After my lush trip to Peru in four and five star hotels, I decided it was time for me to get back into nature. No more posh hotels, no more glorious bathrooms, no more fancy meals, and no more sitting at home because you are single with no one to travel with. I was hooked on REI Adventure trips so I booked another one for a four day backpacking trip in Yellowstone National Park. This would technically be the second time I had attempted backpacking (first being Yosemite for my beginner backpacking course). Also, this trip would allow me to visit two US states that I have never been before, Montana and Wyoming. I booked the flight to Bozeman, Montana and went to REI to update or add more items to my packing list. My pack was packed at 25 lbs and I was ready to go.
Day 1
I woke up early in my hotel to get the day started. Of course I was early to our group meeting point at the Holiday Inn across the street. As people started to show up, they were all women. I thought that it might be a womens only backpacking trip. The group consisted of two guides (I think they were dating), 1 person from Texas, 2 people from Colorado, 1 from Indian and 1 from Chicago. Of course, I was the only individual from the South. Come to find out, all of the people on the trip were single and no one knew each other. What a perfect group for me! We all loaded our things into the trailer and loaded the people into the passenger van. It was about a 3 hour drive to our first tourist stop, Mammoth Hot Springs. The springs were amazing. The water was gurgling and steam was coming out of the ground. We also saw some elk around but were told not to go near because it was mating season. Yikes!
We loaded the van one more time to head to the trail head. Once there, we were given a bear spray demo (um...what???) and split up the group gear into each of our packs. I was a little nervous because my bag was now super heavy and I felt like I was a little out of shape. I had to bury my worries because there was no turning back now. We took photos at the trail head and then off we went into the back country of Yellowstone National Park. The first day I think we hiked about 10 miles. My feet were killing me once we got to the camp site. To our surprise, the campsite was taken over by a bull bison. We had to wait a little over an hour for the animal to move onto greener pastures. I set up my little two person tent on the flattest, not so rocky ground. I was glad that I got a new sleeping pad prior to this adventure. Little did I know that I got a summer pad and not a winter one (was super cold at night and had to put on layers of clothing on in my sleeping bag). The guides make all the meals on the trip and that evening we had spaghetti. It was super yummy. Of course, because of the bears we had to put all our food and smelly items up in the tree so that they couldn't get to them. After soaking my feet in the cold water, I passed out in my tent.
Day 2
I woke up too early the next morning but was glad I did when a family of marmots scampered past me when I was brushing my teeth. For breakfast, we started the day with breakfast burritos and I had hot chocolate (not much of a coffee gal). We packed up all our stuff because we are moving campsites for tonight. It rained a bit while hiking and I was also glad I brought a down jacket because it was pretty chilling in the morning and evenings. As we hiked along the trails today, we saw so many animals from deer, to elk, to bison. The land was so beautiful but it was even better seeing the animals. We saw huge skeletons of elk, waited through streams, and ate lunch on huge rocks. Lunch consisted of salmon rollups with avocado. I wouldn't normally eat this type of food but out in the back country everything tastes so good. We set up camp for the second night next to a creek called Hellroaring Creek. Believe me when I say this thing was loud, I had to wear ear plugs to bed. I ate dinner, chicken curry, played cards with a few campers, and headed to bed. Of course I had to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I get out of my tent and find a place to go to the bathroom quite a ways away from the tent because there wasn't many bushes or trees to hid behind. I dig my hole with my trusty orange trowel and relieve myself. Only when I was midway through did I realize that I forgot my bear spray. I started to pray that a bear didn't come eat me while I was doing my business in the middle of the night. What a horrible way to leave this world! I made it back safely to the tent and stayed awake for a while until the adrenaline faded.
Day 3
I woke up to the sounds of birds making all kinds of noises in the tree. For breakfast we had hashbrown bowls with green chili sauce, eggs, cheese, onions, peppers and sausage. Again, so good for being out in the middle of no where. We didn't have to move campsite again, so today we just did day hikes from the campsite. We visited Crevas lake which was made from a moving glacier. Crevas Creek Cascade which was a waterfall. It was so refreshing standing next to it with the mist and cold air. I also attempted to recreate my famous Peru photo at the top of Kowles Falls. It didn't turn out as cool as the photo at the top of Wayna Picchu but still pretty awesome. Our lunch consisted of ranch chicken and avocado in a wrap. After lunch was the hardest hike of all. It was over 10 miles and the ending was less than great at a beach on a river. I dreaded the hike back. With only 1/2 mile left, I almost started to cry because my feet hurt so bad. First thing I did when I got back to the campsite was soak my feet in the Yellowstone River. Dinner was a Mexican fiesta with black beans, veggies and cheese. I went to bed early because I was so tired from the exhaustive hikes. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking I heard a bear, only to find out it was a neighboring camper snoring in the next tent over.
Day 4
Here is the thing with backpacking, after 3 days, I'm ready to go home to a hot shower and nice bed. So, I woke up on day 4 ready to head back to the hotel. Little did I know that this would be the hardest hike of the trip to get out of the valley and back to the van. We started the day with oatmeal with brown sugar and cranraisins. One of the guides is a photographer so he took a photos of the whole crew in front of the Yellowstone River. We started the trek back and it was terrible. It was mostly uphill and all I kept thinking was...did I really need to bring deodorant or a toothbrush or so many clothes. There were many bison out and we saw a few bear tracks and scat. Even though my legs and feet were hurting, I saw eagles flying overhead and smiled. Life was not terrible and reminded myself to live in the moment. We finally found the van and had a quick lunch of hummus, pita, and salami. I was so grateful when we had to stop for gas at Mammoth Hot Springs. I went into the Mammoth hotel and scrubbed my hands and all the dirt out of my fingernails. Prior to getting back in the van I found an ice cream shop and got a scoop of huckleberry ice cream, so good! After a few hours we finally got to the hotel. I showered for at least 30 minutes. Man did it feel good to be properly washed. After one last dinner with the crew at Ted's Montana Grill and some goodbye hugs, I headed to bed full and ready for fluffy pillows and a comfy bed.
The trip truly was a great one. All people on the trip were single and super nice. I still keep in touch of a few of them to this day. All are married / re-married and have had kids. Even the guide got married, but to a different woman other than the other guide on the trip.
What did I learn from this trip:
Nature has the power to heal. Take in the sounds, smile at the animals, stick your feet in the river, and love every second outside.
Sometimes simplicity is needed to refocus life to the things that really do matter. Don't sweat the small stuff and live in the moment.
Always prepare for the weather and buy a properly rated winter weather sleeping pad and gear.
Things may seem hard in the moment but the hard times do pass. Look back at the past and smile knowing it taught you a lesson and remember all the wonderful things that did happen.
Things I will bring to Glamp GVL:
Spaced out tents: We want you to be comfortable and not wake up to your neighbor snoring, so at Glamp GVL we aim to have the tents well spaced apart.
Hiking: there are so many hiking trails around. Many with waterfalls and picturesque overlooks.
Camp cooking: Simplicity in foods and local ingredients make all the difference. Foods you have while in nature taste so fresh and good. I hope to give camp cooking lessons at Glamp GVL as well as show campers where to get the freshest fruits and veggies in and around town.
Blankets and other cool weather gear: Sometimes we don't always bring the right equipment for the weather or activities. At Glamp GVL we plan to have a gear rental closet for campers to rent gear as needed for their adventures. Also, all tents will have an assortment of blankets to keep warm in cooler weather.
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