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Re: Montana Man: “Tucker Carlson is an Asshole” [CallMeMaybe] [ In reply to ]
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I stopped by Dan Bailey’s fly fishing shop this morning. It’s a sweet little store with a beautiful display of flies and fishing gear. They also had a selection of my favorite brands of clothing. A friendly woman chatted with me as I shopped. I bought some shirts, some locally made face masks, and a coconut Luna bar. The face masks were expensive but the woman told me about her friend who sews them and her mother who wears them. I just wanted to give the store and the seamstress money, so I bought 4.

The woman and I discovered we both know my friend Dan (not Bailey) who is a guide in Livingston. We nicely argued about the names of his brothers and where they guide. She was really nice. I love small towns.

Just now in our hotel room in West Yellowstone, I found a book on the nightstand, from the previous guest I suppose? It’s called Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park (second edition). My friend Tom Woods is listed in the acknowledgements. He worked in Yellowstone a long time ago. He helped put shingles on the roof of the house we built. Anyway, Montana is like a very small town. You can’t do anything without running into a friend.
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Re: Montana Man: “Tucker Carlson is an Asshole” [CallMeMaybe] [ In reply to ]
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Yea, I love Dan baileys. Last time I was in there a few years ago it felt like it had old school charm still. I love the Livingston downtown. I’m pretty sure Dan baileys was sold a couple years ago and is not in the Bailey family anymore but I could be wrong.

Let us know what it’s like out there with crowds. I canceled my yearly trip out there with my family for the second year in a row. I lived there briefly in 2001-02. I’m disheartened about the national news stories about the area being slammed with tourists. It’s gotten bad but I hope not that bad.

Normally I roll into campgrounds and can still have my choice of good open spots but every year I go back they are more and more full. For the first time ever 3 years ago we struggled to find an open campsite in the gallatin canyon one day. I had a 4 year old with me so I was getting pretty nervous but eventually found a spot after driving much deeper into the canyon.

Along these lines, I’m bummed to see grand Teton (and maybe Yellowstone too?) has no more first come first serve spots anymore. All sites are reservation only and they are all full months in advance. When I’m there I like to go where we please each day instead of having to plan months in advance. But anyways, have a great time!
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Re: Montana Man: “Tucker Carlson is an Asshole” [Triocd] [ In reply to ]
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Lots of people in Livingston and Paradise Valley. The river was really low, but there were 3 groups of rafters in sight at any given time. The water was so low that it looked like they might need to get out & push! We saw an eagle’s nest by the highway with a large eagle and what looked like several smaller eagles in it. Cute.

The crowds at Yellowstone were bad. We rolled into the park at noon-ish and had no wait time at the entrance. But inside the park, it was way too full. Like, no parking at all. Fortunately, we had stopped in Gardiner for food & a potty break. It would have been a total PITA to need to buy food or use a restroom in the park. It was a zoo at Mammoth Hot Springs.

We saw 1 bison, 2 elk, and tourists illegally parked and approaching these animals. We didn’t spend much time in the park, so that’s all we saw!

As we drove, I saw at least 3 campgrounds that were closed and not open for camping. I saw other campgrounds, but I don’t know if they were full. I would assume so, given the crowds. Rooms in W. Yellowstone were scare and I paid $458 for ours. (!)

As we left W. Yellowstone early Monday morning (6am), traffic was backed up. I drove in the center turn lane to get past a very long line of cars waiting to turn into the park. Suckers! Ha ha!

Summertime is probably not a good time to visit Yellowstone. Fall & winter are better. We took our kids to Mammoth Hot Springs in the winter & they earned junior park ranger badges for doing the workbooks and snowshoeing. I remember actually crying a little during the ceremony when they were sworn is as junior rangers. I was so proud & maybe hormonal.
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Re: Montana Man: “Tucker Carlson is an Asshole” [CallMeMaybe] [ In reply to ]
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Taking my daughter out there soon to show her around and hopefully fish. My friends in West Yellowstone and Missoula aren't real optimist on the river restrictions being lifted by then. They said they were hoping for rain yesterday or today.

Plan to start in Jackson and head north and west. Crazy how much the rooms are now. The same place we stayed in Missoula across from campus two years ago is up 50%, but I'm thinking it may be getting to be move in time at school?

I haven't been to Yellowstone in 30 years this month. Then we camped or stayed with a friend in her employee housing at the Lake Hotel. I know you said the campgrounds were full, but do you know how busy the trails are now? Back then, we hiked a trail, spent the night and never saw another person. Would like to do that one night if possible.
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Re: Montana Man: “Tucker Carlson is an Asshole” [tgrunnin] [ In reply to ]
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I think the fishing restrictions will last into September since the water flows are so incredibly low and they aren't likely to bounce back soon unless a miracle happens.

You can still fish from 6am-2pm. I would focus on the northeast part of the park like on the Lamar. The west side (Madison, firehole, gibbon, etc.) is way too low and warm every year come July. Or fish Yellowstone lake with a streamer. The lakes will continue to be open.

The trails will probably be very quiet 2 miles or so from the trailheads I would guess since the vast majority of people never wander too far from the road.

