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Tuesday August 15, 2000 Happy Anniversary to JR and Claire!! I think this is the 3rd year in a row, JR has been with us rather his wife on their anniversary date. I am told that this will be the last time. AM got up early, and started to get gear together as we move basecamp today from Cody to Yellowstone NP at the Roosevelt Lodge. Had coffee at the Coffee Corral – acceptable coffee (mocha java) but not as outstanding as we have had at our places in our travels. Bought our Yellowstone Park fishing licenses at the K-Mart in town (only place that does it we were told). Picked up flies at the North Fork Anglers (why not, help keep the good guys going!). Stopped by a combined sporting goods and liquor store (yes, in Wyoming hunting/fishing and drinking are considered part of the cowboy triathalon - no wimpy swimming, biking, or running!), where Greg, discovering the advantages of felt soles, picked up some new hip waders for the rest of the trip. Called and confirmed our Roosevelt Lodge reservations with the concessionaire (307-344-7311, http://www.ynp-lodges.com); the reservations were ready for us! Stopped by Sierra Trading Post on way out of town; found some good items there and recommend that if you are visiting to stop by and see their stuff. They have a pretty good Web page at http://www.sierratradingpost.com/. Off to Highway 296 and the Upper Clark Fork to Yellowstone NP via Cooke City. Very intriguing Red Rock formations on the way – open country and very scenic. Up ahead on the road for hours, we kept seeing a sharp pinnacle like mountain profile; reminded me of the evil mountain images I had when reading the Hobbit series. The mountain is called Pilot Peak (11,708 feet) and is quite a distinctive land mark on the way. We stopped at Dead Indian Hill monument which was at a dramatic mountain pass (Beartooth Pass 10,947’) and which was the last barrier for the Nez Perce Indian tribe attempt to escape from the US Calvary at the end of the 19th century. Sweeping and dramatic views of beautiful but very rugged country. You could visualize easily how small groups of outlaws or others could go hide in that country from pursuing posses etc. As we took pictures of the area, there was thunder and lightning and a few drops of rain. Moving on down the road, we arrive at Cooke City about 12:10. The Great Yellowstone Fire of 1988 had burned to the edge of town where set backfires stopped it. Found a good drip coffee at a combined cross-country ski and mountain bike shop. One has to be creative to live year round in Cooke City!! Had lunch at the Soda Butte Lodge and picked up info on where to stay there for future references. Visited a small fly shop for info and flies. JR found an apparently rare ceramic hook sharpener in the shop - what a find! Local pro said Soda Butte Creek was doing OK particularly last 1 ½ hours of light when fish were feeding heavily. He also liked hiking up Lamar River above confluence with Soda Butte – perhaps as high as Cache Creek. Also liked fishing the Lamar downstream of the major bridge in the Park which crosses the Lamar. Reading the local newspaper, noted that the area we had come through on I90 by Missoula last Friday, had been closed on Sunday for several hours due to fires adjacent the highway. Fires had come within 100 yards of the Bearmouth Lodge along I90 – a place AB/AM had stayed at during the 1997 trip to the area. We then headed out of Cooke City – made the NE Entrance of the Park about 2:15. Saw deer on our left by entrance with a blue sky and some large white clouds. Classic western summer days! Went past Barronette Peak – very majestic stepped mountain terrain. We saw a significant number of folks along Soda Butte as we drove past the stream; quite different from a year previous. Only saw 1 bison in the Lamar Valley unlike last year when we saw lots of them. Reached Roosevelt Lodge, checked in, and unloaded the clothes etc. from the rigs. Lodge & Cabins were built shortly after President Roosevelt visited the park in the early 1800’s. There’s a small Grocery store, and dozens of cabins. Cabins are small and rustic, 1 bed, a chair & table in each. A bit of rearranging made room for a sleeping bag on the floor as we had 3 cabins and 5 guys. JR drew the straw for his own cabin. Views from the cabin porch are great. Restroom & Shower facilities are down the path, clean and modern. Cabins are about $46 per night and suited our teams needs just fine. Ordered Box Lunches which we would pick up when we arrived back late from fishing (dining room was going to close at 9 or 10pm and when we weren’t sure we would b be back by then. Not many options for food in this area of the Park.). AM hit the Cheerios while the rest of the team hit the smoked salmon, cream cheese, bagels, et.al.
