Winter Planning: How to get to Yellowstone Nat'l Park from far away

As the new year comes in, alot of us are probably thinking about our goals for the year. And, somebody out there might be thinking about finally getting out the Yellowstone National Park for that once-in-a-lifetime fishing trip they've always dreamed about.

Here is an excerpt out of the "Yellowstone's Backcountry Cutthroats" about how to get to Yellowstone National Park if you can't just drive in a couple of hours. If you're thinking about that trip for this summer, now is the time to start looking at airfares to save money.

If you like this portion, you can get the whole book on Kindle or Amazon.com for a hard-copy.

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Get To The Trailhead

Getting to your trailhead is not as straight-forward as you might think. Obviously, you can get in a car at your home and drive straight there. But, some people fly into area airports and rent a car from there. You could also drive to a gate city and get a shuttle for out-and-back trips, loop trips, or for trips that have different start and end trailheads.

The biggest issue with planning your arrival at the trailhead is the amount of time it takes to get through the park. The speed limit is 45mph on the roads, so that is significantly slower than 75mph on an interstate. Then there are the bear-jams, which are traffic jams caused by people stopping on the side of the and walking in the middle of the road so they can see a bear, wolf, and the elk. You might also get “stuck” behind a massive RV travelling 35mph.

At night, you should plan on driving only 35mph because most other drivers will be driving that speed, and it’s probably a smart thing to do so you don’t hit an elk on the road, which will definitely ruin your trip (at best). Driving slowly should also be considered as a respect to the wildlife, such as your chances of hitting one and killing it are reduced if you’re driving more slowly.

You can fly into an airport and rent a car. Salt Lake City is the closest hub airport, and Jackson, WY and West Yellowstone, MT are the closest airports. Jackson airport is about forty-five minutes from the south entrance, and West Yellowstone is right next to the west entrance. Both end up adding about $200-$300 onto the overall price of a flight, but depending on your specific situation, it might be worth it to fly into those cities instead of Salt Lake.

I have not flown to Yellowstone National Park because I live a 2.5 hour drive from West Yellowstone. Considering the amount of time it takes to drive from an airport to the park, you’re probably better off driving to the park in your own car if you are less than ten hours away.

Considering the time it takes to get to your own airport, get through security, wait for your plane, fly, and then get your rental car and then drive the four hours to the park…..well, you can see that that’s already about eight hours of your time. Having your own vehicle provides much more flexibility for you during your trip, including seeing a few other National Parks or fishing areas on a bigger summer trip. You might want to stay longer or have to go home. Logistics can be expensive if not done right and done without consideration for flexibility.

You could also get a car shuttle from one of the various providers in the area. I don’t provide a list of the providers because it seems they always come and go each year. Your best bet is to search the internet. In four years, I have not successfully coordinated a shuttle service, except one.

The shuttle service I was successful with is a great service at the Lake Marina that can shuttle you and your canoes to Promitory Point, making a trip to the upper Yellowstone River (above the lake) feasible in one day going in and only one day going out instead of a minimum of two days getting in and two days getting out. It’s a bit expensive, but if you want to be in the area that is known as the area in Continental U.S. that is farthest from any road, it works very well.

There is no basic bus service inside the park. If you’ve been to Yosemite or Zion National Parks and loved the bus system, you should be sorely disappointed that kind of bus service is not available in Yellowstone. There are many tour busses, but no shuttle busses.

Ten things to look for in a point-and-shoot camera for the backcountry

If you're wondering what kind of camera you need to capture an active lifestyle, this is what you are looking for.

These are a few features to look for in a good point and shoot camera that you'll take along on your active lifestyle, year-round, all-climate adventures.

1. Drop-rated: Many of these new point and shoot cameras are rated for 10-foot drops. With kids who want to play with it, a drop-rating is an absolute must, and ten feet seems reasonable. Oh yeah....it's not just the kids who will be dropping it, right?!?!

