I finally reached the main highway at dusk leaving a 25 mile hitch up to the town of West Yellowstone where I had to get my camping permits for Yellowstone National Park and re-supply with food. The prospect of a shower and a decent meal was also on the cards which made me eager to get into town. There is little public transport in the USA and in this area there was zero. Often I would ask locals for a lift rather than stand in the road hitching.
After an hour l found a ride from a slightly sketchy young couple in a beat up 4x4 that smelled like a cats toilet. They kindly offered to take me the 25 miles if I helped carry a dishwasher into their trailer. No problem. They turned out to be very friendly and I was very grateful when they dropped me at the large ‘Grizzly RV campsite’ where I set up my tiny tent amongst the huge RV trailers. You feel so insignificant with your tiny backpacking tent in a car-camp ground. Pitching up next to huge RV campers possibly bigger than many houses in the UK. Just keep your fingers crossed they do not reverse over you in the night.

The next morning I walked into the park entrance looking for the ranger office. Feeling nervous as I passed some ‘bear hazard’ warning signs I reached some tollbooths that reminded me of a toll motorway. It was early morning but I was surprised at the steady stream of cars entering the park. Some drivers looked at me as if to say ‘Where’s your car?’ which made me feel out of place. There were no hikers around here. I wondered if hiking through the park was such a great idea. Would you hike through a safari park?

When I reached the booth the lady directed me back to the ranger office in town. On arrival I was made to watch the customary bear safety video before being allowed into the park. The experience was similar to that of Glacier National Park where I had my first bear country experience. It certainly gives you a different experience when you are not at the top of the food chain. In the video there was advice such as ‘when a bear attacks just play dead and lyeon the ground using your hands to protect your head and neck’. 'Soon the bear should lose interest in mauling you and walk away'. Pretty reassuring advice although it didn't mention what to do if the bear is not a quitter. When it came to setting up camping permitsmost of the sites were prebooked so I had to make do with what was still available. This left me with a 25 mile day and a night in a ‘bear active’ campsite. 'You should be fine' said the friendly young ranger. It seemed as though there were many 'should's' regarding bears.

I finished my town errands and then had a stroke of luck in the library when the librarian asked a friend to give me a ride back to the trail. Like most locals he took great delight in winding me up about the dangers of walking in grizzly country. We set off from the town and on the way out he kindly bought me a drink and a cake. ‘Better have this, it could be your last’ he said grinning. As we drove back along the highway he happily pointed out all the places where bears often congregated. His parting words were ‘you are entering some mighty dangerous territory boy’ which probably turned my face pale. I walked down the road towards the park wondering what excitement lay ahead.