I left camp this morning by around 8am. A Clif Bar, an apple and Banana Bread that Mom made and sent with me for breakfast (thanks Mom...damned good Banana Bread). Clear skies this morning. I headed into Yellowstone early targeting Old Faithful geyser. The only time I've been there on my recent trips to Yellowstone (4 of the last 5 years) I got there just after an eruption and didn't feel like waiting for the next one. This time, I got there about 45 minutes prior to an eruption and waited. I'm glad I did. It was fantastic. 30 minutes out, I was one of only a handful of people sitting on the stone benches that form a semi-circle around the geyser.
As the clock ticked down, more and more people started taking a seat in anticipation. By the time it went, there had to be a couple hundred people sitting there enjoying it.
I walked the boardwalk behind Old Faithful to some of the other geysers in the basin and then over to the Old Faithful Inn. I've seen it on TV before, but never inside, in person. It is quite a site. Seven stories tall with crossbeams made of logs (secretly filled with steel...got that from Great Lodges of the National Parks on Travel Channel). It is an amazing place. You could feel the history inside and sense the smiles and enjoyment of the millions of people who have passed inside those solid wood doors before.
Then out to another vantage point for the next eruption of Old Faithful. I wanted another view to get better b/w photos. By moving further around the geyser, I was able to get the shot I wanted with the deep blue sky dotted with clouds behind the geyser. There were a few teaser spurts before the main eruption. It was funny to listen to the crowd reaction as the teasers fired off. Just before, you would hear idle conversation among the hundreds of people waiting for the show. I talked to a gentleman that had ridden his Gold Wing out from Missouri. We talked a good bit about bikes and the places we've both been. Then the geyser would start to hiss and pop. Steam would increase and water would start to explode from the base. 5 feet...10 feet...15 feet...then it stopped. Okay.
We knew that wasn't the main show so we waited. They give you approximate times for the next eruption with a window of :10 minutes on either side. We were treated to 4 or 5 false starts and every time you would hear the crowd go from dull murmur to greater and greater excitement and cheers only to hear the collective "aww" as the geyser quieted again. Finally, about 5 minutes past the end window, she let it all go. This was a good eruption. Probably lasted at least 4 minutes with a very solid stream. It was well worth the wait and I was glad I waited for this eruption for the b/w photos. I kept switching back and forth between the color/digital and the b/w film cameras. I can't wait to see the b/w.I decided I wanted to do the hike to Ferry Falls. I thought I remembered it being a couple miles and it was highly suggested. So, a quick bite of lunch and I was off. Sandwiches in the car was a little strange. Parked directly in front of me, there was an older gentleman sitting in the passenger side of a car watching me eat. Very odd. All the windows were rolled up and he was wearing his Octogenarian Terminator glasses. I could feel him watching me behind those massive shades though. I figured either the rest of the family wanted to see Old Faithful and either he didn't or couldn't so they left him in the car while they went to see the geyser. Kind of like that dog you see in somebody's car at Wal Mart as his brain scrambles like an overdone omelet due to the heat in the car. Either that or they just forgot the old fart and he couldn't open the doors. Either way, it was definitely a Boo Radley moment.
I made it to Ferry Falls trailhead and looked at the info I had printed out. Sure enough, the trail was 2.6 miles as I remembered. The only problem was that was ONE WAY! So, in actuality, unless I planned to get out there and just die, it would be a 5.2 mile round trip. The anxiety started to build. I told myself that I could do only as much as I felt comfortable with. I stuck my bear spray and a liter of water in my backpack and took off. At home, I have a loop I try to walk regularly and it's only about 2.5 miles. The idea of 5.2 miles in one hike was very daunting. The trail was gravel/dirt but level. I was behind a group as the trail started to narrow and the trees closed in. Now I'm thinking about the 5.2 miles and bears. I've always read that you should not hike alone in bear country but I really don't have alot of options if I want to actually leave the parking lot. But, I figured it would be fine if I hung close to the group in front of me. Just as that though occurred to me, the group in front veered off for a side trail. Shit! Alone again. As I continued to walk (after battling the demons and old tapes in my head and deciding to push forward, no matter what) the trees really closed in. New growth pine growing thickly on each side of the path. At some points, it was so thick, you couldn't see 10 feet into the brush/trees on either side of the 6 foot wide path. So, here I am alone, hiking on a narrow trail, with low to no visibility into the brush, in grizzly country on a 5.2 mile adventure. Anxiety was about a 5 or 6 on a scale of 10. I thought about turning around a few times, but I've grown tired of seeing the wilderness through the driver's side window of my car. So, I double checked my bear spray on my belt, took 20 or 30 deep breaths and kept walking.