2. Waterproof: I wanted waterproof because we love to be by the water, whether it's fishing or the pool. Standard waterproof-ness goes to 30 feet these days. You probably don't need more. And don't go for a camera that uses a case...why? because the case can break and then you have to buy another case. I personally think that the seals and such in a waterproof camera body will outlast the external case...I've had two Sony cameras that attest to the non-durability of an external case.

3. 1080 video: yes, you need 1080 video capability going into 2013 and beyond. 720 is not good enough anymore because of the playback on the big screen televisions. Don't go cheap on this! Get the 1080.

4. GPS: do you really need GPS? Probably not. I wouldn't be too concerned about this unless you are already using this feature.

5. WiFi capability: This is something I don't use currently but think I would if I was to get a new camera. It really is a kind of a pain to take out the memory card and put it in the computer every time I want to get my pictures on the computer.  And then how many times have I left the card in the computer?  Get this if you can, but it shouldn't over-ride any other features.

6. Moving parts: I like to minimize the number of moving parts in any gear that will be used alot in relatively harsh conditions. Every time you drop the camera, moving parts become less apt to move as needed.  Specifically, I don't like a shutter and lense that moves in an out every time you turn the camera on or off.

7. Battery adaptability: I say "adaptability because I don't really have a good word for the flexibility of a battery. You should be able to buy inexpensive replacement batteries and rechargers. The battery should be able to be quickly recharged. You should be able to recharge that battery somehow with a solar-charging device you might already have.  The battery should be rated to work well in the cold, too, although not many batteries do well in the cold anyway.

8. Ease of Handling / One-hand operations: the camera should fit in your hand nicely, have a nice grip to it, and be able to be be turned on on/off and zoomed with just one hand, preferably with gloves on. You should be able to have a strap attached to it, too.

9.  Function and Review options: You should be able to review a shot quickly and easily. This function gets into the handling and such, but it is also all about the software being intuitive and able to run through things quickly. You don't want to be sitting there on a cold, windy ridgeline trying to remember all the menu options.....you should be able to do things quickly with cold hands that have gloves on them.

10. Megapixels: You should get no less than 10 megapixels. I base this on the ability to print a nice 8x10 photograph. Sometimes you get really lucky with a point and shoot, and you get an awesome pic that you want to blow up. I've done a good 24x36 print with my 12.1 megapixel, but there is just a little bit of distortion visible to a regular guy.

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This is the camera I have now. It works pretty well for everything I need. I can use it with gloves easily, too!  It's about three years old now, and the only thing I wish it had is 1080 video; the 720 is what was available when I bought.

Canon PowerShot D10 12.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-Inch LCD by Canon

• $299.00 $279.99
• Order in the next 35 hours and get it by Monday, Dec 31.
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These are the cameras I would probably buy today if I had to (luckily I don't have to. The Canon above is going strong!).

 Canon PowerShot D20 12.1 MP CMOS Waterproof Digital Camera with 5x Image Stabilized Zoom 28mm Wide-Angle Lens a 3.0-Inch LCD and GPS Tracking (Blue) by Canon

• $349.00 $289.00
• Order in the next 38 hours and get it by Monday, Dec 31.
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• $265.00 used (4 offers)

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 Nikon COOLPIX AW100 16 MP CMOS Waterproof Digital Camera with GPS and Full HD 1080p Video (Orange) by Nikon

• $379.00 Click for product details
• Order in the next 38 hours and get it by Monday, Dec 31.
• More Buying Choices
• $209.00 used & new (29 offers)

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Cool Art:Brian Murphy Artwerkz

I was cruising through some fly-fishing magazines online recently, and I saw some REALLY COOL art that I wanted to pass on to others.

I found Brian Murphy in MontanFlyFishingMagazine.com online magazine.

