Days 6 & 7 of our Wild West Adventure (part 6 of a 6 part series)

July 23, 2019September 9, 2019Travel & AdventureLeave a comment

Cindy Baker

I never knew Idaho was so beautiful! I just thought it was potato fields. I guess I never realized that it also has mountains and borders Yellowstone National Park. But day 6 of our trip led us to Harriman State Park in Island Park, Idaho where we went on a trail ride and saw four moose in the wild! Harriman State Park was only about 40 minutes from West Yellowstone and is an 11,000 acre working ranch, wildlife refuge and park. It was gifted to the state by the Harriman family of the Union Pacific railroad empire and is full of quiet lakes, rivers, meadows, and abundant wildlife. Before arriving at the barn we stopped to photograph the peaceful Silver Lake, which serves as a bird sanctuary.

I want to give a shout out to Dry Ridge Outfitters www.dryridge.com who took us on an awesome 2-hour horseback ride. The horses were well-trained, good-natured, and sure-footed. The guides were very friendly and knowledgeable. We saw four moose in the woods -two cows, a calf, and a bull. I wasn’t able to get a good picture while my horse was moving, but it was a really cool experience.

After our horse ride we took the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway and stopped at two recreation areas: Upper Mesa Falls and Lower Mesa Falls. This was only about 15 miles from Harriman State Park, so if you are there I recommend taking the time to view these beautiful falls.

Insider Tip: There was a small parking fee at the state park, but save your stub because this fee is also good for Mesa Falls.

According to a brochure put out by the Forest Service, approximately 1.3 million years ago, a huge volcanic eruption created an ash layer hundreds of feet deep. This layer was compressed into rock known as Mesa Falls Tuff. Later eruptions filled the area with basalt lava flows, and the Snake River keeps carving the canyon. The Mesa Falls Tuff is the rock ledge that the falls cascade over. The upper one is 114 feet high, and the lower one is 65 feet high.

Leaving Idaho heading back to West Yellowstone, MT

Back at our home base of West Yellowstone we saw this random groundhog in a parking lot of a restaurant. It looks like someone has been feeding him carrots.

Sadly, our Wild West Adventure came to an end on Day 7, when we headed back to the airport to go home. We decided to get up super early in the morning and drive through the Lamar Valley on our way out of the park back to Billings, in hopes of seeing some active wildlife. However, genius here (that would be me) accidentally set her alarm for P.M. instead of A.M. causing us to oversleep. But even with the late start we still saw some animals – no wolves or grizzlies though.

Going back to Billings we went over the mountain pass on the Bear Tooth Highway back to Red Lodge again. If you make this drive all the way over the pass be aware that it takes almost two hours and is super steep. You will also need to make sure you have enough gas and that your brakes work well. The view is breathtaking though!

This was one of the best vacations, and I hope you have enjoyed my daily trip reports. Please let me know your thoughts by commenting below, and be sure to follow me on social media. Below is a short video of Days 6 & 7:

Want to see our entire trip? Here is a video summary of our entire seven day Wild West Adventure:

Day 5 of Our Wild West Adventure (Part 5 of a 6 Part Series)

July 23, 2019September 9, 2019Travel & AdventureLeave a comment

Cindy Baker

Day 5 was our big hiking day in Yellowstone National Park. On the way to Biscuit Basin we stopped at the popular Painted Pots exhibit – but not before we stopped to watch a black bear look for fish in the river.

According to the informational sign at the entrance, this vat of bubbling mud contains the perfect ingredients to create mud pots: heat, gases, water, volcanic rock, minerals, acid, and even living microorganisms! Heat loving “thermophiles” consume some of the gases and help convert them into sulfuric acid. The acid breaks down rock to form clay – clay that mixes with water in mudpots.

I would not recommend trying to get a facial in this!

The coloring is caused by minerals and bacteria.

After our stop at the Painted Pots we parked at Biscuit Basic and enjoyed looking at even more geological wonders on our way to the back of Biscuit Basin where our trail head was for our hike to Mystic Falls.

