Beautiful scenery ✔️ Hiked alone in Griz country ✔️ Saw bear tracks ✔️ Tracked bear into woods ✔️ Got spooked by a cow ✔️ Blessed said cow ✔️ Met back up with Aaron ✔️ Meteor shower ✔️ More bear tracks ✔️ Played peekaboo with a Grizzly ✔️ Waxed poetic about the brevity of life ✔️ Did it all with unmatched charm, style, and grace ✔️ That's our Dixie 🙂
Some hikers carry bear bells to alert the bears that you are in the area. The difference between Grizzly poop and Black Bear poop is the Grizzly poop has bear bells in it..
I totally get what you say about how nature connects us to the past. My dad was in an accident at his favorite state park in NC when I was 6. I share a love for that place and often wonder if he had been to new sections I explore and if he loved them the same. I think about my great*4 grandfather that deserted the Civil War in 1863 and hid in caves in what is now this same state park. He was found by home guard, beaten, and left for dead.. but he survived. His wife had a child the following year and they named him Abraham Lincoln Sidden (in the south, what a brave dude). All of that in my favorite local spot. It’s amazing how generations change, the world around us changes, but nature is fairly constant.
Walking (here in England) I think about this kind of thing all the time. A lot of the tracks now used by us hikers are old pilgrim or farm trails that have been used by people going on a thousand years or more. As I am walking alone in nature the knowledge that I am following the footsteps of people going back countless years is both humbling and inspiring in equal measure.
Are you sure that was a milk cow? I may have to go back and watch that scene again but I didn't see an udder, (then again, I could be udderly wrong) ; )
Such beautiful country you're in, Dixie. 11:13 - that looks like a black bear track - much too small for a grizzly and shaped more like a black bear's front paw. I'm sure you've studied up on the differences. Wolves usually don't attack humans, but a pack of them treed a woman hiker in Washington state earlier this year. Your bear spray will work on them as well, if need be. You're also in cougar country - the 4-footed kind, and will be for the rest of your hike to Canada. They're hunted in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, so they're pretty wary of humans. 14:43 That's a female "Mormon Cricket," and what it's doing is laying eggs in the ground. That spikey thing on the rear end is an "ovipositor." Best wishes for what lies ahead. Stay safe out there. Happy Trails.
My thoughts also. Grizz has a more squared off print. Wolves have only killed two people in north america in history. There have been some attacks that were not fatal in the last decade but those are from wolves that have been habituated to humans.
Hey Dixie! Some buddies and I were backpacking around Heart Lake in southern Yellowstone NP and made our way down to the Snake River Ford campsite. Woke up to a Grizzly about 15 feet from our tents on his way to breakfast! Helpful hint as you hike through Grizzly country...DON’T camp next to Huckleberry!!!! Apparently they love it and our grizzly wanted nothing to do with us as long as we didn’t block his path to Huckleberry!!! Have fun and just be Bear Aware and you’ll be fine! Keep up the great adventure!!
You are such a amazing young woman. I am 52yrs old and I have never been back packing even though I love nature . My body is in terrible condition with metal making up half of my back and a metal hip and arthritis all over but you have lit a flame in me to do my best on the AT. Idc about making it to the end I just want the experience of seeing some of those sceneries and challenging myself. I want to deeply thank you for that, you are a great inspiration to many!!
I worked and backpacked in Yellowstone for 4 years straight, take my word for it Brown Bears are intelligent and extremely careful. These bears in the back country aren't used to seeing people and when they do, they run. In 2015 I had a Brown Bear dig out my fire pit which was probably 25 feet from where my tent was, my heart was POUNDING. I literally plugged my ears (out of fear?) and yelled at the top of my lungs.. that bear BOOKED it. Since then I decided to keep an air horn on me as well as bear spray, between those two deterrents I feel almost invincible. At the end of the day.. non habituated bears want nothing to do with you. Period.
You motivate me! I have watched you for a few months and it has been a motivating experience. I am starting to backpack in my local mountains. Thank you!
your almost there Dixie.. ive followed all your Triple Crown journey .. since you said ..OK So i am here at Amicalola State Park..what an accomplishment.
Nature is like a time machine that connects us to the past....jeez, that is profound and beautiful! Thanks for sharing your hikes and thoughts with us.
"God bless, a milk cow" Love this phrase! One could literally see the relief in your face. Grizz Country looks beautiful. Enjoy it. I just came back from a 4 week road trip to Norway where I watched all of your AT and PCT episodes. I downloaded them to my tablet before I started the journey and watched them when I stood somewhere in the wilderness with my Camper Van. Thx for these inspiring footage and the beautiful nature you are showing to us!
You and Aaron have really become an excellent outdoor production team. The content and editing are both great. Awesome shots of the egg-laying insect and the frog underwater. Thanks for the great vids!
Seeing that bear had to be a major adrenaline rush. You took it all in stride. Love your channel and I love your videos. Thanks again for taking us all along for the ride!
I am really enjoying your Wyoming section. In 1966 I worked on the H bar C ranch (owned by Hod and Clover Sanders of Clover Club Potato Chips) stacking hay very near Pinedale. Pinedale population was about 1,000. We got off work an hour early on Saturday so we could go to the only movie theater in Pinedale. I have been in Yellowstone many times and am really looking forward to seeing your travels through the park. I cannot adequately express how appreciative we are at being able to follow your hiking. We enjoy your close up photography as well as the scenic shots and your conversation. Again, Thanks!!! for taking us along.
