Jenny Lake & The Tetons

Well, I awoke very early on Thursday morning so that I could arrive at Jenny Lake campground at 7:30. When I got there, I found a space that someone was vacating. I was in. I made it my home for three nights and even set up the tent as I expected good weather and a change of pace was nice. On the way to Jenny Lake I stopped and took some pictures of first light on the Tetons... stunning! It was a picture perfect day with not a cloud!

I headed out for an 8 mile circumferential hike of the lake, including a side trip to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. The water was so amazingly clear. On the hike, part of the mountainside is regenerating forest after a fire 10 years ago. Spotted a couple of deer and an osprey that I took a picture of. Also, check out the cool interference pattern on the lake made by the boats that go back and forth across the lake. These boats would be important for my plans on Saturday!

Following the hike, I met a family at the visitor's center that was looking for someone to coordinate a canoe trip of the Snake River with. Good fortune was smiling!

Old Faithful and onto the Tetons

I awoke to rain and cold again on Wednesday morning, mixed in with a bit more sleet. I was so grateful for the window of good weather on Tuesday that allowed an awesome communion with the Canyon! I focused on doing some laundry, then head off for Old Faithful. By the time that I got on the road, the weather improved significantly. I stopped at many different geothermal featurs, including the paint pots, which have bubbling rhylite mud in them!

Old Faithful was pretty cool. They had opened a new visitor's center only the week earlier. It had some really good exhibits.

After watching Old Faithful blow its top, I headed for Colter Bay Campground in the northern end of Grand Tetons N.P. It was nice, but it was just a stopover because my real goal was landing a spot in the most difficult campground to get into in the entire Rockies... Jenny Lake!

Bonus Post... Poem

The Yellowstone Man

Moving powerfully over the lip, falling water brings quenching mist

Steadfast and sure protection as the boulder provides stability for the pebbles in its wake

Patience of the cougar awating the attack of an elk

Expressive as the roar of the mighty Yellowstone Falls

Uplifting as the torrent of air on which the osprey glides

Fun-loving as the pebbles of sleet that bounce off the trail

Intense as the colors of the sun-blessed rainbow over the canyon

Enchanted by the mistress called nature

Back to Yellowstone... Harder than it seemed!

I began the morning in Cody, WY and the sun was shining! As I drove westward, the sky darkened and it began raining as I approached the East Entrance to the park. When I arrived, there was a line of cars stopped at the entrance. The ranger advised us that it would be another hour or two before the entrance was opened because of snow in an 8000 foot pass! So, I backtracked a bit to a scenic overlook, got out a good book and read in my Element for a couple hours. When I returned, the gate was open once again. I've added a picture of August snow (perhaps and early pretense for a great ski season?).

I got into the Canyon campground near the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone park and had lunch, then it began sleeting! Back to the book! But magically around 2 it stopped preciptating. I figured I had the time necessary before dark to do the magical circumference trail around the canyon and their awesome waterfalls. The trails were at 8000 feet elevation and about 11 miles in both directions in a "U" shape. I took several descents to lookouts that were much lower. I figure the total uphill was around 1500 feet or so. The falls and the colors of the canyon walls were amazing! The Lower Falls is higher than Niagara! On the hike, I saw an osprey, an osprey chick, a couple of whitetail bucks and an enormous elk on my journey. I thought that this day was the most special at Yellowstone.

Driven Away By Rain and Snow

I awoke this morning to the clouds moving in, the winds picking up, and rain starting to fall. I broke camp and checked the forecast. Mixed snow and rain all day! Not terribly good weather for much of what I wanted to do. So I took another suggestion from the ladies of Conrad, MT and went to Cody for the day.

It was a good decision because on leaving the park I ran into 3 different buffalo herds, one of which was straddling the roadway. The first group of five was "hiding" behind the Soda Butte, but eventually they moved out from behind. I got some great pictures!

The trip to Cody was wild! The roadway climbed up to 8000 feet with lots of switchbacks and beautiful views of the Shoshone Mountains. One bridge going over a river was about 1000 feet high. Bungy jumping anyone?

After geting into Cody, I went to the Buffalo Bill Historical Museum. It actually has five different parts, but the most interesting one was the Museum of the American Indian of the Plains. It had actual clothing, ceremonial garb, weapons and tools from the various indian tribes dating from the mid-to-late 1800's. It has been described as the Smithsonian of the Plains Indians. The picture is of Sitting Bull's tomahawk, given to the Army when he surrendered.

Tonight, I am staying at the Buffalo Bill State Park which overlooks the Buffalo Bill Reservoir which is created by the Buffalo Bill Dam. Do you see a pattern here?

By the way, the local Walmart here in Cody is filled with RV's!

Geothermal Day

Well after a great sleep I decided to head off for the Norris area and Mammoth Hot Springs on Sunday. The Norris area has two large areas of geysers, hot water springs, etc. A varied pallette of colors, sounds and smells. Certainly sulfur was the prevalent odor! But the noises ranged from a washing machine to a jet engine to air being let out of a balloon. Green was algae. Orange was iron. Bluish-green was minerals. It stimulated all the senses!

I've include a picture of Mammoth Hot Springs as well. It is a large geothermal feature with water running on the surface! I ended up camping near the Northeast entrance at Pebble Creek. A pretty typical mountain stream passes beside it.

Lastly, the campers next to me last night were a mother and son from Nebraska, Kathy and Jim. So many interesting coincidences. Art, she is a veterinarian, but believe it or not she graduated from Kansas State University! Her husband passed away 3 1/2 years ago, but when he was alive, he too was a Big Brother to a 9-year-old at one time. Her older son (who chose not to go on this trip) had a bout with cancer but is now fine. She had brought her son who is going into 6th grade to camp by herself being more comfortable in the city. She knows that he needs ways to embrace his masculinity because his father is no longer alive, but she admits that it is challenging for her. I offered help with building a fire and showing Jim how to chop wood.

How tested she has been by life, yet she gives so lovingly what she can to her son, trying to learn as she goes. I know that this encounter reaffirms for me that the focus of my volunteer work will remain with boys who lack a positive masculine influence in their life and suffer with self-esteem. Kathy and Jim, thank you for that gift of clarity!

Arrival At Yellowstone

Late afternoon on Saturday I arrived at the Madison Campground, just east of West Yellowstone. On my entrance into the park, I was greeted by a welcoming committee... a group of elk!

On my way to the park, I stopped at Big Sky, which is one of the premier ski areas out west. I got a good idea about the area and the terrain and where I might rent an on-mountain condo that had an ideal location. Any takers for the year after next?

Met a great guy from Maine in the campground. He is a retired middle-school science teacher. Hey, Frank, that could be you in a few short years!