6/16/07 – Yellowstone N.P. to Grand Teton N.P.

Awaking at the campsite reminded me of the wonderful solitude that we had discovered in this place. The chill in the air made the steam emerging from the nearby fumerals even more drastic than the day before. As I walked toward the water, a lone mule deer explored the edges of our camping area before retreating to the mountain side. I find myself truly appreciating these early mornings, when the air is cold, the sun is bright, and everything seems still. Deyle and I took our time leaving the campsite, soaking in the secret location that we had made our own for a night. With the 1200 foot incline staring us in the face, we eventually repacked our bags and began our ascent.

The hike up the face of the canyon was challenging with our 60+ pound bags on our backs, but perseverance made for an exhausting yet rewarding hike. With burning legs and pounding hearts, we completed the uphill portion of the hike in just under an hour. Energized by our feat, we continued for the remaining few miles of the hike and completed the journey in less time than it took us to climb down. We then immediately rewarded ourselves with sandwiches and ice cream. Deyle and I had just completed our first true backcountry camping trip.

The rest of our time at Yellowstone seemed like an afterthought after our tiring hike, but we made sure to at least see the major attractions of Yellowstone Falls and Old Faithful. The Lower Falls proved to be impressive at 309 ft, but the walk to the top of the falls took its toll – a 3/8 mile path with a 600 ft drop. Walking back up this path practically put us over the edge. We then drove to Old Faithful, but not before catching a brief glimpse of our first Grizzly Bear along the way – perhaps there actually are bears in Yellowstone. We arrived at Old Faithful just in time to miss an eruption, so we had to wait an hour and 15 minutes to watch the great geyser erupt 100 feet into the air. Feeling satisfied with Yellowstone, we drove south for the Grand Tetons.

We arrived at the adjacent park in time to set up our camp as the sun was setting. A rolling thunderstorm inspired us to drive to a turnout and view the storm. As we sat in our chairs, we had the magnificent mountains to our left, a huge thunderhead storm cloud to our right, and the stars above us. Nearby howling coyotes made the setting even more impressive. As the air became colder, we packed up our chairs and headed back to the campsite. With the 5 mile uphill hike under our belts, we were sure to get a good night’s sleep. Even the couple camping next to us, who showed little appreciation for campground etiquette with their late night “noises”, couldn’t ruin our sleep.

- Jonah