Slough Creek

Bette and I have made several ski trips up Slough Creek. Slough Creek is one of my favorite spots in the park. The first time I was there was back in September 1978 with my friend Don. We were on our way back from an attempt at moving out west. Recall us sitting by the campfire at night cooking hotdogs on a stick while listening to bugling bull elk. My brother and I made several fall fishing trips to Yellowstone in the late eighties and both times we camped in the campground there, and fished the lower sections and first meadow. Then in the early nineties while Bette was backpacking with our Wisconsin friend Ben in the Absarokas southwest of Cody, I was fishing there and saw two whooping cranes plus a helicopter that was flying in to pick up a hiker mauled by a grizzly bear.

Our first trip up was during a period when it seemed that all our days off and ski trips were on cloudy days with light snowfall. You missed some of the more spectacular mountain views, though skiing through a light snowfall in the mountains is beautiful too. The first picture is looking down after climbing up most of the way from the trailhead. We started way down at the bottom. The second picture is of Bette up in the first meadow with the patrol cabin in the background.

We went back on a sunny day with our co-volunteer John (aka Yellowstone Jack of the Wolf Collaring - Bison Stampede Fame). Snow was great and someone kindly broke trail ahead of us. Made it up farther but still didn't make the second meadow. Another time for that.

Bison in the meadow were pretty feisty. Must be the relatively mild winter. These two were knocking heads. Not sure what the one is doing with its tongue out.

Then it was back out. The snow was soft enough so that the downhill was a lot of fun. Managed to make it out without crashing for a change.