Trip Planning Younts Peak / South Fork Yellowstone

RockyMntCol

RockyMntCol

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Joined
Aug 29, 2022
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I'm planning a 6 backpacking trip to the south Yellowstone area. I wanted to post and get a second set of eyes on my itinerary. What do we think?

Questions
  • Did I choose good campsite locations?
  • Trail conditions South Fork Yellowstone, Atlantic Creek and Soda Fork.
  • Bear safety:
    • Contemplating bringing my heavy BV450 based on terrain and bear population vs. usual Ursack.
    • Everyone is just bringing bear spray and being bear aware?
  • How are bugs this time of year?
Plan
I'm planning to enter at the brooks lake trailhead and spend the first two days hiking towards Yount's Peak along the continental divide. I did this portion of the hike last year based on some other guides here. We got hit with foggy weather up there and couldn't see 10 feet in front of us, so really looking forward to better sight lines this time.

On day 3 the plan is to wake up and hike up Yount's Peak. Then continue east along the south fork of the yellowstone. Day 4 continues along the south fork until reaching Atlantic Creek on day 5.

On day 6 I'm planning to hike 17 miles out to Turpine Meadows. I'm comfortable with the mileage because it's mostly downhill but I'm definitely needing the trail to be in good condition.

Map
Click here to view on CalTopo
 
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Looks like a great trip. Just a few notes in no particular order:

1) Bring the Ursack - superior in pretty much every way.
2) Trail conditions should be fine (by Absaroka standards) - unless it has rained recently.
5) Bug pressure should be decreasing rapidly - which is good, because your camps after day 2 could be hell otherwise.
3) I'd take the cutoff below Yellowstone Point on Day 5. It'll probably be wet - but so will your other option.
4) Younts Peak route: you either need to swing out wider to the lower saddle or go straight up the ridge near your line. That ridge does have a short Class 4 section - I've done it and it goes, but most swing out to the lower saddle for Class 1 all the way up. (The ridge can be low Class 3 earlier in the year, but you won't have the snow to help this far into the summer.)

Feel free to shoot me any other questions - I've done all of this route at various times. I think your first few days are the highlight - I'm not sure I'd want to spend so much time down in the river bottoms, but September is the time to do it so you should have a great time.
 
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TheMountainRabbit said:
Looks like a great trip. Just a few notes in no particular order:

1) Bring the Ursack - superior in pretty much every way.
2) Trail conditions should be fine (by Absaroka standards) - unless it has rained recently.
5) Bug pressure should be decreasing rapidly - which is good, because your camps after day 2 could be hell otherwise.
3) I'd take the cutoff below Yellowstone Point on Day 5. It'll probably be wet - but so will your other option.
4) Younts Peak route: you either need to swing out wider to the lower saddle or go straight up the ridge near your line. That ridge does have a short Class 4 section - I've done it and it goes, but most swing out to the lower saddle for Class 1 all the way up. (The ridge can be low Class 3 earlier in the year, but you won't have the snow to help this far into the summer.)

Feel free to shoot me any other questions - I've done all of this route at various times. I think your first few days are the highlight - I'm not sure I'd want to spend so much time down in the river bottoms, but September is the time to do it so you should have a great time.
Click to expand...
  • Regarding Younts Peak - is the black route that I fixed called 'Yount's Peak 1' the route you're describing with the short class 4? And then the route I added in red called 'Yount's Peak 2' is the lower saddle with the class 1 all the way up?
  • "I'm not sure I'd want to spend so much time down in the river bottoms" - I've been having the same thought. I added a red route called 'alternate' over Jay Peak and the divide. Would you rather do something like that instead of hiking the Yellowstone? & where might you drop back down? Or do you have other ideas entirely?
  • Have you been up Jay Creek or Senecio Creek?
 
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RockyMntCol said:
Regarding Younts Peak - is the black route that I fixed called 'Yount's Peak 1' the route you're describing with the short class 4? And then the route I added in red called 'Yount's Peak 2' is the lower saddle with the class 1 all the way up?
Click to expand...
Exactly.

I'll shoot you a PM about the other questions when I get home - just wrapped up a trip in the Sierra Nevada and traveling most of the day tomorrow.
 
Having just gone through some of that area, I'd try to stay high for as long as possible. But, I'm a sucker for really big views. TriCounty Peak always sounded intriguing, so I would do your alternate route.

I'm curious, you have a N Yellowstone/Thorofare Pass on your map. Have you been over that? Access/trail on the Thorofare side?
 
TheMountainRabbit said:
Exactly.

I'll shoot you a PM about the other questions when I get home - just wrapped up a trip in the Sierra Nevada and traveling most of the day tomorrow.
Click to expand...


I did not make it to the Sierra this year, so I hope you post a trip report. Hint, Hint :)
 
I'd add another night... It's a lot of miles on the map... On the ground will be longer

Not many bugs...

Ursack . Chuck the canister
 
wsp_scott said:
Having just gone through some of that area, I'd try to stay high for as long as possible. But, I'm a sucker for really big views. TriCounty Peak always sounded intriguing, so I would do your alternate route.

I'm curious, you have a N Yellowstone/Thorofare Pass on your map. Have you been over that? Access/trail on the Thorofare side?
Click to expand...
Yess, i'm leaning towards staying high now.

I havent been over that pass. I saw this post where @Kmatjhwy described a pass and route and just marked where i thought it was for future ref.

Upper Thorofare Creek

The Very Upper Thorofare Creek is very scenic with the meadows in the valley and the mountains all around. A good trail goes up the valley. One could spend days and days and days in here. Connection with a route over to the Yount's Peak area, not often talked about but I know of, thru a mountain notch to the Yellowstone's North Fork.
Click to expand...

I also watched a youtube vid from norwegian explorer w/joey coconato where they camp in N. Yellowstone drainage and cross over to Thorofare drainage the next day and hike along it. So it can be done.
 
Bob said:
I'd add another night... It's a lot of miles on the map... On the ground will be longer

Not many bugs...

Ursack . Chuck the canister
Click to expand...
Good call. I hate carrying the canister.

Trying to get my hike partner onboard with 7 nights as we speak..
 
Yes the spot you marked for the pass is correct. Hawks rest is burnt but you will still get a view, I'd go for the Yellowstone point view...
 
RockyMntCol said:
Yess, i'm leaning towards staying high now.

I havent been over that pass. I saw this post where @Kmatjhwy described a pass and route and just marked where i thought it was for future ref.

I also watched a youtube vid from norwegian explorer w/joey coconato where they camp in N. Yellowstone drainage and cross over to Thorofare drainage the next day and hike along it. So it can be done.
Click to expand...

We just hiked up the Thorofare drainage and crossed to the Yellowstone drainage, but did not use that pass (we crossed further north).
 
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