One Step at a Time

Day 6 in Yellowstone. It was our final full day in the glorious wilderness. Bug and I decided to make the most of it. We had labeled the previous day as Bug's day. This day was to be mine.

For our first activity Bug had helped me choose a Ranger hike. At 7:30 in the morning we met Rangers Rod and Linda, a sweet husband/wife team from Washington and California, as well as several other families to embark on our 7 mile hike to Lone Star Geyser.

Rangers Rod and Linda had been out the evening before to try to predict what time the geyser would erupt. They thought it would erupt around 9:00 so we hiked a hurried pace down the old service road in hopes to catch it.

The prediction was wrong, the people that had passed on the information to our dear Rangers the night before had apparently only witnessed a minor eruption. That meant we would have to wait about 2 hours to see the Lone Star's major eruption.

Lone Star is a geyser that is not predicted by the Park Service but there is a handy little log book available to help visitors predict when the scalding water would flow. Here Bug is checking the book for accuracy.

Ranger Rod led us further along the path while we passed time. We hiked to the beginning of a back country trail. Rod explained to us that the Park Service would not allow him to guide us any further due to liability concerns. The little bit of back country I could see was gorgeous and inviting. Our little trek took us past a back country camp site. I could picture myself camping in such a site someday, gazing at the stars and enjoying the peacefulness.

We were only back at Lone Star for a few minutes when the minor eruption started. We sat on a log watching as we grazed on snacks from our backpacks.

In the 20 minutes between the minor and major eruptions we found amusement in watching this inquisitive deer follow a raven around the thermal grounds.

Finally the major eruption started.

After we finished the Lone Star hike we stopped for a quick lunch along the banks of the Madison River. Then it was on to our next destination. We headed back to the Madison Junction Ranger Station so Bug could turn in his finished Jr Ranger Packet. Great job on earning your badge Bug!

The Ranger in Madison Junction suggested we check out the 1 mile back country hike to Harlequin Lake. She told us there was a good chance to see beavers at work as they had just built a dam on the far side of the lake.

The trail took us a half mile through a young Lodge Pole Pine forest up the side of a small mountain. It wasn't too steep, so we made the climb quickly.

As we emerged from the forest we were greeted by a beautiful view of the small lake.

As we waited for the beavers to emerge from their dam Bug paused to pose for a picture.

And he insisted I pose for one as well.

Alas, the beavers were in no mood to be photographed that day and not a single one emerged. We were investigated by this elk as we strolled down the trail though.

She was not afraid of us and seemed to startle us more than we did her. She actually turned down the trail to check us out and came as close as 7 feet from us. My heart was racing as I nudged Bug behind me, wondering what her next move would be.

Luckily she decided we were not a threat and turned back towards the lake.

The next trail we tackled was a little more strenuous. Purple Mountain is another back country trail that leads 3 miles up a semi-steep mountain. We only made it up 2 1/2 miles of the trail as the last half mile was a very thin and loose rock pass. A few steps out onto that rugged part of the terrain I decided it was not safe enough for an inexperienced 9 year old and a mom with dizzy legs.

We were still able to catch some beautiful views and racked up 5 more miles on our round trip.

After hiking 13 miles in one day it was hard to believe that Bug still had any energy left. After cleaning up and grabbing a quick bite to eat in West Yellowstone we once again attended the evening Ranger Program at Madison Junction. Tomorrow would begin our journey back home.