Hello families!
We just made it out of the backcountry and are already back on the water at Three Dollar Bridge — but before we get into what's ahead, we have a lot to catch you up on!
After a few nights in the Bob Marshall front country, a handful of circumstances led us to make the call to head south and do our backcountry in Yellowstone instead. It turned out to be a great decision, and we couldn't be happier with how it all played out.
The girls absolutely crushed the hike in. We're talking miles of trail surrounded by wildflowers in every direction, which made for one of the more scenic approaches we've had in a while. Once we reached Cascade Lake, the fishing did not disappoint — beautiful little cutthroat were eager to eat dry flies, and the girls had a blast working the surface. The kind of backcountry fishing that makes the hike worth every step.
Camp life was an adventure in itself. On the food front, we kept things interesting with backcountry Thanksgiving, plenty of ramen, and — let's just say — more bagels than anyone planned for. No complaints were heard, though. When you're that deep in the wilderness, everything tastes better.
The wildlife this trip put on a real show. We woke up one morning to a massive bull moose grazing right outside our campsite, which was about as good a wake-up call as you can ask for. Nights were filled with the sounds of a coyote pack, a lone wolf howling in the distance, and a couple of cranes that were absolutely committed to keeping us up. We also weathered another thunder and lightning storm out there — the girls handled it like veterans.
All in all, it was an incredible backcountry experience, and the girls are beaming coming out of it. There's one bittersweet note — they're thrilled to be out, but missing Ness, who wasn't able to join for this stretch. We're looking forward to being all back together soon.
More to come!
Brooke and Ellen and the girls
