Oh my gosh, we got the hookup in Yellowstone National Park. For those familiar with Julie’s AT book, we met up with Zippers and her friend Amy last night right next to the big geyser Old Faithful. And they arrived with a veritable feast!
We have been playing tag over phone and email for awhile now and with us hardly ever having a signal in WY it has been tough. We just missed them last week in the Basin and the Winds – they were on vacation for a week and though we were close we never saw them. But they know Yellowstone as Zippers used to work here and Amy currently still does. So along with a feast we were provided with a room in the village, not easy to come by at peak tourist season, showers, and laundry – Zippers even brought us laundry detergent!
The feast is worth telling about as they concocted a masterful vegan spread with bread, veggies, a bulgur wheat salad, baked tofu, and a huge chocolate cake for dessert. We talked late into the night despite them both having work in the morning and then we simply kept eating. They left the leftovers with us and what we can’t consume this morning will be hiked out. Looks like we will be eating chocolate cake on the trail tonight!
While the woods and wilderness are great, it really is the people that makes these hiking trips so great. Thank you Zippers and Amy for taking such good care of us. We love you and will do our best to keep spreading the love wherever we go, just as you have. For now though, it is time to leave Yellowstone and head on to Idaho.