The Mystic Falls trail is categorized as an easy 2.4 mile out and back trail with a waterfall view. That sounded harmless enough, but what we didn’t know is that there is another Mystic Falls trail that is a much longer and MUCH steeper loop. Guess which one we did on accident? Yep. And living below sea level did not prepare us for the altitude either. So we ended up doing a 3.5 mile loop up a very steep mountain. But we had fun, and the views were spectacular!

Insider Tip: When hiking in Yellowstone always bring water, bear spray, and wear lots of sun screen and bug spray – unless you really like mosquitoes.

We hiked pretty high up but saw some awesome views!

When we finally saw the waterfall it made the hike worthwhile. So magnificent! And the river below was so beautiful and peaceful. We took our shoes and socks off and soaked our feet in the cool water. There is nothing more peaceful than hearing a rushing stream, feeling the light breeze, and seeing spectacular beauty everywhere you look.

View of Mystic Falls from the River Below

Back in West Yellowstone we cleaned up from our hike and hit the town for all of the Fourth of July celebrations. This little mountain town goes all out to celebrate with activities all day, ending with fireworks. There were fundraisers, kid’s games, food, live music, and the cutest parade ever! Fundraisers included the Fire Department Benefit BBQ, Pie on the Porch, and even the Seventh Annual Buffalo Chip Chuck (I cannot make stuff like this up)! I was expecting a few kids with their parents on bicycles for the parade, but wow! It seemed like the entire town was in that parade! They handed out American flags to all of us watching, and people on the floats threw candy out to the crowd – yes, they actually had floats. It was an iconic piece of Americana to be sure.

To see some of the parade live watch here:

What are your favorite travel memories during the week of July 4?

Day 3 of Our Wild West Adventure (Part 3 of a 6 Part Series)

July 22, 2019September 9, 2019Travel & AdventureLeave a comment

Cindy Baker

Our third day of our journey started out rainy, but we were still determined to see the most famous geyser: Old Faithful. The Upper Geyser Basin, home of Old Faithful, holds the majority of the world’s active geysers. So many hydrothermal features concentrated in one area is evidence of Yellowstone’s active volcano.

Insider Tip: Plan to arrive early to the major attractions, as the crowds get larger later in the day.

Partially molten rock, or magma, from this volcano is said to be as close as 3-8 miles below your feet. Magma provides the first key ingredient in creating these thermal features, which is heat. The second ingredient is water, provided by rain and snow. The water seeps down several thousand feet below the surface where it is heated. Underground cracks and earthquake faults form the third ingredient: a natural “plumbing” system. Water that is heated to a super high temperature rises through this plumbing to produce hot springs and geysers.

People line the boardwalk encircling the geyser waiting for Old Faithful to erupt.

Insider Tip: Forcasted eruption times are posted on a board in the Visitor Education Center and in many of the area facilities.

Old Faithful erupts more frequently than any of the other big geysers, although it is not the largest or most regular geyser in the park. It is very cool to see though. The water shoots up very high and lasts several minutes.

You can see the hot spots in front of Yellowstone Lake.

From Old Faithful Village and the Upper Geyser Basin we drove to the Canyon area, stopping at Isa Lake on the way. Isa Lake straddles the Continental Divide at Craig Pass. Isa Lake is believed to be one of only two natural lakes in the world which drain to two different oceans, the other one being Wollaston Lake. The east side of the lake drains by way of Lewis River to the Pacific Ocean and the west side drains through Firehole River to the Gulf of Mexico. The lake is easy to find. It is next to the road that connects the Old Faithful and West Thumb geysers basins. This road is called the “Lower Loop.”