Good luck and have fun and give us a report!
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Re: Montana Man: “Tucker Carlson is an Asshole” [CallMeMaybe] [ In reply to ]
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CallMeMaybe wrote:
Lots of people in Livingston and Paradise Valley. The river was really low, but there were 3 groups of rafters in sight at any given time. The water was so low that it looked like they might need to get out & push! We saw an eagle’s nest by the highway with a large eagle and what looked like several smaller eagles in it. Cute.

The crowds at Yellowstone were bad. We rolled into the park at noon-ish and had no wait time at the entrance. But inside the park, it was way too full. Like, no parking at all. Fortunately, we had stopped in Gardiner for food & a potty break. It would have been a total PITA to need to buy food or use a restroom in the park. It was a zoo at Mammoth Hot Springs.

We saw 1 bison, 2 elk, and tourists illegally parked and approaching these animals. We didn’t spend much time in the park, so that’s all we saw!

As we drove, I saw at least 3 campgrounds that were closed and not open for camping. I saw other campgrounds, but I don’t know if they were full. I would assume so, given the crowds. Rooms in W. Yellowstone were scare and I paid $458 for ours. (!)

As we left W. Yellowstone early Monday morning (6am), traffic was backed up. I drove in the center turn lane to get past a very long line of cars waiting to turn into the park. Suckers! Ha ha!

Summertime is probably not a good time to visit Yellowstone. Fall & winter are better. We took our kids to Mammoth Hot Springs in the winter & they earned junior park ranger badges for doing the workbooks and snowshoeing. I remember actually crying a little during the ceremony when they were sworn is as junior rangers. I was so proud & maybe hormonal.


Thanks for the update on the park! I'm bummed, I was hoping to take my young kids there soon but that sounds miserable. I might have to take them during a school vacation instead, but it will be freezing (Thanksgiving or mid-April)
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Re: Montana Man: “Tucker Carlson is an Asshole” [tgrunnin] [ In reply to ]
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I totally agree with the recommendations to expect far less company on trails 2 miles in. Yellowstone in particular is attractive to the car-based crowd. So much can be seen from the roads. We did a two mile hike this vacation because my teenage daughter was being moody. She refused to continue. I remember when my teenage son did that on a hike in Alaska. Between the car people, the people lacking fitness, and moody teenagers, I think you can leave them all behind fairly quickly.

Also, agree with the idea to head northeast. Lamar is where I once saw both wolves & a bear on the same day. The northeast isn’t in close proximity with the raging tourist towns.

Finally, I really recommend going to Yellowstone in cooler weather months. My kids have never been unhappy with snow & cold. You may not love the cold, but October & November have lots of beautiful days. You’re risking serious snow during both these months, but snow is fun!

During the winter, the Gardiner entrance is the only one open. I love Mammoth Hot Springs in winter. It’s quieter. You still have the animals (even more bison & elk because they like the thermal heat in winter); there are free snowshoes available; you can ice skate; the buildings are cozy with old time steam heat; piano player in the big room of the hotel; presentations after dinner by park rangers; the dining hall is so inviting on a cold, snowy night. I love the architecture of those buildings. I’m a super fan.

Chico Hot Springs is pretty near that Gardiner entrance, and it’s great during cold months too. Obviously, the hot waters & thermal greenhouse are fun. Great food. They have horseback rides for kids. There’s a pretty spa that offers okay massages. You can hike or run up an old road that goes through a quaint, abandoned town. I don’t know what the deal is with that place. It’s half quaint/half scary.
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Re: Montana Man: “Tucker Carlson is an Asshole” [Triocd] [ In reply to ]
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great info and should be able to work Lamar in as we hope to stay at the lake at least one night. Thanks for the luck, usually need it with my abilities, or lack there of.
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Re: Montana Man: “Tucker Carlson is an Asshole” [CallMeMaybe] [ In reply to ]
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You paint a beautiful picture of Yellowstone in the fall/winter. Unfortunately this is the only opportunity I have to take the daughter before she embarks on her college career. If she is anything like her older brother, our travel time together will be limited to the summer while enrolled. I have tried for years to do a winter family trip most anywhere out west for skiing, fishing, whatever, but my wife seems to think anything under 65 degrees is miserably cold. She lived in Jackson one summer and from her accounts she almost froze then.
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Re: Montana Man: “Tucker Carlson is an Asshole” [tgrunnin] [ In reply to ]
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Jackson can get below freezing in the summer. I have a picture of frost on the water bottles camping in early august an hour north of Jackson. Temp was 29 and the rental car kept beeping with a warning saying low temperature ha ha
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Re: Montana Man: “Tucker Carlson is an Asshole” [tgrunnin] [ In reply to ]
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I've always found it very useful to stop at a local fly shop---seek some local wisdom on best practices and best fly patterns and buy a few flies and maybe some fresh leader.

there is a great small local fly shop out the N gate just before you come into Gardiner, MT. Alternatively, there are several fly shop outside the W gate in West Yellowstone.

water is so warm right now that you're only being allowed to fish in early morning up till noon or so. Then it's just too stressful on the trouts.

Best of luck and tight lines.

Steve
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