Yellowstone National Park

by Mike Graf

  16

  The Parkers walked as fast as they could. The trail dipped up and down, rolling over small hills.

  Morgan noticed scat near the trail. “What animal left these?”

  “Those are elk droppings,” Mom replied.

  The storm returned. Lightning flashed and illuminated the sky, followed by rolling drums of thunder.

  Soon they were hiking in the rain again. The clouds made it nearly dark.

  “We might need our flashlights soon,” Dad called out.

  It started raining harder. Hail was mixed in with the raindrops. The lightning and thunder intensified.

  Mom stopped. She turned to look at Morgan and James. “Are you two okay?”

  Morgan and James nodded.

  “You’ve got to let us know if you’re not,” Mom urged. “The trail is soaked, it’s cold, and there’s lightning everywhere. This is very dangerous. I’m also worried about hypothermia, when our body temperature gets too cold. But at this point, we have no choice but to go on. We can’t set up camp around here in the middle of the storm. Please let us know if you need anything or have to stop.”

  Morgan looked at James then at her mom. “We will,” she agreed.

  They hiked on while rain and hail pounded down.

  At the top of a small rise, Mom turned around. “Let’s jog through here. It’s open and exposed. I don’t want to be in this spot with all the lightning around.”

  Like four soldiers at boot camp, the family splashed on.

  The trail dipped into a forested area. Lightning ripped at the sky in front of them. Thunder boomed. Morgan and James screamed. Mom cowered and covered her head.

  “What next?” Dad screamed.

  They plowed on toward a grove of tall trees. In the approaching night, Mom saw movement up ahead. At first, it frightened her. Then Mom saw a flashlight going off and on. It was the Alexander family! They were gathered together again underneath their tarp.

  “Come on in out of the weather!” Mark called out.

  Mom led Morgan, James, and Dad toward the temporary shelter. They shuffled under and joined their neighbors from camp.

  “Thanks,” Dad said gratefully. “I don’t know how much longer we could have gone on.”

  “We stopped here, thinking we’d have to set up our tent and wait out the storm,” Catherine explained. “But it quickly got too cold and wet even for that, so we just jumped under the tarp.”

  The families sat close together. Mom, Dad, Morgan, and James formed a small circle, holding on to each other for body warmth. Their packs were propped up against a log, partially protected from the onslaught of weather.

  Suddenly, a distant orange glow lit the forest. Again, the storm was letting up, only this time it revealed a sunset-filled sky. The families grabbed their backpacks and took out flashlights.

  “Let’s all stay in one line, no more than a stride apart,” Mom directed. “And watch your footing: the trail’s a mess.” Mom looked again at Morgan and James, then she glanced at Dad. They all appeared capable of hiking on.

  All eight hikers snaked their way into the growing darkness.

  “I feel like we’re in a Survivor episode,” Morgan whispered to James.

  “I hope no bears are around now,” James whispered back.

  The twilight trek continued. Lightning flashed on and off, followed by thunder. But it wasn’t as close. In places, the trail was no more than a muddy stream.

  Dad called out in frustration, “How much longer is this trail?”

  Then, after a period of long, quiet marching, a voice behind the group shouted, “Is everyone all right up there?”

  The two families stopped and turned around. A person with a flashlight was signaling them. A moment later, two backcountry rangers jogged up. “We got your note,” the woman said. “And we immediately took off to make sure you got out of here safely.”

  “But the storm held us up,” the other woman added.

  “Us too,” Dad said. “It was quite a storm!”

  “Are all of you okay?” the woman asked.

  Morgan and James nodded their heads.

  “I think we are,” Mom replied.

  Dad told the rangers more about the grizzly.

  “You did the right thing,” the ranger explained. “A bear guarding a carcass is very dangerous.”

  “How much farther do we have to go?” James asked.

  “Actually, you’re almost there!” the woman responded. “We’ll escort you the rest of the way.”

  One ranger walked to the front of the group. The other went to the back. The hikers marched on along the soaked trail, squishing and splashing around a few more bends.

