Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: September 24th to September 30th, 2026

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This Week in Yellowstone: September 24th to September 30th, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

0:00
From Yellowstone National Park, where the Molly
0:02
Wolf Pack is supposedly safely back in park boundaries,
0:06
this is that Scott guy you know and love with
0:08
a brand new episode of This Week in Yellowstone.
0:21
What's up everybody this week in Yellowstone
0:23
National Park from September 24th to September
0:26
30th, 2026. I'll talk about being an ethical
0:30
bear watcher, let you know why being in the park
0:32
right now is super awesome, and share some fun
0:35
facts about marmots and picas. I'll also give
0:37
you the complete weather forecast, a cool trail
0:40
to hike, the wildlife report, and everything
0:42
else you need to have an incredible time this
0:45
week in Yellowstone. My standard disclaimer,
0:48
I'm gonna miss a few details here and there.
0:50
That's just the nature of this podcast. If you
0:52
have any follow -up questions about anything,
0:54
feel free to reach out to me. I also mention
0:56
park locations very casually, so if you're unfamiliar
0:59
with some place I'm talking about, a quick search
1:01
can help, or again, just reach out to me directly.
1:05
406 -589 -1873 for texts, or you can email me
1:10
at theoutdoorsocietyatgmail .com. Also, this
1:14
podcast is a passion project of mine. If you
1:17
enjoy it, I'd love a review or a quick email
1:19
just to let me know you're listening. If you
1:21
want to support my work more, you can check out
1:23
my hiking and wildlife watching guidebooks, or
1:25
join me for a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone's
1:28
backcountry next year. For more information on
1:30
all that, again reach out to me, or go to outdoor
1:33
-society .com. This week's Yellowstone news.
1:38
So a few things to talk about this week, not
1:40
anything really big. The first is that there
1:43
are still backups in the morning at West Yellowstone
1:46
and backups leaving the park to get back to West
1:49
Yellowstone in the evening. A lot of people are
1:51
messaging me asking what's been going on? Is
1:53
there construction? Is there some sort of like
1:56
accident every day? It's just kind of how things
1:59
are right now. Again, I've talked about it before
2:02
and there's that myth that September is an empty
2:05
time of the year. We're seeing out of West Yellowstone
2:07
especially that this is not true. West Yellowstone
2:11
in the morning right around 8 o 'clock 8 15 line
2:14
start building and they last till 10 it looks
2:16
like on the web cameras and that's on Tuesday
2:19
and Wednesdays so on the weekends it might be
2:21
a little different and longer also everybody
2:24
leaves the park around the same time and when
2:27
there are a couple of elk next to the road out
2:29
of west that's just going to cause a delay and
2:31
it's going to make a long 13 mile commute even
2:35
though you get to see elk and you're along the
2:36
Madison River So how long is it really right
2:38
just know that you know things are happening
2:40
out there, and it is natural There's not really
2:43
any reason other than people are out enjoying
2:46
the park and take your time The other bit of
2:49
news I wanted to share is I've been seeing a
2:52
lot of reports about the molly pack having reentered
2:55
into the park and They were not shot by hunters
2:58
in Wyoming Few things there. It appears that
3:02
the wolf hunt quota on the exterior of the park
3:06
in Wyoming has already been met I just pulled
3:08
up the trophy game harvest website through the
3:12
state of Wyoming and Hunt area one and two are
3:15
located right next to the park There is another
3:17
region next to the park as well hunt area three
3:20
But we're gonna talk about hunt area one and
3:22
two right now Hunt area one and two were the
3:25
ones that people were very concerned about the
3:27
molly pack being shot at And those areas are
3:31
now closed. The mortality limit for those areas
3:34
was four wolves. And there have already been
3:36
four wolves killed in that. So that area is closed.
3:41
Number three does not appear that any wolves
3:44
have been killed out of that area. That is way
3:47
south and a lot more remote. That's not really
3:50
any packs that a lot of people visiting the park
3:52
are going to be familiar with. I'm not saying
3:55
not to worry about that, I'm just saying that
3:57
the main worry areas for the state of Wyoming
4:00
for people worried about the wolf hunt were hunt
4:03
areas one and two. Four wolves have already been
4:05
killed there. If any more wolves are killed there,
4:07
it is poaching and it is illegal. So there shouldn't
4:10
be any more Yellowstone wolves killed out there,
4:13
but we still have Idaho and we still have Montana
4:16
to go. One to update everybody about that. I
4:19
also want to say that I saw a lot of things about
4:22
we need to protect the molly pack The molly pack
4:24
is so important and I agree however there are
4:28
other wolves that are being shot right now and
4:30
other wolves that are being hunted and I understand
4:33
that the bigger name ones get all the attention
4:35
we can also talk about bears and grizzly bears
4:37
in this conversation, but if we're trying to
4:41
conserve the and protect these animals We need
4:46
to make sure that we stay true to our word about
4:50
protecting all of the animals and not just the
4:52
famous ones. Otherwise, it can appear from the
4:55
outside a bit hypocritical. That's all I want
4:58
to say on that. The good news is the mollies
5:00
are fine. May or may not have already known that
5:03
in advance and was very excited when I When some
5:07
people I may or may not know may or may not have
5:10
seen them. I don't know why I'm being coy about
5:12
that I've known they've been in the park for
5:13
a little bit and it's been really nice But everybody
5:16
was asked to kind of keep it quiet. So Molly's
5:19
are back Hunting season in the region of Wyoming
5:22
right outside the park is now closed in those
5:24
regions one and two number three is still open
5:26
But like I said more remote we'll talk about
5:29
Idaho and Montana when that comes to be but for
5:32
right now One to give an update there That's
5:35
really the news. I will have the closure dates
5:38
again for all the things in the park listed in
5:40
the show notes I was going to list a bunch of
5:43
things. I will tell you what's open campground
5:45
wise when we get to camping but Operating dates
5:48
are listed in the show notes with the link so
5:50
you can check those out So, you know, it's gonna
5:52
be open when you visit the park my experience
5:55
of the week I was hemming and hawing all week
5:58
about what do I want to do? Sometimes I struggle
6:01
with having the topic for my experience because
6:03
there's so many different things. Time is just
6:07
slipping through. It's already the end of September.
