August 3rd
I was packed and hiking by 6. I met my first northbounder within an hour, a hint of what was to come that day
The map warned of a waist high river ford, but it was barely up to my shins. It was mostly boring terrain. There were trees, but since the large fire in the 90’s, they were not impressive.
My trail led through the Heart Lake geyser basin. On this trip I developed a much greater appreciation for the sheer number of geothermal outlets in the park. I met several Nobos and many folks on shorter trips.
Around Heart Lake I was on heightened bear alert. Alongside the trail, almost every older toppled log was torn apart. This is a bear sign. A larger, older log that has laid on the ground for a few years decays and becomes an inviting home for insects. With their keen sense of smell, sharp claws, and strength the bears rip open the logs and eat. This section looked like it was a buffet line.
I counted 16 Nobos that day. Most were in good spirits. A few were kind of worn down. I hoped I wouldn’t look like that in New Mexico. Regardless, this was probably the northbound bubble and I would see fewer of them with each passing day.
Towards the end of the day I went back to open, dry terrain along the Snake River. I had to ford it about one hour from my campsite. True to its name, when I was about halfway across I noticed a snake in the water right near me. It was whitish with a pink stripe and dove under water to avoid me.
My last campsite was near the river. It had one other tent site, but I had the place to myself. I got my chores done early and got into my tent. It was interesting to watch the smaller birds feed and get ready for the night.
backpacking over the hill 