To Yellowstone and Beyond

Yellowstone

The journey started on Saturday where we picked up Pat & Garrett and headed from Denver to Thermopolis, WY. Wyoming had dinsoaurs, jackalopes, buffalos and cowboys perched alongside the highway to entertain us on our journey. Thermopolis is a small town with the world’s largest mineral hot spring (they proclaim this with white rocks on the hillside). After driving through town a few times lost, we finally found our campground where we’d pitch our tents in the median between two gravel roads. Classy camping (they had wifi and showers!). We quickly ate and headed over to the hotsprings and chose Starplunge! because it wasn’t in an enclosed igloo and it was open. The retro sign hinted at what was to come… To sum up the Star Plunge I can state the following, rickety, lack supervision, wild, sketchy, and fun. We retired for the night and fell asleep quickly

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Crestone Needle and Peak: 14ers (Ellingwood Arete)

Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak

I had finally convinced Ben to climb the Ellingwood Arête up the Crestone Needle, and so we went the first Sunady in August.  We left the Springs early and drove down to the South Colony trailhead on Friday.  We 4×4-ed to the new lower 4-wheel drive trailhead and were on the hike up by 6pm, slogging along the old 4×4 path. We made camp above the Lower South Colony Lake in a grassy patch and settled in for a nights rest before an AM start.

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