6:09
It's ridiculous. I don't know if there's anybody
6:11
out there that's had a very slow year. Let me
6:14
know about it. I would love to hear about your
6:16
slow year because this year has been truly ridiculous
6:20
for me. Personal note, still having dog health
6:23
issues. Really not great, but if anybody here
6:27
like sends good vibes to dogs, my dog needs some
6:31
like good energy sent his way. But that's not
6:34
my experience of the week. My experience of the
6:35
week is not talking about my dog. My experience
6:37
of the week is visiting the park this week, because
6:41
while I would love to have a specific thing to
6:43
tell you to do, this is one of my favorite times
6:46
in the park. Fall in the park is a truly magical,
6:50
wonderful time. There are days in the fall where
6:54
I've hiked all day and had some of the best days
6:56
of my life. I've seen some of the best wildlife.
6:59
I've had experiences in the fall where when I
7:02
try to retell the stories, it sounds like I'm
7:05
just making up fantastical event after fantastical
7:08
event. But right now is such a good time to visit.
7:12
If you happen to be visiting in the park right
7:13
now, the weather's Awesome. It's a little chilly,
7:17
but it's still not too cold. The warmth is super
7:20
warm so you can still hike in a t -shirt, but
7:23
in the morning you kind of need a hoodie. I love
7:25
that. But the reason why I think you're gonna
7:28
love it right now is just the overall vibe of
7:31
the park. I talked a bit off the start of how
7:35
West Yellowstone seal scene traffic, even like
7:37
the east entrance had a lie in the last couple
7:39
mornings, the north entrance had a lie in the
7:41
last couple of mornings. It wasn't anything bad,
7:43
but people are in the park. but everybody's kind
7:46
of doing the same thing everybody wants to go
7:48
see the elk everybody wants to go see the thermal
7:50
features experience the park when the quote -unquote
7:53
kids aren't there that's the post September or
7:56
the post Labor Day idea of visiting the park
8:00
is the kids aren't there which is kind of true
8:02
and while all those things are awesome to see
8:05
the wildlife the thermal areas less crowded driving
8:09
the roads Right now the fall colors, the upper
8:12
roads, those dirt roads that are still open,
8:15
all of the side roads, everything is so perfect.
8:19
There's been some rain in the evenings and then
8:21
everything is clean in the morning, really fresh.
8:24
The little dew is there. If it's cold enough,
8:27
there's frost everywhere. The leaves are so perfect
8:30
in those areas. I absolutely love this time of
8:34
the year. So if you are wanting, like, what's
8:35
the experience? What do you need to do? Obviously
8:38
the whole park, right? Let's not lie. If you're
8:40
in the park, you want to do it all. That's the
8:42
point. You want to see all of Yellowstone. But
8:45
if you want to know what I do during this time,
8:49
I enjoy driving those side roads. I like going
8:53
over the passes. I like getting up in elevation
8:56
and looking for sweeping views. While there aren't
8:59
a lot of deciduous trees in the park, there are
9:02
enough like the aspens and the cottonwoods that
9:05
just are popping right now. There's also fireweed
9:08
that's really cool looking. There's all these
9:10
red plants as well. If you know me, my joke on
9:13
my tours is I learn a new plant every year for
9:17
my tours and so in about another 130 years I'll
9:19
know all the plants. That's my little joke because
9:21
I'm terrible with plants. But right now, the
9:24
plants are so cool. Everything is turning colors
9:27
because of those low temperatures. The higher
9:29
up you get, the more you can look out into that
9:32
vast expanse of the park. If you're driving up
9:35
Dunraven Pass from Tower, there's all of those
9:39
pullouts looking back towards Specimen Ridge
9:41
and the Northern Range, and you just get those
9:43
splash of colors against the kind of golden amber
9:46
prairies and the green trees. It's truly magnificent.
9:50
If you drive out toward the Beartooth Highway,
9:53
there's stands of aspen that are just absolutely
9:55
popping there's all those little red plants there's
9:58
fireweed there's everything there that is so
10:01
beautiful that the higher you get the better
10:04
it is i was joking with somebody that my experience
10:08
of the week was get high in the park so you can
10:10
see fall colors but i didn't want that misconstrued
10:13
but honestly places like firehole canyon virginia
10:16
cascades all of those side roads right now have
10:20
some pretty good views of some cool fall colors
10:23
and just this level of serenity and remoteness
10:26
that you really will enjoy. Even those picnic
10:30
areas that I've been talking about all year,
10:32
this is the time to see them. Going to the canyon,
10:35
that is a great time. Going out past Sheep Eater,
10:38
walking that half mile to Little Box Canyon.
