TravelWright

Road Trip day 23 Yellowstone National Park - Old Faithful (30th May 2009)

After a late start we headed off up to Old Faithful which is around 30 miles north of the Lake Yellowstone Hotel. Our first stop, however, was at West Thumb and Geyser Field which is at the southern end of Lake Yellowstone. This for me was one of the best of the sites as the sun and the light showed of the geysers etc. to their best and I got some great shots of Fishing Hole and Big Cone with the mountains in the background (photos to follow).

From here we continued on to Old Faithful arriving around lunchtime with 45 minutes to wait until the next predicted eruption. we had a wander around the old hotel there which is an amazing place and very different from any of the other hotels in the park. Around 30 minutes prior to the eruption of Old Faithful people start gathering on the benches that are set up around the geyser basin so we sat down to ensure a good view and we were not disappointed. The geyser set against a bright blue sky was a sight to see - excellent photos and video were taken. The geyser spouts water 30 - 50 meters into the air for 2 -3 minutes followed by clouds of steam.

After the eruption which lasts around 5 minutes we headed off to see the other geysers in the Old Faithful area - and there are dozens to see! The trails around the site are very well maintained and due to its size you never feel it is crowded - although the main sites do get busy if there is an eruption due - predicted times for the geyser eruptions are posted in the visitors center. The geysers range from ones that are reasonably regular like old faithful to ones that are incredibly unpredictable such as Beehive Geyser that erupted whilst we were there.

We walked along the trails to Morning Glory Pool which has amazing colored thermaphiles (heat loving bacteria) around which have vivid oranges and greens depending on the heat and the type of bacteria. After viewing the geysers we wandered back to the visitors center just as it started raining and the clouds came in. We watched another eruption of Old Faithful but it wasn't a patch on the one we saw earlier as the dull conditions masked its glory - it was white steam and water against a white sky! We considered ourselves lucky that we had seen the geyser at its best in the morning silhouetted against a bright blue sky.

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Road Trip day 19 - Grand Teton National Park (29th May 2009)

We had a lazy start as we had decided not to do any driving today and instead took one of the walks from the Colter Bay village down towards Heritage Point - a 9 mile loop walk. The weather was sunny again and the walking relatively easy although we were always on the lookout for bears and there had been sightings in the area. There was quite a bit of snow on the trail and I found wearing sandals was not the best plan!

On the way down we met up with a student, Rene, who was camping at the village and we had an interesting discussion about Intelligent Design, Religion and Stem Cell research which was her research topic at university. A strange conversation to be having wit a complete stranger on a

Most of the walk was through woods which made it slightly cooler which was excellent although we still got glimpses of the Teton's through breaks in the trees. Wildlife was a bit sparce other than a few ground squirrels, Chipmunks and the usual multitude of birds.

We arrived at heritage point which was a promontory out into Jackson Lake and we spent a pleasant hour on the 'beach' having lunch and chatting before heading back towards the campsite, The view of the Teton's from the point was as usual pretty spectacular especially when the reflection of the mountains in the lake.

The walk back to the village was uneventful although tiring as there were a few uphill bits and at this altitude (7500 feet) the air is thin - it is nothing to do with my level of fitness ;)-

The evening was spent at the Village restaurant and followed by a quick walk down by the lake and then to the Bar for a couple of drinks and an early ish evening

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Road Trip day 22 - Yellowstone National Park (29t May 2009)

We had an early start (6:30 am) to get some breakfast in the hotel deli and then on the road to look for wildlife. We took the road up towards the 'Grand Canyon of Yellowstone' which routed us through the Hayden Valley where we saw our first Grizzly bear with a cub heading through the sage-brush just off the side of the road. As usual where a bear is spotted there was a Bear Jam as cars come from all directions to catch a glimpse of the bear - this can be good and bad - good in that you know where to stop to see something, but bad in that drivers actions are very unpredictable as they are focusing on what is being looked at rather than the road and the cars can block the road. The rangers are usually promptly on the scene and clear the bear jam and direct traffic to keep the road clear. The bear and its cub stayed for around 15 - 20 minutes around 200 yards off the road digging and eating amongst the sage-brush. (photos to follow).

