Well, the last indefinite about our hiking plans has been met. We got a call letting us know all our campsite requests and itinerary through Yellowstone has been approved. We will exit at Gardner on September 15th barring anything drastic happening to change things. Our hiking plan looks a bit like this:
August 13: Jenn’s last work day
August 15: Jason’s last day
August 15 - 17: Tidy up loose-ends in Pinedale, store most of our stuff with friends or give it away!
August 18th: Start Hiking at Sweetwater Trailhead or Big Sandy Trailhead
Hike through the Wind Rivers, following as close to the mountains as we can, but mostly staying on the west side.
August 27th: Hike over Union Pass and toward Togwotee pass and the Abasarokas
September 1st: Arrive at Brooks Lake Lodge - Heading into the Teton Wilderness
September 6th: Enter Yellowstone National Park at the Thorofare.
September 6 - 13: Hike from the south end of the park to the North, camping at Mammoth on the 13.
September 13-15: Hike into Gardiner, MT after nearly 300 miles total.
Yellowstone and the Teton Wilderness has grizzly bears. Lots of em. We have read that a party of 3 or more has never suffered a fatal grizzly bear attack. So, if you’re looking for a vacation, may we recommend hiking in Yellowstone in September!
We are stocking up on gear for the trip, including a new camera. I sold off my “big” digital camera and lenses and bought a more compact but high quality digital camera. It’s a Panasonic GF1. I’ll post some pictures/video from it as soon as it arrives. We’ve also bought new backpacks, and cozy sleeping pads. We have our maps, our bear spray, and are doing some menu planning.
We are inching closer.
