West Yellowstone (Red Rock Lakes NWR, MT)

This morning I was on the road at first light to drive out to Red Rock Lakes NWR . To add to the convolution of these few weeks, I am staying in Idaho, but the refuge is back in Montana. The location is only about 33 miles from my lodging, but most of the drive was on a poorly maintained dirt road. The road certainly lived down to the sign that warned of no winter maintenance. Although there were some icy patches, it was the potholes that made it really slow going. I would not have wanted to drive that road in a standard sedan.

I did make it in one piece, fillings and shocks intact. Well, the shocks are almost certainly due for service after this trip, but otherwise no bodily harm. I stopped at the refuge office and spoke with Ranger Mike, who oriented me and explained what I might see. He did mention that I was the first person to visit the refuge in several days. In fact, I had the place pretty much to myself.  The refuge is home to thousands of trumpeter swans who next there in the spring. The chicks have all fledged by now and are following their parent flying between the two lakes that are the centerpiece of the refuge. I also saw many red-tailed hawks. I was hoping for moose, but they apparently didn’t want to come out and play today.

I spent several hours driving around the equally poor roads in the refuge, then bumped my way back to Island Park.

Tomorrow I will drive southeast to Jackson, WY where I will access Grand Teton NP.

Additional images can be found in the gallery .