Gardiner Wolves

[Drake4]

Bold proclamation. But from you, I'd maybe believe it. We'll see. Preferred time of the year?


I can appreciate anyone who travels with a well worn koozie. I keep several in every glove box and car door.

One of my favorite places on earth. My favorite time is Memorial Day weekend. If you are a bear hunter, take a 15-minute walk off the pavement in any prime looking bear country and set up your spotter. My wife and I have had 30+ bear days, while talking to others the same day on the pavement who haven't seen a thing. Pretty equal split of blacks/griz.
Lamar is my favorite place by a long shot. If you ever want a more serious trip, the southeast arm into the Thoroughfare is unmatched in the Lower 48.
Yellowstone never gets old to me, and I have to spend 30+ days for work there every year.

 

[MTGomer]

Bold proclamation. But from you, I'd maybe believe it. We'll see. Preferred time of the year?


I can appreciate anyone who travels with a well worn koozie. I keep several in every glove box and car door.

April and may are not bad.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Quiet, please. Don't let the word get out to the masses. The Thorofare is indeed a special place, with wildlife loving the solitude.

 

[sapperJ24]

I find Yellowstone extremely frustrating, even in winter. I want to see the wildlife as well, but every pullout is packed with semi-professional photographers (better not ruin their shot) and wolf-watching guides (payup for their access and equipment) with all the spotters set up ready to go.

Somehow their ability to make money off the parks and its wildlife is the more important than some random guy looking for critters. Feels exploitative, just rubs me the wrong way.

 

[406dn]

Last summer I took a niece horseback riding in YNP. The traffic on the roads was the worst I've witnessed in the park.

But, ten minutes on a horse, her and I had the world to ourselves. Only on one ride did we see anyone past a mile in from the trailhead. She got to see many the things that make Yellowstone so famous.

I think she will never forget it, which was my goal.

 

[Irrelevant]

Last summer I took a niece horseback riding in YNP. The traffic on the roads was the worst I've witnessed in the park.

But, ten minutes on a horse, her and I had the world to ourselves. Only on one ride did we see anyone past a mile in from the trailhead. She got to see many the things that make Yellowstone so famous.

I think she will never forget it, which was my goal.

So I have a pretty poor opinion of horses but I have through about a 10 day long thorofare horse trip with the fam. It would be something totally different than they're used to.

 

[golfer]

One of my professors at MSU said in regards to Yellowstone that you see roughly 5% of the park from the roads. It’s a neat place and like mentioned earlier if you get away from the crowds you’ll see things most even know existed.

 

[Beignet]

Despite all this talk of getting away from roads, the only time I've actually witnessed wolves in the park in a dozen or so visits (with a lot of backcountry doings) was this past November and right next to the road. A whole mess of them. I'm pro good-management and fair-chase hunting and all that, and indifferent to the binary camps of being either a wolf hater or lover, but it was pretty neat to watch them work a carcass.

 

[Straight Arrow]

So I have a pretty poor opinion of horses but I have through about a 10 day long thorofare horse trip with the fam. It would be something totally different than they're used to.

... or pack-on-your-back bucket list trek as my wife and I completed in August. Seven days, eighty miles, thousands of amazing scenes, elk bugle followed by the howling wolves up Pass Creek.
Not another person met for four days straight.


Gorgeous Pass Creek.

 

[TheTone]

I was fortunate to do some aerial bear surveys over the park, it’s amazing how much backcountry there is that people just don’t see. Spotted a giant dead bull elk on one of them that I would have loved to have been able to actually see how big really was. Also some really big trout cruising a lake shore line was a cool sight.

As others have said a short walk just out of view of a road gets you into some cool stuff

 

[Irrelevant]

... or pack-on-your-back bucket list trek as my wife and I completed in August. Seven days, eighty miles, thousands of amazing scenes, elk bugle followed by the howling wolves up Pass Creek.
Not another person met for four days straight.

View attachment 210386
Gorgeous Pass Creek.

Totally, it's just also one of the few places I'd ever consider paying someone to ride a horse. Just adds some new experiences to the kids bucket. I've also thought about doing the Bob that way. Trouble is, it's cheaper to go to Hawaii for a week with 4 than to do a comparable pack trip.

The kids like to hike, but no one but me would be game for 80 miles, at least not now.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Totally, it's just also one of the few places I'd ever consider paying someone to ride a horse. Just adds some new experiences to the kids bucket. I've also thought about doing the Bob that way. Trouble is, it's cheaper to go to Hawaii for a week with 4 than to do a comparable pack trip.

The kids like to hike, but no one but me would be game for 80 miles, at least not now.

Saddle up, Buckaroo! Horse outfit near Three Mile Bend in the Thorofare.

 

[TrumpkinTheDwarf]

If your not a bow hunter go in september, peak rut in the park is entertaining.

I don't think I'm mature enough yet to handle that...

 

[Beignet]

Since we’re talking backcountry…

The Thorofare is certainly on my bucket list. I’d also like to see the creek split at Two Ocean even though it looks underwhelming in photos. But that’s for a later date.

In the meantime, who here has spent some time in the Bechler area? I’d like to get back there for some fishing and camping this summer. I’d welcome some honey holes or at least an idea of when best to go and which campsites you liked, via PM or otherwise.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Bechler

PM me with your email address. I'll send photos, suggestions and wish-I-could just sit in Mr. Bubbles forever stories.

 

[Southern Elk]

I mainly go in April and May and occasionally make it to Mammoth for the elk rut. I’d like to try some of the more secluded places this summer. Lamar Valley and Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone are my two favorite places.

 

[406dn]

So I have a pretty poor opinion of horses but I have through about a 10 day long thorofare horse trip with the fam. It would be something totally different than they're used to.

I guess my opinion is considerably higher than average concerning horses. I have ridden a decent amount in YNP. Every ride has revealed beautiful back country that, at that moment, is yours and yours alone to enjoy. The ride we did this summer on the Specimen Ridge trail was nothing short of spectacular. We did not do the whole thing since it was during runoff. But the vistas were pretty expansive.


Smokey is taking a well earned break on the ridgeline at the head of the Tom Miner basin. We rode into a herd of bighorn sheep shortly after his break was over.

 

[Drake4]

Since we’re talking backcountry…

The Thorofare is certainly on my bucket list. I’d also like to see the creek split at Two Ocean even though it looks underwhelming in photos. But that’s for a later date.

In the meantime, who here has spent some time in the Bechler area? I’d like to get back there for some fishing and camping this summer. I’d welcome some honey holes or at least an idea of when best to go and which campsites you liked, via PM or otherwise.

I spent about a dozen days in the Bechler area this last summer and fall for work. That was one area that I had not been and did not know much about. I will be going back and exploring for sure.
I get to go back in on snowmobile next week to check on the project.

 

[Beignet]

I spent about a dozen days in the Bechler area this last summer and fall for work. That was one area that I had not been and did not know much about. I will be going back and exploring for sure.
I get to go back in on snowmobile next week to check on the project.

Nice! What time of the summer were you there, and how was the bug situation? I’ve heard it’s ‘skeeter and noseeum central in late July.

Can you talk about the project at all?

 

[Carnage2011]

This commission meeting for region 3 wolves is interesting. Comments from all over the US.