We continued on to the Canyon area passing on the way one of the most beautiful lakes I’ve ever seen, Yellowstone Lake. The water was a deep blue, and the views were extraordinary. Every pull-over area was an awesome photo opp. `

Yellowstone Lake is the largest high-elevation lake (above 7,000 feet) in North America. It covers 286 square miles and has an average depth of 138 feet. The only outlet of the lake is at Fishing Bridge, where the Yellowstone River flows north. This lake is covered by ice from mid-December to May or June. Cold! The central basin and ragged shores were carved from glacial activity and volcanic events. In fact, many of the area’s 1,000 to 3,000 annual earthquakes occur under Yellowstone Lake, causing the water’s edge to continue to be reshaped. Yellowstone Lake is also the site of one of the most extensive conservation efforts in the National Park Service. The park staff is trying to reduce the impact of invasive lake trout on the survival of the native population of cutthroat trout.

After passing Yellowstone Lake we went through Hayden Valley on our way to the Canyon Area. Very early in the morning is a great time to see active wildlife in this valley. Professional photographers set up their cameras and wait super early. But even later in the day we were able to see a few animals and stopped to take some photos.

There are lots of elk and bison in Hayden Valley

Passing through Hayden Valley we arrived at the Canyon area, housing Canyon Village and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. This Grand Canyon is full of dramatic geological shapes and colors, and the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River are breathtaking.

The canyon formed when hydrothermal activity changed and weakened the bedrock, making the stone softer. Then the Yellowstone River eroded the weakened rocks, which deepened and widened the canyon further. The 308-foot Lower Falls marks the point where the volcanic bedrock beneath the river changes from hard rock, which is resistant to erosion, to the hydrothermally altered rocks found common downstream. The 109-foot Upper Falls marks a similar shift. Near the river you can see dark orange, brown, and green areas where there are still-active hydrothermal features, which along with water, wind, and earthquakes continue to sculpt the canyon today. There are several places to view both falls and get some great photos.

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River is known for the Upper and Lower Falls.

Insider Tip: You will be driving a lot in the large park to see everything, and you don’t want to run out of gas. Make sure to check the map you get when you enter the park your first day so that you will no where gas stations are (there are not very many in the park). Canyon Village is one place we got gas.

Please leave me your comments below. Check out a short video of Day 3 here:

Day 2 of Our Wild West Adventure (Part 2 of a 6 Part Series)

July 20, 2019September 9, 2019Travel & Adventure, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Cindy Baker

On Day 2 we drove from Billings to Red Lodge to Cook City then into Yellowstone National Park via the Northeast entrance. Yellowstone park is huge! It covers three states (Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho) and has five entrances.

Insider Tip: We had to pay a $35 fee to enter the park, but it was good for 7 days. You just have to show your receipt and driver’s license at the gate each time to enter the park through any entrance.

As a teacher, I thought this display was so interesting.

We traveled from the Northeast Entrance to Tower-Roosevelt to Mammoth Hot Springs, both of which are in Wyoming. Hotels and campgrounds fill up quickly, so make sure you have secured lodging in or near the park before planning your trip. Also, we learned that we could not get anywhere quickly in the park. Plan a minimum of 40 minutes travel time between junctions or visitor service areas on the Grand Loop Road.

The speed limit in Yellowstone is 45 mph except where posted slower, but it was crowded when we were there (July 4 holiday week) and people frequently pull over to the side of the road or slow down to view or photograph wildlife. One of my biggest regrets is not having a good camera with a zoom lens. All of the shots in this blog post were taken with my i-phone, and so many times the animals were just too far away for me to really get a good photo with my phone. From all of the research and ratings I have read this is the sort of camera I would get:

On this trip my husband actually did all of the driving, and I would look for animals and have him stop or pull over frequently so I could take a picture, but he said he didn’t mind. The views were so spectacular that driving was actually pleasant. Be prepared for a lot of driving in order to see the park. Even though we were just there a week, we still felt like we got to see what we wanted to see in that amount of time. The best thing to do is to visit early in the day to avoid crowds. Park entrance gates are open 24-hours. Wildlife are most active at sunrise and sunset, so arriving early gives you the best chance to observe animals.