We carried on and our next stop was the Mud Volcanoes which are just off the side of the road. At most of these sites of interest there are good parking facilities along with restrooms - functional rather than plush! At the site there is a walk which takes you round the various geysers, fumerals and mud pools and as usual the sites are well signed and there are explanative brochures available for 50 cents if you want more detail. In among the geysers etc. at this site and many others are resident Bison and you are repeatedly warned not to approach tem as they are huge and unpredictable.

From here we drove up to the 'Grand Canyon' site and first visited the South Rim where Thomas Moran painted his famous picture of the Lower Falls from artist point which when exhibited helped the case to form the National Park. Today the view is, I would assume from looking at the picture, pretty similar other than there is now a concrete bridge just above the falls and lots of people around.

We then drove across to Canyon Visitors Center for lunch and then on to the North Rim Drive which has a path leading down to the top of the Lower Falls - offering an amazing view of the falls - including the rainbow in the mist from the falling water. This is a tiring and long winding climb back up to the car and although there are lots of resting points I managed to make it without stopping - remembering the slowly-slowly advice from when we climbed Kilimanjaro.

Having a few hours left in the day we decided to drive up to the Lamar valley to see if there was any wildlife around. Unfortunately we missed, well nearly, a black bear with two cubs who just walked into the sage-brush when we got there so we only got a partial view of her. We hung around to see if we could see her as she climbed the hill but he sage-brush did a great job of camouflaging her and her cubs. Further on we saw a big-horn sheep which is apparently quite a rare sight in the park, a coyote in the distance and a few Osprey and maybe a Bald Eagle although we weren't sure.

Dinner that evening was a bowl of Chili in the hotel deli.

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Road Trip day 18 - Grand Teton National Park (28th May 2009)

Day 18 saw an early start as we wanted to see if we could find some of the wildlife in the morning. We had breakfast as usual in the Village and then took a drive down the scenic route stopping at a few lookouts on the way. The weather has been great - beautiful blue skies and warm weather - the contrast of the snow covered Teton's against the blue sky is very impressive.

As usual there were plenty of Elk around as well as herds of Bison - some quite close to the road! At the Oxbow bend we saw American Pelicans but none of the elusive otters that are supposed to reside there - we were told later that you had to take to a kayak if you wanted to see them, unfortunately it was too early in the season to hire a kayak.

We continued on to Jenny Lake to take a hike around the lake and take in Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. the first part of the walk took you around the bottom end of the lake and it was quite busy as this is one of the busiest walks in the park - we could have elected to take a boat across the lake but after long hours in the car it was great to get out and experience the park in all its glory. The paths still had snow in parts and I found wearing sandals not to be a good alternative! This section of the walk was around 2.7 miles and we took a detour up to hidden falls (photos to follow) and then a 1000' climb up to Inspiration point where we had lunch. This last climb although not long in length was tiring as it was a very steep path with a sheer drop on one side - not for the feint hearted! the view from the top was amazing - one way out across the lake and the park - the other the sheer snow covered faces of the Teton's themselves.

After this detour we decided on taking the boat back and continued the lake loop which would make the trek around 8.7 miles in total. The second section of the walk was through an area which had been devastated by high winds a few months previously. This sections was a lot quieter and we only saw three of four other groups of people along the way - as opposed to the dozens we saw on the first part of the walk. As there were fewer people we had the opportunity to encounter more wildlife in the form of Chipmunks, Yellow Bellied Marmots and what we think was an Eagle or Osprey with its chicks in a nest (photos to follow)

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Road Trip Day 21 - Grand Teton to Yellowstone Lake Hotel (28th May 2009)

Our last morning in Grand Teton started with a lazy breakfast and packing the car ready for the short (ish) journey up to Yellowstone. We had been talking to a couple in the raft trip the previous evening who warned of long delays on the road between Grand Teton and Yellowstone due to road works so we didn't want to be too late setting off. After breakfast we headed of back to the cabins to do the last bit of packing and sorting, unfortunately George had loaded everything into the car except a toothbrush and toothpaste and the cabin maid had assumed he had left it behind and put it in the trash - so poor George had to shoot down to the camp store to buy new ones before we set off.

