3 Highlights:
1. Morning mist at Summit Lake
2. Old Faithful—caught the geyser eruption just as I arrived, had a glorious shower, and enjoyed good food and company
3. Spent two hours with Spirit, who gave me great input on the Tetons. Apparently, 2/3 of permits are walk-up.
Daily Summary:
• Distance hiked: 40 km
• Starting point: Summit Lake
• Ending point: Moose Creek Meadows
• Weather conditions: Hot
Daily Reflections (challenges, insights, musings):
I didn’t greet the fellow hiker of Asian descent I saw in the morning, and I regretted it. I really should make it a point to say hello to everyone.
I crossed paths with a lot of NOBOs today—probably around 15. One of them, Prime, warned me about some treacherous mud up ahead.
The day started with subtle signs of volcanic activity—first, a change in sediments, then smoke and bubbling a few kilometers later, and finally, the grand show: erupting geysers. Old Faithful, the largest of them, was perfectly timed. I arrived just as it erupted, and I even got to see it twice.
The shower at Old Faithful was supposed to cost $5, but my card malfunctioned, and it ended up being free. It was an excellent shower, and I managed to wash my shirt as well—small victories on the trail.
Lunch was another nice story. The line was long, and I found myself behind David and his 16-year-old son, Matthew, who’s a cross-country runner aiming to break his school’s one-mile record (4:20, if you’re wondering). David has Swedish roots, traced back to Falun via Minnesota, and they now live in Seattle. We had a great chat about life, marriage, and children. Seattle, according to David, is booming thanks to Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, and the influx of high-IQ professionals from Asia pushing up housing prices.
I spent 30 minutes on the phone with a ranger trying to change my permits. We thought we had it sorted, but the details got lost somehow. Tomorrow’s hike will be close enough to the original plan, but I would have preferred to save the extra 5 km on what already looks like a rather long day.
Spirit on a log
Vulcanic activity