Backpackng in Yellowstone

A few weeks ago Steve (Mabecka's (my friend/roommate) boyfriend) planned a backpacking trip that we would all go on for the weekend when his brother came up to visit. Unfortunately the road was still full of snow and we were unable to get into the trail head so the trip was canceled and Steve ended up running off to Vegas anyway. Last weekend the trip was rescheduled for this weekend so we planned for it and went!
We were scheduled to leave Friday between three and four and that would give us enough time to hike in before it got dark. Well, Steve's brother's plane was delayed and by the time we actually left it was almost 6:30. We drove the hour to get to the trail head and that put us actually hiking at 7:30. That gave us two hours till dusk. Two hours to hike 8.2 miles to our campsite. Sure, we can do it!
It was a slow hike. The trail was full of snow and when there wasn't snow it was literally a stream. so we cautiously hiked trying not to get our feet wet. I gave up on that when I fell through the snow into the stream. After that I only half cared how wet my feet were. :o) Just before half-way and right as the sun was setting we came across the first river we had to forge. We all dumped our packs, changed into water socks, hiked up our shorts, and cautiously proceeded to wade across. Well, the river was a little higher than anticipated so we were wet up to our waists. It was also difficult keeping our packs dry so the bottoms got a little damp. (I was proud of myself on the way back... it didn't get wet at all!) Since the sun was practically down it was impossible for our shorts to dry. My thighs were frozen. We put our headlamps on and continued hiking, hoping that it wouldn't take us as long as it had. Especially since almost everybody decided to leave their water socks and sandals on.
Now we are walking through literal marsh. It was a flooded meadow. It was kind of cool stepping away from myself and looking at the six of head walking in a vast open space head lamps on and sloshing through water with the bright moon, gorgeous stars, and weird animal sounds.
We hiked and hiked and hiked until we came across the second river we needed to forge. This one sort of had logs to walk across but they were half way under water and extremely slippery. We used a giant walking stick to steady ourselves and once again cautiously proceeded to cross. When I had gotten to the point where I didn't need the stick anymore I turned to ask Steve and his brother if they needed it but as I was turning back (because they didn't hear me) I lost my balanced and one foot slipped. That foot got wedged into some other logs under water and I was kind of stuck. (To be honest, I can't decide if that was fortunate or not because if it hadn't got wedged I would have gone all the way under instead of just to my hips... hmm...) Anyway, at first I couldn't get myself but eventually I did (now with the bottom part of my bag definitely wet) and then slowly worked my way the rest of the way across the river. Once we were all over we started up again. Now we are walking next to large patches of brush so we are clapping and talking loudly to warn any bears that we are around. After a half hour our fearless leader realized that we are not going the right way so we backtracked to where we crossed the river then waited till he found the trail again. It was then that I realized we could get lost out there and die. I also realized then that I could see my breath and not feel my thighs or feet. *shrug* Oh well.
After a few minutes Steve found the trail and we headed out. Finally we came to a point where we were hiking along the edge of the forest but because of that we had to clap and talk loudly. As we were hiking here I heard a low hum in my ear and I thought it sounded like a mosquito in my ear ... except it wasn't the same obnoxious noise. As in, I didn't have the desire to swat at it. A couple minutes after I noticed that sound everyone stopped and got silent and then that humming noise I heard in my ear swelled up into a howl. And then tons of howls. That was the eeriest sound. Especially while hiking in the dark in a wilderness that you don't know at all. Mabecka called me a dog because I hear pitches that other's don't. Haha! I guess that wolves were following us because every time we heard them howl, they would get closer and closer. That was also a little motivation to hike faster.
So everyone is frozen completely and we finally came to a campsite. Steve told us it wasn't ours and to keep moving on. I'm thinking who cares if it's not ours. Let's pitch our tents! But alas, we kept moving. Then we came to another sign that was our campsite BUT the sign said stock campers here, backpackers go that way for 300 more feet. Fine. So we went. We went a little too far. After another half hour and after crossing a river we decided that we went too far and turned around. On the way back we found our spot. It was difficult finding dry ground to put the tents on but we picked a spot then the guys started gathering wood and building a fire. Mabecka and I put up the tents. It took a bit of figuring out but we got one up and then we rolled out the other. At that point she declared her feet were going to fall off so she ran off to the fire to warm up. I decided that it wouldn't take much longer to put the tent up so I continued. I put all the poles together and slipped in through where they belong. As I'm doing so, Steve walks by with an armful of firewood and asks if everyone left me to do the tents. I didn't think Becky was coming back so I said yes. He said that's jacked up and walked off. Thanks Steve. A few minutes later Mabecka came back and helped me finish and put the fly on. I think I have this part of me that doesn't want to be a stupid wussy girl, so when it comes to things I have to be tough and prove myself. That's why I didn't go warm myself up. I should have, but I didn't.
So we all huddled around the campfire to warm up and then crawled into our sleeping bags. At this point it's around one in the morning. That would have been the point we all pass out and sleep like logs for the rest of the night. BUT no. It was THE coldest night I have experienced in the longest time. I was so cold. And because we had been hiking in the cold my nose was stuffed up so then when I fell into a half sleep I snored so loudly. I was quite embarrassed. The next morning we all got up but everybody was dead because no one slept; it was so cold.
We ate granola bars for breakfast then headed out on a day hike. We hiked two miles in to a water fall. Dununda Falls to be exact. The waterfall was just an average waterfall but what made it cool were the hot springs. Steve and his brothers piled up rocks around them to make a pool and then we would sit in them. Sadly, it didn't work all that great. Mabecka and I sat directly in the hot water where it was coming out of the mountain and that was nice but other than that it was still pretty cold. It was refreshing and lovely, though. After we got our share of that we hiked back up and out. We checked out Silver Scarf Falls on our way. As we were hiking back to camp we saw a brown bear. We just made a little noise and the fellow ran off.
When we got into camp we packed up, pumped some water and took off. This time we wore socks in our water socks so that we wouldn't get blisters as badly and then we could just trudge right through the water. And we did. We made a lot better time heading out. We were able to take off at least an hour. At least. We saw tons of moose.
Every time we walked through deep water like that, Mabecka sort of freaked out and asked if there are leaches. I always kind of brushed her off and said I don't know (cause I don't) and tell her I've never seen one before. Well, remember that first river we crossed at the half-way point? Yes, well on the way back I was the last one to cross and I was all proud of myself because I made it without getting my bag wet at all. Right at that point, in my moment of glory, Steve's brother points at my ankle asks, "Is that a leach." I flipped! "Ew! Ew! Ew! Get it off!" I pretty much said that over and over about twenty times. It was so disgusting, though. It looked like a slug except one part of it was literally stuck to my ankle and it kept wiggling and no matter how hard I tried I could NOT get it off of me. I wanted to start crying and I asked if anybody was going to help me. I seriously thought they were all going to stand there and watch and laugh. In my opinion it was not a laughing matter. Finally Mabecka bent down to help me even though she's petrified of leaches but that was right when I got it off and flicked it. I didn't know where it went and I was afraid I had more on me so I took off my shoes. Everybody else checked themselves, too. Yuck. It gives me chills thinking about it. Imagine having a humongous one on you! The one I dealt with was probably about the size of half a toothpick.
After that we hiked out. When we got back to the trail head we were so beat. We walked that all in water shoes and my feet wanted to kill me for doing that to them! They hurt so badly! I also got a nasty sunburn so today my body is paying me back. :o) But the trip was worth it. It was a different backpacking experience than I've ever had. All I can say is that I look forward to backpacking this summer in the good 'ol familiar way.