I loved this video Dixie, for its sheer beauty and your courage at being alone in Griz Country and actually seeing tracks and a bear at a distance. My heart has been in my throat many times during your videos but this one really gave me chills. You are a very amazing woman and i have learned so much from your videos. Take good care out there! My daughter is an Auburn MBA grad and loved living in Opelika!
I've hiked all over griz country in Montana for 25 years. I've seen lions, black bears and wolves but never a griz. Walk with confidence and the critters will really leave you alone. I've seen 13 bears this fall including a momma with two cubs. Just sat there and watched them eating and they accepted my presence. Howled a wolf in last year and it just sat there watching me. If you show confidence most animals just accept you as more dominant.
GOSH that cow would have freaked me out, too! Right after you were seeing the bear prints and talking about being alone and then BOOM, a freaking gigantic cow! Hahaha....
I love backpacking alone. As Dixie alluded to, you can really figure things out and find your place in the grand scheme. Not having a conversation for three days, no external distractions, just your own thoughts gives you strength, fortitude and a renewed outlook. Time alone in the wilderness adds to a strong foundation. Thanks, Dixie, for the reminder.
Excellent! I went to the wind river range near DuBois in 1980 with my brother. My brother had just got his drivers license he was 16 and I was 14. We we're both pretty frightened of grizzly bears. We drove from Seattle to Dubois and it seems like every mom and pop gas station and convenience store had some photograph of a bear or a bear danger sign and when we got to the Trail head's I recall Bear warning signs all over the place. We camped one night at a pretty high elevation near Road next to a river and there were two men on the other side of the river from us who we spoke with and had dinner with. My brother and I had all freeze dried food which we were supplementing with some trout that we caught and the two men were prepared with all kinds of great fresh vegetables and meats. We found out that the two guys were miners they were pretty scraggly looking full beards shoulderlength hair they actually look like they just crawled out of a mine. So we explained to these two guys that we were afraid of bears and they explained to us that we were at pretty high elevation and bears preferred lower elevation. After the best dinner we had an a week or so my brother and I went back to our campsite on the other side of the river and tried to get some rest although it was definitely as cold then as it looked in your video and I'm not sure if we had very effective cold-weather gear or bags. You know what it's like when you're freezing and the sun comes up you just want to get up and move around because you can't get warm sitting in your bag so my brother and I went across the river to go check on those miners because they were cowboy camping and we figured they froze to death. When we got up on them their beards were frozen their mustaches in eyebrows were frozen I think their faces even had a layer of frost on them, we honestly thought they might be dead but we decided to just go back to our tent and see if they were still dead later...because getting out and walking around didn't make us any warmer. After what was maybe an hour of trying to sleep and get warm, those miners started shooting a gun towards our side of the river yelling and screaming Bear! Bear! Bear! My brother and I flew into a panic ran out of the tent running in circles trying to see where the bear was but all we found was two minors laughing their asses off, watching us completely freaked out thinking we were moments away from being eaten! Needless to say we didn't think it was nearly as funny as those guys did but man they sure did cook up a great meal for us the night before! Your video reminded me of our trip along time ago, it sure is a beautiful area, you're lucky to be there! God bless you and your friends on your trip Jessica!
Your vids are all awesome, but this is one of my favorites. I've hiked, fished, and camped out that way, and bears are always on my mind in an area like that. And you know that old saying, what doesn't kill ya' makes ya' stronger...except for bears, bears'll kill ya'.
You are the best! You grab an adventure by the tail and go for it! It’s had me biting my nails so many times, I couldn’t count them! Even though it might be a crappy day or a scary situation, you always have a positive spin to put on it. Thank you for letting us tag along!! ❤️
Black Bear track usually don't show claws because they are retractable. Grizzly tracks show claws, there claws don't retract so you see them above the toes as a hole or dot. I think the track you showed were Black Bear.
Love love love wednesdays! What a start to this video. Just spectacular scenery! Thanks so much for all of the little things Dixie. Of course, the bear was really something and I'm glad you got to see it from a distance. Also it's great that Aaron met up with you...another stellar video of your adventure......oh almost forgot....that bathroom was first class!
really cool seeing them in person...my first encounter was in the grand Tetons years ago ...my GF and I were returning from climbing and were on the switch backs coming down the mountain ...I was spacing out looking at my feet and I suddenly looked to my right just below me and ta dah...juvenile Grizz ...no way to mistake it that close as it was maybe 50ft away...it was just curious and raised up on it's hind legs as we slowly and calmly kept moving ...at the time it scared the crap out of me...but in the bigger picture was a total blessing and gift of a life time to have that encounter
I love how you mentioned history and how so many long ago people saw the same sights, often with awe, if it were their first time, or 100th.. That is really cool.. I've actually thought about it many times myself.. As for brown bears... Sure, I always carry bear spray and play by all the right "methodology" when dealing with brownies.. But, I never go into brown bear territory without a G27 at the very least.. Nobody will see it.. But, it is right in my chest pack... Just in case! I realize these are now 5 years old as I am typing this, but the information and your experience doesn't have an expiration date, and I always point people to your channel too.. Great info! Thanks Dixie!
