August 16 - August 20
Sleeping in the back of the Prius was surprisingly comfortable. We could use a little more padding, but it was still better than the ground. As we were falling asleep, we saw lights on the tower. We came to find out that people were climbing the tower at night by headlamp. So cool!! When we woke up in the morning, we walked the 1.3 mile paved path around Devils Tower. It is a pretty cool sight! It towers 867 feet in the air and is incredible to look at. There were a lot of people climbing the tower as we walked and I couldn't help but stare at them in awe. I think I've added a new item to my "bucket list." By noon, we left Devils Tower and were on our way to Cody, WY. We took the Bighorn Scenic Bypass to get there and it was absolutely beautiful! We even stopped at Shell Falls to admire a gorgeous waterfall. We arrived in Cody and checked into a motel before going to the Cody Rodeo. I haven't been to a rodeo since I worked as a wrangler at a dude ranch near Lake George during college. It was so much fun. I really enjoyed the barrel racing and when it comes to roping, I tend to cheer for the calves. :)
On August 18th, we left for Yellowstone NP. We could have taken a shorter route to the east entrance of the park, but a friend of mine (Thank you, Casey!) recommended the more scenic 120/296/212 route. I'm really happy we took that route because although it was slightly longer, it was gorgeous... and it took us into Montana. Another new state! As we drove, mountains towered over us. There were even signs labeling which time period that each rock layer was formed in... Brian enjoyed that. Once we were on 212 (Beartooth Bypass) there was a mountain that literally looked like the incisor tooth of a bear followed by a molar. I guess that's where the highway got its name. We spent a little bit of time in Cooke City, MT and then arrived at the Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone. Driving through the Lamar Valley, there were hundreds of bison all around us. Some were even lying on the side of the road and crossing the street right in front of the car! We set up camp at Tower Falls Campground, which has become a lot less involved now that we are sleeping in the car. When we left Cody, we had stopped at Walmart for a memory foam mattress topper to put in the back of the car, so I was excited for it to be even more comfortable (I was not disappointed). After camp was set up, we drove down to Tower Falls. It was beautiful, but so touristy. I was starting to miss the quietness and tranquility of the back country. Next, we went to the education center... it's a bit scary that Yellowstone is within a caldera volcano that could blow any second. It was "scheduled" to blow 600,000 years after the last eruption and it has been over 640,000 years. YIKES! Now that I was sufficiently scared, we headed to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We hiked the South Rim trail to see the Upper Falls and then down the 380+ stairs on Uncle Tom's Trail to get eye level with the lower falls. Then, it was back up the stairs and then to Artist Point to get some beautiful pictures of the canyon. It is amazing to see the enormous canyon that has been created over time. We ended the day at Roosevelt Lodge with some ice cream sandwiches. While we were relaxing and enjoying the ice cream, we met a lady named Susan who grew up in Shoreham!!! She now lives in Boulder, CO. It was so weird to meet someone 2000 miles from home who grew up in the same small town that my parents still live in!
On August 19th, we woke up after a comfortable night in the car and got ready for our horseback trail ride. I was so excited because I haven't been on a horse since my wrangling days... WAY TOO LONG!!!! Unfortunately, our ride was cancelled because the smoke from the 6 forest fires in Yellowstone were giving the horses breathing difficulty. There was a stable at the north end of the park that was away from the fires though, so we were able to move our ride to an afternoon ride there. I rode Rooster and Brian rode Dodge. Brian was a bit nervous since his only horseback riding experience was an accidental bareback gallop when he was at field camp during college. As we rode though the meadows, he looked like a real cowboy though... hat and all! After the ride, we were off to Old Faithful and the other geysers in that basin. On the way, we saw elk drinking from the river, bison rolling in the dirt, and even a coyote in the field. I really LOVE all of the wildlife surrounding us. Old Faithful was pretty cool! It is amazing how many tourists gather on the benches surrounding the geyser to see it erupt and then leave as soon as it is over. Brian and I explored some of the other geysers in the area though and had a front row seat since the tourists didn't really go to those ones. After the geysers, it was time for dinner and showers. Then, we were off to Grand Teton NP. Grand Teton is absolutely stunning!!! The rocky mountains with snow filled cirques tower over the gorgeous Jackson Lake are truly stunning. It is truly a sight that I could never get sick of. As we were driving into the park, the sun was setting, painting oranges and reds across the sky that were so beautiful. It almost looked fake. We arrived at Jackson Lake Lodge and relaxed in the lobby before retiring to the car for the night.
The next day, we woke up at 6:30am and relaxed in the lodge lobby. The lobby has 60 foot window that allow you to look out at the entire range. We were even lucky enough to see 3 moose with the backdrop of the Tetons!!! As I was admiring the views, another guest was playing the piano in the lobby. He started to play Canon in D (I walked down the aisle to it) and immediately I was covered in goose bumps and had tears in my eyes. It was one of my favorite moments of this entire journey. Brian and I were yearning to get into the back country and explore some of the less traveled paths. We decided on the 4.8 mile, 3,150 foot elevation gain Amphitheater Lake/Surprise Lake hike. We drove to the Lupine Meadows trailhead and started the climb. The trail is flat for the first .25 miles and then it climbs steadily to Amphitheater Lake at 9,698 feet. At the beginning of the hike, we were surrounded by trees with views of a beautiful meadow beyond them. As we started the climb, we had numerous exposed switchbacks with breathtaking views of the meadows, mountains, lakes, and rivers around us. I find that with view like this, I am less introspecitive and thoughtful on the hike because all I can do is admire the beauty around me. The trail never went beyond a moderate grade, but the dust and the exposure to the sun made it hot and tiring. We reached Surprise Lake .2 miles before Amphitheater Lake and took the short side trail to view its beauty. After a few pictures, we climbed the last 150ish feet and spent some time taking in the views at Amphitheater Lake and enjoying a snack. Brian had to share his snack with his chipmunk friends who were trying to attack his Cheez-Its. It had taken us two and a half hours to get up, but we really flew on the way down. We were back in the parking lot one and a half hours after we left the lake!!! When we reached the car, we were tired, dirty (we were covered from head to toe in the dust from the trail), and HUNGRY! We went to the Colter Bay area for showers, laundry and dinner. Dinner at the Ranch House was delicious. Then we were ready for bed!!!! As we were falling asleep, we could hear coyotes howling in the distance. The wildlife and the scenic topography of the west are truly amazing!!!! I am in love with it here!!!
We will have another adventurous day tomorrow. We plan to do some kayaking on Jackson Lake, some more hiking, and another horseback ride before we leave Grand Teton. We just can't get enough!!
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
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