Busted!

Wed. Morning, Aug 11

The Catholic missions of California were each built a distance apart that would allow a traveler to walk from one to the next in a day's journey. This too had been the case with campgrounds in Yellowstone until today. Unfortunately, a day's travel (20-30 miles) east from Bay Bridge Campground lands me in the middle of nowhere and I will have to camp alone tonight. This morning will be the last of skirting Yellowstone Lake and then it's up and over the summit into the forests of Eastern Yellowstone. My wife Cynthia warned me that the escaped killers reportedly might be hiding somewhere in this area but I am more concerned about the grizzlies because I know they are here!

Wednesday Evening - Busted!

Arriving nowhere yet looking somewhere for a place to camp I placed my tent near a small lake not far from the road thinking it was a perfect place to spend the night. Apparently the park ranger passing by did not. He told me I should be in a campground and was quite "huffy-puffy" about me being located where I was. I pointed out that there were no campgrounds within many miles (which he agreed) so after doing a run on my identification (remember there are escapees supposed to be in the area) he told me I was not permitted to camp beside a waterway and for me to move my campsite off into the woods. I was a little perturbed by this but realized he was young and just trying to do his job as he saw it. I didn't want to "move into the woods" but did it trying to cooperate.

I slept lightly with my bear spray at my side.

By the way, the park ranger represented law enforcement officer #8.