ADVENTURE
The Cauldron of the Sleeping Giant Yellowstone Lake and its cutthroat STORY AND PHOTOS BY SEAN JANSEN
The Yellowstone National Park ranger seemed astounded. “You’re going to do what?” he asked after I told him of my objective to circumnavigate Yellowstone Lake on a standup paddleboard. My peripheries caught on to glances from the other rangers, looking to see who had made such a statement. With eyebrows raised, they slapped me in front of a television screen for a safety video, inspected my board and handed me my permit. Still full of disbelief, the ranger then told me to, “Take a hike you crazy paddler!” and off I went. The lake itself has 110 miles of lakeshore. All packed up and strapped in with the bugle of an elk as a starting gun, I jumped on my board and began stroking Yellowstone Lake, the largest alpine lake in North America. A high lake sitting at an elevation of 7,732 feet, spooning the Continental Divide, it makes for a special experience with regards to exploration, adventure and most importantly habitat. Many animal species call the park and lakeshore home. Eagles, elk, moose, deer, porcupine, grizzly bear and wolves all need the lake. The food chain was evident as I cruised the miles of shoreline, visible in my imaginary rear-view mirror on my 12-foot SUP. With perfect conditions, the sheet glass and clear waters offered excitement. I smiled with every paddle, knowing almost full-well that I might be the first to attempt a solo circumnavigation of the lake. As the miles of shore began clocking away like an odometer in a car, the waters of each bay offered clarity but not quantity. The other goal of the trip was to fulfill my passion for fly fishing, with hopes of hooking into a Yellowstone cutthroat trout that the lake was once famous for. However, about halfway through the first day and after covering nearly 20 miles, I hadn’t spotted a single fish or rise on a lake literally buzzing with other life.
74 Explore Yellowstone explorebigsky.com
The last day of the trip was greeted by a fire sunrise, excellent cup of coffee and a quiet morning to take it all in.