His art makes me put thoughts into the minds of the fish. I just think it's really cool. Take a look! I haven't asked if I can post some of his art here, so I'll just give you the link to his art.

http://brianmurphymt.com/artwerx.html

How To Get Your Toddlers Into the Backcountry

Ten years ago, my wife and I often went on long backcountry hiking trips with just some quickie planning. These days with 3 1/2 year old and 16 month old boys, we do more quickie trips with long planning time.  When I first started fly-fishing in the backcountry areas of Yellowstone National Park and the Sawtooths of Idaho, I could basically just tell my wife the when’s, who’s, and how’s of a trip and be on my way to paradise. That freedom has turned into clearing everyone’s schedules of many different other who’s and when’s to make clearance for us (on a side-note, the second or third Saturday in September is always reserved for some Lamar River action! And nothing can remove that day).

So, here we are trying to figure out how to get back into fun and fishing in the backcountry, or as close as possible to it, now that one of the kids can walk a few a couple miles each way. Our quickie-trips are generally a half-day scheduled around nap time, and the extended planning effort requires diapers, multiple snacks, safety considerations, and a couple of toys if we’re feeling energetic enough to carry them. The focus of effort is generally keeping the boys happy rather than hoping the fish take some fake food, but that’s how it is as parents of toddlers.

I’ve searched the Yellowstone maps for a place a couple miles off the road to provide some quiet from the road while also providing a safe place for the kids to play. The Lamar River about 200 yards upstream from its confluence with the Yellowstone River provides a two mile hike that the 3 ½ year-old can make on his own, a large gravel bar that provides some sand and many rocks for throwing, and a plethora of nice fishing holes in the immediate vicinity. Perfect!

I have a life-vest for the older boy, but I just can’t get myself to even make him put it on. I would rather watch over him like a hawk than squash his personal movement freedom with the life-vest. If we were rock-hopping and such along steep banks, it would certainly be different. As it is, the ground is flat, the water is barely-moving and shallow next to the gravel bar, and his Mom is there to watch like a hawk. All he wants to do is throw rocks and splash in knee-deep water, and at this location he can do that with the endless rocks and great little pool of water.

The 16-month old is easier in some ways but harder in others. We have to carry him into the location using a baby-backpack (we use the Deuter Kid Comfort III…absolutely awesome and worth the high-price; it has lots of storage).  He’s about thirty pounds, so I get to carry him while his Mom carries the fishing gear and other stuff. Once at our location, he mostly sat in the sand and played with a little plastic rake. He can’t maneuver very well over the rocks yet, and that is mostly a good thing. 

When nap time rolled around, we put him on a little blanket we brought, and give a bottle of milk we kept cold in an insulated cooler made just for that type of thing (all you dads, take a look at baby gear to repurpose for your own needs, too!). We forgot the small shade-tent, but the canyon walls and some trees provided plenty of shade up on the banks of the river. He didn’t take a nap, though! So, we had reverted to Plan B and left for the trailhead before he got really cranky; he was asleep in the backpack before I took ten steps!

I almost forgot! I got a good two hours of fishing in, too! I went mostly up-river, but there were plenty of pockets in both directions. The catching wasn’t very good, but I got looks on nearly every fly…..my prep time was spent planning for the kids rather than researching what flies the fish would be looking for. Anyway, for me, half the fun is just getting the fish to say “yes” or “no” to the fly, and I was getting that answer as I watched them swim away.  It was a bit frustrating, but it beat walking the boardwalks with the crowds at Old Faithful.

Here are a few of the things to think about when you are setting up your trip to the backcountry with toddlers.

1.       Recon

-          Look at the maps for possible locations,

-          Visit the areas in person to look at safety factors and the trail to the site.

-          Look at the area in Google Earth, realizing that water depths are probably different. Check river conditions on USGS water gauges (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis )

2.       Safety

-          You MUST have a water-safety plan of some sort: life-vests, always-in reach, small water, etc. Don’t under-estimate the dangers of the stream. These are little kids who don’t know better.

-          Consider the impacts of bear country. Follow the rules exactly, and all adults should have bear spray. Teach the kids not to run as a basic backcountry safety principle, but vitally important in a bear situation.

-          Check the weather before you go for heat, thunderstorms, rain, wind, etc.

-          Sunscreen your kids. If you forget it, go back and get it. That goes for bug spray, too.

-          Take a shade-tent and a ground-cloth or blanket for protection from elements.

