EVENING TRIP TO TROUT LAKE

Since we hadn't seen much wildlife we decided to make a run out in the evening.  So we left about 4:00 for the long drive out to Trout Lake.  This is a half mile hike to a lake where we had heard was a family of otters.  On the way we stopped at the Roosevelt Lodge for a pit stop and water.  As we were getting out of the car I saw a black bear and her cubs run across a ridge right behind the cabins.  I had to run back to car for the camera.  This was our first sighting for the evening. 

See the bear and her cub.  She sure was close to the cabins

We got back in the jeep and drove 17 miles out to Trout Lake to begin our hike to the lake.  This is only half mile hike but it's uphill,  everything up here is always up hill.  We passed several people on the way and they commented it was worth it to see the otters.  We hike to the lake inlet where we had heard the otters were.  We waited around for awhile and finally saw only one otter.  On our way back we saw a cutthroat trout that was about 15 to 16 inches. 

View at the base of the trail

Trout Lake

Trout Lake from the inlet

Appears to be an adult otter

On the trail heading out

Trailhead after the hike

On our drive back we saw several prong horns alone the road.

As we drove further down the road we decided to stop again to see if we could get a better view of the prong horns.  We only took the binoculars with us.  I was standing next to a lady that had a camera with one of those very big lens and I heard her say they were running in and out of the trees.  I had to ask her what she was seeing and she told me bears.  This was our second sighting of a mother black bear and her cub.  We didn't get any pictures but saw them with binoculars and her pictures.  It was great seeing them move around.

Now we are only 17 miles from home and we get in the biggest bison jam in two years.  When we were heading north we saw between 300 and 400 bison in Hayden Valley and now 3 hours later they want to cross the road and the river.  Check out the pictures.

They like to walk down the road blocking traffic