10:41
These are things that this time of the year bring
10:44
me such joy and hold me through an to the point
10:48
that I'm excited for the next fall, when fall
10:51
is ending, I'm already like, oh, by next year,
10:54
I'm going to go do this all again. This is the
10:56
time of the year where everything really flips.
11:00
There's this short fall window that we have in
11:04
the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem that is truly
11:08
remarkable. And this year looks like it's going
11:10
to be a really good year. Temperatures are going
11:12
to start dropping in the next week or two, and
11:15
that's going to make the colors and everything
11:16
even better. But right now, we have everything
11:19
you could want. We have bears entering hyperphasia.
11:23
We have elk. bugling. We have bison just kind
11:26
of now roaming around after their rut. We have
11:29
the pronghorn gathering up in small herds to
11:31
get ready to leave. Osprey are starting to leave.
11:34
Sandhill cranes are starting to get up in flocks
11:36
and will be flying away soon. Everything has
11:39
this energy that unlike spring when everything's
11:43
coming back and feels alive everything now has
11:45
this sense of well maybe this will be the last
11:47
time I see this for the year. And that's my experience
11:50
is just appreciate these experiences because
11:53
it might be the last time in the year that you
11:55
see this. It might be that last day where you're
11:59
driving out West Yellowstone in the morning to
12:01
go catch a flight somewhere, driving along the
12:04
Madison, and you stop at a pullout, it's foggy
12:06
outside, and you hear an elk bugle, and then
12:09
you see a bull elk walk next to the river. That
12:13
happens. this time of the year to me all the
12:15
time and I absolutely love it and that's what
12:17
I want you to have. I know I'm just ranting here
12:20
but sometimes I don't like to write things because
12:23
I want you to know how excited and happy I am
12:25
when we get to certain times of the year. This
12:28
is one of those I love every time of the year.
12:31
My favorite thing when people ask me is What's
12:33
your favorite time of the year? Because it's
12:34
whenever I'm in the park, that is my favorite
12:37
time. So right now, this is my favorite time.
12:39
In a month from now, that's my favorite time.
12:42
But if you're in the park right now, please do
12:44
yourself a favor. Drive those side roads, find
12:48
a pullout or picnic area with a sweeping view,
12:51
try and get up on something to get a good panorama,
12:55
and enjoy the fall colors, listen to the sounds,
12:57
watch those animals gather, because this When
13:01
everything gets ready to slow down for winter,
13:03
but there's still just that hint of energy and
13:05
that hint of excitement So enjoy it if you want
13:08
to know more about where I would go right now
13:11
reach out to me I'm really happy to help. Oh
13:13
and speaking of helping I am gonna answer this
13:15
email Somebody emailed me just a few minutes
13:18
ago before I started recording But I'm gonna
13:20
mention this on the podcast as well because I
13:22
think it applies to everyone If you have an opportunity
13:25
to drive the Beartooth Highway this week or the
13:30
Chief Joseph Memorial Highway this week, or anything
13:33
like that this week, do it. It is the best. But
13:38
that's a rant for a later day, but I just want
13:40
to answer that here as well. Let's jump into
13:43
my tip of the week. Be an ethical bear watcher.
13:47
Last week I talked about great grey owls, this
13:49
week I want to talk about bears because we're
13:51
getting to an important time in bear watching
13:53
season where it can be a little frustrating for
13:56
people and bears alike. So watching a wild bear
13:59
in Yellowstone could be one of the most memorable
14:01
experiences in a national park. A bear moving
14:04
through a meadow, digging for roots, feeding
14:05
on berries, eating at a carcass, or simply just
14:09
doing what a bear does. This time of the year,
14:13
we really need to make sure that we are keeping
14:15
our distance from bears, and I don't mean just
14:17
those park regulated distances of a hundred yards
14:20
when you're outside your car. With the smaller
14:23
crowds, it's really tempting to follow bears
14:25
to do a lot of things and I'm going to talk about
14:27
what to do and what not to do both as a reminder
14:30
to myself because I need to hear it so I make
14:32
sure to not do it and let you know in case you
14:34
don't know because some of these things are unwritten
14:37
rules and I want you to know so people aren't
14:39
taking your picture and shaming you online for
14:41
just not knowing. So one of the most important
14:44
rules is also one of the simplest. Let the bear
14:48
be a bear. We all know that Yellowstone asked
14:51
visitors not to approach, pursue, encircle, or
14:53
feed wildlife, and it's illegal to willfully
14:56
remain near or approach an animal in a way that
14:59
disturbs or displaces it. One thing I'm always
15:02
reminding visitors and myself is that if a bear
15:05
changes its behavior because of you, that's an
15:08
indication that you need to change where you're
15:11
standing. If you're doing something and you are
15:14
moving and the bear is watching you move, you're
15:17
too close or you need to stop moving and stay
15:19
still by your car. I'm bringing this up because
15:23
I've seen an increase in certain behaviors this
15:26
year and I want to address it. One increasingly
15:29
important issue is what happens when someone
15:31
discovers a bear and immediately broadcasts its
15:34
location. This is something that you may or may
15:37
not be aware of but as of late people are using
15:40
Starlink to live stream directly from the park
15:43
giving real -time information about wildlife
15:46
sightings There's even an app now that's on the
15:50
market that you can download that's trying to
15:52
create up -to -date That's trying to create an
15:55
up -to -date wildlife spotting map this is a
15:59
tough one because we want people to know where
16:01
wildlife is we want people to Enjoy the park,
16:06
but there is a kind of self discovery or a discovery
16:10
of the park and if we have an app or no Live
16:14
locations of everything as it's actually happening.