Great video. Different also. This video showed the grizz much better than the raw footage us patrons got to see a while back. You encountered that bear like a pro. Good Girl!
Dadgum Dixie you are a cinematographer/photographer! And a pretty good story teller. Looks like you're having pretty good weather, all things considered. Happy to see you and double A Ron hooked up. He looked pretty frosty that one morning!!
This is one of my favorite episodes! The cinematography is stunning, Dixie, as always is interesting and engaging. You just did a really fantastic job ! God bless a milk cow!!!
Oh my lanta 😂 I think this is the most northern comment innocently describing exactly how weird our southern sayings are and how they truly, do not make sense I have ever seen
Beautiful country--I am jealous. It might be a good idea to get a bear bell (1" diameter "jingle bell"). If you are in close country beating through the brush (especially berries), a lot of people will affix their cooking pot **carefully** to the outside of their pack to make noise with so as to announce you are coming--you don't want to surprise any bear at close range obviously. The noise would drive you crazy, but for a couple of miles if you feel like you might get an unwelcome surprise a well hung pot is louder than a bear bell and you will always have it available. Y'all remember--you are crunchy and good with ketchup :)
The wolf pack would make me nervous too. Fortunately bear spray would work on the wolves. As a retired mailman, I always hike with a can of dog spray (in grizz country I will take bear spray too). Dog spray would come in handy on road walks with dogs...and it works on people too (I've accidentally sprayed myself with it).
THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing your foot size with us. I'm dead serious. It means a lot to me as a woman with 12W (men's 11W) feet myself. The struggle to find good shoes is real, and you just gave me one less reason to be scared of doing the PCT. 💜
😳 Grizzly Bear and those paw prints were HUGE. Wish I was actually hiking with you. The landscape is breathtaking. Thanks for taking us along with you on your journey.
Beautiful record of the country you were hiking through. You have another experience up on me; never tried a night crawl across a large stream or river. Yikes, I do not think I would have tried it. I think you may be well over your PTSD from crossing the Sierra raging waters. Your starfield video was great enhancement to this story. When a teen backpacking in AZ and the four corners county, you were always conscious of the first peoples who crossed that land. The sites and signs were everywhere. There is evidence of human occupation in the Winds in high camps going back at least 11,000 years at the end of the last ice age that carved up that country we see today. You did great on your first griz sighting! I hope the next one is at a distance, and like this one, not giving you any never-mind, and have time to watch one going about their business, it is a joy.
Thanks for yet another delightful VLOG. Your editing has become documentary quality and your philosophy has become sage like ... keep on trekking.... Cheers.
I am a new subscriber. And I have been back tracking you videos. I have learned a lot and my partner and I have some health issues to straighten out first. But we have to start with the AT first once we are healed up. You are an inspiration. Take care.
Lol "God bless a milk cow" I had something similar happen in virgina along the AT. Big bull cow was standing there in a field when I went through the gate.
Great video Dix. When you get to Bob Marshall was my backyard until I was in my early 20's. Its nice but Glacier is where you are going to have the big views. Bears are definitely an issue anywhere in the rockies of Wy/MT so keep that spray handy. A friend of mine wasn't so lucky but now he's practically famous after his mauling. Keep those videos coming, loving it.
Such incredible opening shots! BTW, when staring so hard at the video trying to see the bear, when he finally emerges from the trees, it reminded me of the scene from Signs when the alien emerged from the building into the alley, lol! Sorta took me by surprise. Be safe and be well, Dixie and Aaron.
Frost on Aaron's sleeping bag is a good thing, it indicates that the outside of the bag is cold, and thus little, if any body heat is escaping the bag.
Beautiful places and flowers. Brave girl! It’s hard continuing on alone after seeing a grizzly or even a print. I had one outrun my car, then had to get out and do a bird survey...took me a while to get out of that car, but you have no car! Took me a while to sleep that night too, just remembering how fast those legs were moving. Careful what you wish for with the wolf. I never thought I’d see one, then chased one through the woods thinking it was my wolf-like dog one morning around 5am. There are a lot of moose out there, and one morning I woke up to a female standing over me, but another night I went to bed with a young male lounging nearby, not caring about me at all. I think I’m lucky to have seen all these animals, and encountering them was very spiritual. I love your point about nature connecting is to the past and future.
Girl, there's no way I could've gone forward, by myself, after seeing that thing moving through the woods. 😳 My bearanoia wouldn't allow it 🤩 You're almost there! 🌲🍁🌲
Yay! Chalk one up for the Life list !! Yep, "see a grizzly bear" done that. Now, about those wolves, he he he, I ain't afraid of nuthin'!! Dixie, you should be a trail guide. I would hike with you any day. It is so true that we are only here for a little while, so we had better enjoy it every day. But, DAMN !! You are brave, Girl !! LOL
I've had a grizzly encounter here in Canada. And I've had 2 other black bear encounters. For the most part, if you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone. But being bear aware is so necessary.
I can completely sympathize with that fear and nervousness. I wanted to hike the WRR but would only do it in a group...now have done two trips in the WRR (last year and this year - about a week behind you) and did end up hiking but not camping alone on the last night. Thankfully the WRR has minimal griz presence and the trail I was on was pretty busy. Encountering grizzlies has never been something I wanted to experience...seeing them across the valley would have been cool, but not running into them on the trail.