  James saw a light ahead. It must be the ranger’s flashlight, he thought. But then there was another, brighter light moving from north to south.

  “Stop! Look!” James shouted ecstatically. A moment later, a third light came, but this one started to slow down.

  “It’s cars driving on the road,” Dad called out.

  “Woo-hoo!” Mom shouted.

  They surged forward until they arrived at the trailhead. A handful of cars were parked there. The car that slowed down had turned into the parking lot. It was a ranger patrol car.

  “Welcome back to civilization!” Mom announced.

  “I’ve never been so glad to see our car in my whole life,” Dad stated.

  Mom fumbled through her pockets and fished out the keys. With shaking hands, she tried to open the door. “I can’t turn the keys, my hands are too cold.”

  Dad came over and rubbed Mom’s hands. Mom put the key in the car door again and turned with her whole body.

  CLICK! The door opened.

  Morgan, James, Mom, and Dad dropped their packs. They took off their ponchos, left them outside, and piled into the car. Mom turned on the engine. They rolled down the windows for ventilation, and Mom turned up the heat. Dad grabbed two blankets from the back of the car and spread them across the family. Slowly the Parkers began to thaw out.

  Dad stepped outside and walked to the trunk. He pulled out some dry clothes for everyone and poked his head and arms in the window. “Everyone needs to change into these right away,” he instructed. Dad then turned around and loaded the packs into the back.

  A moment later, the ranger patrol car drove up. A ranger got out of the car and walked up to the Parkers. “The backcountry rangers radioed in to me and told me what happened. Are all of you okay?”

  “We’re doing all right, especially after what we’ve been through,” Dad replied.

  “We’re going to need to interview all those involved in the bear incident,” the ranger said.

  “I understand,” Dad replied.

  “But we can do that in the morning, after you get some rest,” the ranger added. “I know it’s been a long day.”

  “Are you going to close that area where the bear was?” James asked.

  “Absolutely,” the ranger replied. “We’ll close those campsites and the trail nearby for the time being. We already called in and told the backcountry office not to issue any more permits. We can’t take the chance of another encounter. By the way, where are you staying?”

  “We were hoping to get a spot at the nearest campground, at Lewis Lake,” Dad replied.

  “I’ll lead you there and help you get set up,” the ranger said.

  The ranger walked back to his patrol car. The backcountry rangers came over and said good-bye, then headed back out on the trail.

  “It’s quite a job they have,” Mom commented.

  “That’s what I want to do when I grow up!” James announced.

  Dad looked at James. “Really? After all that?”

  “It seems so exciting, and you get to help people out in cool places like Yellowstone.”

  The Alexander family drove over and rolled down their windows. The Parkers thanked them for their help.

  Dad stood outside. “I’ll be right in,” he told his family. Dad took off his torn shirt. He felt
stinging as it rubbed against the back of his shoulder. Dad pulled his shoulder forward with his hand. He could feel several gashes and scratches across the upper part of his back. Bear claws, Dad realized. He put on a dry shirt and stepped into the car.

  • • •

  The ranger in the patrol car escorted the Parkers to the campground. Once they got out of the car, Dad told him about the scratch marks. “Can I take a look?” the ranger asked.

  Dad slowly took off his shirt. The ranger examined the scratches. “You were lucky,” he concluded. “These aren’t too serious.”

  The ranger walked back to his car and pulled out a first-aid kit. “You’ll need to get that cleaned up. With bears, any injury poses a high risk of infection.”

  The ranger began cleaning Dad’s wounds. “We’ll need to get pictures of the injuries in the morning,” he explained. “Can I meet you back here at 9:00 a.m.?”

  “Of course,” Dad replied.

  Once the Parkers were in dry clothes, they warmed up quickly. Dad strung up rope. They hung up all the wet clothes and gear they could find. Mom set up the tent. Finally, they threw their sleeping bags and rolled-up mattresses inside the tent. After chowing down on snack foods, the family made sure camp was clean. Morgan, James, Dad, and Mom piled inside the tent and hastily snuggled into their sleeping bags.

