My Yellowstone adventure began in earnest on Labor day Weekend, 1997. My goal for the trip was to reach Joseph's Coat Springs, a rarely-visited thermal basin on the leading edge of the caldera. The trip would involve 9 miles of trail hiking and 3 miles of bushwacking in dense forest. I did not undertake this adventure without planning and preparation, however.
Beyond the logical preparations involving gear and food, I trained for the trip by hiking on Saturdays and Sundays. I had progressed from taking unladen 4-mile hikes to 6-mile treks with a fully loaded backpack. Although I knew that training in Iowa was not likely to fully prepare me to hike in the Rocky Mountains, the main difference being 7500 feet in elevation, I though that I was physically ready for the trip. I also read several books on backpacking and wilderness camping. I used the Internet as a resource for the trip as well.
Actually, my quest for Joseph's Coat began after I read Paul Rubenstein's story about the Fairyland Basin. I routinely visited several WWW sites devoted to Yellowstone, including The Totally Yellowstone page and the Yellowstone National Park page.
I arrived at the Yellowstone\Grand Teton entrance station by 1300 on Monday. I enjoyed the drive to the Canyon Ranger Station, where I got my backcountry permit. The view of the Tetons and Jackson Lake were a treat. My first views of Yellowstone were not as spectacular. Of the several routes to enter the park by, the southern route is not the most scenic, but I was excited just to be there. The trip to Canyon Village took a little over and hour.
I received my backcountry permit, but not without some hesitation by the rangers. My plans to hike alone and my desire to travel off-trail were accepted reluctantly. I expected some resistance, because solo hiking is not recommended in bear country. Experience has shown that dangerous bear encounters are more likely for solo hikers.
Just about 10 days earlier, Josh Beattie, of Indianapolis, was mauled by a bear. Beattie was traveling alone on the same trail, just a few miles away from where I was going. He camped at Moss Creek where I was going to camp on my first night. While camped at Broad Creek, he took an off-trail day hike in the Tern Lake area. He supprised two bears, coming within 25 yards of them. The bears are thought to be a mother and cub. Beattie suffered puncture wounds to his left shoulder and left thigh. He hiked back out to the Canyon area and reported the attack. It was the first mauling of the season. Beattie's only apparent mistake was that he was not making noise as he traveled.
In 1984, a solo female hiker was killed by a bear in the White Lake area. This location is very close to Tern Lake and adjacent to the Pelican Valley, which is prime bear habitat. The Park Service never determined why the attack occurred. She was apparently doing all of the right things to avoid an encounter. Her death prompted the Park Service to change the rules for hiking in the Pelican Valley.
I knew about these attacks through my research with books and on the Internet. I was aware of the dangers and the procedures that I needed to follow to avoid a bear encounter. I assured the rangers that I knew about the risk.
The rangers also warned me about campsite 4B1 at Joseph's Coat. They said that it was hard to find, and it has not been maintained. I told them that I would not take the trip if they refused to give me the permit that I wanted. I had made alternate plans, after all. But in the end, they gave me the permit that I sought, and my preparations were complete.
A backcountry permit becomes one's itinerary in the wilderness. My trip was scheduled to take me to Moss Creek, for one night, on Tuesday. I planed to leave Moss Creek for Joseph's Coat on Wednesday and stay there two nights. After exploring Joseph's Coat, and possibly Coffee Pot Springs, to my hearts content, I would hike back to the trail head on Friday. Well, that was the plan.
By the time I browsed quickly through the shops at Canyon Village, evening was approaching. I needed to find a place to camp for the night, and camping is not allowed just anywhere. My plans for alternate hiking trips had focused on the northeast area of the park. I had planned to camp at Slough Creek and Pebble Creek if I took the trip through Bliss Pass instead of my first choice. After determining that the Canyon Campground was full, I drove to Slough Creek to test my luck there.
I found a campsite at Slough Creek, along the Northeast Entrance Road. Site # 13 was one of the few still available when I arrived at about 5:30 PM. It was a fine campsite, close to the creek and the well. It was conveniently located. I had a beautiful view of the rocky stream and the cliffs to the west.
It is a nice place to camp, but it should be even better in the future. The creek has eroded its eastern bank during Spring runoff episodes. Campsites are in danger of being destroyed by erosion, and many are just too close to the water. My site was one of several that violated the 100-foot rule for campsite proximity to running water. Flooding plagued several of the sites in 1996 and 1997, as well. The road into the campground is kind of rough too. Campsites are scheduled to be relocated and the road will probably be paved.
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