Having good maps and trail description is pretty important. Especially if you'll be hiking much of it alone, you'll want something that reads well. I bought the Official Wyoming Guide a couple years back. Its about 12 ounces. As you can see here, the Colorado Guide is 21 ounces. Thankfully, I'll pull it apart and only take the pages I need. I've done 300 miles in Colorado already, the part which coincides with the Colorado Trail. Heading north from Copper Mountain to the Wyoming Border, which is the first 18 segments, about 270 miles.
I'll need the entire Wyoming Guide. Although I've hiked some of the CDT that goes past Heart Lake up to Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, there remains a goodly 500 left. Still, I'll remove the general information, covers and suggested reading in the back, destroying the book as I go to lighten my pack weight.
We have three weeks left at Lake Yellowstone until our Man Camp Kitchen is closed until fall. We'll serve the last meal, then start the deep cleaning process. The rangers have put up the signs forbidding hiking along the meadow leading to Fishing Bridge and along the Lake due to bear activity. Bears will be feeding on carrion that washes up as the ice melts.
Its been a very interesting winter. I have lived and worked every season now, an entire year, at Lake Yellowstone. The tourists are appearing and it almost feels like they are invading my back yard. Of course its their national park, not mine.
I'm ready for some wilderness trailing.
I am thinking about getting a copy of the Colorado Trail guide book. Will this be helpful? I plan to copy the needed pages. I can't stand to tear up a book!
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