Day 50

Despite my 5 year hiatus, Shane recruited me back into the Monosodium Glutamate game.
Its doesn't weigh anything (for backpacking), makes you feel full, & costs 15 cents..soo whats the problem?

This morning I am glad I caved. Its warm zingyness is exactly what we needed after an unexpectedly frigid night.

The hike back from ice lake is more enjoyable, the noonday sun had temporarily suppressed the mosquitoes. We now take our time to inspect some thermal formations.

These thing are all over. Noxious gas & irritated water/mud exploding out of the ground just about everywhere.
The whole park is happily perched upon a huge volcano. So let me get this straight. We have curious grizzlies, angry bison, droves of mosquitoes, all on top of a boiling cauldron of magma. Oddly enough I couldn't be more a home.

Shane (now wearing actual hiking attire) sets the pace for the return trip & we're back with more than enough time to prep for our big back-country experience. We organize & despite our attempts to go lean, our packs easily are 70lb each. Spectacular!

Day one is supposed to break us in. To begin we're all whistles & nervous laughter. The trail follows the rim in westwardly direction for about 3 miles.This extended tour of the gorge leads me to assuredly announce that Arizona's canyon ain't got nothing on Wyoming's.

You know that saying that beauty is always followed by pain? Well we are firm believers in that. If you have read the blog in its entirety you are picking up what I'm throwing down.

Well, this proposition's truthfulness found us again. You should have seen our faces when we saw how far we had to descend. Atleast 2,000 feet. Straight vertical.

Not too big of a deal when you have a car at the bottom waiting for you.
Well when you have a 70 lb pack, no left LCL, & an itinerary that takes you right back up it in the am..life does not resemble a peach.

The campsite was nearly worth the effort. Raging river, soaring canyon walls, thermal springs. I read a little out of Matthew, a little out Tracy Kidder's latest & before the shadows overwhelmed
Shane had slapped together a delicious meal of ranch beans, mashed potatoes, salami & Coors tall boys. His trick works. I forget about what the am will bring..

Night peacefully falls, that is until I'm woken by something big rustling in the woods nearby. I grab the Taurus & investigate.
I can't see anything & I'm too tired to care, night Shane.