The journey took us up the side of Jackson Lake with the Teton's in the background and we stopped a couple of times to get last photos of the mountains. As predicted we were held up for around 30 - 40 minutes for the road works which seemed quite extensive but once past we were quickly on our way to Yellowstone National Park. Once through the park gateway we had another hour and a half to drive to get to the Lake Hotel our accommodation for the next seven nights.

The hotel is set on the lakeside with views over the snow covered Absaroka mountain range in the distance - a stunning view at sunset and first ting in the morning. The hotel is comfortable and clean and is only let down by the poor choice of food - a comment we had heard repeatedly from people who had stayed in Yellowstone. It is not that the food is not edible as it, mostly' is but the choice is very limited if you are staying for more than a couple of nights and it is invariably expensive and not hot. This isn't restricted to this hotel as we have heard similar comments from people staying at Old Faithful lodge and Mammoth Hot Springs hotel (we experienced this at Christmas as well). The other annoying thing about the food is that all the hotels, deli's etc. serve exactly the same food so even if you choose to drive to another site all you get is a different environment and the same sandwiches etc.

Anyway after a little confusion with the hotel rooms we got settled into the hotel and booked for dinner in the restaurant

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Road trip Day 20 - Grand Teton (May 27th 2009)

An early start had been decided on the night before to get in some wildlife viewing early and then go into Jackson for breakfast at the Bunnery. We stopped at the Oxbow Bend which is supposed to be one of the best places at around 7:30 am although other than Elk there was nothing much to see. The view across the river towards the Teton's was, however, spectacular and I must have taken a couple of dozen shots of the mountains which I will post when I get a good Internet connection.

The story was similar at all the other stops along the way in that we didn't get to see much wildlife at all this morning. Once we got into Jackson we parked up across from the Bunnery and went in for a really nice breakfast of bacon and eggs - Ok so not real English bacon but it was good enough. On the way out of the restaurant Lorna lost the back off one of her earrings and we spent the next 30 minutes combing the decking to try and find it with out any luck. She decided to check her clothes in the restrooms and on her way back she looked down at where she had been originally stood and there it was - panic over!!!

We had a wander round Jackson to do a bit of shopping and George and I both bought Keene sandals - I already had a pair I had bought in Key West a couple of years ago and they had become a little too loose so a new pair was in order. The Jackson Bootery staff were extremely helpful and attentive - nothing was too much trouble - this is one of the things I will miss about the US, the service culture. The town of Jackson has a great feel to it and it feels as though it would be a nice place to live - in the summer anyway - as it is a Ski village I guess it gets a bit hectic in the winter, It has a similar feel to Queenstown in New Zealand South Island.

We had a snack lunch and then mad our way back to the cabins to get ready for the evening Raft trip down the snake river which we had booked through the Colter Bay Village activities center. We parked up at the Jackson Lodge for a 6 PM pick up and after a quick role call we were loaded into a minivan with a raft on a trailer behind and off we set to the start of the trip at Dead mans Bar landing. There was 10 in our party - a family from the UK who were working in New Jersey and three people from the lodge staff who get to go on these trips if there are spaces. Our guide, Sam, was very knowledgeable and made us feel at ease as we were strapped into life jackets and the raft was launched onto the fast flowing river. I had spoken to a scientist who was measuring the river flow earlier in the afternoon and he said that it was approaching its maximum flow for the year (11,500 some things and the maximum recorded flow had been 13,400 some things).

