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Since I started touring national parks, I've always heard about how Yellowstone is THE park to go see. I got the opportunity this 4th of July break and left about a week before the holiday and planned more than usual. The trip was amazing and involves rescuing a missing dog, hitting 50k miles and more. Read on!
Two weeks before leaving I got my campsites reserved, and up-fitted the bronco with a few things up to the last day before leaving.
The goal was to minimize the amount of stuff I'm taking and to shorten the time from when I arrive at a campsite to being fully setup to sleep. I dread spending a long time getting things pulled out and setup only to have to leave the next day and take everything back down. Plan was to just unload 4 boxes, move seats forward and get hammock setup. It proved to work in some ways and not so much in other ways.
The first day I drove straight to Salt Lake City from LA. At my first stop in Walmart, I lost my phone. Either it was lifted off of me or I left it in the can. Both possibilities.
Bad start to the trip, but after finding a charger cable for my laptop and checking in to a hotel, getting a google phone number and subscribing to an internet service in the area I was able to track the phone down and with the help of the Utah police got it back around 1am. The officer was just as surprised as I was.
Next stop Logan Utah where I picked up a flag and mounted it. Glad it was made it America, since the flag that came with my flag pole disintegrated in 10 seconds of use on the road.
After Leaving Logan I took the scenic route through Bear River Range on paved roads then on unpaved but well graded dirt road called Grey's River Road in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The sign says about the river "watch me grow" and grow it does.
First animal sighting, I was very excited.
Beaver dams
Lots of grazing cattle along the forest road.
After leaving the pleasant drive through the Briger-Teton forest, I went to run the Jeep badge of honor trail called Monument Ridge.
There was a controlled fire in the area and these forest service staff heading home for the night assured me I should be fine where I was headed.
Along the trail heading to Monument ridge.
Spectacular views at the top
Everyone leaving their mark inside the cabin
I never knew these geological markers were a thing and would never have noticed it had it not been for the bronco knoll. Now I notice them whenever I'm out on these trails.
I decided to take off around sunset when I noticed a couple coming up here. Didn't want to ruin anyone whoopee time atop the mountain.
From there I went to my campsite at Gros Ventre campground and got all setup. Mini air fryer for the win.
I wish I had ordered the Meraki hammock before I left, the one I got wasn't sized right and took a lot of fiddling to get right, even though I tested before I left. Getting in and out was also a pain especially with the heating pad I put underneath. Once in it though, it provides a great nights sleep. My plan is to attach the heating pad to the hammock somehow.
Following morning I went to the Shadow Mountains in the Bridger-Teton National Forest after watching a Mcbride video on YouTube. More well graded forest roads to enjoy with fantastic views of the Tetons.
One of the better campsites at the peak. Lots of them to be found on Shadow Mountain. Wish I had stayed here my first night.
In the forest I tried a few off-shoots, this one was impassable and I wasn't exactly equipped to deal with dead fall.
After that I went into the park grounds and saw my first herd of Bison.
They just don't design them like they used to.
The view from the pizza shop at the Grand Teton national park.
Then things got interesting.
I went down a trail that wasn't on the national parks map, but it was on a forest service road map. It also wasn't marked as closed as most other offshoots roads were in the park that weekend. So I went down it.
The trail was tight in spots and the forest around it very thick, took me about 35-50 minutes to get to the end, with my main worry being a puncture and having to deal with it at dark in bear country.
At the end of the trail I saw two peculiar things, one was this sign. Which led me to think, hmm.. is this small meadow a bear hangout?
And second, a grey hound dog with a jacket laying on the track.
I was confused, so I called out, but no one was around. The dog got up, I tried offering it treats but she just ran away deeper into the forest. This area was by a creek and was absolutely loaded with mosquitos. I went back to the truck and got the bear spray and put on a mosquito net on my head. Went out to look for her but to no avail.
At this point I knew it would be dark very soon, and I didn't want to be dinner for a hungry bear. The surrounding forest was really thick, the mosquitos relentless and being solo, I just didn't think it was a good idea to continue. I was gutted to leave but would come back.
,
After I got back on the main road and had cel signal, I googled 'lost dog Tetons' and sure enough this poster came up. Up to that point she had been missing 9 days.
The next morning I got up around 5:00 am and by 6:45am I found her. Fortunately not far from where the trail ended. This time she didn't run away.
