Hey Folks!

Sorry it’s been a bit since my last post, but if you can believe it, it’s hard to set aside time from a busy thru hike to pound these out from time to time.  That being said, I’ve got a quick disclaimer that this post and the next few did occur in the past, and I’ll be catching y’all up to date as we go along.  I’m going to pick things up here where we last left off, with Joker and I leaving the Tetons and heading into Yellowstone National Park.  Here we go!

River Crossings, Waterfalls, and Mr. Bubbles (He Loves You!)

Waking up at the Fish Lake trailhead, we were pleased to find that the chilly morning drove down the activity of the voracious mosquitoes from the night prior.  The day’s hike would take us into Yellowstone National Park in just about 1 mile, where we would take the Bechler River Trail northeast through the park to end up at a hot spring called Mr. Bubbles.  A few SOBO’s had spoken of Mr. Bubbles in an almost cult-like way, giving us no details about the mythic hot spring other than to say repeatedly, “He loves you…”.  However odd, it made me very curious to finally meet him.

Crossing into Yellowstone; see you later, Tetons!

When you think “national park,” you probably think of wide, well-manicured paths with beautiful bridges that guide you on your stroll through the woods.  The well-manicured path part is true; Yellowstone, especially the Bechler River Trail, is some easy-going, well-maintained trail.  The part about the bridges, though, could not be farther from the truth.  I swear, I hadn’t had to do this many water crossings since the 250 that I did down in the Gila National Forest!  I was immediately confronted by a cold river crossing, and resigned myself that after the next couple of unbridged rivers, my feet would just be wet the rest of the day.  Despite my sopping socks, the park was beautiful, and the day was perfect.

Sunrise in the middle of the first river crossing!

Since we took the Teton alternate, we entered into Yellowstone at a different point than most other CDT hikers would have.  I didn’t mind this, though, as the Bechler River Trail brought us by some beautiful waterfalls.  I took a long lunch break at Colonnade Falls, and stopped to appreciate the majestic Iris Falls, which gets its name from the rainbows that are frequently visible in the mist.  Along this stretch of trail, there came to be a lot more folks out on day hikes and short trips, but I enjoyed stopping to chat with people along the way.

My lunch spot at Colonnade Falls!

Iris Falls!

As I hiked the easy-graded trail gradually uphill, I did finally start to see some of the geothermal features that Yellowstone is so famous for.  The first of these I saw were shallow, scuzzy pools that signs warned not to swim in – as if one would want to.  Not having a sense of smell, I just had to imagine that they probably had a funky, sulfurous odor.  Still, it was neat to see.  Along this trail, I’m always a huge fan of the variety that the country has to offer, and Yellowstone would prove not to disappoint!  I learned later that the scummy sheets in these pools are microbial mats woven together by thermophiles – microorganisms that thrive in these hot pools.  Neat stuff!

Thermophiles thriving in a backcountry geothermal pool!

That morning, Joker had detoured a bit from the more direct path to see Cave Falls, so I would end up reaching Mr. Bubbles well before him.  I took a short side trail towards the hot springs.  From a fair distance, I could see quite a bit of steam rising through the trees.  Thinking this would be the spring, I headed that direction only to crest a hill and see a violently boiling pale turquoise pool spitting water down a chalky terrace to the river below.  Surely, this was not Mr. Bubbles, as you would quickly be boiled alive in this particular pool.

Swim at your own risk…

Right around the corner, though, was the famed Mr. Bubbles.  He was a small pool that featured a hot spring in the center, but also the cold river flowing into it on one side.  This made for a really interesting experience where you would be burning one moment but freezing the next.  What’s more, the sand in the pool floor would occasionally scald your feet as the hot water bubbled up through the grains.  Despite this, it was a great place to hang out for awhile.  Plenty of other folks came and went to enjoy Mr. Bubbles, and eventually, Joker, too.  Leaving later that evening, I was convinced that Mr. Bubbles did, indeed, love us.

Mr. Bubbles; he loves you!

Old Faithful Village, A Tourist Mecca

After a long soaking at Mr. Bubbles that left my fingers a concerning degree of pruned, Joker and I hiked on to camp along the Bechler River at a beautiful little site that had plenty of river noise to yield a good night of sleep.  The following morning, our hike would bring us to Old Faithful Village, where we’d be able to recharge and resupply.  Eager to get there for the buffet at the Old Faithful Inn, I hiked with purpose the whole way there, with the brief exception of when I needed to deviate from the trail around a bison taking a snooze just off of the path.

Though he was off trail, he was a bit too close for my comfort level to stay directly on trail. I gave him a wide berth!

I’ve got to say, it was quite a culture shock stepping out of the woods and into Old Faithful Village.  At the Inn, tourists were being dropped off by the busload to take in the sights, the titular Old Faithful geyser being the main draw.  As I jostled my way through the crowds, I came inches away from throwing elbows to clear a path, especially since I was gunning for the buffet.  I regret that I didn’t take more pictures at Old Faithful Inn, as it had some amazing architecture with loads of live wood, multiple levels, and suspended staircases.  I indulged in the buffet with a few SOBO hikers I’d met, went to watch the geyser erupt, and did a minor resupply before hiking on.  

Also, I’d like to give a huge shoutout to Joker, who bought me a pair of wireless headphones from the gift shop to hold me over until I could get a more quality pair farther down the trail to replace the ones I’d lost in the Tetons.  Such a selfless, thoughtful gesture is just a small fraction of what makes him awesome.  Thanks, Joker!

Right on time, Old Faithful! Not pictured are the hundreds of tourists just behind me.

The trail continues on through Upper Geyser Basin, apparently the largest concentration of geysers on earth.  It included a vast array of colorful geothermal pools and sputtering geysers, as well as one more bison hiding away in the trees amongst the crowds.  I could have spent hours wandering around and appreciating all of the features, but I knew that I had some hiking to do to get to our permitted camp that night at Summit Lake.  If you’re ever here, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to check everything out!

Morning Glory Pool!

Just one of the many tourists at Upper Geyser Basin!

Exit Yellowstone, Enter Montanaho!

It was hard to believe, but no sooner do you leave Yellowstone National Park than you exit Wyoming entirely and head on to hike the border of Idaho and Montana, a section of trail that I nicknamed Montanaho.  For 325 miles (give or take) the CDT travels along the border between the two states such that you’re never really positive which state you’re in at the time; it’s sort of like North Carolina and Tennessee on the Appalachian Trail.  This made this border crossing sort of the last one.  A feeling that I was getting close to the end washed over me, even though there was nearly 800 miles left to Canada.  

The last border crossing into Montanaho!

That’s it for now, folks!  I’ll be catching the blog up to present day in the very near future, so check back again soon to follow along to the next section of trail.  Thanks for reading!