The ride was fascinating as Sam recounted stories about the river, pointed out wildlife as well as chatting and steering the raft through what looked like very choppy waters. We saw a couple of Bald Eagles on a tree at the side of the river, although as the raft was moving so fast and it was choppy it was difficult to get a good picture of them. We also saw a beaver, a kingfisher and a young moose drinking at the rivers edge. It was a great experience and an excellent way to finish off this phase of the trip. we stopped at the Jackson Lake Lodge for dinner in the bar and got back to the cabins quite late.

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Road Trip Day 16 - Colter Bay Village - Grand Teton National Park (26th May 2009)

Wow what a morning - we  woke around 8 am with the sun streaming through the windows - what a difference from yesterday! So we met up with George for breakfast in the  Colter Bay Restaurant and then headed off in the car for a drive around the scenic roads - stopping at Snake River Overlook, Glacier View and Oxbow Overlook - amazing photos which I will post when I can get an Internet connection! I took a panorama at the Snake River Overview using the Gigapan robot tripod mount. This device takes a large number of shots - in this case 50 shots in sequence and then the software that comes with it stitches them all together into a huge panorama - this is only about the fourth time of using it so not sure how it will turn out - I will put a version on the blog when I can get a connections.

We picked up some lunch at the South Jenny Lake and then set off on the 9 mile hike around Jenny Lake - this was amazing as every time you looked up the scenery was stunning - I think I must have taken a couple of hundred photos along the way. The path was quite rough and in places covered in quite deep snow! We walked around the bottom half of the lake and then up to the Hidden Falls and then on to Inspiration Point which was a climb up around 1000' up to 7200 feet. We decided to continue walking round the lake - a further 4 miles which was a lot quieter and we only met a few other people so it was very peaceful - although we were on the look out for bears!!!!! On this sections there was more wildlife and we say Chipmunks, Marmots, a Hawk feeding its chicks and numerous woodpeckers.

Arriving back at the visitors center at South Jenny Lake and headed straight for the restrooms as it had been 5 hours since we last had access to them. We then drove back towards Colter Bay and we detoured to Signal Hill Overlook which is a 7600 foot overlook of the park and the weather was very clear so we could see for miles and miles. We drove back, watching out for wildlife but saw none and after a quick shower and change we went down to the Colter Bay Restaurant for dinner and a nice bottle of wine.

Tomorrow we plan to do another walk if the weather is OK and then take a raft trip down the snake river in the evening.

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Road Trip day 17 - Grand Teton (24th of May 2009)

Our first morning in Grand Teton brought an overcast sky and a forecast of thunderstorms in the afternoon - great timing as George, our friend from Cupar in Scotland, was due to fly in at 4  We had breakfast at the Village and after unpacking and hanging things up we decided to go for a drive around the scenic route in the park.

Of course we had a selection of guide books etc. so we wanted to get our bearings for the rest of the week. In the early afternoon we decided to take a short 2.5 mile walk from the village around the headland which would provide a different view/perspective on the Teton mountains. The smell of the pine forests is something that stays with me as it is so evocative and brings back memories of holidays on the past. We saw signs and Elk in the woods but no actual elk and we saw an Osprey high in one of the trees by the lake shore. The view from the end proved to be a little disappointing as there was another headland in the way - but I got a few photos which I will post later.

The weather started to pull in as we walked back to the cabin and we heard thunder in the distance and what looked like rain.

We set off to pick up George from the airport around 3 PM although we were a little unsure about arrival times as we had a number of text messages telling of delays in Denver as well as being de-planed due to a Tornado Warning! Anyway George duly arrived only 30 minutes later than scheduled and we headed into Jackson for dinner at the Snake River Brewery which does an excellent Bison and Elk Chili. We did a bit of shopping before driving back to Colter Bay Village to introduce George to his log cabin in the woods!