On our way back, I pulled over to get some water for me and the dog and forgot that I had the bear spray in my pocket unlocked, so it sprayed all over my side. Then handling the can and changing shirts I got it on my hands, which then meant small bits of it got in my eyes and was a bit of a disaster. It burns and the burning lasts a while, and the chemical will get on random things and then you will burn again. LOL.
Anyway, poor girl was absolutely spent, she couldn't stand, had tons of mosquito bites all over her and was just shaking. I tried offering food and water and she wasn't having it.
The owner who was in Ohio was in contact with a local greyhound sanctuary called 'Sanctuary at blue bird lane' who came out right away and made sure she got urgent care.
The local vet also came out when she heard the news, turn out the town was on the lookout for this dog for a week.
The owner has since been re-united. Sadly I couldn't be there for the reunion but am so happy it all worked out.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/425096410526846
After dropping off the dog, I went back into the park and continued my trip heading into Yellowstone the next day.
Yellowstone was great. I did come across traffic jams on such a busy weekend, but they weren't frequent and it's a non issue if you can get up early.
I have a million park pictures but not many with the bronco in it so I'll post a few highlights.
Old Faithful, I didn't realize there were many many more geysers before my trip.
The Yellowstone bus!
While there I attempted to fish and it just didn't work out, I'm a very green fisherman and it shows.
I rented a boat for 4.5 hours and managed to scrape the prop on a sandbar, get my line caught in the prop twice, lost 4 lures and came back with a aching back after dodging a flash storm with hail on the lake. The worst part was pulling back into the docs, " we were starting to get worried about you out there" and then not having any fish or even a story of catching and releasing a fish. And since I was the only dope who rented a boat instead of going out with a guide, I had to face the gauntlet of employees asking "how did it go out there". LOL.
There was only one back country type road in the park that was open called blacktail plates drive. It was my favorite part of the park even though it wasn't the most spectacular part of the park. I just enjoy these off the beaten routes where no one is around and you can go at your own pace. Highlight was the end of the trail where I saw a bear.
After the Yellowstone loops my plan called for me to run the Morrison Jeep Trail about 1 hour east of the northeast entrance to the park. It was later in the day and the last intel I had on the trail was that it was impassable due to slides but that one side could be open. Instead of driving out that far I saw a trail closer to the park near Cooke city called Daisy Pass
I started making my way up the trail, but not soon after I got up around a few bends did I see dark clouds coming in, with rain and hail following soon after. The trail itself wasn't as well graded as what I was on before, but it wasn't difficult either. However, I thought it more prudent to just turn around before things got really tricky with the runoff.
A fox spotting after I got back into the park.
So many of us have never been around wildlife that when we see it the excitement is palpable.
After a long day, I went to Jackson, put on my boots and went out for a drink at the cowboy bar. Packed house.
P
The next morning, also my last day, I ventured out to Gros Ventre Road. This road starts paved into the park and then progressively gets rougher. I had a blast here. Early morning, lots of fun easy meandering trails. Water crossings, fantastic views. Highly recommend.
Lots of horse ranches in the area as you go further in.
Embarrassing moment on the trail when I was taking care of an emergency and I heard someone coming up the trail. Sorry to the fella who had to see my rear end at 8am in the morning. Awkward moment waving as he passed by.
I was trying to loop the trail to the other side at this abandoned ranch.
My hopes were dashed at this water crossing. Sandy and soft, and couldn't see the bottom towards the middle. Previous water crossing on this trail were fairly easy, but I couldn't get past this one.
The earlier crossing, I did get through.
Another water crossing with Subaru parts, smh. Entire wheel well left behind. Picked it up and disposed. Besides that, the entire area was pristine.
Grand Teton view from the Gros Ventre road trail offshoot.
After this trail, I took off and made my way back to LA, but not before running Grey's river road one more time on the way back.
Few recommendations for future visitors to the park.
Rent/buy a scope or long long lens for your camera. I realized I was under lensed.
Coming home to reflect, I'm really exhausted but also in awe of the things I saw. I wish I had the ability to hike long trails to see even more remote areas of the park and experience it a bit more in-depth. Sadly my ankles prevent that. I probably also wouldn't survive in the backcountry on foot, seeing as how I thought there was a bear in every corner.
I took a million pictures and loved that we have large protected spaces in this country for us to enjoy and marvel at. I flew the flag proudly this 4th of July weekend on my Bronco while enjoying one of Americas best assets, the national parks and forests.
I also hit 50k miles in the bronco on this trip somewhere inside the national park. Fitting for me to hit a milestone in a national park since this bronco has taken me to 13 national parks now and tons of other adventures.
