I made my way into Hayden Valley on an old trail, its' whereabouts gleaned from a helpful Yellowstone pro on the backpacker forum.
I started early, and it was drizzling. Ahhh, perfect. The trail was a little mushy in spots, but I had been forewarned, so I wore my water-proof, all leather hiking boots. Not far into the hike I found that some buffalo had decided to take a rest just about 20' from the trail. Having had it drilled into my head how dangerous and unpredictable these animals can be, I detoured around them, giving them a birth of over 25 yards.
Past the buffalo, I found myself constantly singing. You see, this is grizzly bear territory, and one of the best ways to avoid getting mauled is to make sure that you don't surprise them. Whenever I couldn't see around a corner or over a hill, I'd sing (maybe this is why people don't hike with me? :)). Of course I had bear spray, but I'd rather not have to use it.
The Valley was wide and wild. As I looked at my feet I was mesmerized by the Lilliputian community of ferns, mosses and flowers.
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