I was in bed for 11 hours last night, even though I got up at 5:15. We got hiking just as it was light enough to barely see the trail – not too often I’ve done that. We crossed the Idaho/Wyoming border pretty quickly – another state done… Not quite as exciting as finishing Montana but I’ll take it.
The trail was deserted and easy walking, and I finished off 15 miles in 4 hours or so. Then I hit the Biscuit Basin, where all the geysers are…. And therefore all the people. I basically walked out of the forest, dirty and stinky, directly into hordes of fresh and clean tourists. I was afraid to stop and stink everyone away from the bubbling pools. Even the sulfur smell couldn’t hide me š
I walked down a side trail that goes directly to Old Faithful, which I found surrounded by about 1000 people (really). But behind them was all the stuff I needed – permits, post office, shower, laundry, and of course, food. By 12:30 I was mostly done the big chores, but still trying to figure out some logistics for the next couple sections… And eating.
We spent some time charging electronics blah balh blah, basically we just ate for the rest of the day until way too late. Locals even showed us a nice quiet spot by the river where some of the hot springs mixed into it. Pretty, but I didn’t go in š
Then we had to hike 3 miles, stomachs full of beer and food, to our official campsite. Which we found occupied by people without a permit, but plenty of room to share!
Daily Summary
Date: Aug 12, 2011
Day 49
Daily Distance: 22.3 miles
Trip Distance: 911.5 miles