Mount Washburn - 10243 feet

Today I climbed my first 10000+ feet peak! Sounds amazing doesn't it? However it the interests of honesty I have to admit that the car park is so high up that the ascent of Mount Washburn is only about 1400 feet! Still, I plodded up the whole way without stopping and was quite pleased with my fitness, which I feel is definitely improving during the course of the holiday. It helped that James had prodded us to another early start so the morning air was quite cool, it would have been another story if it had been too hot for me. I like that the high elevation of Yellowstone seems to result in these refreshing mornings so that you can exercise in lower temperatures then relax later as it heats up. Unsurprisingly the views were gorgeous; lodge pole pine forests all around and Yellowstone Canyon in the middle distance. At the top is a little observatory reminiscent of the disused one at Harney Peak. On our way back down we split up so that I could return the three miles to collect the car, and James and Davie went down the seven mile hole trail to extend their walk. It extended it even more than they had meant because there was a lot of ascent and descent and they arrived back exhausted at about 4 p.m. Meanwhile I had spent the early afternoon happily washing and drying our clothes at the very well equipped and friendly camp laundrette, while reading my book. There was no need to look very far for wildlife today; in addition to the various critters and birds that I saw on the trail there was a large bison hanging about right outside our lodge scratching itself against the log walls! James and Davie walked right past it on their return and rushed back outside to see it when I told them it was there.