Ben, Len, and Joe at 1Y1 campground.

There were alot of very cool parts of the trail yesterday, but I think the section between 1Y1 and Gardiner was my favorite. The trail followed the northern park boundary, and for a very brief section actually exited the park. The views were stunning, as we climbed high above the Yellowstone River.

Joe and Ben at the northern park boundary sign.	Joe walking along the northern boundary. If you click on the picture you can see the line of boundary markers going into the distance to the left of the trail.

The views to the west and southwest were magnificent. There were a few clouds rolling in and the contrast with the deep blue sky, the mountains and the high elevation snow was awesome. It really was "picture perfect."

There were also quite a number of skeletons along this section, mostly elk. If you blow up the picture on the left, it is easy to spot the skeleton in the foreground. What is interesting though, is if you look just to the left of Joe, you can see the two back legs, and the pelt of the Elk. It was almost like it had been skinned, the bones were picked clean, but the hind legs and the skin were left alone.

Joe looking west along the Yellowstone River. A skeleton and hide are clearly visible.	Ben resting on his trekking pole.	Joe and Ben ahead in the distance along the Yellowstone River.

Magnificent views west/southwest along the Yellowstone River.	The clouds looked a little menacing, but nothing ever came of it. I think that is Rattle Snake Butte on the south side of the river.

The terrain started to change again. It was almost desert like, with sagebrush and tiny cacti everywhere. It was very dry here, and because we were pretty high above the river at this point, there was no water available. I was glad we filled up back at 1Y1.

Ben and I with the Yellowstone River in the background.	Above the Yellowstone River on the north side. Sagebrush and cactus are plentyful in the dry, desert-like landscape.

Looking back towards the east and to the south yielded excellent views of the deep canyon cut by the Yellowstone River. Right in this area we spotted an Osprey nest on the south side of the river. We were able to observe the nest for sometime with our binoculars. It appeared that there were two adults and at least one baby in the nest.

Deep canyon cut by the river. We are looking south from the Yellowstone River Trail.	The river is running high and fast through the canyons.

This section of the trail would be trouble if it was raining. It is mainly dirt, but cut right into the slope. It would be dangerously slippery if it was wet. It is also a very hot, very dry section of the trail. It was hot in early June, and would be unbearable in August.

Joe helping Ben with his pack as the trail winds towards Gardiner.	Ben leading the way. There is a steep dropoff on the left of the trail and a steep incline on the right.

We took a snack and water break near some dormant thermal features right next to the trail. In the picture to the right, the white rock in the background is actually the remains of some type of geyser. The sandy material in the foreground is calcifications and the like. There was water flowing under the calcifications and rising to the surface in a couple of different spots. There was a slight smell of sulpher in the air. As rocky, dry and desert-like as this area was, there were still numerous wildflowers growing right out of the side of the steep incline.

White wildflower growing out of the dry, sandy, and rocky soil.	Ben resting, probably getting food out of his pack. The white feature in the background is some type of dormant thermal feature.

As is usually the case, the last mile of the trail seemed to take the longest. The terrain become forested again as we got to the town of Gardiner. The trail climbed steadily through the forest and there was a significant amount of water running by, and on, the trail. The trail was very muddy and sloppy right toward the end. One final, uphill, push and we came out of the trail at the end of a short road, adjacent to a campground and half a block from where we parked our car the day before. We threw our packs down and opened up the car for it to cool down, it was probably around 80 degrees now.

One final and very nice surpise to end a very enjoyable backbacking trip: the styrofoam cooler in the car trunk contained two beers and a Dr. Pepper, still cold!