Megan's Nature Nook
Nature Notes, Phenology, Photography, Fun Facts, Trips, Maybe Even a Bad Joke or Two... and More!
August 18-20, 2017 This is a throwback to a year ago when Tony and I went on one of our mountains trips. Read about our Mountains Trip #1-Beartooth Mountains, MT near Red Lodge. We had less than a week to plan, but Tony had already figured out where he wanted to fish and what trail to hike, so all that was left was to find a spot to camp. As we were nearing the parking lot after our longer-distance-than-expected hiking and fishing trip, Tony jokingly (but really meaning it) says, “Well, this trip went well, let’s do it again next weekend just in a different place.” Although I was a bit reluctant, I guess I agreed because the following weekend we were heading to the Bighorn Mountains near Buffalo, Wyoming in search of Grayling. One of Tony’s dreams was to catch one, and we just happened to be fairly close (4.5 hour drive and 9ish mile hike) to an alpine lake when we were working out in Montana for the summer. We had less than a week to plan, but Tony had already figured out where he wanted to fish and what trail to hike, so all that was left was to find a spot to camp. Day 1 Once again, we headed out early in the morning, so we could get to Buffalo, Wyoming and make a stop at the fly shop to stock up before heading into the mountains. Earlier in the summer, on a road trip to Devil’s Tower, we had made a side trip to Buffalo just to stop at The Sports Lure which Tony had heard about and needed to go to. So, of course The Sports Lure was our first stop when we got into town! Tony asked all the important fishing questions and we left the shop armed with the best flies to catch our fish. After the fly shop we headed to the Powder River Ranger District to fill out a registration form that anyone entering the Cloud Peak Wilderness is required to do. After visiting the Ranger Districts, it was time to head to the campground and set up our site. We weren’t able to get a site up in the mountains on such short notice, but found the Deer Park Campground in Buffalo which worked out well. We spend the evening eating dinner, exploring the campground, and relaxing while watching a flock of Common Nighthawks catch insects overhead. Day 2 We woke up around 5:00 a.m. so that we could have some breakfast and get to the trailhead early. We hiked the Circle Park Trail which goes through the Cloud Peak Wilderness. It was a very rocky trail, but had some beautiful lakes and views along the way. We ran into some fly fishermen who were traveling by horseback that were surprised we made the trek on foot all the way to our lake. It was a little over 9 miles round trip, but not too bad, especially compared to the previous weekend when we ended up hiking farther than intended. The highest point of our trip was an elevation of 9,581 feet not long before we got to our lake. We wound our way through the trees and got our first glimpse of the lake! It was a beautiful sight looking down from the ridge! We caught our breath and enjoyed the view then started the very steep decent down to the shoreline. Right away Tony was rigging up his fly rod and started casting. In not too long he caught his first Grayling! His dream had been fulfilled! The excitement and look on his face was priceless! We did a little boulder hopping and made our way to an upper pond area where Tony had heard from a buddy that there was good fishing. Tony was a bit ahead of me because he just couldn’t wait to wet a line up there, and called back to me, “Megan, there are moose!” I couldn’t believe it! We got out the binoculars and watched two cows and a calf walk and swim in the water, it was so cool! Tony was starting to get impatient with the moose and really wanted to fish, eventually they moved out and he moved in. Unfortunately, they muddied up the water from walking through it so he didn’t catch anything, it was however a great place for a snack! I found a nice, flat rock a little ways into the water and soaked up the view while he fished. We started to get hungry, so we went back down to the main lake and boulder hopped our way to the other side to find a lunch spot. The rest of the afternoon was spent fishing and soaking up the scenery. Tony and I each caught quite a few more Grayling and he even caught a Splake (a hybrid of a male Brook Trout and female Lake Trout). Reeling in my Grayling, check out the blue on its dorsal fin! On our way back down the mountain Tony spotted another moose resting in a meadow, that brought our moose count up to four for this trip! We saw some more mountain flowers and birds. The trail was rocky, and the altitude high, but it was another great day of hiking and fly fishing for the books! Once off the trail we made our way back to the campsite and had an early night. Day 3 We didn’t have much planned for today besides heading back to Glendive, so we decided to eat out for breakfast. We ate at the Busy Bee Cafe which has been a local favorite since 1927. The Busy Bee is part of the Occidental Hotel in downtown Buffalo. The hotel has hosted famous people like Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill, and young Teddy Roosevelt. The food was great and right next to Clear Creek. After our breakfast, we fed trout pellets to the trout for their breakfast. Then it was on the road again. As always, the trip went by way too fast! Once again, we had done it! Quickly threw together a trip, hiked up a mountain, fly fished in an alpine lake, and had a trip of a lifetime! I don’t think I would have done it if it wasn’t for Tony, but seeing him catch his first Grayling was the cherry on top! I’m thinking we need to make another trip to the mountains in the near future! Thank you, Tony, for the use of your pictures and knowing when to push me out of my comfort zone, we had a great time and made some awesome memories! Photos by: Megan Betcher & Tony Long
4 Comments
Elana
8/20/2018 11:37:50 pm
1. We have the same Garmin! (Except yours is way cooler than mine because I don't have a blue case).
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Megan Betcher
8/21/2018 07:34:06 pm
Thanks for reading and commenting, Elana!
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Steve and Sue
12/25/2018 05:21:59 pm
Congratulations Megan and Tony!👍
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Rob
10/28/2020 10:43:26 am
We did much the same thing in Yellowstone and the Pacific Northwest. We drove through the Big Horn Mountains and I knew we would have to make a trip here in the future. I chased graylings in Yellowstone and Montana with no luck. After seeing your blog, I definitely want to chase them in the Big Horns!
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