  “That was one scary day!” Mom said. “It is wonderful that we are all safe and warm and together now.”

  The Parkers tried to get some sleep.

  • • •

  An enormous grizzly bear stood up on its hind legs and growled ferociously at Morgan. Morgan backed up several steps. She reached down to her belt and tried to grab the bear spray. The bear lunged at Morgan and swatted her hand, causing the repellent to drop to the ground. A blast of orange pepper spray shot out of the bear canister and hit a nearby tree. “Oh, no!” Morgan shouted. “All the repellent will be gone!”

  “Help me!” Morgan screamed.

  “HELP!”

  “HELP, THERE’S A BEAR!!!”

  • • •

  Morgan tossed and turned in her sleeping bag.

  Mom woke up. She looked at Morgan.

  • • •

  The grizzly continued to lumber angrily toward Morgan. She backed up and propped herself against a tree. Now Morgan had nowhere to go.

  “Help!” Morgan shouted. “There’s no guarantee of my safety!”

  • • •

  Now Dad was awake too.

  Mom nudged Morgan awake. She put her arms around her. “It’s okay,” she said. “We’re with you and it’s safe. It’s okay.”

  “You must have been having a bad dream,” Dad said.

  Morgan looked up at her family. “I’m glad I’m not alone on the trail with a grizzly around,” she said. “I love you.”

  Dad smiled. “We love you too.”

  17

  Lone Star in action

  The early morning sun poured down on the family’s campsite. The Parkers were still inside their tent, snug in their sleeping bags. Outside, steam rose off the ground, their tent, and all the wet clothes that they’d hung up.

  Campers in other sites were busy with breakfast, cleaning, or packing.

  Mom heard the sounds outside. “There’s a whole world going on out there.”

  James rolled over. “But we’re nice and warm in here!”

  Morgan looked at her parents. “I don’t think I slept well last night.”

  “I think you had some nightmares, honey,” Mom soothed.

  “I know,” Morgan recalled. “About a grizzly bear. But I don’t remember a lot.”

  “That’s probably a good thing,” Dad said.

  • • •

  At 9:00 a.m., a car pulled into the Parkers’ campsite.

  Dad looked at his watch. “Right on time,” he announced.

  The family got dressed and met the ranger outside. He asked Dad, James, and Morgan questions about the encounter with the bear and took photographs of Dad’s scratch marks.

  “You did the right thing,” the ranger said. “When a grizzly is that close and charging, the best thing to do is play dead and protect the back of your head and neck.”

  The ranger looked up from his notes. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”

  James looked over. “I remember how bad the bear smelled. I don’t know if it was his breath or just all over, but I think I’ll remember that smell for the rest of my life.”

  “Well, grizzlies aren’t exactly known for their hygiene,” the ranger said. “But thank you for all of your help. We are going to go out there and inspect the area. It’s the only way to keep the public, and that bear, safe.”

  The ranger drove away.

  Dad took a deep breath. “This whole bear thing wasn’t exactly the experience I had planned for in Yellowstone!”

  “Neither is having to hurry out of camp in the morning,” Mom said. “But campground checkout is in a few minutes.”

  “I’ve got an idea,” Dad said. “Let’s just throw everything in the car and head over to the Old Faithful Lodge for breakfast.”

  Mom looked at Dad. “Now that sounds like a plan!”

  • • •

  The lodge was busy with tourists. The Parkers waited in line to get into the restaurant. Once they were seated, the family walked over to the breakfast buffet.

  James spooned a huge serving of potatoes and two cinnamon rolls onto his plate. Morgan doused three pieces of French toast with maple syrup and powdered sugar. Mom sprinkled granola and fruit over her extra-large bowl of yogurt. Dad took a gigantic blueberry muffin and a double-sized portion of scrambled eggs and toast.

  Eventually, they all met back at their table with food piled high on their plates.

  “I guess I was really hungry,” James said sheepishly.

  “Me too,” Morgan added.