We saw 30 piles of griz scat in one 12 mile section of trail this summer. Crazy! But no bear to be found. Over 112 miles total... Heck, we saw it even under a bear hang! Tip: spray in tent pointless. Air horn for tent is what to cuddle with!!
Dixie, How awesome that you actually captured a shooting star going through the MIDDLE of the big dipper?!! (What are the odds?) The two pointer end stars on the dipper end ALWAYS point to the north star. . . Also enjoyed the starry night time lapse at 8:51! Made my day. . . AND my night, Thanks for posting!!! Phil South Carolina
First hike through Griz country and she sees a Grizzly. Doggone it - I’ve got close to 100 nights in Yellowstone, Winds, BM and Glacier - never seen a Griz. (They’ve been around fire pits digging for - but that’s it) Some people are just lucky I guess.... That said - prolly not a good idea to night hike in Griz country.
Joe Thomas I’ve only been to Montana once (hope to move south of glacier after high school) and seen three grizzlies. Just depends on time of day, food sources and elevation. For example during mid day Grizzlies mostly go around high tree line to feed on pine cones/berries or travel down streams. During morning and evening bears go to lower elevation to feed on grasses/rodents. Two of the grizzlies I’ve seen were on the Montana, Wyoming border (beartooth mountains) Feeding on mountain grasses and berries (One is my profile picture). The other was a huge 600 pound boar (male bear) feeding on grasses in Yellowstone. The reason I know so much is because I want to be a guide if I move to Montana. Be safe, hope you see one.
You will do fine in grizz country. I just got done a week ago with 230 miles in Yellowstone backcountry as a loop and only saw one grizz and it wasn’t as bad as I had hyped it up and feared. If your making noise, hanging food and carrying spray you will be good. You got the skills
Hello Dixie, happy Friday. Thank you for sharing another amazing outdoor adventure. You are quite an adventurous soul. I hope that you did not have to use your bear spray. If it were out there on the trail, I would have had a backpack full of bear spray. All the best to you every day. Take care, be safe and stay healthy. 🤗
"I just kinda yelled out 'hey bear'...so it might know that I'm around" LOL! You''re in some of the most beautiful parts of our country though! I absolutely adore Yellowstone. Can't wait to see you journey through :)
Beautiful scenery ✔️
Hiked alone in Griz country ✔️
Saw bear tracks ✔️
Tracked bear into woods ✔️
Got spooked by a cow ✔️
Blessed said cow ✔️
Met back up with Aaron ✔️
Meteor shower ✔️
More bear tracks ✔️
Played peekaboo with a Grizzly ✔️
Waxed poetic about the brevity of life ✔️
Did it all with unmatched charm, style, and grace ✔️
That's our Dixie 🙂
justa guy Spoiler.
alex riddles God Bless A Milk Cow, I hate when I look at the comments before I watch the video 😉
Wow. Really?? Gosh, I'm so sorry that I forced you to scroll down and read my comment before you watched the video 🙄
Your photography is outstanding! Keeps getting better. I'm voting for calendars with your prints!!!
Yes! And "Dixie-isms"; little life's philosophies, to go with the prints!
Yes, but even the best pics can't compare to seeing it in person.
Some hikers carry bear bells to alert the bears that you are in the area. The difference between Grizzly poop and Black Bear poop is the Grizzly poop has bear bells in it..
LOL !!!
And smells like bear spray!
You gotta tell the whole, OLD joke!
:)
johnVidBozo you all are funny but good joke lol
Those annoying bear bells run the risk of being attacked by other hikers as well.
that's so funny with the cow grizly thanks for keeping it real
I totally get what you say about how nature connects us to the past. My dad was in an accident at his favorite state park in NC when I was 6. I share a love for that place and often wonder if he had been to new sections I explore and if he loved them the same. I think about my great*4 grandfather that deserted the Civil War in 1863 and hid in caves in what is now this same state park. He was found by home guard, beaten, and left for dead.. but he survived. His wife had a child the following year and they named him Abraham Lincoln Sidden (in the south, what a brave dude). All of that in my favorite local spot. It’s amazing how generations change, the world around us changes, but nature is fairly constant.
Walking (here in England) I think about this kind of thing all the time. A lot of the tracks now used by us hikers are old pilgrim or farm trails that have been used by people going on a thousand years or more. As I am walking alone in nature the knowledge that I am following the footsteps of people going back countless years is both humbling and inspiring in equal measure.
In this episode: Dixie finds some bear prints; Dixie finds more bear prints; and Dixie blesses a milk cow.
Are you sure that was a milk cow? I may have to go back and watch that scene again but I didn't see an udder, (then again, I could be udderly wrong)
; )
Maj. D. Saster... Seriously, though - this whole thing has been udderly ridiculous
Your synopses have been amazing! Thanks for the comments!
Such beautiful country you're in, Dixie. 11:13 - that looks like a black bear track - much too small for a grizzly and shaped more like a black bear's front paw. I'm sure you've studied up on the differences. Wolves usually don't attack humans, but a pack of them treed a woman hiker in Washington state earlier this year. Your bear spray will work on them as well, if need be. You're also in cougar country - the 4-footed kind, and will be for the rest of your hike to Canada. They're hunted in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, so they're pretty wary of humans. 14:43 That's a female "Mormon Cricket," and what it's doing is laying eggs in the ground. That spikey thing on the rear end is an "ovipositor." Best wishes for what lies ahead. Stay safe out there. Happy Trails.
