Kodachrome Kountry: The Hills are Alive in Red, Orange, & Yellow
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Believe it or not, the promo photo (Above) was taken on October 9, 2020. This was late in the fall color cycle, particularly up as high as Swan Lake Flat and the hills above it, well above Glen Creek. I have photos from earlier that day of the lower hillsides showing entire aspen groves that had already shed the entirety of their leaves. We missed the best part of the show that year by at least 2 weeks, possibly 3.
This is our opportunity to get it right. The plan is to do a reprise of the 10/9/20 wander. On that day, we started on the Glen Creek trail and did most of the 2 mostly flat miles that merge with the Snow Pass trail and the trail to Fawn Pass. We bushwhacked due west of a point several hundred yards east of Snow Pass Junction, crossing Glen Creek and sidehilling up the ridge that the Fawn Pass trail ascends before it drops down into the north end of Gardners Hole. The aspen groves are strung out mostly in a vertical line up that ridge. Our plan for this coming Sunday is to home in on the most colorful groves after glassing those slopes from a distance on our approach.
Once we gain the high ground, we will have a variety of options for where we go and what we do after we fill our memory cards with photos rich in warm color saturation. We can go in almost any direction, including across the ridgeline to the hills above Swan Lake, west into the northeast corner of Gardners Hole, or straight east following the return route we used in 2020. There's plenty to see and do up that way. Five years ago, we had the company of a pair of old bison bulls on our way back. They were in a marshy area along Glen Creek.
Bring all the usual gear, including bear spray, binoculars, camera, an extra clothing layer in case it gets windy up high, hiking poles, food, water, and sun protection. For those wanting comfort on breaks, pack a lightweight camp chair or Crazy Creek chair.
For Bozemanites and LIvingstonians unfamiliar with this geography, this is one of the shortest drives you will do, and reach the Yellowstone backcountry. Our trailhead will be a 5-10 minute drive from Mammoth Hot Springs.
Hope to see a larger turnout this Sunday than last Sunday (Moi alone). If this go-round is another bust, I will cease wasting my time publishing these announcements and move the remainder of 2025's activities "underground". Some of you know EXACTLY what I'm talkin' about!
Ballpark