16:17
We're gonna start seeing people rushing to areas
16:19
We're gonna see more traffic accidents people
16:21
speeding we're gonna see these bear jams becoming
16:24
even more crowded It's going to be a serious
16:27
issue So, while those could be fun, try not to
16:31
encourage those people who are doing that. I
16:34
know we're in this weird, like, great information
16:38
is everywhere and all information is good information
16:42
mindset, but there is something to be said about
16:46
making sure that the part can remain at a calmer
16:49
pace. Now, I'm not trying to gatekeep. I do not
16:52
want that to be what people think. I want everybody
16:55
to see everything, but... I just don't want things
16:59
out there that are going to create more problems
17:02
than good. And what I'm seeing from people live
17:05
streaming what I'm seeing from this app, it's
17:07
not good. It's going to create some issues. Is
17:10
there a proper way to do this? Absolutely. I'll
17:12
talk about that later in the winter. But for
17:15
right now, if you see somebody live streaming
17:17
locations, you know, do what you can, but try
17:21
not to be a part of that if you can. Again, this
17:24
is a weird thing to talk about because It's also
17:27
not a super crowded time in the park, but yeah.
17:30
Also, right now we have some areas where I have
17:34
been asked not to recommend people go because
17:37
too many people are going to them and they are
17:40
setting up some bad behaviors, there's more trash,
17:44
there's more people approaching wildlife, there's
17:46
all of these things that are really ruining awesome
17:50
wildlife watching areas because too many people
17:52
are going there. A lot of guides have been asked
17:54
directly from certain areas to not recommend
17:57
going there. If you know what I'm talking about,
18:01
please adhere to that. We need to give some of
18:03
these regions a break. We need to give some of
18:05
these bears, some of these other wildlife areas,
18:08
a good pause because, and no pun intended with
18:10
pause there, but we need to just make sure that
18:13
we are being responsible and ethical. That's
18:16
what I want to talk about with that, but... All
18:19
of this is to say that you can still go out watch
18:21
wildlife, take pictures. Just be a little more
18:24
cognizant of like timestamps and exactly when
18:27
and where you saw things. Not because you're
18:29
trying to keep it a secret, but because we're
18:32
trying to be conservative about how people are
18:36
behaving around wildlife. We have to have a larger
18:39
conversation at some point as a national park
18:42
and people visiting national parks about appropriate
18:44
behavior around wildlife. That unfortunately
18:47
is not something we're going to accomplish right
18:48
now, but what we can do is just make sure that
18:52
we share things with people when we see them.
18:55
But maybe post that picture of exactly where
18:58
you saw that wolf pack a couple days later, especially
19:01
since it's hunting season. You know, just little
19:03
things, just make sure. Another behavior worth
19:06
reconsidering or thinking about, and guides and
19:09
photographers do this too, is following a bear
19:11
from pull out to pull out. When a bear moves
19:14
along the road, it can be attempting to leap
19:16
back into your vehicle, drive ahead, and wait
19:18
for it to appear again. Then comes another pull
19:21
-out, another picture, and another attempt to
19:23
get a better view. From a visitor's perspective,
19:26
this may seem harmless because everyone remains
19:28
in their cars. From the bear's perspective, however,
19:31
it can mean encountering the same collection
19:33
of vehicles and people repeatedly as it tries
19:36
to go about its business. Often bears will be
19:38
trying to cross the road, and the line of cars
19:41
makes this extremely difficult. The bears get
19:43
stressed and waste a lot of important energy
19:45
trying to get away. A good wildlife watcher knows
19:49
when it's time to leave. Seeing a bear walk out
19:51
of sight doesn't mean the experience is over.
19:54
It simply means the bear is chosen to be where
19:56
it wants to be. Driving away instead of pursuing
19:59
it is one of the simplest ways to just let things
20:02
remain natural. I talked about this last week,
20:05
but I want to mention it again. Noise is an important
20:08
consideration. Please, when you're watching wildlife
20:11
of any size or shape, try to be as quiet as possible.
20:16
This happened recently, so I want to bring it
20:18
up, but please know that shouting, whistling,
20:22
calling an animal to get its attention or trying
20:24
to get it to look at you is illegal and against
20:27
park rules and regulations. So don't do that.
20:31
If you're watching something, be quiet. If you
20:33
have somebody loud, just be like, hey, let's
20:36
make sure we're quiet, right? Like this is the
20:38
time to be... good at being a good steward of
20:42
the land. Ultimately, being an ethical bear watcher
20:45
is really easy. It's really easy to do. Be there.
