Weather: 86ยบ, sun
About this Hike: Ice Lake to Little Gibbon Falls is a loop hike. It goes back into thick lodgepole pine forest and then the namesake lake comes into view. Views are seldom very sweeping, as the lake is surrounded by thick forest.
It was on this hike that I first began to feel very vulnerable to bears and other potentially hostile wildlife. It didn't help that shortly after starting I dropped my bear spray somewhere on the trail. Thankfully I was able to backtrack and find it. Besides being risky to not carry bear spray in Yellowstone, this one was a rental, so not returning would have cost.
Having made it around the lake, I did two stream crossings and then reached Little Gibbon Falls. The falls were pretty, and it was in this area that I had my first encounter with another hiking group. I had been completely alone up until then.
After the falls the trail ends at the main road. I didn't realize when I planned this that a little bit of a road hike was necessary to close the loop. Regardless this was a good first 'back country' hike in Yellowstone.
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