Big Sky Variant

We began our journey on the Big Sky Variant this morning which is an eastern route through Yellowstone National Park. It travels through some of the most remote areas of the park and you hike through more of it.  It's also shorter.  I've been looking forward to this since Pounce told me about back in New Mexico.  It feels like a big adventure leaving the CDT.  We started off on the Atlantic Pacific river trail which followed the river into Yellowstone.  Just prior to the park we came upon a patrol cabin.  The sign on the fence said "best spring H20 in these hills". We couldn't pass that up.  The patrolman Val and his horse Smokey were leaving to repair a fence as we came in.  

He invited us to relax on the porch and help ourselves to the m&ms.  He told us the cabin was the oldest and most remote patrol cabin in the lower 48.  It was a cool cabin and Val had it neat and tidy.  Then we hooked up with the Thoroughfare trail north into Yellowstone.

We had to ford a few more rivers and we saw a lot of geese in the marshes.  It's a different landscape if river valley and pine trees, mountains and swamp.  Three large rock faces called the Tridants overlook it all.  

Next we took the Mountain River trail.  We had intended to camp tonight outside the park boundary but we were slower yesterday and today and unable to make the miles.  Both of us are having some joint pain issues.  We do not have a campsite reservation.  However we stopped at one and asked the hikers camped there if we could share thier spot.  They were most welcoming.  It's awesome to have a campsite with a special food hang as it made it so much easier!  I had my line done in a couple minutes instead of the usual half hour.  So far I am really liking the park.  We didn't see anyone other than Val today til camp.  Kinda surprising.