About 1/2 mile before the Falls, I caught up with a family on the trail (the first people I had seen walking the same direction as me since the Trailhead). I finally made it to the Falls. The family I passed made it just after I did. It was a beautiful site to behold. Over 200 feet tall and cascading over the rocks in numerous places. It was worth the hike and the anxiety! I was proud of myself for pushing forward despite the anxiety. I took a picture of the family with their camera and they did the same for me with mine. After about 20 minutes they headed back just before I did. I took a much more relaxed pace headed back. Partly because I was exhausted and partly because I was just more at ease knowing what was ahead of me (the what-ifs were gone). Shortly in, I caught back up with the family from the Falls and walked and talked with them for a bit. They were from south of Indianapolis. Parents and 2 kids (probably around 10 years old). Very nice people and very friendly. Just after that, a group of college students caught and passed us, including a gorgeous blond in black spandex pants. I found my reserve energy and forgot about the damned bears! With a mile to go the family stopped to take a break, but the spandex did not. Being the social creature I am, I said goodbye to the family and kept walking, trying to keep up with the "in shape" twenty-something college kids. Luckily they would stop to take pictures and I would catch up. I followed that blond to the last 1/2 mile before the trailhead when she stopped to view the bison just off the trail. I kept going and finished my 5.2 mile hike. The round trip hike took just under 2 hours including the time at the Falls. I was so glad I had made the hike. I had to push myself due to the distance and the anxiety about the narrow trail and bears but I did it. The distance and the circumstances made the hike a great accomplishment for me personally. As I got into the car, all that self satisfaction exploded as my back tightened and locked up. It hurt like Hell. Immediately I thought of the Ibuprofen I had packed and was damned glad I had it. I'm hoping my back will allow me to get off the air mattress in the morning.I'm back at the campground now. I figured the hike was a good way to end my activity for the day and it was going to be a couple hours to get back here anyway. I made it back and found a light rain falling. I checked the tent and everything was dry inside. A good thing. The ground is wet but not yet muddy. Off to those glorious hot showers again. Nothing rejuvenates me better than a hot shower and a shave of the old head. I started to write about something that's a little better which involves Montreal, a lovely young woman named Nathalie and a thong, but decided I would stay away from that at this point. Keep it clean for the kiddies you know.
Now I'm sitting in a rocking chair outside the main building at the resort while I write. It is still raining a little so this is a good, dry place to write. The sun is hiding behind the clouds and about an hour from setting. I hear the sound of rainfall on the grass. A noisy flock of geese just honked their way to flight and left me again with only the sound of the rain. I'll make it an earlier night tonight. Little sleep last night followed by today's hike should ensure a good night's sleep tonight. I figure tomorrow I will give my back a break and do some driving through Yellowstone with minimal hiking. I was going to hike to Inspiration Point in Teton tomorrow but the tightness in my back is saying I should make alternate plans. I'll try to hit Teton on Tuesday. Hopefully a good night's rest tonight, along with the Ibuprofen and my back will be fine in the morning.
I felt really great about pushing myself on the hike today. That's the furthest off the main road I've ever been at Yellowstone and it felt good to push past the anxiety and concern and make this hike. Another taste of the freedom that can't be found when giving in to fear, anxiety and the dreaded "what-ifs". I would not have considered this hike 2 years ago. My mind could not have conceived of it's completion from where I was. Today it was not only a possibility but I turned it into a reality and another amazing success. Once again, I've kicked fear and anxiety right square in the ass. I love this feeling. I love this freedom. I love my life. I think I'll celebrate with a soul warming double shot of Old Bushmill Irish Whiskey before heading back to camp.
Good night
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