15-07-16.  Day 96 Idaho/Montana Border – Mark Trail CDT

Hiking The Continental Divide Trail
Mark Trail CDT 2015

At 4:30 Flop got up to go. I said to Poppa. ” Might as well get up”. I was still sick and needed a shower to clean up. Smurf said he had some imodium so I took one. I still have some off brand but I think the Imodium I have is worthless.    We went into the lobby and nobody was there. We had the whole Old Faithful Lodge to ourselves. I asked Flop to take a picture of me in front of the front door. As I looked to my right, I could see Old Faithful spewing off.

It was our private show. As we waited for the dining room to open, I posted the last of my blog.

We had breakfast, and I charged my batteries on my phone. I needed to got packed up, so I went back to our old log cabin room.

The trail circled Old Faithful then headed North as we weaved around all the minor geysers in the upper basin. We then climbed up to the plateau and cruised to the Idaho border. We celebrated entering a new state and the accomplishment we each individually and collectively achieved. A great hiking group.

Just after we passed the boarder we met Race hiking south. It is a crazy year with Colorado’s snow. I met Race, in Chama as he was leaving to head north in his car. Good luck Race!

We began to look for water and all the streams on the maps were dry. No mosquitoes was a clue that maybe we had a problem. After a lot off trail searching, we found Latham Spring. Great Water to top off a great day.

Lathan  Spring,     25 Miles

#cdt #continentaldividetrail #cdt2015 #marktrail #marktrailcdt #marktrailhikes #marktrailrocks #thruhike #thruhiking #backpacking #triplecrown #wyoming

15-07-15.     Day 95.    Old Faithful Village – Mark Trail CDT

Hiking The Continental Divide Trail

Mark Trail CDT 2015

We were conflicted. We wanted to catch up to Flop, Pop, and Wait, and we wanted to experience Yellowstone’s Old Faithful. We were lucky that no one showed up to camp in the site we stayed in. We hiked to Lone Star geyser. It erupts every three hours and we missed the last blast by a hour. May next time.     As we decedent into Old Faithful Village I texted everyone as to where we were. Poppa Smurf replied he was at the Inn. What? They waited for us!!!!  What great friends.

I stopped by the clinic and found out it was $200.00 just to talk to the Dr. I needed Flagyl, I knew I had diarrhea. I decided to wait and call my Dr. In Jacksonville and pick up the medicine in West Yellowstone.

The lobby of the Old Faithful Inn is amazing. It was the first lodge build of its kind and was quickly copied at other parks. We met Smurf and he let us put our packs in his room while we showered and tried to get a room. We did laundry and then went  sightseeing. The geyser basin is incredible. Steam and boiling water everywhere.

We were able to get dinner reservations and had a delicious meal. After dinner I wasn’t feeling well again…

Old Faithful Inn. 5.5 miles

#cdt #continentaldividetrail #cdt2015 #marktrail #marktrailcdt #marktrailhikes #marktrailrocks #thruhike #thruhiking #backpacking #triplecrown #wyoming  #yellowstone #yellowstonenationalpark