I try to avoid camping close to streams or lakeshores when in Grizzly country, but on this occasion, I decided to move away from the hillside tent sites after finding that somebody had scattered pistachio shells liberally around the sites. I picked up all that I could find to carry out later, but didn't relish the idea of pitching camp on top of a potential food source for bears.

This has to be one of the most spectacular campsites that I've ever enjoyed in Yellowstone. 8R5 sits on a little point that juts out into the western end of Shoshone Lake, just across from the geyser basin. The cook site is well situated, with nice views in two directions and easy access to water. Like nearly all of the backcountry sites in Yellowstone, a tiny box toilet is provided, and is located a comfortable distance away from the cook site and tent site area. Of course, bear poles are provided for hanging your pack or food bag safely beyond the reach of hungry bears.

I packed my Big Agnes tent for this trip - an excellent choice of shelter for a solo trek. It's lightweight, quick to set up, and stands up well to high winds and snow. I'm 6'5" and it's hard for me to find a good one-man tent with room enough to be comfortable, but the Big Agnes provides that in spades. I actually have room to sit up when changing clothes. The tent has a single Y-shaped pole, and is free-standing. Of course, as with most free-standing tents, I still advise staking it out for the tightest setup, plus it protects you from the possibility of watching helplessly as the tent sails skyward over a few thousand acres of frigid water.

The bottom photo shows the view in the opposite direction. This turned out to be one of the most memorable campsites that I've ever enjoyed on any of my backpacking trips.