The count ebbed day by day, and with each mile we explored, the numbers piled up. But one major sight eluded us until the final day of our trip out west.
People travel for different reasons. For me, I travel to expand my mind, my senses, and my understanding, as well as to experience beauty I would otherwise miss out on completely if I were still sitting at home. It’s the natural wonders and the wildlife that drive me when I travel, and so when my wife Leah and I ventured from Ohio to Wyoming, we set out with one goal in mind… To see as much wildlife as we could.
People travel for different reasons. For me, I travel to expand my mind, my senses, and my understanding, as well as to experience beauty I would otherwise miss out on completely if I were still sitting at home. It’s the natural wonders and the wildlife that drive me when I travel, and so when my wife Leah and I ventured from Ohio to Wyoming, we set out with one goal in mind… To see as much wildlife as we could.
We searched and searched, and moved slow from place to place, waiting and watching, sometimes staying put for half the day as we kept our eyes glued to the binoculars. After 3 days exploring Grand Tetons, we moved into Yellowstone for 4 days, then finished with 3 days in Glacier National Park. Our trip moved quick, but it was all the time our busy lives allowed for this time around. But we made the most of it, camping in remote campsites and dispersed camping when we could find it. Wherever was far away from any sights or sounds of humanity was the simple goal.
On our 10th day, the count stood as follows:
- Bald Eagle: 7 adults
- Bear: 0
- Buffalo: 500+
- Coyote: 2 + a pack singing near Baker’s Hole campground
- Deer: 10
- Ducks: 140+
- Elk: 16
- Fox: 1 gray, 1 red
- Hawks: 12 red-tailed, 1 red shouldered
- Horse, wild: 1
- Humans: 200,000+ too many!
- Moose: 3
- Mountain Goat: 8
- Osprey: 1
- Pronghorns: 54
- Sandhill Crane: 20
- Swans (a swimmin’): 7
It was nearing 7pm and the sun was setting, and we had given up on our search for bear. We were winding roaming east out of Glacier National Park in Montana, joking about how bear are unicorns, impossibly unreal and annoyingly nowhere to be seen. A figment of someone’s imagination. Then, we took a tight turn in the forest and BAM! There he was…
A giant adult grizzly bear was standing in the middle of the road. He stood on his back two legs and as we came barreling around the curve, we slowed and in a moment everything moved at a glacial pace. He turned his head and I hit the brake. My jaw dropped as his eyes went wide with shock. His face screwed up with fear as my eyes began watering with appreciation of his beauty. It was almost as if we had caught him doing something naughty, because his face changed to absolute terror as he turned, dropped to all-fours and thumped off into the forest. It was an amazing moment, and an entirely true story. What a way to see a bear for the first time in the wild!
A giant adult grizzly bear was standing in the middle of the road. He stood on his back two legs and as we came barreling around the curve, we slowed and in a moment everything moved at a glacial pace. He turned his head and I hit the brake. My jaw dropped as his eyes went wide with shock. His face screwed up with fear as my eyes began watering with appreciation of his beauty. It was almost as if we had caught him doing something naughty, because his face changed to absolute terror as he turned, dropped to all-fours and thumped off into the forest. It was an amazing moment, and an entirely true story. What a way to see a bear for the first time in the wild!
When we weren’t exploring, we were camping. Since we chose to come at the last possible moment at the end of the season in hopes of avoiding the slew of humanity, we were battling near freezing temperatures at night, and so Leah and I covered ourselves in a ton of layers. We slept in mummy style sleeping bags, then layered blankets under us and on top of us, opting to cover both of our shivering bodies in a heavy duty wool Pendleton blanket. Even then, it had its difficult moments. But there’s nothing like camping away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. We knew we had succeeded when we heard no cars, no voices, no nothing unnatural. It was beautiful, especially when we could hear things we would never have heard in a city, like that of our singing pack of coyotes who sang us to sleep one night in southern Montana.
