Wed, 31 July - Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin

Hiked into Old Faithful Village this morning and had breakfast at the lodge.  Found a spot to recharge my gadgets, pick up my maps at the PO, get food and fuel, and eat ice cream.

Next I packed up and took the grand tour of the Upper Geyser Basin.  First up watching the eruption of Old Faithful.  Then up and around the Observation Point loop and Solitary Geyser.  I then looped back around to hike the Geyser Hill loop with favorites like Anemore geyser, Beehive geyser and the Lion Group.  Heading back on the main trail toward Grand Geyser I took side trails to Castle geyser and Spasmodic geyser.  Hike north past the colorful Chromatic and Beauty pools, I detoured after the neat Grotto Geyser to take on the Daisy Geyser loop and view the Punch Bowl spring.  From here I doubled back to the trail to reach the wonderful Morning Glory Pool and the remaining northern geysers and on into the Biscuit Basin and more geysers and pools!  At one point I started to feel sick to my stomach, kind of like car sick, but after I hiked past the geyser area I felt better.  There were notes about the dangerous levels of toxic gas and I had been in the geyser basins for hours watching all the sites.  Perhaps that was the cause.  Feel fine now.

On the way to Summit lake I took another side trail out to see the Mystic Water Fall - well worth seeing but it caused me to get to camp on Summit Lake almost at dark.

Met three south bound hikers at Summit Lake. Train from last year on the PCT, Smiles, and forgot the thirds name.  They are camping on the other side of the lake and while I was visiting a coyotes came right up to the water to drink just a dozen feet away.  Of course I didn't have my camera. Didn't have any fear of us.  I had to walk slowly back to my camp because he would only more a few feet at a time when I came closer to him and he was on my trail to camp.  I felt bad making him move but wanted to get back to my camp to hang my food before his friends found it. 

Thunder storm and rain sprinkles have been threatening all evening and at bedtime its a sound and light show that makes it hard to sleep.  Last day of July and last night in Yellowstone. Tomorrow I cross into Montana!