  “Us too,” Mom said. “Did we eat much at all yesterday?”

  They all started chowing down.

  “What else are we going to do today?” James asked. “We now have a whole extra day in the park.”

  “You’re right,” Mom answered. “I hadn’t thought about that.”

  Dad rubbed his hand on his scruffy beard and looked off into the distance. “Let’s do something a bit more tame today, okay? James and Morgan, can you figure that out for us?”

  “Okay,” Morgan agreed.

  After breakfast, they wandered around the lodge and bought souvenirs. James got a poster of a grizzly. “I don’t know if I want to put this up in my bedroom or not,” he told his family.

  Morgan bought a poster of Old Faithful. Dad bought a book about bears, and Mom bought one on wolves.

  Dad noticed the couches that people were lounging on. “I could just sit in one of those and sleep all day,” he said.

  Morgan elbowed her brother. “What about Lone Star?”

  “Lone Star?” Dad asked.

  “Yeah, that’s Morgan’s and my idea for today,” James stated. “We looked at the park map and realized that the Lone Star Geyser Trail is on our way out of the park.”

  “And it’s a short, easy hike,” Morgan said.

  “And it’s a popular trail. There should be a lot of people on it,” James added.

  “I’m convinced,” Dad said. “We all keep talking about seeing another geyser; here’s our chance.”

  The family drove to the Lone Star Geyser trailhead. Mom got out her bear spray. Dad grabbed what was left of his.

  They began walking on the flat, wide trail following a babbling brook. James and Morgan stayed close to their parents. They watched the forest for any sign of a bear.

  Several other hikers were also on the trail. A few people on mountain bikes zipped by.

  “It’s nice to see so many people around,” Mom said.

  Soon they approached an open area.

  In the middle of a barren meadow was a large, solitary cone. Steam spewed out of the top of it. Hot water sloshed over its sides.

&nbs
p; “Now I can see where Lone Star got its name,” Mom said. “There’s nothing else nearby.”

  The family looked around. The hill behind the geyser was devoid of plants. There were steam vents and small areas of boiling water percolating out of the ground. And, there was a large group of people gathered at Lone Star, waiting.

  James saw several people sitting off to the side, writing in notebooks. “Hey! It’s Tom!”

  Morgan, James, Mom, and Dad walked over.

  “Hi!” Morgan greeted Tom.

  Tom looked up. “Hi again, my old friends.”

  “It’s a small world, isn’t it?” Dad commented.

  “Yes, it’s quite a coincidence that we keep running into each other,” Tom agreed. “Because it is such a large park.”

  “Are you writing down things about the geyser?” James asked.

  “Exactly,” Tom answered. Then he thought for a moment. “Would you all like to join us and become geyser gazers?”

  “Okay,” James said. “What do we have to do?”

  “It’s the easiest club in the world to be a part of,” Tom explained. “We write down the behavior of geysers and keep track of dates and times. We post information in a logbook at the visitor center at Old Faithful. And we post some of our notes on our club website. That way, all of us can keep in touch with the geysers year-round, even if we aren’t in Yellowstone.”

  “I’ve got paper from my journal in my pack,” Morgan said.

  The Parkers sat down and joined the other geyser gazers. Morgan, James, Mom, and Dad began writing notes.

  Mom wrote, “The cone must be over ten feet high. And, it’s all by itself. Steam and water are coming out of the top. It seems like it’s going to erupt, but it hasn’t so far….”

  Dad wrote, “This whole area is cooking. There are little steaming spots all over the place. Of course, this is Yellowstone. Nothing that we see surprises me anymore.”

  James wrote, “Tom just told me that Lone Star erupts every three hours or so. And we are here, just over three hours after its last eruption. I guess that’s why there are so many people out here…. I think this might be our lucky day!”

  Morgan pulled out the park map she and James were keeping track of animal sightings on. First she put a big X by Heart Lake and wrote: “Grizzly encounter, here!!!” Then she wrote about Lone Star. “It seems like the geyser is calming down. But I can hear it gurgling, and I hear a humming sound.”