“Today I have just been plodding along down the river crossing several large creeks, abt 9 am I got to the lake y have been following the trail along its east shore the rest of the day. I have seen 70-80 elk y moose, lots of ducks, geese y several pelicans. This evening I saw white smoke around a point so I thought there must be somebody living but where I got there it was some steam vents in the rocks. I cooked a pot of rice over the one that seems very hot y [something] slightly, but here is on quite large that roars quite loud.
There is a thumping sound underground like a steamengine then here is a lot of little hot springs y several boiling mud-holes. I may sleep here tonight if the wind dies down a little, it usually does. It is blowing right off the lake who is quite rough along this north shore. I wish I had some brown beans y bacon, I would have a nice big pot full by morning. I expect to get to the highway in a couple hours tomorrow.”
Parsons doesn’t mention it but he’s crossed over into Yellowstone National Park and the lake he hikes along is Yellowstone Lake. Reading his journal today it’s amazing to think of a time when you could hike through Yellowstone, cook a pot of rice over a steam vent, and camp just about anywhere you wanted to. The following day Parsons leaves the lake and hikes up the Yellowstone River to Yellowstone Falls.