July  31st

My alarm sounded at 7am I snoozed  it twice  before rising. I was excited and nervous about my Yellowstone permit. I began to tidy up as I couldn’t call unit at least  8am. 
Suddenly my phone rang .
I answered it as it was a Wyoming number…it was Howard  from the permit office.
How good is he !
I read  out the camp numbers that I had picked out yesterday and with Howard’s magic we managed to book them all  whoop whoop  and big relief. Now the fun part paying for it . It was at this time Howard’s system locked up he couldn’t go forward or back .Howard tried many thing and I could hear the desperation In his voice.
“I’m going to have to call support, it may take a while can you hold.” ?
Of course , as once I leave town I will be blind.!
It was 40 minutes later that I heard his voice again and luckily was able to complete the transaction.
Whoop ,I have a shinny permit.
Well thank you so much Howard  for sorting this out for me as it was a  big Challenge  lol.
Okay I’m done let’s get out of here as now it was almost 9.30
I did a sweep of the room, dam USB cable that was lucky. I stuffed it into my pack before hoisting it up and leaving the room.
Today my knee hurt, not a little hurt ,but a full on hurt. I can’t really walk on this F*uck why I screamed at my knee. I put on my knee brace and downed a handful of ibuprofen. Then limped across the road I was just passing the grocery store when I bumped Into Redtin . He and his partner were leaving a little later but then they are speedy. 
I hobbled a little further up the road then took up my hitching stanch and waited and waited and waited…
God this is crap I said to myself. 
Not  going to get in a lot of miles like this. An hr passed F*uck this is no good, at last a car stopped oh thank you thank you it was a couple whose were out to camp in the Tetons for a few days.
Thank you. They were a great couple and soon I was back on trail.
I adjusted my poles and  set off  but omg  it’s one of those I spy  trails so the first hour was rubbish, wandering around meadows looking for a signs of  life. Eventually  the crap stopped and I was on a forest road  with Omg  such amazing views of the mountains.  I stood in awe for several minutes before pushing on down the road.

Just then a truck came up the road, the driver stopped too ,to take  photos

As I wandered down the road I could see a huge lake in the distance.  I believe this is where the campsite is, but I’m not staying. As I got nearer I passed a large ranch and was amazed  at how many horses were in the corral . If fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many  horses together. I carried on down  to the lake passing the campsite on my right. Okay trail where do you go….as I opened a large gate to the trail 4 riders on horse back appeared. I stood back as the lead horse was a bit dancie. Lol

Once they had passed  I carried on only to be passed by 3 stable  girls from another nearby ranch.
They chatted to me for a while but then I took a different path. 
I wished them well and carried on my way.  As I made my way around the lake I met another couple who were interested in my walk. I chatted to them for a while  before dragging myself away.  Then as I dropped down onto another trail I ended up walking with another lady for a while  until once again our paths went different ways.
I soon came to a river but luckily there was a bridge so dry feet. I pushed on through the afternoon my knee complaining  when any steep gradients appeared and there were many. 
Time for a break, I guzzled a litre and ate some cheese sandwich biscuits followed by  several more ibuprofen 
Okay miles to walk. I hadn’t planned on walking late as I didn’t want to make my knee worse. 
5pm should do it. ..I pushed on down a meandering trail popping out  every now to view the amazing mountains before  hiding back into the forest.

The trail had also been heading down for most of the afternoon ..that’s never a good sign to me as there is always a climb.
When I emerged out of the forest, I could see another river, it was fairly wide but appeared shallow.. no bridge. My new shoes got a dunking.. yes I could stop and take them off  but they seem to dry fairly quickly so no issue for me. 
Okay it’s getting late and the next water after this is 4.6 miles hum, not sure if I want to do that. So I watered up just in case. Typically this is where the trail now decides to climb, and climb and climb a little more.
Phew and it’s hot , I dragged myself up several of the hills my eyes searching for possible tent  spots….NOTHING . 5pm came and went and so did 5.30 oh come on I moaned as 6pm passed  by.
Okay it’s going to be a compromise but I am camping. That might work… ! I dropped my pack and scouted the area and soon my tent was up. Next a branch. PERFECT.. and on the third throw  I got the hang..

Well that made me a little smug.
Okay dinner. I soon had a cuppa made.  Omg  it tasted so good.
I next made a pasta and rice dish, but I remembered last time  I used this brand I only needed to use half and the rice takes days to cook!!!
So after several re-boils  the rice was still crunchy so F*uck it.
 I ate half then disposed if the rest many yards away from my tent. I then attacked my Ritz biscuits and cheese spread. That’s much better than crunchy rice.  Okay im done . 
I was just packing up when a female hiker came passed her trail name was Soundefffect and she was Italian. she is just doing a long section Lander to Glacier park.
She was such fun to talk to. She starts at 8am which made me laugh but she goes on late.
I do the opposite I start early and stop early.
So I promised not to shout  “Get up you lazy Cow ” when I go past her tent in the morning  lol 
OKAY I moved all  my cooking gear  and  food  back to my tent then went to hang my food bag
Okay all done now to relax. I had just walked back to my tent when Redtin, Joker and mona-lisa  appeared we chatted for 5 minutes  then waved them good by. They hike much later and faster than me .

Okay  all done relax time

Mileage  16 late start ouchy Knee