Here's the obligatory video: http://vimeo.com/11957531

Moreso than normal, words fail here. This was a powerful experience.

Warm conditions made the skiing gnar factor pretty high, and that was before my d%@$ homemade bindings broke (more on that in the MYOG forum).

The trails were saturated, and my feet were dry for about 20 minutes starting out, total. Thin wool liners, Hydroskin socks, MT100s, and scree gaiters kept my feet quite happy considering what they were subjected to.

The river crossings were not bad at all. The Yellowstone was big and opaque with sediment, but Thorofare and Mountain Creeks were clear and cold (very cold). I found a way across the former that kept my nutz dry, and the later was swift but barely knee deep. All in all they blended into the many, many knee deep creek wades.

I had ridiculously excellent camps all three nights, but Park Point North on Yellowstone Lake takes the cake. The grassy bluff, cobbled beach, 20 mph biting wind, and big frozen lake could have fooled me into thinking I was camped on Isle Royale or Pictured Rocks, until I realized it was mid-May, I was at 8000', and I could see the tips of the Grand Teton and Mt Moran off to the SW.

I intend to write more later (perhaps a proper essay/article) once I've had some time and perspective to help me understand this thing we do called backpacking. Life is good!

Nice TR / TV (Trip Video). It looks as if the MLD TrailStar worked very well for this adventure. Do you have a posted gear list?

Thanks.

Edited by thomdarrah on 05/23/2010 08:56:27 MDT.

Enjoyed the report. I want to walk the Thorofare someday.

I'm a huge fan of the Trailstar. At the lake camp the winds where steady at 20 mph, and after dark started gusting to 35 or so easily. The TS was rock solid the whole time, and remarkably little breeze got under the caternary cut edges. It's huge for a solo shelter, but small and light enough that I don't mind bringing it over anything else.

No gear list posted as of now. Perhaps in the future when I put an article together. Aside from the short skis and sock system nothing was especially remarkable, though I will say that my shell system (Arcteryx Alpha SL pullover and Montane Featherlite pants) was perfect (and I wore both pieces 85% of the trip).

David,
I really liked the slog across the "trail lake".

Sometimes that's what you gotta do. And you find out... it's not Too bad.

Thanks.

An un-short writeup of this trip, and of subjects related: http://bedrockandparadox.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/memory-2/

A not small part of me still can't believe I pulled it off.

Nice to Yellowstone that time of year.