Before the trip, we teamed up with Outdoor Vitals to test and review their StormLOFT Down MummyPod Sleeping Bag and their Dominion 1p Ultralight Backpacking Tent. While we didn’t spend full nights in the 1-person backpacking tent, obviously, we did find it useful for storing gear and for quick naps along long hikes. Now that I’ve put them both to good use, I’d like to breakdown why I like the gear.
Before the trip, we teamed up with Outdoor Vitals to test and review their StormLOFT Down MummyPod Sleeping Bag and their Dominion 1p Ultralight Backpacking Tent. While we didn’t spend full nights in the 1-person backpacking tent, obviously, we did find it useful for storing gear and for quick naps along long hikes. Now that I’ve put them both to good use, I’d like to breakdown why I like the gear.
What’s cool about the StormLOFT MummyPod Sleeping Bag is that it can easily switch from a mummy style bag to a pod system to fully insulate a hammock. The fit is also another big characteristic that struck me right away, because it has a footbox so you can have the hammock run straight out of the bottom of the bag. This design zips up as well, so when you’re on the ground, its insulating baffles keep your feet nice and warm. They also thought of how annoying it can be to zip up a sleeping bag, so with their new YKK Anti Snag Zipper, it makes it ergonomic and easy to work with, which makes you less stressed before bed and better sustains the longevity of your bag. The temp range is available in two styles, 15 degrees Fahrenheit and 0 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as two fittings for 6’ and 6’6””.
The Dominion 1p Ultralight Backpacking Tent is a very good option for a solo backpacker, because it’s seriously lightweight at 2lb 9oz, and packs up small at 5”x5”x20”. I’ve backpacked Europe for 9 months some years back and I would have loved to have had this tent with me. I would have frequented many less hostels if I had. When you have all that weight on your shoulders, and where you’re literally living out of that huge rucksack on your back, every ounce and every inch matters greatly. To be able to carry around your place to sleep, on top of everything else like your clothes, toiletries, survival gear, tech gear, and beyond, is quite a relief and blessing. Why it’s so lightweight is because of its DAC featherlite poles and ultralight 15D siliconized fabric. It sets up easily as the design is simple but well thought out. It has a singular pole and is modular in design so you can take its body without the covering, which is good for hot summer nights or simply to avoid the bugs. What I loved most about this tent design, besides its carry size, is how it feels bigger than I imagined it would while I was setting it up.
Overall, I came away very impressed with the quality and design of both the StormLOFT sleeping bag and the Dominion tent. The StormLOFT MummyPod bag aided me greatly on those cold nights, because it’s snug fitting, padded, comfortable, and very warm. The Dominion is a quality gear choice for any solo backpacker or overnight hiker.
If you would like to learn more about Outdoor Vitals, click here.
The Dominion 1p Ultralight Backpacking Tent is a very good option for a solo backpacker, because it’s seriously lightweight at 2lb 9oz, and packs up small at 5”x5”x20”. I’ve backpacked Europe for 9 months some years back and I would have loved to have had this tent with me. I would have frequented many less hostels if I had. When you have all that weight on your shoulders, and where you’re literally living out of that huge rucksack on your back, every ounce and every inch matters greatly. To be able to carry around your place to sleep, on top of everything else like your clothes, toiletries, survival gear, tech gear, and beyond, is quite a relief and blessing. Why it’s so lightweight is because of its DAC featherlite poles and ultralight 15D siliconized fabric. It sets up easily as the design is simple but well thought out. It has a singular pole and is modular in design so you can take its body without the covering, which is good for hot summer nights or simply to avoid the bugs. What I loved most about this tent design, besides its carry size, is how it feels bigger than I imagined it would while I was setting it up.
Overall, I came away very impressed with the quality and design of both the StormLOFT sleeping bag and the Dominion tent. The StormLOFT MummyPod bag aided me greatly on those cold nights, because it’s snug fitting, padded, comfortable, and very warm. The Dominion is a quality gear choice for any solo backpacker or overnight hiker.
If you would like to learn more about Outdoor Vitals, click here.
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