20:49
Don't harass the wildlife. Give it space. If
20:51
it's looking to cross, don't chase it. You know,
20:53
all of those things. 99 % of the people are doing
20:57
a very good job. But all of us can do better,
21:01
myself included. And I just wanted to talk about
21:03
this briefly, so... make sure that when you're
21:05
at these bear scenes you're not broadcasting
21:07
exactly where everything is so people are rushing
21:09
there that you're not chasing the animal and
21:12
you're not yelling at it to look at you because
21:14
that's impacting the animal so that's really
21:17
it i i hate talking about like bummer things
21:19
like this that's why i wanted to do like super
21:21
positivity earlier and now we're going to do
21:24
this and now we're going to talk about something
21:25
really fun for my random yellowstone fact of
21:27
the week marmots and pikas in yellowstone at
21:31
the end of september By the end of September,
21:34
Yellowstone is beginning to feel the approach
21:36
of winter. The days are shorter, nighttime temperatures
21:39
can drop below freezing, and snow really starts
21:42
dusting the mountains. Used to be a lot more,
21:44
but let's get another conversation. For two of
21:47
Yellowstone's smaller mountain mammals, the yellow
21:50
-bellied marmot and the American pika, this is
21:52
an especially important time of the year. Although
21:54
marmots and picas often share the same rocky
21:57
high elevation landscapes, they have very different
22:00
strategies for surviving Yellowstone's long winter.
22:03
The marmot prepares by eating as much as it can
22:05
and storing energy in its body before disappearing
22:08
underground for months. The pica takes the opposite
22:11
approach. It stays awake all winter and spends
22:14
the summer and early fall building a pantry of
22:17
dried vegetation among the rocks. The yellow
22:20
-bellied marmot is one of Yellowstone's largest
22:22
rodents, with adults typically measuring between
22:24
20 to 28 inches long. They're often seen in open
22:28
meadows and rocky areas, where they sit on rocks
22:30
and soak up the sun. By late September, however,
22:34
a Yellowstone visitor is much less likely to
22:36
encounter one than during the summer. Marmots
22:40
are true hibernators, and their hibernation period
22:43
can last six, seven, eight months, depending
22:46
on elevation and conditions. The important thing
22:50
to understand is that marmots do not stockpile
22:52
food for winter. Instead, they stockpile energy
22:55
in the form of body fat. During the growing season
22:59
they feed on grasses and flowering plants, later
23:01
adding seeds and occasional insects. All that
23:05
eating has a purpose. By the time a marmot retreats
23:08
to its burrow, it needs enough stored fat to
23:11
sustain itself through the long winter before
23:14
it can feed again. This makes September the final
23:17
stage of preparation before closing the door.
23:20
During hibernation, a marmot's body undergoes
23:22
extraordinary changes. The body temperature of
23:25
a marmot can fall to around 41 degrees while
23:28
its heart rate can drop roughly 180 to 200 beats
23:31
per minute when active and then it drops to 30
23:35
beats per minute during hibernation. Its breathing
23:38
may slow to one or two breaths per minute. Marmots
23:42
may spend more than half their lives hibernating,
23:44
which, you know, we sleep a lot too. Their burrows
23:47
provide protection from Yellowstone's severe
23:49
winter environment, and members of a colony may
23:52
share a burrow chamber, so they're all cuddled
23:54
up together. Rather than finding enough food
23:56
to last until spring, the marmot's strategy is
23:59
to become fully low energy and live on what it's
24:03
stored. So if you're visiting right now and you're
24:05
wondering where all the marmots are, They may
24:08
have already retreated, but I think with it being
24:10
a little warm, you still might see them out.
24:13
While marmots are preparing to sleep through
24:14
the winter, picas are preparing to work through
24:17
it. By the way, I say picas, some say picas.
24:20
I have heard that there is no right or wrong
24:22
way, so I say picas. So American picas are the
24:26
tiny relatives of rabbits and hares, usually
24:28
about the size of a large potato. With rounded
24:31
ears, no obvious tail, and grayish brown fur,
24:34
they blend remarkably well into the rocky landscapes
24:36
they inhabit. In Yellowstone, they're closely
24:39
associated with talus slopes, the fields of broken
24:42
rock throughout the park's mountains. Late September
24:45
is a fun time to see them because it's when they're
24:48
doing their final winter preparations. Unlike
24:51
marmots, like I said, pikas do not hibernate.
24:54
They remain active beneath the rocks and they
24:57
dart around even when snow is out there. This
25:00
means that a pika needs a pantry of some sort.
25:03
So throughout the summer and early fall, pikas
25:05
harvest grasses, sedges, flowers, and other vegetation
25:08
growing around their rocky homes. They carry
25:10
mouthfuls of plants back to protected locations
25:13
and allow some of the vegetation to dry before
25:16
storing it. These collections are commonly called
25:19
hay piles or haystacks. Some of these haystacks
25:22
can become surprisingly large. Pika haystacks
25:25
are sometimes built in the same location year
25:27
after year and can reach roughly three feet in
25:30
diameter. For an animal weighing only a few ounces,
25:34
that represents an impressive investment in winter
25:36
survival. The result is one of the more charming
25:39
sites hidden in Yellowstone's rocky country.
25:42
This tiny mammal darting back and forth with
25:44
vegetation in its mouth, effectively harvesting
25:46
and storing a winter crop. It may seem that a
25:50
tiny mammal would be better off sleeping through
25:52
Yellowstone's winter, but pikas have evolved
25:55
their different solution. Their thick fur and
25:57
high metabolism help them remain active in the
26:00
cold winter months. Snow actually benefits them
26:03
by providing insulation over the talus and helping
26:06
moderate temperatures within the rocky world.
