Thu, Aug 24 2023 - Tetons/Yellowstone backcountry backpacking (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): LindseyW, Nahid Participants: Fay, LindseyW, Nahid, Anna Bullis, Gaby F, Jai S, Barbie, Suzi W

The wide prarie grass filled valleys of backcountry Yellowstone offered a stark contrast to the jagged peaks of the Tetons. For our eight adventurous backpackers both offered challenges and beauty rarely encountered. Long, steep vistas over Paintbrush pass in the Tetons were matched by long valley views of bison grazing in remote Yellowstone. There were sightings of grizzly and brown bears, moose, elk, deer, marmot and even the elusive wolf albeit in paw print. We saw the proverbial geysers, paint pots and Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. But it was really crossings of Lamar River, enduring a sudden intense mountain storm at a romote primitive campsite, swimming in a cold alpine lake, working around a giant bison in the middle of the trail, experiences only reached by carrying what you need on your back to distant places in the backcountry of the wilderness that we will carry with us as we get back to civilizaton. As one in our party exclaimed: "it was a once in a lifetime experience". And another, "I would have never seen this on my own." This is what makes all our team efforts worthwhile including the existence of the AOC organization.