Yellowstone National Park

We ate our microwave breakfasts and headed towards Macks Inn. We had a package to pick there, our bearspray in particular. We thought the PO opened at 9:00, but it didn't open until 10:00. So we went pack to the C-Store and had coffee and doughnuts. DP picked up a bug jacket in hopes that it would help against the mozzies. We got our package then started our road walk down 84 towards Big Springs. We need to come back and see that someday. We turned right onto the road going over Lucky Dog Creek, where we ate our Subway sandwiches for lunch. We had heard people couldn't find Latham Spring, so we bogged ourselves down carrying water for ~22 miles. We met The Brit, another NoBo, while climbing this hot and exposed road. We were able to find the spring after all, so we could chug water and refill to have plenty of water for a dry camp. We followed the route on an old road that was closed using large berms, which were very annoying. We got to the edge of a plateau that led up the to the border of Yellowstone NP. We cooked dinner at the border, then pushed a few miles until making camp. Our first night in Wyoming!

It was cold in the morning. We packed up and moved on. We ran into a NoBo, Sage. We chatted a bit then went on to Summit Lake, where we ran into Evan, a hiker who we had met on the PCT. We walked with him off the plateau, saw a bison on the trail, went around him, then proceeded to Old Faithful Village. We walked the boardwalks in Biscuit Basin and followed them all the way to the village. A crowd was waiting for Vent Geyser to go off, but we wanted food! DP and I ate in the cafeteria, while Evan went to get his permit settled. We watched Old Faithful erupt, got ice cream, repacked our food package at the PO and sold our almond butter to a bystander, and supplemented at the store. While we sat relaxing outside of the store, we met Whitefish, Pace and Coach, flipfloppers. We chatted with them until they got dinner at the grill. We decided to eat what we bought and went to camp with Evan at OA3. The mozzies were the worst here.

We left before Evan and hiked through rain. Even though it was raining, the mozzies were out! The rain let up but we stayed in our rain gear to keep away the bugs. We got to Shoshone Lake and the Geyser Basin. We watched a geyser go off twice in the space of 2.5 minutes. We walked on, following a trail along the beach of the lake before heading into the woods towards Moose Creek. The climb got to be too much for me, still in my rain gear, so we set up the tent to dry it out and escape the bugs while I cooled off. We were passed by Evan and Whitefish's Crew, so we packed up and moved after them. We caught them chatting with more NoBos, Dave and Kelly, then hiked on to 8M1 where we breaked with Whitefish and Crew. Evan passed us, so we all got moving once again. Our feet were wet with rain and fording, so when it came time to cross Lewis River, we didn't bother with taking off our shoes. It was raining again, and the Crew and Evan stopped to get water. We had plenty and walked on to the pass where we planned on cooking dinner. We got there and were dry of water after cooking. Thankfully, Coach had extra water he could give us, since the crew were going into Grants Village. Evan, DP and I pushed towards Heart Lake, but first we smelled citronella wafting on the breeze. A family of five, with three small children, were walking ahead, presumably to camp. Seemed late in the day to me, and it was going to rain again. Hope they're alright. It poured, and we took refuge at the ranger cabin. They came out and chatted with us, we let them know about the family, saw a double rainbow, then pressed on to our campsite on the bluff at 8J1. Saw a doe and fawn, and a jackrabbit.

We left before Evan and didn't see him again for the rest of the day. We contoured around the lake, then headed south along Heart River. Along the way, we ran into Wrong Way and Ahab, more NoBos. We turned following the Snake River, and crossed paths with 30/30, NoBo. Five days in a row meeting NoBos! The rest of the day was a slog, walking above the river through burned forest. Late in the day, we got to Fox Creek Patrol Cabin and missed our turn, as the sign was misleading. We figured it out before getting too far, and left the NP heading to Mink Creek. At the creek, we cooked dinner then climbed the plateau to the first flat spot and made camp.