Another thing we learned is that cell phone service is very limited (almost none) in the park and surrounding areas. During peak hours the cellular network is very slow and your provider may not roam on networks in Yellowstone. Wi-Fi is available at the Mammoth Hotel, the Old Faithful Snow lodge, Lake Lodge cafeteria, and the Canyon and Grant Lodges for a fee. The Visitor Center in Mammoth Hot Springs has free Wi-Fi. Data speeds are very limited outside of that area through. Very frustrating if you are a blogger!

Elk were everywhere around the Mammoth Hot Springs Visitor Center.

Our first tourist stop in the park was Mammoth Hot Springs, which is made up of all of these rock terraces shaped by water over time. The water concentration and vents change quickly and constantly. Water follows the path of least resistance, whether it is above or under the ground, so it is almost like rocks are forming before your eyes. There are wooden boardwalks that we walked on throughout the rock and water features, making it easy to see everything without having to walk in the mud or hot earth.

This waterfall is near Mammoth Hot Springs.

From there we went back out of the park through the West Entrance to West Yellowstone, MT. We stayed about 5 minutes from the west entrance at West Yellowstone Bed and Breakfast (https://www.westyellowstonebandb.com), where Deborah was a wonderful hostess.

West Yellowstone, Montana is a cool little town. West Yellowstone was incorporated in 1966 but has existed as a gateway community to Yellowstone National Park since the early 1900s. Although it is a small community with a population of approximately 1300 people, visitation to West Yellowstone tops 4 million people per year. The winters can be extreme, so there are fewer visitors in the colder months. When we were there in July the weather was perfect! Low humidity, mid 70’s in temperature, clean air. Having had allergies all my life and especially during pollen season in Memphis, I was so excited to be able to breathe through both sides of my nose for once! There are several restaurants, gift shops, and ice cream or taco trucks.

The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center http://www.grizzlydiscoveryctr.org is pretty cool to walk through. There is sort of a mini zoo at the end with real wolves and bears. There is also the Yellowstone Historic Center in an old train depot with some history exhibits if that’s your thing. See my Day 5 report for some pics and video of an awesome Fourth of July parade right down the center of town. Tomorrow we will go see Old Faithful! Stay tuned for my Day 3 post.

This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.

Watch here for a short video of Day 2 here:

Day 1 of Our Wild West Adventure (Part 1 of a 6 Part Series)

July 18, 2019September 9, 2019Travel & Adventure3 Comments

by Cindy Baker

Day 1 of our Wild West Adventure – Flying from Memphis, Tennessee to Billings, Montana provided incredible views of the majestic Rocky Mountains, abundant rivers, canyons, and so much green everywhere. I always prefer the window seat on an airplane for this very reason. We were so excited to be away from the heat and humidity we are used to and to explore Big Sky country where you can see for miles and miles. It is absolutely gorgeous!

We spent our first night in Billings and found the town to be quite charming. The city’s tag line is “Montana’s Trailhead,” and although we did not hike that day we could see that there are many trails in the shadows of the Rimrocks and along the rivers and streams. Billings has hundreds of acres of city parks and 47 miles of walking and biking trails that surround the city. Seven miles of these trails are along the beautiful Yellowstone River. You can get a complete map of Billings’ trail systems at VisitBillings.com/goplay.

Montana is known for fly fishing, so we saw lots of fishermen and women in the many creeks and rivers all throughout Montana and Wyoming. Remember the movie “A River Runs Through It?” Call the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (406-247-2940) for information about fishing access sites and licenses. There are many other outdoor activities, a zoo, shopping, restaurants, and more. If you are a beer drinker there is even Montana’s only walkable Brewery Trail in the heart of downtown Billings. In fact, almost every town near Yellowstone has several micro-breweries.

Mountain Streams like this one are all throughout Montana.

Insider Tip: You can even stop by the Visitor Information Center to borrow a bike for the day or find a bike rental location close by. You can borrow the bike for free, but a credit card is required to guarantee the return of the undamaged bike.