-          Have plenty of water. Take a filter to make sure you don’t run out.

-          Keep the distance short. Tired kids trip and hit their heads on rocks; beyond the health issue, if the kids get hurt, they probably won’t want to go back.

-          Take a first-aid kit with a small ice-pack for any bumps and bruises.

-          Continuously ask yourself “How could my kids get hurt, and how will WE deal with it?” There’s no 911 in the backcountry.

3.       Plan For Fun

-          If they are old enough, this might be the perfect time to teach your kids to fish!

-          Boys love throwing rocks and playing in sand. Make that a priority.

-          Take some familiar toys with you (yes, jam them in your pack, it’s worth it!).

4.       Kid Care Items

-          Snacks are almost as important as all the safety factors. Take a variety and enough for lunch.

-          You CAN take real milk. Put it in a basic lunch drink cooler.

-          Have a nap plan.

-          Dress your kids for the environment: shoes, shirt, pants vs shorts, hat, etc.(rain gear?!)

-          Don’t forget diapers/wipes/ etal. Remember a bag for the messy diapers (pack it out!).

We had about four awesome peaceful hours in the near-backcountry on this trip, including the excitement of a coyote following us quite closely, the constant sound of the river with no road-noise, and the opportunities to see wildlife up close. Our oldest boy walked the entire way, which is really awesome (insert proud Dad grin here!), and the youngest definitely wore himself out for the day. And Dad got to fish while Mom stayed mostly happy; I say “mostly” because she got to fish for only about fifteen minutes. 

Absolutely most importantly, we are building the foundation of a love for the backcountry that I so deeply hope turns into future long backcountry trips with quickie planning.

A quick look at fly-fishing books from 2012

I was curious to see what kind of books were published on fly-fishing in 2012. So I did a quick search on Amazon, and below is a list of the books that were in the top four pages. The only criteria I used in the search on Amazon was "fly-fishing 2012." I got some other stuff like calendars and such, but these are the books I got. To make the list below, they had to be a book published in 2012 and nothing else. There were several more books published in 2012, but I took only the books from the first four pages of the search results.....sorry if that didn't include you....feel free to add more in the comments section!

I haven't had any time to read this year, and I haven't read these. I'm just putting them out there for your viewing pleasure.

Full Disclosure: I don't make any money off the links.  

It aint fishing but it's backcountry!

Get OUTSIDE and break that cabin fever! Ski or snowshoe...whatever. 

I LOVE yurts! The Idaho State University Yurts are a favorite thing about living in southeast Idaho.

The yurts near Boise are open again after some intergovernmental agency bickering.

The Idaho Statesman : Yurts are now open for business

Yellowstone Snowpack update

Things here in Pocatello are looking pretty bleak for snow. I haven't skied one day yet! No downhill, no backcountry, no cross-country. Normally I have at least a day of cross-country skiing in already.  Doesn't help that I've been home sick as a dog since we got snow on Monday night.

That got me thinking about snow in Yellowstone. How's that looking? Actually, it's looking pretty good.

ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/data/water/wcs/gis/maps/west_swepctnormal_update.pdf  goes to the map. Another good site is http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/partnerships/links_wsfs.html

And what does the future hold?

Good news is......wetter than normal.

And there is no bad news.  

In the neutral corner, the temperatures are likely to be normal.

Veterans' free entry to National Parks

An FYI to any veteran readers out there: Free entry into the National Parks on Veteran's Day weekend.
The intent of this free entry is to see the historical parks like Gettysburg and such.

I recommend you bypass the backcountry on the freebie at least this weekend to honor those that have gone before us.

