Yesterday, we hiked to Crevice Lake. It was a great day for a walk, sunny and warm. We left the car just after noon and began our hike with an uphill jaunt. The trail soon leveled out and even began a gradual descent across a meadow full of gophers. At the far side of the meadow, the trail dropped into the valley and followed Blacktail Creek. The swiftly moving water provided a nice soundtrack to our walk, and we were even surprised by an unexpected waterfall. Eventually, we reached the suspension bridge across the Yellowstone River. Here we found another surprise. An osprey had built a nest on one of the support towers, and it watched us intently as we crossed the bridge.
From the bridge, it was only a little bit further to our destination. We reached Crevice Lake and found it totally deserted. Having met a few other hikers throughout the day, I fully expected that we would have to share. We sat by the serene lake shore and ate a snack and photographed a few ducks. It was so quiet, in fact, that the humming of the mosquitoes seemed akin to a roar!
The only problem with an in-and-out hike that is downhill all the way in is... you guessed it... it's uphill all the way out! We were both feeling our age as we stopped frequently to catch our breath. The creek that was so pretty on the way in was even more beautiful on the way out and kept us motivated. After the first mile from the bridge, we were back on the "flat" and walking was easier. It was fun playing Whack-a-Mole with the ground squirrels. One would pop up along the trail, only to retreat about the time we got a camera up, while another would whistle from just a short distance away.
We got back to the car about 8 pm, with 9.64 miles behind us. We were tired, dirty, and hungry, but very satisfied with our day.
 |
| Check out our Facebook page Photography by Dan & Tammi Capron for a short video clip of this spectacular bird. |
Wow!
ReplyDelete