Mount Washburn, WY

Hiked: 7/27/2019
Distance: 5.9 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 10219'
Elevation Gain: 1553'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.2
Round trip time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Recommended water: 40 oz.
Parking/Fees: $35 National Park Fee (Yellowstone) at Chittendon Road
Difficulty: Easy

Leisa and I were able to fit in a hike to Mount Washburn during our visit to Yellowstone National Park. It was named after Henry Washburn, who led an 1870 federal expedition to determine in part whether Yellowstone should be preserved as the first national park. His report about the "wonderland" recommended such action, but Congress didn't make it official until 1872. The two main routes to Washburn are from Dunraven Pass and Chittendon Road. We started on Chittendon because it was one mile shorter. The trailhead parking area is about a mile up the dirt road. Signs there recommended doing the hike before September due to increased bear activity. The grizzly bear factor adds flavor to any hike in Yellowstone. Leisa and I both carried bear spray and had both practiced using it.

It was cool and overcast when we started. The fire lookout on the summit was visible from the trailhead. We had only gone a quarter mile when we noticed two hikers descending off trail to our right. When we reached them, they pointed up at large brown mass on the trail. Our first thought was bear, but as we got nearer, saw a large male bison. He had been sharpening his horns on a tree and a small branch was still stuck to his head. He stepped into the trail to confront us squarely and we had no choice but to drop off trail like the other hikers to get behind him. Once we were out of sight, he lumbered slowly down the trail and that the was last we saw of him.

Snow patches lingered in a few spots as we continued our ascent. The grass was green and surprisingly short. It looked like we were hiking a large golf course with oval snow patches in place of sand traps. The trail does a spiral around the summit ending at the three story fire lookout. You can go inside the lookout to view informational plaques of the surroundings. There was a register notebook with about 50 entries from the day before. It is one of the most popular hikes in the park with nice views. There are also restrooms. The second level is an observation deck, but it limited to 180 degree views. The upper level is a residence and was locked. We rested on top and while, then started down as wind gusted and a few drops of rain hit our faces. On the way down, we met at least a dozen other hikers on the way up. It was a fun, easy hike, with the elevation the main challenge. Leisa set a personal hiking elevation record at 10,219'. The one thing that could have made it better is if we had spotted mountain goats, but the goats were somewhere else.