National Parks Free to All for Veterans Day Weekend http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=118448  11/05/2012 11:43 AM CST National Parks Free to All for Veterans Day Weekend American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2012 - America's 398 national parks will offer the public free admission Nov. 10-12 during Veterans Day weekend in honor of those who serve and have served in the U.S. military, according to a National Park Service news release. "National parks preserve places that commemorate our country's collective heritage -- our ideals, our majestic lands, our sacred sites, our patriotic icons -- which our military has defended through the years," National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said in the release. "We are grateful for the service and sacrifice of military members, past and present, and honored to tell their story at many of our national parks," Jarvis added. From frontier forts to World War II battlefields, more than 70 national parks have direct connections to the military, the release said. These include the earliest national parks, where Army engineers designed park roads and buildings and the cavalry enforced regulations from 1886 until the National Park Service was established in 1916. National parks throughout the country will hold special events to commemorate Veterans Day......

Book Review: "River Of Doubt"

Teddy spent some serious time in the backcountry! 

-- North Dakota in the 1800's. 

-- The Amazon, which is still pretty much wild and definitely "backcountry" in my book.

If you like to read about backcountry adventure, this is a good read. I read it about a year ago, and honestly, all I remember is that I liked it alot and there was some serious adventure in it.

Getting the kids out into the backcountry....

Wow, I realized this post never got published.  It was a GREAT DAY!

OK, two miles in isn't backcountry, but I can tell you not alot of folks wandered out our way on this day. In fact, we didn't see anyone except the two people fishing at the confluence of the Yellowstone and the Lamar.

This magic place for kids in the backcountry is about 200 yards upstream on the Lamar from the confluence with the Yellowstone. Only about two miles in, and our 3 1/2 year old hiked it all by himself. The 16 month old loved playing in the sand all day. Dad fished, and Mom got a little fishin' in, too.

Cruising down the trail.

The Lamar River from above.

Our piece of paradise for the day. Great spot for kids!

That's a coyote to the right of the rock! Who knows how long he was following us! Kind of scary when you think that the coyote could have easily taken one of the kids that was right in front of us.

Wonderful place!

Movie Review: "The River Why"

Somehow, someway....my wife and I had some time for a movie last night. "The River Why" was in the Netflix queue, so that's what we watched.

I liked it! It was a really nice movie that didn't try to play off the "River Runs Through It." There are a few  really cool scenes that I won't spoil for you.  This isn't an action film in any way, but if you want something relaxing, this is it.

Bottom line: if you want a cool fly-fishing movie to watch with wifey/hubby, take a chance on this one.

Oneida Narrows decision...

This news came out last week, but I think it is worth posting for anyone who hasn't seen it.... good news if you ask me.

http://www.greateryellowstone.org/news/index.php?id=1748

HOME > News GYC News State Kills Dam Plan: Oneida Narrows Project 'Not In The Public Interest' October 19, 2012 Michael O'Donnell | Idaho State Journal Editor's note: Hopefully this is the final nail in the coffin for this bad idea, which would have inundated the last free-flowing stretch of the Bear River. GYC has been leading the fight against this project. PRESTON — A proposal to build a dam in the Bear River’s Oneida Narrows northeast of Preston has been killed by the Idaho Department of Water Resources.     The department released a final order Thursday denying an application to build a dam in the narrows from Twin Lakes Canal Company stating it was “not in the public interest.”     It confirmed a preliminary issued ruling by the IDWR earlier this year. To read the entire story, click here.

Backcountry Kids children's book available now!

Just letting everyone know that the children's book "Backcountry Kids" is available on Kindle now, and there should be hard-copies available by November 1.

Young children can join Backcountry Kids Jackson and Emma as they explore Yellowstone National Park. Learn about Yellowstone National Park and how to stay safe while hiking and exploring the park. The beautiful illustrations will catch the eye of every young child as parents read about America's first national park. Every child will be inspired to get outside, get some fresh air, and enjoy the great outdoors!

Bob Beason from Pocatello did some simply AWESOME and BEAUTIFUL art in this book.

Check it out on Amazon!

Life is good...

On the Madison River for the annual Columbus Day fishing. Finally warmed up a bit at 1100.

How much gear can your kid carry?

To get your kids to enjoy the backcountry in general, you have to get them out there and stay the night, and that will involve carrying gear. Just how much gear can your kid carry?

Backpacker magazine addresses this for a ten-year old at Backpacker Magazine - Kids and Backpacking.

