Running With The Bears

No news to anyone, ever, I haven't posted about my Yellowstone running escapades for a fortnight. The tidings of my good buddy http://themoneybank.tumblr.com/ have pushed me back into the trials and tribulations of amateur blogging.   Luckily, my absence has been a result of many adventures, some running and some not.  I ran in a race July 6th, or 7th or something like that, and hurt my foot due to an abundance of rocks and an absence of intelligence.  In the month I took off from running I started to do some gnarly hiking with my co-workers.  I may or may not detail those in other posts, but here's some iPhone photos to getcha goin'.

  (Mt Sheridan campsite sunset)

(Elkhorn Peak Summit)

(View of Grand Teton from Middle Teton Summit)

(Memorial Stone below the summit of Electric Peak)

Have fun exploring out there,

Grand Teton National Park

Ribbon Lake/ South Rim Trails

In the High Country

Starting Elevation: 6,700ft

Elevation Gain: approx. 500ft

Length: 5 miles, one way loop

Animal Spotting: Elk, Ducks, no Beavers

Location: Mammoth Hot Springs Area

  The first trail I want to share with you all is the Beaver Ponds Loop just five miles south of the North Entrance in Gardiner, MT, at the Mammoth Hot Springs area.  I’ve been in Mammoth Hot Springs training for my job since I entered Yellowstone, and one of the entrances to this loop is 50 yards from my dorm and almost directly behind the Mammoth Hotel.  Since this is my first trail post, I figured a shorter, easier trail would be a good way to ease into the blog game.  I’ve been acclimating to the elevation change (since I came here from sea level with no hills) and this is a nice 5 miler with some good entry-to-Yellowstone-hills. 

Starting from behind the Hotel the trail goes up and through some wide open areas looking through the Gardiner River Valley before dropping down into woods.  About 1.5 - 2 miles in you begin to run around the Beavers Ponds for which the trail is aptly named.  The views of the ponds are great, and I ran into 8ish hikers and 1 runner on a sunny day during one of my outings.  This area isn’t known as bear country, but I it is still a smart idea to make some noise while running, and carry bear spray, in case a bear makes his way around looking for some beaver meat.  The trail meanders through some nice forests, and some 3 or 4 ponds that are great for spotting wildlife. 

All-in-all it’s a fairly easy trail that is a perfect intro-run to Yellowstone.  This area is notorious for afternoon rainstorms that can show up within 30 minutes so be sure to check the forecast or bring rain gear if that’s what you’re into.  I snagged some pictures on one of my trials, which hopefully show up below.   

  -E

I came to Yellowstone National Park with every intention of running over every inch possible.  My legs and I were antsy during my last two months of college, ready to hit the trails and take my feet to places they've never imagined before.  However, from the first day of my orientation (two days ago) there has been one constant point pushed into my brain by almost everyone that I meet.  Going on trails by yourself is extremely dangerous.  Even better, running by yourself is like hanging a raw rib-eye steak in front of a Grizzly's nose. This sent my mind into a spiraling battle about whether running here is a form of suicide, or if this is just some scare tactic/conspiracy to keep solo runners from doing what they do best.  

I've heard many stories of bear attacks, and almost everyone's advice is to go in groups of more than one, with three being the least you should explore with.  Being that I have only seen one other runner, it is hard to just schedule a group run out of the blue.  It is also impractical to expect other runners to feel obliged to run as much as I want to.  I have now, with much thought and nervousness, started to explore a few trails and have not been mauled.  The lack of positive Yellowstone trail running advice I have found on the internet has led me to this outlet.  I hope to share the experiences I have on the trails in Yellowstone as a way of giving a more detailed and realistic portrayal of what it is to trail run in Yellowstone.  

The name, Singing With The Bears, comes from one of the tid-bits hikers will tell you.  That being, to make noise by saying/yelling things like "HEY BEAR" or whatever your creativity produces.  I have found that singing really dumb and random songs, as well as talking to bears weirdly while no-one is listening, during my runs is kind of funny, and a way to lighten the seriousness of what everyone has told me about going trail running solo.  I don't think these bears have radios or iPods, so when do they get to hear a song?  I haven't heard them sing back yet, but that doesn't mean they're not rocking to my tunes in the group bear showers that they use (we all know they have them).  

I hope my experiences and advice can be used by runners who come to this park which can bring in up to three million visitors each year.  Maybe i'm an idiot, but let's be real, which runners aren't a little off-kilter anyway?  As I start to compile some runs I will update this blog and hopefully shed a little light on the dos, don'ts, and whatever elses I encounter.  I might be able to grab a picture or two that will show how great these runs can truly be.  So let's hit this thing running.

-E