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Road Trip day 15: Colter Bay Village, Grand Teton National Park (24th May 2009)

Day 15 brought a cold start to the day - not helped by a leaking valve on the toilet that ran water all night and boy was it cold. So this morning saw a quick trip down to the site office to get the toilet sorted and an extra blanket! This morning was also time for laundry so we had a late breakfast and a late start exploring the park.

We had breakfast at the on-site restaurant which was just a cold buffet - ok but nothing special. After this Lorna wanted to go down to the Oxbow overlook which is supposed to be good for viewing wildlife - and we did see some but only a few American Pelicans. Most wildlife seems to keep out of the way during the day and only comes out to feed/graze at dusk and dawn. After this we went down to Snake River Overlook which is where Ansell Adams (one of my heroes of photography) took his iconic shot of the Teton Mountains.

Lunch was at the Jackson Lake Lodge followed by a short walk to a mound where Rockerfeller, the patron of the park, used to come and sit and look out over the beauty of the park, before was a national park. He bought up most of the land and donated it to the Federal Government for the benefit of the people.

The afternoon saw a trip up Signal Mountain to get a view of the park from what used to be a lookout for forest fires. Unfortunately the weather had closed in so the views were a little restricted - an you can't see the Tetons from this viewpoint as it looks the other way. A little further down the road on the way back is a pull-out that does give a view of the Tetons but the weather was drawing in and it had started to rain so no real chance to see the grandeur and colors of the mountains.

We picked our friedn George up from the Jackson Airport around 4:30pm and then when into Jackson for a look around the shops and Dinner at the Snake River Brewery - then back to the Colter Bay site and into the bar for a couple of pints of OB1 Beer! (this seems to be becoming a bit of a habit!)

Tomorrow we are hoping to do some walking and also, if the weather is find, take a few more photos.

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Roadtrip day 14 - Jackson to Grand Teton National Park (23rd May 2009)

This morning was a lazy start as we only had a short distance to drive into the Grand Teton National Park and we couldn't get into our cabins until after 4 PM.  As we checked out of the hotel the receptionist mentioned that there was an annual parade at 10 am along the main street and up to the square - so we wandered along and secured ourselves a place in the shade on the corner of the street where the parade was to come. The town was buzzing and by 10 am the street were lined both sides with people of all ages.

After the parade had finished we went to the Bunnery which had been recommended the evening before by our dinner guests who had been coming to Jackson/Teton for the last 30 years. We had a great breakfast which set us up for the rest of the day. We then wandered around Jackson browsing the shops - it seemed strange not having to drive far!

Around 2 PM we decided to head off up to Grand Teton and take our time taking photos and stopping off at various points along the way so we could get to our accommodation by 4 PM. The Teton Mountains are certainly spectacular and are ever present as you drive into the park. We stopped off at the visitors center to do our obligatory orientation video and pick up maps/books etc. before we headed off on the scenic drive past Lake Louise and on to Colter Bay where we are staying in an original log cabin. We didn't see much wildlife other than a few Elk in the distance and a Sand Hill Crane and we finally got to the cabins right on 4 pm!

After settling in to the cabin and unpacking the car - no mean feat - we wandered down to the restaurant to get some food as we hadn't eaten since breakfast - we had to wait a few minutes as we were a little early and it wasn't open till 5:30 pm. We had an OK meal - not great - although we washed it down with a rather nice Pino Grigio.

Dinner over we wandered back to the cabin to pick up sweaters as it had started to get a bit cold and we then went for a circular walk down by the lake. Of course we got slightly lost but did manage to see a couple of eagles, a woodpecker and a number of chipmunks and squirrels - unfortunately I only had a wide angle lens on the camera so didn't get a shot of any of them!

Tomorrow we plan to do some washing in the morning and maybe another walk and then go into Jackson for a late lunch and to pick up our friend George who is joining is for 3 weeks at the airport. Lets hope the weather is a little better in the park tomorrow.

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