26:09
The trade -off is that pikas are poorly suited
26:11
to excessive heat. They tend to be most active
26:14
during cooler portions of the day, which is why
26:16
now is a good time to see them, and they're an
26:19
indicator of ecological changes because of their
26:22
sensitivity to temperature and their dependence
26:24
on cool rocky habitat. So this is one of those
26:28
keystone species in the park of is climate change
26:31
impacting certain areas and you can tell if pikas
26:34
are no longer in areas that they used to be because
26:36
their world is disappearing. Now if you're exploring
26:40
Yellowstone right now look for marmots around
26:42
the sunny rocky meadows and talus areas but know
26:46
that you're gonna see them less and less. For
26:49
pikas, look at those same talus slopes and listen
26:51
carefully. Their distinctive high -pitched calls
26:54
may reveal one before you see it. Their camouflage
26:56
is excellent, but if you look long enough, you're
26:58
going to see a little thing darting around. A
27:01
couple of my favorite places to see pikas and
27:02
marmots, Sheep Eater Cliffs. I tell everybody
27:04
to go there. Also, pikas are decent some years.
27:09
at the Talis by the Hell Roaring Trail. So check
27:12
that out. Otherwise, just wanted to talk about
27:14
them and let people know that marmots hibernate,
27:17
pikas don't, and they're both awesome. So good
27:20
luck seeing them this week. The weather for the
27:23
coming week. As always, this is the best forecast
27:26
for the week at the time of the recording. I'm
27:28
recording this at 4 p .m. on Wednesday, September
27:31
23rd. Forecasts can change numerous times in
27:34
a week, but this should be within the ballpark,
27:36
which you'll experience, but we'll see. Let's
27:39
start with Lamar Valley on Thursday highest 72
27:42
low at 39 Friday 72 and 42 Saturday 65 and 39
27:48
Sunday 65 and 41 with a 65 % chance about a tenth
27:53
of an inch of rain Monday 52 and 31 with a 61
27:57
% chance about a quarter inch of rain Tuesday
28:00
61 and 33 12 % chance of rain Wednesday 64 and
28:05
34 Gardner, Montana Thursday 77 42 Friday 76
28:11
45 Saturday 68 43 Sunday 68 43 with a 60 % chance
28:18
of some rain Monday 56 and 34 with a 50 % chance
28:23
about a tenth of an inch of rain Tuesday 65 and
28:27
37 11 % chance of rain and Wednesday 69 and 37
28:31
West Yellowstone Thursday 71 and 34 Friday 70
28:36
and 38 Saturday 62 and 37 Sunday 64 and 38 with
28:43
a 53 % chance of some rain Monday 51 and 28 with
28:47
a 44 % chance of about a tenth of an inch of
28:49
rain Tuesday 59 and 31 Wednesday 62 and 31 Cody
28:56
Wyoming Those of you that reached out telling
28:59
me that you care about Cody's weather. Thank
29:01
you I will continue to include it when this east
29:04
entrance is open. So thank you for the feedback
29:07
on Thursday 78 and 51 Friday 80 and 58 Saturday
29:13
77 and 49 Sunday 69 and 49 with a 13 % chance
29:18
of rain Monday 57 and 43 with a 34 % chance of
29:23
rain Tuesday 66 and 47 with a 19 % chance of
29:27
rain and Wednesday 73 and 45 and finally Cook
29:31
City, Montana Thursday 68 and 41 Friday 68 and
29:36
42 Saturday 62 and 40 Sunday 61 and 40 with a
29:41
70 % chance of rain Monday 48 and 31 with a 70
29:46
% chance of rain Tuesday 57 and 34 with a 13
29:50
% chance of rain and Wednesday 61 and 35. Now
29:55
if you are entering the park through that side,
29:58
especially the northeast, expect some snow on
30:01
the mountains. Beartooth Highway might get hammered,
30:04
but it doesn't look like it's going to be too
30:06
much snow. It might just be really pretty on
30:08
Sunday and Monday. Also the higher elevations
30:10
in the park might see some snow on Sunday, Monday,
30:13
but we'll see. We're far enough out that I just
30:16
don't know, but just expect it. Road conditions.
30:20
No main park roads are closed right now. There's
30:22
still some construction going on, but that's
30:25
going to be minimal delays. And again, know that
30:29
there might be some closures with the weather
30:31
if this weather gets worse than they say it's
30:33
going to be. If you need up -to -date information,
30:36
you can call 307 -344 -2117 for recorded information,
30:40
or you can sign up to receive Yellowstone Road
30:43
Alerts on your cell phone by texting the number
30:45
82190... to 888 -777. Camping information. Bridge
30:53
Bay is closed, Canyon is closed, Indian Creek
30:57
is closed, Grant closes on the 26th, and Tower
31:00
closes on the 27th. The wildlife watching update.