Great Restaurant: Lunch at the Montana Club restaurant was absolutely delicious! https://www.montanaclub.com/billings-restaurant-steak-prime-rib-seafood-burgers-happy-hour/

Jack Daniels Steak Bites – Filet Mignon sauteed with peppers and onions, glazed with Jack Daniels Brown Sugar Sauce and topped with Skinny Onion Rings. What?!!

Montana has a lot of Native American culture, which is really cool. The Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations are located near Billings. How did the Crow get their name? The Crow reservation, established in 1851, originally had the tribal name of “Apsaalooke,” which in their native tongue means “children of the large beaked bird.” Over time this name was misinterpreted, turning the tribe into the “Crow.” The Northern Cheyenne Reservation, established in 1884, has some tourist attractions such as a historical buffalo jump, burial sites of Indian Chiefs, Custer’s last camp before the Battle of Little Big Horn and St. Labre Indian School. There are also cultural centers and three museums.

Insider Tip: When in a reservation always ask before taking a picture, since some cultural traditions may not welcome this in all areas.

The Yellowstone Kelly interpretive Site is at the top of Sword’s Rimrock Park and overlooks downtown Billings. Luther Sage “Yellowstone” Kelly was one of the most notable frontiersman, American veteran, and warriors of his time. You can visit YellowstoneKelly.org to check out the 24-hour live stream video. Probably the most famous of all Western explorer/settler stories is the story of Lewis and Clark (1804-1806). Captain William Clark spent three years with Lewis exploring this region. Clark and his men passed through Billings in July 1806 on their way to Pompeys Pillar, where his signature remains carved into the pillar to this day. Other notable people of history include Preston Boyd Moss, who started the Billings Gazette and Billings Utility Company, Frederick Billings, who made a name for himself during the gold rush and ended up getting this town named after him, and my favorite “Calamity Jane.” Martha Canary, better known as Calamity Jane, was known for chewing tobacco, heavy drinking, and acting out in general. She spent a lot of time in Billings at a log cabin on Canyon Creek from 1893 – 1902.

Motorcycle enthusiast? The number one motorcycling road in America, according to American Motorcyclist magazine is about 60 miles from Billings: U.S. Highway 212, better known as the BearTooth Highway. Many hotels even have bike washing stations. We tried to drive up to see the views the day we stayed in Billings, but when we got near the top it started hailing! Yes, in July. We don’t see hail in July in Memphis; that’s for sure. So even though we decided to turn back early that day we went back over the mountain pass on our way back to the Billings airport from West Yellowstone at the end of our trip and were amazed at how high up we were (it climbs to 10,947 feet above sea level) and how beautiful the scenery is. Over 950 alpine and glacial lakes, the snowed covered Beartooth Mountains, green valleys. These mountains boast 20 peaks over 12,000 feet in elevation (including Granite Peak, Montana’s highest at 12,799 feet). There really are no words. I have climbed 14,000 + footers in Colorado, skied the Swiss Alps, and been on the Italian Riviera, but the views from the BearTooth Highway might outweigh them all. Named “the most beautiful roadway in America” by On the Road correspondent Charles Kuralt, it is definitely worth the drive!

Insider Tip: If you are renting a car, get one with four-wheel drive built for climbing steep hills. A small economy car won’t cut it. Also make sure the brakes work!

Our view going over the mountain pass on the Bear Tooth Highway

Red Lodge: To get up to the mountain pass from Billings on the BearTooth Highway you have to go through a quaint little town at the foot of the mountain called Red Lodge (elevation 5,555). The main street downtown, called Broadway, is lined with cute locally owned gift shops, art galleries, antique shops, boutiques, a bookstore, a candy store, and over twenty eateries. It sort of felt like we were walking around a movie set.

Insider Tip: Plan on at least two ½ hours driving time to get from Red Lodge to Yellowstone – more if you plan on stopping a lot. The road is very steep and winding.