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Posted by Ballpark Frank (66.58.238.35) on 12:30:39 08/04/12
In Reply to: A Toast to Ballpark Frank posted by Roadie
Roadie,
Thanks for the "toast"!
Thanks to Granite Head, MO Pat E, Bison, and Ria for posting.
Those of you who have hiked the Yellowstone backcountry with me are well aware of my passion for wandering that terrain.
There is a dynamic that operates in Yellowstone (and Alaska as well), much different than many other places. It is the mutual need for fellow hikers to mitigate the danger of surprise bear encounters. When I trod the heights of Rocky Mountain National Park, the Indian Peaks Wilderness, and the national forests just to the south, I had one or two occasional hiking partners, but I also did quite a number of solo jaunts over the years. Hiking solo came close to costing me my life in August of 1979, near Devil's Thumb Pass. I really could have used a partner after my high speed impact with the boulders at the bottom of a snowfield!
Having hiking partners in Yellowstone is mandatory, from my perspective, even though I know a number of inveterate solo hikers that are quite comfortable out there. I am exceedingly grateful for all of you who joined in the fun over the years.
Jane and I did our first Alaska hike last weekend, a 4 or 5 mile wander to Russian River Falls to look for salmon, and the bears that feed on them. We saw plenty of monster salmon, but no bears. Two days later, I heard a fellow at our health club talking about seeing four bears down near where the river flows into the Kenai River. Apparently, one small bear was eating a fish, right next to the trail, and a group of visitors walked right by it without noticing it.
This Monday, I will be hiking Denali with one of our former Yellowstone hiking pals, Erik Hendrickson, who now works in Denali. If you know Erik, you will appreciate the fact that he is fired up about trying to find a white-tailed ptarmigan.
For those of you who did the June 18 Divide Lookout/Pocket Lake/DeLacey trek, I am thinking it might make sense to start a thread on those "Bob Gnarly" trees we saw and photographed. It was one more example of the uniqueness of Yellowstone. I would get it started with a few shots right now, but I'm under the gun to get a bunch of other things done. We are attending a Pow Wow at the annual meeting of the American Association of Indian Physicians this evening, and have to drive up to Fairbanks tomorrow, where Jane will be attending the triennial meeting of the International Union for Circumpolar Health. With my travels over the next couple days, I am more likely an "instigator", than a full-fledged participant, but I might be able to join in come Tuesday.
Ballpark
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