31:05
So again, I've been hearing conflicting reports
31:07
of people going to Mammoth and saying, I haven't
31:09
seen any elk, and then other people saying that
31:12
the elk at Mammoth are just insane awesome right
31:15
now. Just timing, it's just luck. If you want
31:19
some more elk and Mammoth isn't really popping
31:21
off, consider going up to Gardener and then driving
31:25
Old Yellowstone past Devil's Slide along Old
31:28
Yellowstone Road to the area by Yellowstone Hot
31:32
Springs, the little resort there. That's gonna
31:35
have some elk there as well. Also going out the
31:38
west entrance, you're gonna have some elk that
31:40
way. So just put in the work, you'll see some
31:43
in those two areas especially. The other thing
31:47
that people want to see right now, wolves and
31:49
bears. I know people that have seen wolves down
31:52
by Hayden. I know people that have seen wolves
31:54
up in Lamar, out by Hell Roaring in this last
31:57
week. So it's a good time. I personally would
32:00
stay in the Northern Range if you're wanting
32:01
to see wolves. That's been the more dependable
32:04
place all year, but you might get lucky down
32:07
in Hayden or down by Fishing Bridge. You never
32:10
know. Bear -wise, especially grizzlies, you're
32:14
gonna have your majority of grizzlies probably
32:16
out that northeast entrance road or east entrance
32:19
road you might get a few down in the thermal
32:22
areas now that we're getting to that time of
32:24
the year and they're nearing where their dens
32:26
are grizzly lake area also really good i've heard
32:31
some people seeing them down there especially
32:33
early in the morning black bears still kind of
32:36
all over hit and miss but i've seen more black
32:39
bears Outside of the park than I have in the
32:41
park recently, but that doesn't mean that they're
32:43
not there It just means that I just don't have
32:45
good timing Moose wise head out that northeast
32:48
entrance road past Cook City. That's gonna be
32:51
good Bighorn sheep are again hit and miss I I
32:56
haven't heard a lot of bighorn sheep sightings
32:58
out. The east entrance has been better Coyotes
33:01
are running around all over the place. Same with
33:04
foxes. I've heard they've been become more active,
33:07
especially in the northern range again I'm biased
33:10
here. I love Hayden. I think it's great, but
33:13
I think your best wildlife sighting this week
33:15
is probably gonna be that Northern Range. It's
33:18
just where I end up going and I know it much
33:21
better. If you have better luck and you want
33:24
me to share that, let me know. I record only
33:26
once a week, so I'm not gonna blow up the spot,
33:28
but right now there's been better wolf sightings,
33:31
there's been better bear sightings in the Northern
33:33
Range, especially going from, you know, Floating
33:36
Island Lake to Cook City and back that is the
33:40
wildlife corridor that's really been great so
33:43
obviously you can go anywhere and potentially
33:46
see things but that's that's the area and those
33:49
big bull elk are hanging around mammoth there's
33:52
some in Gardener right now too that are just
33:54
having some fun a couple little spikes are play
33:56
fighting hoping for the leftovers of the harem
33:59
but they're probably not going to get anything
34:01
but they're fun to watch out by the arch so enjoy
34:03
that Know that the cooler temperatures are going
34:06
to make things more active throughout the day
34:08
a little better, but mornings and evenings still
34:10
the best. I do want to say, if you want wildlife
34:14
tips from my lifetime in the park, I do have
34:16
a wildlife watching guidebook. Picking that up,
34:19
especially in e -book, is a great way just to...
34:21
You know, instead of leaving a tip for coffee
34:23
or something, you can get a guidebook. I also
34:25
have a hiking guidebook available that I love.
34:27
It's all my favorite trails. There's even a section
34:30
that's broken down by Best Fall Colors in the
34:32
region. So if you're looking where to hike, that
34:34
hiking guidebook is great. Those can be found
34:36
at outdoor -society or you can reach out to me
34:39
directly for the link 406 -589 -1873 or theoutdoorsocietyatgmail
34:45
.com. Those books are a good way to get to know
34:49
me even better and to be able to pick my brain
34:52
a little more too. If you visit a park a lot,
34:55
you might learn something new or you might find
34:58
an area that you didn't know existed. So pick
35:01
that up. If you've never been to the park, great
35:03
resources to help you really get to know everything
35:06
a little better. As you can tell by that unprepared
35:09
blurb I just gave, I really struggle selling
35:12
myself here. If you like what you hear and you
35:16
want to support me, pick up a guidebook. If not,
35:18
it's fine. All right, trail alerts and updates.
35:21
I am just going to tell you what I've been telling
35:23
you all year. Go to the backcountry conditions
35:25
page. It is updated. It's going to stop being
35:28
updated pretty soon, but right now it's still
35:30
updated. I have that link in the show notes.
35:32
You can click on it directly and get there so
35:35
you know what to do, where to go, how the trails
35:37
are. Please always carry bear spray. have it
35:40
readily accessible and not in a backpack and
35:43
know how to use it before you step on the trail.
35:46
My truck of the week. This week I'm returning
35:49
to the park with a trail in the northern range
35:51
that I think is absolutely great for this week,
35:54
this time of the year especially, and that is
35:57
a return to Garnet Hill. Now Garnet Hill is in
36:01
an area that not a lot of people actually hike.
36:04
It's in Tower Junction and with that construction
36:06
going on right now it can be a little hard to
36:08
figure out where to go. However, the area is
36:11
well signed if you park by the pit toilets right
36:14
at the junction area and walk across there signs
36:17
tell you where to hike and you'll want to hike
36:19
this counterclockwise. I always say to hike this
36:22
counterclockwise and here's why. You start at
36:25
Tower Junction and you kind of cross this prairie.
36:28
and you hike toward the river you slowly lose
36:31
elevation you're hiking through the prairie you
36:32
pass all these glacial erratics you get by some
36:35
bison you might see some bear prints you're gonna
36:38
have this really good experience just getting
36:40
more and more remote and then you drop down to
36:43
the water like to the river you're hiking above
36:46
it and it's really pretty then you skirt along
36:48
the river You get to a cutoff with a Hell Roaring
36:51
trail where you can go to the Hell Roaring suspension
36:53
bridge. Then you hike back and you go through
36:55
a nice little canyon. And then you open up where
36:58
Yancy's and like the stagecoach rides went during
37:01
the summer. And then you hike back and you're
37:04
back at Roosevelt. Makes the sound very easy,
37:06
but I'm going to tell you why you should hike
37:07
it now and the distance and the elevation gain.