My 50K thousand mile review of the Bronco is, yeah it's awesome, get one. Just don't fall over the edge.
Two weeks before leaving I got my campsites reserved, and up-fitted the bronco with a few things up to the last day before leaving.
The goal was to minimize the amount of stuff I'm taking and to shorten the time from when I arrive at a campsite to being fully setup to sleep. I dread spending a long time getting things pulled out and setup only to have to leave the next day and take everything back down. Plan was to just unload 4 boxes, move seats forward and get hammock setup. It proved to work in some ways and not so much in other ways.
The first day I drove straight to Salt Lake City from LA. At my first stop in Walmart, I lost my phone. Either it was lifted off of me or I left it in the can. Both possibilities.
Bad start to the trip, but after finding a charger cable for my laptop and checking in to a hotel, getting a google phone number and subscribing to an internet service in the area I was able to track the phone down and with the help of the Utah police got it back around 1am. The officer was just as surprised as I was.
Next stop Logan Utah where I picked up a flag and mounted it. Glad it was made it America, since the flag that came with my flag pole disintegrated in 10 seconds of use on the road.
After Leaving Logan I took the scenic route through Bear River Range on paved roads then on unpaved but well graded dirt road called Grey's River Road in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The sign says about the river "watch me grow" and grow it does.
First animal sighting, I was very excited.
Beaver dams
Lots of grazing cattle along the forest road.
After leaving the pleasant drive through the Briger-Teton forest, I went to run the Jeep badge of honor trail called Monument Ridge.
There was a controlled fire in the area and these forest service staff heading home for the night assured me I should be fine where I was headed.
Along the trail heading to Monument ridge.
Spectacular views at the top
Everyone leaving their mark inside the cabin
I never knew these geological markers were a thing and would never have noticed it had it not been for the bronco knoll. Now I notice them whenever I'm out on these trails.
I decided to take off around sunset when I noticed a couple coming up here. Didn't want to ruin anyone whoopee time atop the mountain.
From there I went to my campsite at Gros Ventre campground and got all setup. Mini air fryer for the win.
I wish I had ordered the Meraki hammock before I left, the one I got wasn't sized right and took a lot of fiddling to get right, even though I tested before I left. Getting in and out was also a pain especially with the heating pad I put underneath. Once in it though, it provides a great nights sleep. My plan is to attach the heating pad to the hammock somehow.
Following morning I went to the Shadow Mountains in the Bridger-Teton National Forest after watching a Mcbride video on YouTube. More well graded forest roads to enjoy with fantastic views of the Tetons.
One of the better campsites at the peak. Lots of them to be found on Shadow Mountain. Wish I had stayed here my first night.
In the forest I tried a few off-shoots, this one was impassable and I wasn't exactly equipped to deal with dead fall.
After that I went into the park grounds and saw my first herd of Bison.
They just don't design them like they used to.
The view from the pizza shop at the Grand Teton national park.
Then things got interesting.
I went down a trail that wasn't on the national parks map, but it was on a forest service road map. It also wasn't marked as closed as most other offshoots roads were in the park that weekend. So I went down it.
The trail was tight in spots and the forest around it very thick, took me about 35-50 minutes to get to the end, with my main worry being a puncture and having to deal with it at dark in bear country.
At the end of the trail I saw two peculiar things, one was this sign. Which led me to think, hmm.. is this small meadow a bear hangout?
And second, a grey hound dog with a jacket laying on the track.
I was confused, so I called out, but no one was around. The dog got up, I tried offering it treats but she just ran away deeper into the forest. This area was by a creek and was absolutely loaded with mosquitos. I went back to the truck and got the bear spray and put on a mosquito net on my head. Went out to look for her but to no avail.
At this point I knew it would be dark very soon, and I didn't want to be dinner for a hungry bear. The surrounding forest was really thick, the mosquitos relentless and being solo, I just didn't think it was a good idea to continue. I was gutted to leave but would come back.
After I got back on the main road and had cel signal, I googled 'lost dog Tetons' and sure enough this poster came up. Up to that point she had been missing 9 days.
The next morning I got up around 5:00 am and by 6:45am I found her. Fortunately not far from where the trail ended. This time she didn't run away.
On our way back, I pulled over to get some water for me and the dog and forgot that I had the bear spray in my pocket unlocked, so it sprayed all over my side. Then handling the can and changing shirts I got it on my hands, which then meant small bits of it got in my eyes and was a bit of a disaster. It burns and the burning lasts a while, and the chemical will get on random things and then you will burn again. LOL.