I didn't get into the backcountry with 3 1/2 year old Paul this year like I was hoping to.  The plan now is to start in June in the Little Firehole Meadows area of Yellowstone National Park. That's a relatively short hike at 2-3 miles, mostly flat, and at a low enough elevation to be relatively warm at night. Oh yeah, there is some fishing available, too!

This summer, Paul was able to carry his little camelback with a couple toys, a rain jacket, and about
12 ounces of water. He could carry that for an hour or so, covering about 1.5- 2 miles. 

Noah is 18 months old and still in diapers. I don't do diapers in bear country.

Bottome line is that I'm planning to carry most of the stuff next summer. The goal is to get the kids to want to go back to the backcountry as their favorite place, not to see what their carrying capacity is.

Tornado in Yellowstone?

My job as an all hazards planner for public health emergencies is pretty interesting, and September is National Preparedness Month (mostly because of hurricane season).

We all know wildfires are a big concern in the park, and not only should you be careful not to start a fire, you have to be careful about spotting fires in the backcountry so you can stay safe.

But did you know you have to watch out for tornados, too? I've been in some horrific thunderstorms in Yellowstone, but I never thought about tornados at that altitude.

Click to the link for some info about a huge tornado in the park in 1987.  After that, make sure you have your own readiness kits in place for whatever threats are in your area.

http://www.ready.gov/wyoming

Wyoming

Jul 21, 1987

A 1.5 mile-wide EF4 tornado churned through Yellowstone National Park for 24 miles. Over 1 million trees were uprooted and discarded by this rare high altitude tornado, the highest ever recorded. The tornado began at roughly 7,000 feet above sea level and then climbed several thousand feet to crest at over 10,000. Despite no injuries, fatalities and limited infrastructure damage, the tornado was responsible for $2.5 million in damage.

Labor Day weekend trip report

  

This Labor Day weekend, we didn't hit the backcountry. With two little kids (one in diapers still), we just don't do the backcountry on family trips. It would have been perfect weather for fishing on the Lamar River or the Bechler River.

In fact, we ended up only about 10-20 miles from the Bechler River. We stayed at the Warm River campground, a beautiful family spot about 14 miles east of Ashton, Idaho. I consider this the perfect place for a family with young kids to camp because it's close to a river that is manageable with little kids, it's close to home for us to easily bail out if we want to, and it's just alot of fun in general.

On Sunday, we took a day trip to West Yellowstone to see the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. What an awesome thing to do with kids! We saw bears and wolves up close, along with bald eagles, golden eagles, and several other raptors.

The bear show was the high of the day! The handlers put the bear "away" while they hid the food. Then the bears came out and showed the crowd how bears find food. This was incredibly educational for me as much as it was for the kids. I read about how the bears can do alot of things, like moving huge rocks and tree trunks to climbing the trees to get to food. It's one thing to read about it and trust that you're being told the truth....to see it makes it much more real. See below for proof that you need to make sure your food bag is centered between the bear poles in the backcountry.

And here's a great view of what is generally wrong with campsites. This was an exhibit that was setup in the discovery center area and really hits home.

The wolves were cool to see, but they weren't up to much activity.

Yellowstone Book Store sale

Get your Labor Day reading now....

Park Store Labor Day Sale

Where the Yellowstone Goes....in Pocatello?

I'm working on getting the movie "Where The Yellowstone Goes" to be shown here in Pocatello. Of course, I hope it is at Idaho State University, and I have them at least interested in showing it. There is a cost involved, so I'm trying to find some help wiht that cost. Let me know if you're interested in helping. BackcountryCutts and Backcountry Adventures Press is going to put up $50 for it.

Trout Lake otter eating fish photo.

We visited Trout Lake a month ago and saw the otter.

Here's a great photo with an awesome story behind it.

http://mobile.dudamobile.com/site/yellowstonegate?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yellowstonegate.com%2F2012%2F08%2Fyellowstone-river-otters-trout-lake-phot%2F#2862

Global warming debate

Lies, Damn Lies and Yellowstone’s River Closures: Global Warming Catastrophe or Summertime Business as Usual?

