Yellowstone Backcountry: Hot Springs, Bog, and Grizzly Fear

The Yellowstone backcountry hike crossed varied terrain: grass-lined streams, fast-flowing rivers, and forested slopes. Camp was struck shortly after 8 a.m., walking continued all day with short breaks, and food was carried in packs. At night, food bags were hoisted into trees to keep them from bears. On the first day, a natural hot spring in a verdant grassy area provided what felt like the best bath imaginable. Later, an off-trail investigation of thermal activity led to sulphurous vents and burping mud pots. During route-finding near a stream, Tony fell into a bog and sank to the waist, then managed to flatten his body and extricate himself with swimming motions. A ranger later reported that a grizzly bear had entered a tent at a nearby campsite and killed one of two young men sleeping there, despite normal precautions with food storage. Afterward, both hikers admitted that every night before sleep they had been thinking about the grizzly incident.

Yellowstone National Park backcountry, Wyoming, United States