September 6, 2004
Day 10: Hike to Mt. Washburn, bike to Mammoth
I got up at 7:30AM. It was sunny and cold with a heavy frost. I forgot to check the temperature but it was surely below freezing. The temperature was 37F (3C) when I got on the unloaded bike at 8:35 AM to make my way to the summit of Mt. Washburn. Good thing I'm going uphill. The sky was totally sunny. Not a single cloud. After 1000 feet of climbing I could see the fire tower on the summit of Mt. Washburn at 10,243 feet (3122m) elevation.
After 1400 feet of climbing I got to the Chittendon Road turnoff where the paved road is barricaded. The road to Canyon Village (across Dunraven pass) is closed this year for reconstruction. I continued up gravel Chittendon Road to the parking area at 8900 feet elevation. The grade is steep, surely more than 7%, and the gravel is rough and loose in some places. Chittendon Road continues to the summit of Mt. Washburn but the upper portion of the road is much steeper and rougher. It's basically a 4 wheel drive track. Bikes are permitted but most of the remaining distance to the summit is too steep and rocky to be any fun on my recumbent bike. So I parked the bike, put on my Teva sandals, strapped on the fanny pack (with 2 water bottles), and started hiking, same as the people who drove there (I saw no mountain bikers on the trail). The hike to the summit is 3 miles with an elevation gain of 1364 feet. Most of that distance is in open areas with few (or no) trees.
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The summit has a panoramic view in every direction. It's not the highest peak in the park but it's a very prominent peak. The most interesting view is to the southeast towards the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. From the 10,243 foot summit the canyon simply appears to be a giant linear gash in the landscape. The canyon is so deep and far away that I couldn't see the Yellowstone river at the bottom of the canyon.
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To the south I could see Yellowstone lake and faintly see the Grand Tetons. I could see mountain ridges to the east and west. The mountains to the east had snow two days ago, but not now. Temperature was about 50F (10C) with a howling wind. Chilly despite the bright sunshine.
Fortunately there is a large glassed-in observation area where hikers can take shelter and still enjoy the view. The public observation area is attached to the large fire observation tower and residence. The observation area has a pay phone, so I called my wife and had a long chat. This is probably the most unusual location I've ever used a pay phone. Several people used cell phones, saying that the summit was the only place they had service at Yellowstone.
After a long rest and a big snack I started hiking down the 3 mile trail back to the bike. It was an easy walk and the wind slacked off dramatically when I got away from the summit.
Back on the bike I backtracked down the gravel Chittendon Road but could only go about 10 mph on the steep loose gravel. Then on the paved road I could only go about 25 mph because the road was extremely rough. That segment of the road will probably be closed for reconstruction next year.
Back at Tower Fall I got a bratwurst at the snack bar. The 3700 foot Mt. Washburn climb made me hungry! Then back up the hill to the campground to break camp and load the bike. I returned to the campground at 3 PM and departed on the loaded bike at 3:30 PM. First I backtracked 3 miles north to Tower Junction. Then turned left to go west towards Mammoth Hot Springs.
Mammoth is 18 miles DOWNstream from Tower Junction but there is 2000 feet of climbing in that 18 miles, plus of course a headwind because I'm going west. Not exactly what I needed after the trek to Mt. Washburn. But the scenery is very nice. The climbs give me great views of the valley below, but few views of the Yellowstone River because it's a couple miles away most of the time. I took the short spur road to see the Petrified Tree which isn't very special. Shortly before Mammoth the road crosses the Gardner River on a bridge that is perhaps 300 feet above the river. In the photo you can see the shadow of the bridge.
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In Mammoth I passed through the historic Fort Yellowstone area but didn't spend any time looking around.
I arrived at the Mammoth campground (6200 feet elevation) at 6:30PM and got a $5 hiker/biker site. The campground is 1 mile from the lodge area, down a very steep hill. I really appreciated the hiker/biker site because as usual all of the regular campsites were occupied. In the evening I made my own shower and didn't need to heat the water very much. The tap water is amazingly warm from natural geothermal heat. And there was no hurry to take a shower because the temperature didn't drop very quickly in the evening. Mammoth is the warmest area at Yellowstone because it's at somewhat lower elevation (6240 feet) and in a sunny valley. It's the only area of the park where the roads stay open in the winter. It's also the park headquarters. The old buildings at Fort Yellowstone are used for park administration. Fort Yellowstone was built in the late 1800's when the U.S. Army administered Yellowstone park (before the National Park Service was created).
Overall it was a great day. I enjoyed the totally sunny day with a high temperature of 75F (24C). Quite a contrast to yesterday which was overcast until early afternoon. I was lucky to have the sunniest day of the trip on the day I went up Mt. Washburn. The mountain was probably in the clouds yesterday. I think I have been very lucky the way the weather has turned out on this trip. September is not a sure thing at this elevation.
Distance: 40.7 miles (half of that on the unloaded bike, 6 miles on gravel)
Climbing: 3890 feet (half of that on the unloaded bike)
Average speed: 8.3 mph
Maximum speed: 39 mph
Hiking: 6 miles with 1364 feet of climbing
Today's ride: 41 miles (66 km)
Total: 457 miles (735 km)
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