Great article with great comments.

YNP closes fishing on west side rivers

Yellowstone To Implement Fishing Closures - Yellowstone National Park

Nothing really special with this. Every year the water on the west side warms up. This just makes it official that you shouldn't be fishing those waters in the heat of the summer.

It's bern really hot recently. Hopefully we make it through August without the Yellowstone and others in the northeast part of the park warming up too much.

Southeast Idaho dam denied

Application for Oneida Dam denied by Idaho

I drove this section of the river last year to get familiar with this issue and to see the river. It is really beautiful, and I'm glad to see that the dam is currently denied. I didn't get to fish it because the water was really high from a big snowpack last year.

On-Scene reporting!

A note from the Lamar River on July 22, 2012. We were right below the bridge that is being re-built.  Production value is minimal, but it's the thought that counts!

http://youtu.be/v5H1ofcJxaM

Where to take young kids in the Yellowstone Backcountry?

Now that we have two little boys, me and my wife's time in the backcountry gets limited. OK, her time in the backcountry is nonexistent; mine is limited.

Now that the boys are 3 1/2 years and 16 months, I figured we could plan a day in the backcountry for some fishing, one parent watches the kids while the other fishes. But where?

We went to the Lamar River, about 200 yards upstream from the confluence with the Yellowstone. It was about a two mile hike in. We could have just pulled off the road and walked to some nice gravel bar, but we wanted to teach them about hiking in and spending the day away from the noise of the road.

So the boys spent a day on this gravel bar, throwing rocks and playing in the sand. Seriously, they could throw rocks all day and not be bored at all. Paul hiked in the two miles all by himself, and hiked out all by himself, carrying his camelback, too.

There were great fishing spots above and below this area, and the water next to the gravel was very slow and shallow for at least 50 feet before getting to the main channel. Reminder: the river is constantly changing, so it could be different when you get there.

Where are some other good spots like this?

1. On the Lamar River, upstream from the confluence with Soda Butte. Walk a mile up the gravel, and it will be mostly quiet.

2. Upper Soda Butte Creek, near Pebble Creek. You'll be close to the road and traffic noise, but there isn't as much traffic here.

3. Slough Creek: walk downstream from the parking area between the main road and the campground. There are some grassy spots on the bank but not alot of shade.

More details and spots will be in an article I'm writing for hatchmag.com. We'll get some links up for you when that happens.

Back from Yellowstone!

Got back yesterday from a family trip to Yellowstone. Got a little fishing in, and a little hiking in, too! Fishing was tough, but I was standing in the middle of the Lamar getting alot of looks but not takes, so it really wasn't that bad!

Will put up some pics and details later.

I can tell you that the fish are not keying on orange like they normally do at this time of the year, even if all the salmon flies are gone, which is not the case on the Lamar River near the confluence with the Yellowstone because I had several crawling on me at some point during the day.

Anyway, look for to some details on taking kids into the near-backcountry (two mile hike or so) and what to do with them when they get there.....that was my big experience over the weekend.

Native Fish Conservation - Yellowstone Park Foundation

Everyone is asking for money these days. Yellowstone Park Foundation is one of those places that gets mine.

Native Fish Conservation - Yellowstone Park Foundation:


"The top priority of the NPS plan is to decrease the number of predatory, non-native lake trout, which in recent years have dramatically reduced the number of native Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Yellowstone Lake. Yellowstone Park Foundation funding of the Native Fish Conservation Program will allow for a significant effort to suppress lake trout through private sector netters on Yellowstone Lake. The goal of sustained efforts is to recover Yellowstone cutthroat trout to mid-1990s levels.

To help Save the Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout, Donate now>>"

'via Blog this'

Winter in July

There's more than fishing in Yellowstone. I would personally like to be able to ride a best available technology snow machine in the park with no guide.....snow camp possibilities are awesome (no Backcountry though to preserve their quiet peace).