My thoughts also. Grizz has a more squared off print.
Wolves have only killed two people in north america in history. There have been some attacks that were not fatal in the last decade but those are from wolves that have been habituated to humans.
I was going to comment on the mormon cricket and the ovipositor....but, you beat me to it. Spot on 😎
Hey Dixie! Some buddies and I were backpacking around Heart Lake in southern Yellowstone NP and made our way down to the Snake River Ford campsite. Woke up to a Grizzly about 15 feet from our tents on his way to breakfast! Helpful hint as you hike through Grizzly country...DON’T camp next to Huckleberry!!!! Apparently they love it and our grizzly wanted nothing to do with us as long as we didn’t block his path to Huckleberry!!! Have fun and just be Bear Aware and you’ll be fine!
Keep up the great adventure!!
You are such a amazing young woman. I am 52yrs old and I have never been back packing even though I love nature . My body is in terrible condition with metal making up half of my back and a metal hip and arthritis all over but you have lit a flame in me to do my best on the AT. Idc about making it to the end I just want the experience of seeing some of those sceneries and challenging myself. I want to deeply thank you for that, you are a great inspiration to many!!
Everybody's talking about the grizzly bear and I'm just impressed with the squirrel doing at barrel roll at 8:20.
I worked and backpacked in Yellowstone for 4 years straight, take my word for it Brown Bears are intelligent and extremely careful. These bears in the back country aren't used to seeing people and when they do, they run. In 2015 I had a Brown Bear dig out my fire pit which was probably 25 feet from where my tent was, my heart was POUNDING. I literally plugged my ears (out of fear?) and yelled at the top of my lungs.. that bear BOOKED it. Since then I decided to keep an air horn on me as well as bear spray, between those two deterrents I feel almost invincible. At the end of the day.. non habituated bears want nothing to do with you. Period.
You motivate me! I have watched you for a few months and it has been a motivating experience. I am starting to backpack in my local mountains. Thank you!
your almost there Dixie.. ive followed all your Triple Crown journey .. since you said ..OK So i am here at Amicalola State Park..what an accomplishment.
predzhead been here also since the start and i just love it !!!
Have seen all your episodes and they just keep getting more beautiful. Happy hiking Dixie long live the adventure 👍
You have a lot of people praying for you Young lady. Me and mine included. Be safe, after my stroke you were my inspiration to start hiking.
I just love the talk about life as you cover miles. The simple things ! Thanks for the ride. Cheers from Chile!
Girl, I hope you never stop hiking... and bringing us along for the hike.
"God bless a milk cow" possibly the best quote ever. Loving this series. Thank you!
Nature is like a time machine that connects us to the past....jeez, that is profound and beautiful! Thanks for sharing your hikes and thoughts with us.
GOD BLESS A MILK COW! That could be the greatest quote from a thru hiker ever! Love you!
"God bless, a milk cow" Love this phrase! One could literally see the relief in your face. Grizz Country looks beautiful. Enjoy it. I just came back from a 4 week road trip to Norway where I watched all of your AT and PCT episodes. I downloaded them to my tablet before I started the journey and watched them when I stood somewhere in the wilderness with my Camper Van. Thx for these inspiring footage and the beautiful nature you are showing to us!
One piece of gear we used "back in the day" was bear bells. Just a bell hung off your pack or belt that dinged along as you walked.
You and Aaron have really become an excellent outdoor production team. The content and editing are both great. Awesome shots of the egg-laying insect and the frog underwater. Thanks for the great vids!
Yep, first at 16:30-16:31, again few seconds later, bear moving, R to L, parallel to trail, well back in the woods.
The great thing about fear is looking back on it after you have faced it.
Seeing that bear had to be a major adrenaline rush. You took it all in stride. Love your channel and I love your videos. Thanks again for taking us all along for the ride!
God bless a milk cow! That’s exactly what I’m gonna say if I ever encounter a grizzly.
I am really enjoying your Wyoming section. In 1966 I worked on the H bar C ranch (owned by Hod and Clover Sanders of Clover Club Potato Chips) stacking hay very near Pinedale. Pinedale population was about 1,000. We got off work an hour early on Saturday so we could go to the only movie theater in Pinedale. I have been in Yellowstone many times and am really looking forward to seeing your travels through the park. I cannot adequately express how appreciative we are at being able to follow your hiking. We enjoy your close up photography as well as the scenic shots and your conversation. Again, Thanks!!! for taking us along.
Man that place is Beautiful. I've watched this video 3 times because of all the Beautiful shots. Thank you
I loved this video Dixie, for its sheer beauty and your courage at being alone in Griz Country and actually seeing tracks and a bear at a distance. My heart has been in my throat many times during your videos but this one really gave me chills. You are a very amazing woman and i have learned so much from your videos. Take good care out there! My daughter is an Auburn MBA grad and loved living in Opelika!
Sarah Dunstan Awww, thank you so much 💕 War eagle to you and your daughter :)
I've hiked all over griz country in Montana for 25 years. I've seen lions, black bears and wolves but never a griz. Walk with confidence and the critters will really leave you alone. I've seen 13 bears this fall including a momma with two cubs. Just sat there and watched them eating and they accepted my presence. Howled a wolf in last year and it just sat there watching me. If you show confidence most animals just accept you as more dominant.
