That time I thought I was a goner
It is extremely important to label trail closures and the reason for the closure, especially in bear country. I have seen signs that read “trail closed due to bear frequenting”, or the trail is opened with a warning “bear frequenting”, or “trail closed due to falling rocks”, or “trail closed due to maintenance”.
The reason for the closure is critical in my opinion. For example, at a trailhead for more than one trail, if one trail is closed due to bears, I am going to be extremely cautious on the adjacent trails, extra cautious.
So, I am in Yellowstone ready to hike the Buffalo Plateau trail and planning to hike if I have time on the way back part of the Hellroaring trail that takes me to the confluence of Hellroaring Creek and the Yellowstone River.
The day before I checked the NPS website for any closures: none. I am the first person at the trailhead and I walk up to the trail post to read stuff and there is a note saying “Hellroaring trail closed past campsites X and Y”. No explanation at all and here comes the kicker: a truck with a maintenance crew shows up as I am about to start hiking and I put two and two together: these guys are fixing something on those campsites.
Fast forward about 6 hours when I am returning from the Buffalo Plateau and looking at my watch I have time to hike a bit more. I start going to Hellroaring and reach a junction where one of the paths is towards those campsite and the creek/river confluence or the other part of the trail going East. There is NO sign (as an aside: you can reach this junction from other trailheads and other campsites if the area, so a sign at this last location is critical). I conclude that the trail work is done and I go my merry way towards the confluence.
There is no one around, just like Buffalo Plateau; I run into a bison about 40 yards from me. I give him space. The Hellroaring Creek is to my right and I can hear it, but at this point is can’t be reached (it goes straight down for about 100 yards). I arrive at the campsites and they are empty. I continue (I am in a hurry) and at some point I smell something rotten; my brain tells me probably a stagnant pool from the creek below (I am not putting two and two together at this point, my fault).
I arrive to the confluence, I am tired and decide not to go down to it. On the way back (same path) I again smell something rotten, I look around, take a couple of steps and here is where I realize I am dead meat ……………………… I see bear poop; fresh bear poop that was not there 20 minutes ago on the way to the confluence. It all adds up, the trail is close due to a carcass and no one bothered to properly sign the trail at the last intersection and then at the trailhead.
I look around and don’t see or hear anything (already the bear spray can is in my hand ready to fire), and calmly walk out of the area; last thing I want to do is to start running like an idiot. Inside I am in a total panic since being close to a carcass is a sure way to get eaten. That year a photographer accidentally got close to a partially buried carcass and a grizzly killed him.
I have a great visual memory so I am 100% sure that the sign at the trailhead didn’t mention bear or carcass. One more hour of hiking I arrive at the trailhead and the SIGN IS GONE !!!!!!!!! Now my brain is working overtime, maybe there was maintenance at those campsite, they were done and removed the sign and as a coincidence I ran into the carcass.
But when I got back to the motel I went to the website to check out trail condition for the next hike and took a look at Hellroaring and there it was: trail closure due to carcass.