Undine Falls and Lava Creek trail

Last Monday (the 20th) I went by myself down to Lava Creek. It's a short hike that runs parallel to the road leading to Mammoth. It's about 5 miles and all downhill (until you have to climb back up to Mammoth from the Yellowstone River). I went by myself since Nadia had to work that day (3-day weekends are a blessing in disguise!) and it was absolutely beautiful out. I was going to try to make it a quick trail and do it in under an hour, but those thoughts were thrown away as soon as I reached Undine Falls.

Undine Falls is a 60-foot waterfall directly off the road between Mammoth and Tower. It's not the largest or most impressive waterfall in Yellowstone, so it gets relatively little attention. In fact, every time I pass by there, I see cars whizzing right by, oblivious to the beautiful waterfall merely feet off of the road. There's even a labeled pullout that I rarely see cars stopped at. Consider this: Yellowstone is so incredibly beautiful that to most visitors, a 60-foot waterfall isn't worth pulling the car off the road to see.

However, this is one of my favorite parts of the area directly surrounding Mammoth. Its roar rumbles the ground as you stand atop the viewing platform watching all sorts of wildlife - mule deer, bison, and a plethora of songbirds across the river in the meadow. It really reminds me of the Appalacian waterfalls in the East, that seem to come from nowhere and create their own route down the mountain. Above the waterfall, Lava creek is crossable by a mere hop, and it is rarely over shin-deep. Below, the river widends to 20-30 feet across, often exceeding hip-deep. It's even created it's own miniature unnamed canyon that winds next to the trail for quite some time.

The trail was hardened by the time I set foot on it. The animal tracks, previously stuck into the mud, had formed into an uncomfortable concrete that felt sort of like walking on a pile of jagged rocks. But really, what am I complaining about? At least I didn't have to wade through hip-deep snow anymore, right?! Besides, the weather was a glorious 70 degrees with blue skies (that's all gone by now, replaced with snowy mornings and muddy afternoons).

Towards the end of the trail I spotted a bald eagle I had been told about by a number of people who had previously hiked the trail. He coasted overhead, apparently fishing in the river. I watched him circle overhead for about an hour before he coasted off towards Bunsen Peak.

I know I promised to include more about Mammoth Hot Springs bushwacking and bears, but that'll have to wait for another entry. It seems I've spent too much time prattling on about Undine Falls, and I'm not going for a novel here - just a blog entry. So, as a teaser, here's a picture. I was way too close to this bear - but it was far too preoccupied with munching on grass to pay much notice to me.