6/15/07 – Yellowstone N.P.

On the drive down to Yellowstone Jonah and I had begun reading through all of the information we had on the park. We read all about the threat and danger of bears, the possibility of walking on “thin crust”, which could result in horrific third degree burns and apparently there is a tick problem throughout the park. Taking all this information into account we decided that Yellowstone would be a perfect place for us to try our first backcountry camping trip. After packing up our campsite at Madison, we jumped in the car and headed for the backcountry ranger’s office at Old Faithful.

At the Ranger Station, we explained that we were looking for a challenging hike around 5 miles long that would take us to an awesome place to camp. The three of us reviewed the park map which showed all of the backcountry camping sites. The decision process of where to go was guided by the Ranger saying things like “You guys look like you’re in pretty good shape, right?”, “There are way to many bears there right now” and “I’m hesitant to send you there…”. “There” referred to a hike down Seven Mile Hole into the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone which would lead to a campsite right on the bank of the Yellowstone River. The first three miles of the hike are along the top of the canyon and the last mile and half plummets down 1,200 feet to the very bottom of the canyon. After some mild justifying we decided this would make for a challenging but worthwhile backcountry trip.

The drive to the Seven Mile Hole trailhead took us past Yellowstone Lake which proved to be yet another beautiful body of water surrounded by snow capped mountains, truly a landscape I’ll never grow tired of. After arriving at the trailhead we did one last check through our camping packs to make sure we had everything we thought we’d need. This would be the first time we were cooking dinner and spending the night somewhere out of sight from the car.

The hike down to the campsite took us a full two and half hours. Along the way we stopped often for pictures of the amazing view down into the canyon. There were also times where we had to stop and assess exactly where the trail was supposed to be taking us. The last mile and half of downhill hiking was comprised of narrow trails, daunting switchbacks and unexpected geothermal features. The campsite itself was a stretch of flat land 20 feet above the fast flowing waters of the Yellowstone River, with trails that led down to the fumarole lined bank of the river. Dinner that night consisted of two cans of chili and a can of minestrone soup. An impending strenuous hike back up the canyon and with limited water supply, we were unable to properly clean out our dishes and soup cans. However, after putting everything away and hoisting our camping bags 10 feet in the air we were confident that no bear would be able to infiltrate our rope and pulley system. Having set up camp and finished dinner with ample sunlight left, we took some time to take in our surroundings. After a game of gin rummy (I won) we enjoyed a glass of scotch while overlooking the river from outside our tent. Away from the small towns built up within the park, and from the crowds of people we were able to enjoy a part of Yellowstone which felt uniquely untouched by man.

- Alex