27 May 2007
Day three of the Yellowstone trip started out at Canyon museum (not really in the backcountry, but you can learn a lot there.) From there we headed north to Trout Lake.
Trout Lake is a nice little hike that doesn't take too long and isn't too strenuous. Once you get to the lake there is a leisurely hike around the lake that is very scenic. There is also a fun little bridge for children to play on and look for fish.
As we hiked around the lake we came upon an otter. At first all the noise scared him/her back in to the lake. Later as we came back toward the bridge the otter was back out eating a fish. Almost everytime we visit Trout Lake we see an otter.
After Trout Lake we headed towards Mammoth. We stopped at the Forces of the Northern Range Self Guiding Trail. This "hike" is mostly just a level board walk that is good for getting the energy out of children and enjoying some scenery.
We headed back for camp and much to our pleasure saw a mother and her two black bear cubs. This is a rare sight anywhere in the world and it was awesome! The secret Yellowstone trip was well worth it.