Wow n Howdy Dixie! What beautiful shots of Wyoming! Majestic! Bears love peanut butter too!
GOSH that cow would have freaked me out, too! Right after you were seeing the bear prints and talking about being alone and then BOOM, a freaking gigantic cow! Hahaha....
I love backpacking alone. As Dixie alluded to, you can really figure things out and find your place in the grand scheme. Not having a conversation for three days, no external distractions, just your own thoughts gives you strength, fortitude and a renewed outlook. Time alone in the wilderness adds to a strong foundation. Thanks, Dixie, for the reminder.
"Is HE laying eggs" ..... that gave me a big smile
Excellent! I went to the wind river range near DuBois in 1980 with my brother. My brother had just got his drivers license he was 16 and I was 14. We we're both pretty frightened of grizzly bears. We drove from Seattle to Dubois and it seems like every mom and pop gas station and convenience store had some photograph of a bear or a bear danger sign and when we got to the Trail head's I recall Bear warning signs all over the place. We camped one night at a pretty high elevation near Road next to a river and there were two men on the other side of the river from us who we spoke with and had dinner with. My brother and I had all freeze dried food which we were supplementing with some trout that we caught and the two men were prepared with all kinds of great fresh vegetables and meats. We found out that the two guys were miners they were pretty scraggly looking full beards shoulderlength hair they actually look like they just crawled out of a mine. So we explained to these two guys that we were afraid of bears and they explained to us that we were at pretty high elevation and bears preferred lower elevation. After the best dinner we had an a week or so my brother and I went back to our campsite on the other side of the river and tried to get some rest although it was definitely as cold then as it looked in your video and I'm not sure if we had very effective cold-weather gear or bags. You know what it's like when you're freezing and the sun comes up you just want to get up and move around because you can't get warm sitting in your bag so my brother and I went across the river to go check on those miners because they were cowboy camping and we figured they froze to death. When we got up on them their beards were frozen their mustaches in eyebrows were frozen I think their faces even had a layer of frost on them, we honestly thought they might be dead but we decided to just go back to our tent and see if they were still dead later...because getting out and walking around didn't make us any warmer. After what was maybe an hour of trying to sleep and get warm, those miners started shooting a gun towards our side of the river yelling and screaming Bear! Bear! Bear! My brother and I flew into a panic ran out of the tent running in circles trying to see where the bear was but all we found was two minors laughing their asses off, watching us completely freaked out thinking we were moments away from being eaten! Needless to say we didn't think it was nearly as funny as those guys did but man they sure did cook up a great meal for us the night before! Your video reminded me of our trip along time ago, it sure is a beautiful area, you're lucky to be there! God bless you and your friends on your trip Jessica!
I hiked on a trail system south of duboise (trail lake rd), up to old wreckage of a wwll bomber. Great trail, great scenery. One of wy. hidden gems-
3:25 is stunning scenery. Thanks for sharing your journey.
The track at 7: 26 , Where you have your hand beside is both front and rear paws together !!!
Your vids are all awesome, but this is one of my favorites. I've hiked, fished, and camped out that way, and bears are always on my mind in an area like that. And you know that old saying, what doesn't kill ya' makes ya' stronger...except for bears, bears'll kill ya'.
Lovely scenery. I can see why you can just keep going with views like this around every turn. Breathtaking stuff.
So beautiful. You should be proud of your accomplishment, and living amongst the bears.
Outstanding as usual. The landscape aspects are sublime.So grateful to have been tagging along on your hikes. Blessings
"God bless a milk cow" my absolute favorite line so far. Stay safe.
You are the best! You grab an adventure by the tail and go for it! It’s had me biting my nails so many times, I couldn’t count them!
Even though it might be a crappy day or a scary situation, you always have a positive spin to put on it. Thank you for letting us tag along!! ❤️
Black Bear track usually don't show claws because they are retractable. Grizzly tracks show claws, there claws don't retract so you see them above the toes as a hole or dot. I think the track you showed were Black Bear.
Love love love wednesdays! What a start to this video. Just spectacular scenery! Thanks so much for all of the little things Dixie. Of course, the bear was really something and I'm glad you got to see it from a distance. Also it's great that Aaron met up with you...another stellar video of your adventure......oh almost forgot....that bathroom was first class!
really cool seeing them in person...my first encounter was in the grand Tetons years ago ...my GF and I were returning from climbing and were on the switch backs coming down the mountain ...I was spacing out looking at my feet and I suddenly looked to my right just below me and ta dah...juvenile Grizz ...no way to mistake it that close as it was maybe 50ft away...it was just curious and raised up on it's hind legs as we slowly and calmly kept moving ...at the time it scared the crap out of me...but in the bigger picture was a total blessing and gift of a life time to have that encounter
Between you and Whimsical Woman, I’m getting plenty of thrill from your mountain lion and bear encounters! You’re handling it like a pro!
Awesome Video...out of all of the great ones over the years this may be my favorite.
Wow. Those opening shots were amazing. They looked like post cards.