Anyway, poor girl was absolutely spent, she couldn't stand, had tons of mosquito bites all over her and was just shaking. I tried offering food and water and she wasn't having it.
The owner who was in Ohio was in contact with a local greyhound sanctuary called 'Sanctuary at blue bird lane' who came out right away and made sure she got urgent care.
The local vet also came out when she heard the news, turn out the town was on the lookout for this dog for a week.
The owner has since been re-united. Sadly I couldn't be there for the reunion but am so happy it all worked out.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/425096410526846
After dropping off the dog, I went back into the park and continued my trip heading into Yellowstone the next day.
Yellowstone was great. I did come across traffic jams on such a busy weekend, but they weren't frequent and it's a non issue if you can get up early.
I have a million park pictures but not many with the bronco in it so I'll post a few highlights.
Old Faithful, I didn't realize there were many many more geysers before my trip.
The Yellowstone bus!
While there I attempted to fish and it just didn't work out, I'm a very green fisherman and it shows.
I rented a boat for 4.5 hours and managed to scrape the prop on a sandbar, get my line caught in the prop twice, lost 4 lures and came back with a aching back after dodging a flash storm with hail on the lake. The worst part was pulling back into the docs, " we were starting to get worried about you out there" and then not having any fish or even a story of catching and releasing a fish. And since I was the only dope who rented a boat instead of going out with a guide, I had to face the gauntlet of employees asking "how did it go out there". LOL.
There was only one back country type road in the park that was open called blacktail plates drive. It was my favorite part of the park even though it wasn't the most spectacular part of the park. I just enjoy these off the beaten routes where no one is around and you can go at your own pace. Highlight was the end of the trail where I saw a bear.
After the Yellowstone loops my plan called for me to run the Morrison Jeep Trail about 1 hour east of the northeast entrance to the park. It was later in the day and the last intel I had on the trail was that it was impassable due to slides but that one side could be open. Instead of driving out that far I saw a trail closer to the park near Cooke city called Daisy Pass
I started making my way up the trail, but not soon after I got up around a few bends did I see dark clouds coming in, with rain and hail following soon after. The trail itself wasn't as well graded as what I was on before, but it wasn't difficult either. However, I thought it more prudent to just turn around before things got really tricky with the runoff.
A fox spotting after I got back into the park.
So many of us have never been around wildlife that when we see it the excitement is palpable.
After a long day, I went to Jackson, put on my boots and went out for a drink at the cowboy bar. Packed house.
The next morning, also my last day, I ventured out to Gros Ventre Road. This road starts paved into the park and then progressively gets rougher. I had a blast here. Early morning, lots of fun easy meandering trails. Water crossings, fantastic views. Highly recommend.
Lots of horse ranches in the area as you go further in.
Embarrassing moment on the trail when I was taking care of an emergency and I heard someone coming up the trail. Sorry to the fella who had to see my rear end at 8am in the morning. Awkward moment waving as he passed by.
I was trying to loop the trail to the other side at this abandoned ranch.
My hopes were dashed at this water crossing. Sandy and soft, and couldn't see the bottom towards the middle. Previous water crossing on this trail were fairly easy, but I couldn't get past this one.
The earlier crossing, I did get through.
Another water crossing with Subaru parts, smh. Entire wheel well left behind. Picked it up and disposed. Besides that, the entire area was pristine.
Grand Teton view from the Gros Ventre road trail offshoot.
After this trail, I took off and made my way back to LA, but not before running Grey's river road one more time on the way back.
Few recommendations for future visitors to the park.
Rent/buy a scope or long long lens for your camera. I realized I was under lensed.
Coming home to reflect, I'm really exhausted but also in awe of the things I saw. I wish I had the ability to hike long trails to see even more remote areas of the park and experience it a bit more in-depth. Sadly my ankles prevent that. I probably also wouldn't survive in the backcountry on foot, seeing as how I thought there was a bear in every corner.
I took a million pictures and loved that we have large protected spaces in this country for us to enjoy and marvel at. I flew the flag proudly this 4th of July weekend on my Bronco while enjoying one of Americas best assets, the national parks and forests.
I also hit 50k miles in the bronco on this trip somewhere inside the national park. Fitting for me to hit a milestone in a national park since this bronco has taken me to 13 national parks now and tons of other adventures.
My 50K thousand mile review of the Bronco is, yeah it's awesome, get one. Just don't fall over the edge.
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