Mt. Washburn Hike

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Mt. Washburn Hike

Friday, Sept. 03, 2010. On our days off we like to get out and do something as there is always something to do or see in Yellowstone! We had put the cycle into the cargo trailer as the weather is starting to change and fall is upon us. This morning it was in the high 30's as we enjoyed our coffee and talked about what we might do. Perhaps we could take a hike, or a nice drive somewhere? Should we stay home and do laundry? We decided to consider the hiking option as there was one special hike that we had been avoiding for the past three years. Mt. Washburn is a 6 mile hike that we had wanted to conquer but felt it was out of our range. As you see from the pictures we choose to reach high, push ourselves, put aside our fears and go climb a mountain. Our goal was to reach the summit which is 10,243 feet above sea level. The hike is 3 miles to the top climbing 1500 feet. The 3 mile hike is straight up with hundreds of switch backs. The trail was made back in 1903 and climbs steadily through a sub alpine fir forest, eventually above tree line. At this altitude many Rocky Mountain big horn sheep make their home. We left our comfortable home and headed out. On our drive from Canyon where we had stopped to fill the car with gas to the parking area where we start our hike is about 5 miles all up hill. Immediately we came across a man walking along side of the road with his backpack on. We wondered where he was heading to. It wasn't long before we found out. About 3/4 of the way up the mountain this same man passed us up! Claire had to stop him and talk to him! We were amazed that he could walk uphill for 5 miles and then climb Mt. Washburn! Claire felt a need to take his picture. The hike was extremely challenging. We stopped often to catch our breath, however we were determined not to give up! As we would approach a switchback we would hope that we were almost at the top. It certainly felt as if it should be! Around the bend we would see the Ranger Lookout, our ultimate destination, but it would still be so far away. All we could do is sigh and push on. I have to say that this was one of the most scenic hikes that we have ever taken. The trail was all dirt and rocks. You had to always look down to see where you were stepping as you could easily twist an ankle or mess up a knee. When you get above tree line you are walking along the edge of the mountain. If you fell from the trail, you would be RIP. Finally we reached the summit and all we had to do is get into the Ranger Lookout. This is where Claire could finally use a bathroom! As we sat down in the Lookout we enjoyed our packed lunch. I failed to mention that Claire had gone ahead of me near the summit while I had stopped to take photos. When I continued my walk a man reached out his hand to offer me a bottle of water. I was wondering if I appeared to look as if I was in desperate need of water! Was my mouth open, my tongue hanging out? I told him, "No, thanks! I was fine. I had plenty of water". His response to me was, "A lady up ahead asked me to give you this bottle of water ". We had a good laugh, I took the bottle and continued up the hill. The view from this station was awesome. We were able to see the Tetons which was about 60 miles away. We had a 360 degree panoramic view of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, the Absaroka Range, Hayden Valley, Yellowstone Lake, Mt. Sheridan, Gallatin Range, Upper and Lower Geyser Basin, and all the way to the Tetons. This is a sight I will never forget. Not many people get this opportunity to view this, as the only way is to hike up 3 miles then hike back another 3 miles. You cannot drive up the mountain. As we were heading back down the trail we kept saying, "How in the world did we do this"? It was steep, rocky, hard on the legs, but boy was it worth it. We did see big horn sheep, and my first pine martin (weasel). Fortunately,we didn't see any grizzlies as this is an area where they like to eat berries and nuts. A grizzly bear will stay clear of you as long a you make noise while you walk. They really don't want to engage with people unless they are threatened or protecting their cubs. We have three weeks left and then we start home. Tuesday we are heading into Cody, Wy. for the last of our supplies. We still plan to do a few more hikes but perhaps a little easier than this one. Hope you enjoyed the photos and may it encourage you to visit this great park. Life is short, don't let it get away from you. Just Do It!!