I love how you mentioned history and how so many long ago people saw the same sights, often with awe, if it were their first time, or 100th.. That is really cool.. I've actually thought about it many times myself.. As for brown bears... Sure, I always carry bear spray and play by all the right "methodology" when dealing with brownies.. But, I never go into brown bear territory without a G27 at the very least.. Nobody will see it.. But, it is right in my chest pack... Just in case! I realize these are now 5 years old as I am typing this, but the information and your experience doesn't have an expiration date, and I always point people to your channel too.. Great info! Thanks Dixie!
Great video. Different also. This video showed the grizz much better than the raw footage us patrons got to see a while back. You encountered that bear like a pro. Good Girl!
mobiltec Thank you! Yes, Aaron cleaned it up a bit :)
Dadgum Dixie you are a cinematographer/photographer! And a pretty good story teller. Looks like you're having pretty good weather, all things considered. Happy to see you and double A Ron hooked up. He looked pretty frosty that one morning!!
This is one of my favorite episodes! The cinematography is stunning, Dixie, as always is interesting and engaging. You just did a really fantastic job ! God bless a milk cow!!!
I thought "God bless a milk cow" was something they said in the South.. but then there it was standing there 😂😂😂..
Sarah Green me too!!!
Dixie is from the South. Her expressions go with her.
I did too. 😂 I’m stealing that line.
Oh my lanta 😂 I think this is the most northern comment innocently describing exactly how weird our southern sayings are and how they truly, do not make sense I have ever seen
Naw, she made that up on the spot, but it’s a good ‘un 😉
Beautiful country--I am jealous. It might be a good idea to get a bear bell (1" diameter "jingle bell"). If you are in close country beating through the brush (especially berries), a lot of people will affix their cooking pot **carefully** to the outside of their pack to make noise with so as to announce you are coming--you don't want to surprise any bear at close range obviously. The noise would drive you crazy, but for a couple of miles if you feel like you might get an unwelcome surprise a well hung pot is louder than a bear bell and you will always have it available. Y'all remember--you are crunchy and good with ketchup :)
The wolf pack would make me nervous too. Fortunately bear spray would work on the wolves. As a retired mailman, I always hike with a can of dog spray (in grizz country I will take bear spray too). Dog spray would come in handy on road walks with dogs...and it works on people too (I've accidentally sprayed myself with it).
4:54 God bless a milk cow! 😂😂😂😂 Couldn't stop laughing. Love watching you Dixie!
THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing your foot size with us. I'm dead serious. It means a lot to me as a woman with 12W (men's 11W) feet myself. The struggle to find good shoes is real, and you just gave me one less reason to be scared of doing the PCT. 💜
😳 Grizzly Bear and those paw prints were HUGE. Wish I was actually hiking with you. The landscape is breathtaking. Thanks for taking us along with you on your journey.
Beautiful record of the country you were hiking through. You have another experience up on me; never tried a night crawl across a large stream or river. Yikes, I do not think I would have tried it. I think you may be well over your PTSD from crossing the Sierra raging waters. Your starfield video was great enhancement to this story. When a teen backpacking in AZ and the four corners county, you were always conscious of the first peoples who crossed that land. The sites and signs were everywhere. There is evidence of human occupation in the Winds in high camps going back at least 11,000 years at the end of the last ice age that carved up that country we see today. You did great on your first griz sighting! I hope the next one is at a distance, and like this one, not giving you any never-mind, and have time to watch one going about their business, it is a joy.
We call bear bells dinner bells. They're almost always a sign of an amateur weekend warrior type. They aren't effective generally.
Thanks for yet another delightful VLOG. Your editing has become documentary quality and your philosophy has become sage like ... keep on trekking.... Cheers.
Nature as a Time Machine! That's perfect, Dixie!
Hey Dixie, this could be the best of all the segments you've done.
I am a new subscriber. And I have been back tracking you videos. I have learned a lot and my partner and I have some health issues to straighten out first. But we have to start with the AT first once we are healed up. You are an inspiration. Take care.
Lol "God bless a milk cow" I had something similar happen in virgina along the AT. Big bull cow was standing there in a field when I went through the gate.
Great video Dix. When you get to Bob Marshall was my backyard until I was in my early 20's. Its nice but Glacier is where you are going to have the big views. Bears are definitely an issue anywhere in the rockies of Wy/MT so keep that spray handy. A friend of mine wasn't so lucky but now he's practically famous after his mauling. Keep those videos coming, loving it.
Look forward to these Wednesday videos - so inspiring! The views from the last couple of videos have been SO beautiful!
Such incredible opening shots! BTW, when staring so hard at the video trying to see the bear, when he finally emerges from the trees, it reminded me of the scene from Signs when the alien emerged from the building into the alley, lol! Sorta took me by surprise. Be safe and be well, Dixie and Aaron.
The opening view shots make it all worth it!
Some of those look like sasquach tracks (not to give you anything else to worry about). :)
I've watched every video of yours. Your amazing, video is amazing, editing is amazing! Thank you for bringing me along these past few years.
Frost on Aaron's sleeping bag is a good thing, it indicates that the outside of the bag is cold, and thus little, if any body heat is escaping the bag.
Thx for taking us along. Oh "God bless a milk cow" was funny. Stay safe can"t wait for next video.