37:12
At about 9 .5 miles and a little under 900 feet
37:16
of elevation gain, this really isn't a super
37:19
difficult hike. Like I said, you kind of go rolling,
37:22
you drop down, you then slowly climb your way
37:25
up, and then you come back. That 9 .5 miles and
37:28
the elevation gain also includes hiking to the
37:31
Hell Roaring Suspension Bridge and back, which
37:33
adds a couple hundred feet of elevation in about
37:35
a mile. so if you didn't want to do that you
37:37
can cut it shorter and get a little more flat
37:40
but you're so close you should do it it's really
37:42
fun it's a nice little addition but right now
37:46
the reason why i'm recommending the garnet hill
37:48
trail is that you're probably going to have this
37:51
to yourself even at its height of popularity
37:55
this is not a very crowded trail every time I
37:59
do this I'm shocked when I see anybody so this
38:02
time of the year especially when most people
38:04
are trying to have those main core Yellowstone
38:07
experiences this is when these hiking days really
38:10
become fun. This area is Pretty bear active especially
38:15
that canyon that you walk back to go from hell
38:18
-roaring to Yancy's like those last little bit
38:20
That's where I see the majority of my bears on
38:23
this trail Just want to give you a heads up on
38:25
that because it's one of those things you need
38:27
to know Expect bears black bears and grizzly
38:30
bears frequent this bison really roam through
38:32
here all the time Sometimes there's wolf tracks
38:35
along the trail because they'll use this as a
38:37
corridor It's a really good active animal area
38:40
where you need to pay attention But, even if
38:43
there's no animals, this is truly stunning. You
38:46
hike a lot of the way along the Yellowstone River
38:49
on sections of the river that no one ever sees.
38:52
Across the way you might see bighorn sheep on
38:54
rocks, you're gonna see little cascades you didn't
38:57
know exist, you're gonna see osprey flying around,
38:59
eagles, everything else that's in the park is
39:02
just hanging out in these back areas waiting
39:05
for you to just mosey by and catch a glimpse
39:07
of. This is a truly special hike because it captures
39:11
the essence of the park while just walking around
39:15
a butte. It's not like you're going way in the
39:18
backcountry. You're only going a few miles at
39:21
any time from a road. But it feels so remote
39:24
that you're going to wonder, am I really just
39:26
a few miles from the road? Generally, yes. I
39:29
think right now the fall colors on this aren't
39:32
going to be the most amazing. Sometimes the underbrush
39:35
pops off a bit, but this year it doesn't seem
39:38
like this area is really getting a lot. Could
39:39
be wrong there, last time I was there it wasn't
39:42
the most impressive, so just tempering these
39:44
expectations. But you don't need the fall colors
39:46
here because it's just dazzling. You get sweeping
39:50
views across the prairie toward the mountains,
39:52
you get to hike in the woods and see cool trees,
39:55
you get to see the river, you get to see where
39:57
the river like tore off some of the embankments
39:59
in the 2022 floods, you get to do a little side
40:03
quest over to a suspension bridge over the Yellowstone
40:06
River, then you just get to have these areas
40:09
of absolute bliss away from everybody. There
40:13
are some really cool spots, especially on that
40:15
north side the first three miles or so, as you're
40:19
making your way around Garnet Hill toward meeting
40:23
up with the Hill Roaring Trail. I have sat here
40:27
and had lunch so many times you can scamper down
40:29
and get to the river bank in certain places especially
40:32
closer to the trail junction and just have that
40:36
day in the backcountry where you get to just
40:40
know what Yellowstone is and you get to have
40:42
that spirit and soul really speak to you. I think
40:45
this trail will become one of your favorites
40:48
if you hike it in the right mindset and if you
40:51
don't like it it's fine. but you get to go hike
40:54
nine miles in the backcountry Yellowstone. You
40:56
also, when you get through by Yancy's where the
41:00
stagecoach rides go for like the cookout and
41:03
all the horse tours go, there's also some skulls
41:06
and antlers out there you can look at, just leave
41:08
them there. There's a lot going on on this trail
41:11
that constantly is giving you different things
41:14
to touch, smell, see, just experience. So if
41:18
you're hiking in the park, this is the one to
41:20
do. is garnet hill if you need more information
41:23
i talk about it way more in depth in my guidebook
41:26
but this is where if i was going to be in the
41:29
park and not dealing with my dog this is where
41:31
i'd be hiking probably a couple of times so if
41:34
you do this let me know how it goes very excited
41:38
for you if you are hiking this and if you've
41:40
done this and you're like i need something a
41:42
little more let me know because there's one in
41:44
that same area that is also going to knock your
41:46
socks off that is also super rad so Until then,
41:52
I hope you would do this hike, and if you do,
41:55
please let me know. I always recommend trails
41:57
and no one ever tells me if they do them, so
41:59
it's kind of like, alright. But if you have hiked
42:02
Garnet Hill, very happy to hear your opinion
42:04
of it. Alright, that's it for this week. In next
42:07
week's episode, I'm going to return with all
42:09
the information you need to have a good week
42:11
in the park. That includes the wildlife, weather,
42:13
and trail updates. Until then... Consider booking
42:16
a tour with me next year, pick up a guidebook
42:18
of mine, and happy trails. Otherwise, keep listening
42:44
and I hope to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright
42:47
2026, baby!