Yellowstone Adventure - Day 97

  First day off and decided to take on Mount Washburn today. I got up early and ate breakfast. Two Taiwanese co-workers Kai and Connie wanted me to drop them off at the south rim of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Since that was on my way I told them I leave at seven thirty and they said OK. 
  At seven thirty we all headed out. I asked Connie if they were hitchhiking back and they said yes. I know that many Taiwanese workers hitchhike all around the park, but I still worry about them. They said they would be OK. The drive to the canyon was only interrupted a couple of times by a bison. I pulled into the parking lot for the uncle Tom trail that they would be taking. Got them unloaded and bid them goodbye with a caution to be careful. They said goodbye and headed off to the trail head.
  I got back in the car and headed north for Mount Washburn. The area was very smokey as the West Yellowstone fire was still burning up a lot of acres. Also the Grand Teton fire has blossomed more and the south entrance has now been officially closed. So any ideas I had about seeing the Tetons or Jackson Hole before I leave has been squashed by the fires. Let's hope the west entrance will stay open but from what I hear if the wind shifts from blowing north to blowing south or south east. We may be in trouble and the west entrance will have to be closed.
  I reached the gravel road that would lead me to my trail up the mountain and turned the car onto it for a climb. After several hundred feet of climbing I reached the parking lot that was the trail head. I got out my backpack and loaded it up with water and a lunch. It was nine thirty and I figured I would reach the ranger lookout station on the top of the mountain in about two plus hours and I would eat lunch on the top.  I had a pullover sweatshirt on as the temperature was around fifty five degrees where I stood. I checked the car's GPS and I was at 8,700 feet. I approached the trailhead sign and it indicated that the lookout was at 10,100 feet and the trail was 3.2 miles. I stepped out on the trail and started my climb. After the first half mile my breathing was coming on hard and the trail ahead had virtually no level areas. It was all an uphill climb using switchbacks to get to the top. After about a mile my legs were starting to complain and I was taking breaks about every fifteen minutes to catch my breath. The altitude and the climb were really weighing on me for sure. I exited a wooded area and looked up. The ranger lookout was ahead but it sure did not look much closer. I also noticed that there were no more trees to block the wind. It was now blowing about fifteen miles an hour and unfortunately the next switchback took me right into it. I trudged on to close to the two mile mark and rested. My legs were getting very wobbly at this point and my rests were coming about every five minutes of walking now. I drank some water and evaluated the situation. I looked up at more than a mile to go to the ranger lookout station and then with 57 years of wisdom I decided the mount would beat me today. I figured I made it to about 9,400 feet when I turned back. It took about fifteen minutes before my breathing slowed back to normal on the walk down. Half of me considered this hike a failure but then again the other half said at least I tried. The view from 9,000 feet up was pretty neat and the walk down the mount trail was pretty good also.
  Getting back to the car I unload the back pack and decided to head north and find a nice spot for lunch.  After several miles I came to an area that looked familiar. I recognized it as the area where Cathy and I stopped for lunch when we were here a few years ago. Keeping a watchful eye I found the exact pullout spot where we ate lunch and decided that would be a great spot for a PB&J feast. The view was spectacular except for the smoke and it brought back memories of Cathy and I eating cheese and crackers looking at the same view and loving it.  I even gave Cathy a call to tell her where I was. She laughed but did remember the spot for sure.
  After lunch I decided to head to Mammoth Hot Springs and see if I could find a parking spot to look around. The last three times I have been through there the tourists were so thick that no parking spot could be found.  Reaching Mammoth I did not find a parking spot in the lower area but in the upper hot springs area I finally found one. I parked the car and explored the hot springs from above. I took many pictures and will upload them to Facebook later. Mammoth is an interesting place in that the geysers have created an interesting spot with what the geyser water contains but the interesting thing is that over the years the geyser will be changing the area and eventually all the parking spots and lookouts will have to be changed as the deposits from the geyser will keep changing the area. Eventually the geyser may even stop all together and the whole area will be dead.  The drive up in the area indicated that this has happened before as there are many dead areas that look like Mammoth only no water is coming out of the areas anymore.
   Leaving Mammoth I headed back to the dorm on the west side of the park. The smoke was really thick from the West Yellowstone fire and at a few points in the road I could see the fire in the distance. I pray they can get it under control and have been praying for those fighting the fire also. 
   I made it back to the dorm in time for dinner. I think after dinner I am going to biscuit basin and look around. It is just down the road and a place I have not seen yet. Tomorrow will be a rest day and I may head into Livingston or Cody to get some free Wi-Fi. Take care you all and keep smiling.