Beautiful places and flowers. Brave girl! It’s hard continuing on alone after seeing a grizzly or even a print. I had one outrun my car, then had to get out and do a bird survey...took me a while to get out of that car, but you have no car! Took me a while to sleep that night too, just remembering how fast those legs were moving. Careful what you wish for with the wolf. I never thought I’d see one, then chased one through the woods thinking it was my wolf-like dog one morning around 5am. There are a lot of moose out there, and one morning I woke up to a female standing over me, but another night I went to bed with a young male lounging nearby, not caring about me at all. I think I’m lucky to have seen all these animals, and encountering them was very spiritual. I love your point about nature connecting is to the past and future.
Dixie, indefatigable doesn't even begin to do you justice.
Once again, a stellar video! The wildflowers are just beautiful!
Found your channel a few weeks ago, binge watched to get caught up. In short, "your awesome!"
Your best video in a month. Good luck and stay as safe as you can.
Beautiful video. As usual, wonderful commentary. Glad you saw a grizzly hope you don't meet anymore. You guys stay safe and warm.
Girl, there's no way I could've gone forward, by myself, after seeing that thing moving through the woods. 😳 My bearanoia wouldn't allow it 🤩 You're almost there! 🌲🍁🌲
Yay! Chalk one up for the Life list !! Yep, "see a grizzly bear" done that. Now, about those wolves, he he he, I ain't afraid of nuthin'!! Dixie, you should be a trail guide. I would hike with you any day. It is so true that we are only here for a little while, so we had better enjoy it every day. But, DAMN !! You are brave, Girl !! LOL
Hey Dixie! Hope you guys are well! It’s snowing hard here in Alberta and cold, I really hope it isn’t as bad there. Happy trails!
I've had a grizzly encounter here in Canada. And I've had 2 other black bear encounters. For the most part, if you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone. But being bear aware is so necessary.
9:05 😳wow that landscape is amazing...thank you God
I can completely sympathize with that fear and nervousness. I wanted to hike the WRR but would only do it in a group...now have done two trips in the WRR (last year and this year - about a week behind you) and did end up hiking but not camping alone on the last night. Thankfully the WRR has minimal griz presence and the trail I was on was pretty busy. Encountering grizzlies has never been something I wanted to experience...seeing them across the valley would have been cool, but not running into them on the trail.
That is some of the most beautiful country I've ever seen! Praying for y'alls safety!
We saw 30 piles of griz scat in one 12 mile section of trail this summer. Crazy! But no bear to be found. Over 112 miles total... Heck, we saw it even under a bear hang! Tip: spray in tent pointless. Air horn for tent is what to cuddle with!!
Amazing photography.
Well done! I was nervous for you. Worst thing I’ve seen while hiking was those big black snakes on the AT.
Dixie, How awesome that you actually captured a shooting star going through the MIDDLE of the big dipper?!! (What are the odds?) The two pointer end stars on the dipper end ALWAYS point to the north star. . . Also enjoyed the starry night time lapse at 8:51! Made my day. . . AND my night, Thanks for posting!!! Phil South Carolina
Sorry meant to say the time lapse at 8:25. . . my bad! Phil
Yep, that meteor sliced the handle right off the Big Dipper. Great catch!
great episode! Incredible views, so many bear prints and then a grizzly!
Besides that, your videos are always very well done.
First hike through Griz country and she sees a Grizzly. Doggone it - I’ve got close to 100 nights in Yellowstone, Winds, BM and Glacier - never seen a Griz. (They’ve been around fire pits digging for - but that’s it)
Some people are just lucky I guess....
That said - prolly not a good idea to night hike in Griz country.
THat's how I feel. I live close to Yellowstone Park and spend tons of time in Grizz country and have never seen one in the wild. Maybe one day.
Joe Thomas I’ve only been to Montana once (hope to move south of glacier after high school) and seen three grizzlies. Just depends on time of day, food sources and elevation. For example during mid day Grizzlies mostly go around high tree line to feed on pine cones/berries or travel down streams. During morning and evening bears go to lower elevation to feed on grasses/rodents. Two of the grizzlies I’ve seen were on the Montana, Wyoming border (beartooth mountains) Feeding on mountain grasses and berries (One is my profile picture). The other was a huge 600 pound boar (male bear) feeding on grasses in Yellowstone. The reason I know so much is because I want to be a guide if I move to Montana. Be safe, hope you see one.
although i did it a few times as a kid at campgrounds, as an adult, i could never sleep outside with out a tent
You will do fine in grizz country. I just got done a week ago with 230 miles in Yellowstone backcountry as a loop and only saw one grizz and it wasn’t as bad as I had hyped it up and feared. If your making noise, hanging food and carrying spray you will be good. You got the skills
until the day its not good-then have a plan B ..then a plan C
Hello Dixie, happy Friday. Thank you for sharing another amazing outdoor adventure. You are quite an adventurous soul. I hope that you did not have to use your bear spray. If it were out there on the trail, I would have had a backpack full of bear spray. All the best to you every day. Take care, be safe and stay healthy.
🤗
Hi Dixie - while on the CDT, what is the largest quantity of water you’ve had to carry at once? Have you ever carried more than a gallon?
"I just kinda yelled out 'hey bear'...so it might know that I'm around" LOL!
You''re in some of the most beautiful parts of our country though! I absolutely adore Yellowstone. Can't wait to see you journey through :)
Nice mix of commentary, scenery and wildlife close up.
Love your videos Dixie! The photography is really good. Good luck on your hike!
Another awesome video, stunning scenery. Cannot get over the size of those footprints.😱🍻🚶