Traveler's View: Yellowstone National Park Deserves A Better Winter-Use Plan | National Parks Traveler

Getting Ready! Be Fire Aware this year too.

I am SOOO ready to get to Yellowstone!!! Two more weeks. The salmon flies will be probably just over when I get there. So far it's been hot, and I think the water is down already. The Yellowstone in the Blacktail Canyon will probably be pretty warm come August; I suspect there might be some limitations on fishing this year similar to a few years ago (2007?) when there was no fishing during the afternoon....that turned out to be a great time to actually physically relax and take a nap anyway because it was so dang hot.

You've heard about bear aware. I'm asking you to be FIRE AWARE.

I'm worried about fire season this year. My home town here in Pocatello just got nailed by a wildfire in a populated area just outside of town. Sixty-six homes burned in about four hours. Thank God that nobody died or was injured. And our first responders did such a great job....they really jumped on that fire and got it out quickly because it could have been MUCH worse.

Anyway, I learned the other day that the fire season follows a 12-year cycle. Every 12 years is a bad year. 2012-12=2000..."

During the 2000 fire season in the United States, almost 93,000 wildland fires burned close to 7.4 million acres and destroyed numerous structures. Subsequently, recommendations were developed on how to reduce the impacts of fire on rural communities and ensure sufficient firefighting resources for the future. That report, now known as the "National Fire Plan", identified five key points that continue to emphasize interagency approaches." from 

http://www.yellowstone-natl-park.com/fire.htm

2000-12=1988: VERY BAD FIRE YEAR IN YELLOWSTONE.

While you're out and about fishing in Yellowstone and other pristine areas of God's Backyard, please be careful.

1. No cigarettes please. If you have to, switch to Copenhagen. I chewed Cope for 23 years. Quite October 4, 2010 at 10:22pm cold turkey. Do it if you have to...it's better than smoking in the backcountry.

2. Try to live without a camp fire. Seriously. If you have a very active day, you should be sleeping by 9pm, before the end of evening twilight. Just cuz it's legal, doesn't make it right. Please don't have the camp fires.

3. Be especially careful with your camp stove. Triple-careful if you have white gas.....that stuff is incredibly flammable and spills fairly easily if you're not careful.

4. Watch for smoke while you're in the backcountry. Don't depend on the Rangers to tell you to leave. Take personal responsibility for yourself.

5. Have a NOAA capable radio and listen to it during your meals. Learn how to set it up for alerts. Take enough batteries or a solar charger for rechargeable batteries.

Here's a look at the fire forecast. Translation = Red areas covering all of Yellowstone = Be CAREFUL WITH FIRE!

http://www.predictiveservices.nifc.gov/outlooks/monthly_seasonal_outlook.pdf

Salmon fly update

Here's a report on salmon flies fro troutfitters. They are in/around Ennis. Maybe they'll be in Blacktail Canyon area of the Yellowstone next weekend or the next. I'll be there and on the Lamar July 19, probably right after the big hatches but the fish will still look for anything big and orange that weekend same as I found to be true the last few years.

Montana Troutfitters | Shop Blog

Haven't fished yet this year. Camped with friends last weekend in the mts south of Twin Falls. We drove to backcountry....miles and miles of hills but nothing to fish. Good weekend with friends, got to see the stars so beautiful on a new moon, boys had tons of fun playing in the dirt.

Summer has turned 110%....hot hot hot.

Photo trip along the Yellowstone River, from Glendive to Livingston

This isn't backcountry or fishing related (directly) but I thought it would be fun.

I was in western North Dakota over Memorial Day weekend for my niece's high school graduation (Beulah High School). On the way back, I figured I would take some pictures of the Yellowstone River while driving along the interstate.

They start in Glendive work westward towards Livingston; unfortunately, I don't remember where each one was taken. I've driven this road probably ten times in the last six years and know what's coming next as I drive, but I can't remember where the photos are taken. The road follows the river the entire way. These are taken with my phone, so they aren't great, but they should give folks an idea of what the landscape is like.

Now picture yourself with Lewis and Clark in this terrain!