Hello all!
Today our groups wrapped up their time alternating between Slough Creek backcountry and the Lamar Valley. In Slough, we fished the second and third meadows hard. We all got to spend one night in the first meadow and another in the third meadow. The hike into Slough is picture perfect. Distant mountains, tall stands of timber, and vibrant wildflowers provided awe-inspiring views for our eighteen miles of hiking. Along the way, we saw herds of bison, hiked across the Montana/Wyoming border, and caught countless big Yellowstone Cutthroat in their native range.
In the backcountry, we ate well and bonded over the endless fish stories, sightings of wildlife, and jokes exchanged. A few members of our group were lucky enough to see wolves from a distance and were amazed by the sounds of their howls in the night. The views, stars, and weather were all great! All backcountry long we fished dry flies, and everyone caught a bunch. This crew is an especially fishy one!
While one group was in the backcountry, the alternating group stayed just outside of Cooke City. Cooke City was an old gold mining town. Not long after its founding, Cooke City prospectors began to struggle with transporting their gold and could not turn profits — eventually tourism took the helm. In the time since, Cooke has become a great spot for park visitors to enter from the Northeast.
From Cooke City, the front country group fished the upper Lamar Valley and crushed it! The rain from the beginning of the trip has cleared up and left behind incredible fishing conditions to enjoy. On day two, the front country squad hit the Blacktail Ponds for a chance at large brook trout. All the fishing has everybody stoked and we are so glad to have everyone back together.
Possibly the prettiest entrance to Yellowstone, Cooke City is nestled in the Beartooth Mountains and our campsite on Crazy Creek is pretty darn crazy. From our site, we have a view of the towering Pilot Peak and can hear the mighty Crazy Creek Falls. It is truly a privilege to spend time in these places and we are cherishing every moment we get to spend on this trip. Today, we will take some much-needed showers and do some laundry in Gardiner, Montana. After cleaning up, we will check out the Roosevelt Arch at the Northern Park entrance and head back to Cooke City.
Tonight, we will drive around to check out some views of the Beartooths and tomorrow we'll fish on our way to a new campsite on the Yellowstone River. We will be leaving the park and getting ready for our overnight float. The float will be a great way to finish our fishing strong! We will relax on the river and drift our way down the mighty Yellowstone. We are thrilled about this trip and feeling ready to finish strong. It has flown by and our only wish is that it was longer!
All the best,
Owen, Charlie, Kellen, and the guys.
