Gusty Spring Days, Corn Snow and Grizzly Bears

noah · Since 19 Oct 2006 173 Posts Bozeman, Montana Stoked

Every year I try to find a few new places to fly my kites. Sometimes my quest takes me to a dead end – no wind or no snow. Some days I score big time with perfect wind, deep snow and lots of sick terrain. These are the spots I come back to again and again and gloat about to my friends. Yesterday I was out kiting solo at a new spot, located in Yellowstone National Park that I had scouted last year. It’s a wild place with lots of big animals - wolves, elk, bison, and bears. Yesterday was also a gusty day – 20mph gusting to 35. Add to that yesterday’s hollow, sticky corn snow and it was far from ideal conditions.

Nevertheless I threw up my 12m Manta2 and headed off into the wilds. At the beginning of my day, because so much melting has occurred, I had to follow ribbons of snow through the expanses of sagebrush. It was technical kiting and I didn’t always know if one ribbon was connected to the next ribbon. In spite of this, I made my way further and further from the road and deeper and deeper into the backcountry. Eventually I found the large snow fields that I had come for and spent the afternoon enjoying the powered conditions and spectacular scenery.

Over hills and across running streams, I kited from one area to another and I repeatedly came across tracks of bison, elk, wolves and the biggest tracks of all: Grizzly Bear. None of these were fresh and as they melt out they get bigger and bigger in size. With Grizzly tracks going from one snow field to the next (just like me), I kept a watchful eye out and hoped I would not come over a blind hill and run into a 500 pound bruin!

As the afternoon wore on, I eventually made my way back towards the road and was forced to roll up my kite and ski through a stand of timber. Upon emerging from these trees I immediately found another set of tracks, again Grizzly bear, but these tracks were fresh, very fresh, and large! Clearly defined in the spring corn snow were the bear’s pads and long claws. Looking around with hyper-vision it took me about 30 seconds to find the bear. About a quarter mile away among the sage and snow was a big brown moving Grizzly. As I watched this bear I could see it grubbing in the melted-out sage and soil. As it moved, the bear was slowly moving closer and closer in my direction. Because the wind blowing strong and towards me, there was no way this bear could hear or smell my presence. The last thing I wanted to do was surprise a mature Grizzly. With my kite I could have made fast time back to the road, but that route was also up wind and directly past the Griz. Instead, I retreated back into a nearby creek bottom and skied hard downwind and away from the bear. Again, the last thing I wanted to do was alarm the bear. Every so often, I would peak my head over the edge of the creek bank and check on this foraging bear, take a few photos and hightail it towards the highway! In the end, the Grizzly went one way and I went the other. Seeing this giant beast and kiting in such a wild place made for an awesome adrenaline filled day and another highlight of the winter.

See ya out there,

Noah

blowhard · Since 26 Dec 2005 2027 Posts Windward

that's awesome Noah

there is so much wildlife in the winter that's viewable in the park
beats the snow machine any day
we had some nice waves yesterday over here

jbruxer · Since 24 Jul 2005 398 Posts Beaverton, OR Obsessed

Wow, great story Noah! Glad to hear you didn't get turned into bear food. A solo session in such a picture-esc place can be quite majestic. Thumb's Up

Windian · Since 28 Apr 2008 902 Posts Newport, OR NEWPORT OG

Wow!!

That is so cool to be kiting in such wild terrain with grizzly bears and other beasts.

Incredible photos!!

bulae99 · Since 12 Jul 2006 1692 Posts XTreme Poster

Very cool post!!

Hey Noah,
If every you are in HR would you come talk to my class? That is such a cool story.

Can I print this out and have my kids read it?

dancingwind · Since 18 Jul 2007 321 Posts Obsessed

So glad you lived to tell such a wild tale!! Man your heart and adrenaline must have been pumping overtime when you spotted that bad boy!!! He looks HUGE! You sure got guts man!

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

Great story and photos dude!

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

Wild story and shots Thumb's Up