Journey Day 393 | CDT Day 56
8/8/87
Eric and I sleep late after our late night rap and my stomach problems. I'm up first, but quiet. Eric eventually arises and we share breakfast, particularly his fresher fare. Full, we hike away, finally exiting camp about 11 a.m. Hike along Firehole River in forest to Shoshone Geyser Basin, where we marvel at various geysers and hotpots.
Hotspots and geysers in Yellowstone in 1987.
Others greeted, we talk with a female employee enjoying the area. A few interesting birds as we hike around the wrong side of the lake, abandoning the official itinerary. Break and swim at obsidian sand beach along the shore of Shoshone Lake is enjoyable. We watch tiny ducklings (grebes) move about. Hike on, climb away from the lake for extended forest walk in growing heat. Luckily we took water from the creek near the beach. Down to Moose Creek, which we ford by a fallen or placed tree trunk.
More forest walking brings us surprisingly quickly to the Lewis River, Shoshone's outlet, which we wet ford, sink into the obsidian, which filters into our boots.
Do dinner across the river, a long and leisurely potluck again accentuated by his good food. An employee group hikes by, also a fisherman. We hike down to Outlet Campground, where I take advantage of the privy, while Eric talks up a beauty from Chicago. She's hot for my Gregory (backpack), but we hike on after enjoying the sunset.
We hike in the dark out to the South Entrance Road, talking for fun and as a warning system for nocturnal animals. No mishaps, miss lakes, creeks, as all is trail and dark to talking soundtrack. Hit jeep road, consider bivouac, but hike out to the road. Some trouble finding the Heart Lake Trailhead, but eventually after ditching several times in the woods with cars whizzing by, Eric spots it in by the full moon light.
We hike there and I take advantage of another privy. A truck pulls in, so we hike down a jeep road headed nowhere, hang our food haphazardly, move our bivouac away a safe distance and crash to road din around midnight.