Headed back with great enthusiasm for Soda Butte (remember last year – how great it was! Boy, this is going to be so cooool!). Going around a bend, we suddenly draw the attention of a local Park Ranger in his police car. With his lights flashing right behind us, MS decides the Ranger probably wants to tell us about the cool places to hit some fish! Wrongo! After asserting the rig which we were in had been clocked at an unreasonable 59 mph in a 45 mph zone, the Ranger asks to see MS’s drivers license, proof of insurance, Park Fishing License, birth certificate, immigration visa, and proof of vaccination for rabies, smallpox, malaria, and bubonic plague. MS protests that we could not be going that fast, has 2 witnesses to swear to that (well, we could swear I suppose), and asks to see the radar gun and associated reading. The pleasant ranger is gone a long while and finally returns, gives MS his paperwork and identity back, asks us to adhere to the 45 mph limit and "have a nice stay". Off we go at a precise 45 mph. AB is following is his rig. We become convinced that the Ranger got the wrong one – he must have been after AB who was speeding to catch up to us………… Hey, it could be true! Headed back through the Lamar River Valley and parked the MS rig by Trout Lake trail parking area and hiked down to the Soda Butte. AB rig parked a mile back down river, parking spots are rare along this stretch of road. Water very low and very clear! Much, much less water than last year. Met a fellow fisherman who was fishing upstream of our targeted area. Said he had been there all day and had done well including an 18 incher. We should have known something was wrong because you should not be able to be on the water fishing well and only have one fish of that size! He should have had a bunch!!! As we walked downstream, every hole had someone (or some several!) in it. Had not seen this much pressure on such a small stream before this. The fish were being pounded all the time this day. We did finally dislocate a few folks and hit some water but it had clearly been pounded earlier. Also the water was very low so that good holding spots were far fewer for the fish and the extreme water clarity helped make the fish somewhat sullen. Fished the area in all kinds of way without any real notable success. Couple of bumps, some small dumb fish, but no real big hookups. Fished until absolute dark! Wind came up and pounded us for a while to help make the experience a total blowout. Hiked back to the road (using that great headlamp again!) and de-rigged and headed back toward Roosevelt Lodge. Earlier, AB & GK radioed the group to say they were leaving the area to drive upstream to the confluence of a small stream and the Soda Butte. Several fishermen had been seen in the area on the drive into the park. Hiking in, the Soda Butte flowed thru a beautiful woodland meadow where the stream had a classic riffle/pool ratio. Classic look, but no fish, but GK does discover that his new felt-soled hip boots leak! On way back in the dark, AB sees something in the road and mentions it to GK. They discuss going back, but dismiss the item as insignificant. Coming along behind in the second vehicle, MS (the driver) sees something in the road. Slows and decides it looks like clothes such as a jacket or something. MS slows the truck, and leans out the door to pick up the item to see what it is. Now this is a huge ¾ ton Ford pickup we are in so it is a long way to the ground. As MS leans out, suddenly there is a shout!, and he is apparently jerked out of the truck!!!! Driverless the truck now starts to roll backward but JR quickly reaches over and hits the brake pedal to keep the truck from rolling over MS. Actually MS has not been pulled out the truck by forces unseen (we initially guessed a bear may have laid a trap for the unsuspecting tourist) but had leaned too far and done a face plant onto the asphalt! Nice move. Also as MS was falling, he had managed to dump out his coffee cup (with the ever popular mix of gatorade and coffee) at the same time increasing the mental pain of the act. After all of the yelling and wondering, we all get back into the rig and head to the Lodge. Turns out that MS has found a pair of Orvis waders (unfortunately with a hole it appears in the fabric) and some flies just sitting in the road. MS heads over to the Lodge to find out about posting a Found notice. Is told that they don’t do that at the Lodge, that they would take the waders, send them back to their home office, and if someone could identify them, then they could be returned. Yuck! Retire to the cabins for box lunches, chips, OJ and Vodka, and Bloody Marys then to bed.
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