yellow stone, blue waters

after a few days exploring denver and its environs we headed off on a little adventure. we picked up our rental car (a trek in itself since to get a good deal we had booked one quite south of town), loaded up some groceries and borrowed camping supplies and set out on the road. our destination was yellowstone which meant we would be driving through essentially all of wyoming. our rental car jaunt had taken so long that we were able to avoid denver rush hour and soon the city was behind us. the landscape along the highway was fairly unremarkable and after a few hours we were at the wyoming border - a new state for both of us.

changing wyoming landscape

shortly after we stopped in cheyenne for lunch. we found a nice hole in the wall called the albany, which had a companion liquor store next door, right next to the old train depot. we were served incredibly quickly and enjoyed a substantial lunch. we walked around the town a bit, popped into an antique store along the main drag and watched a few carriage tours go by. the town wasn't big but probably would have been worth a short visit but we thought we'd better get back on the road. our first views of wyoming weren't spectacular - long rolling plains with little to see except the snow fences that keep snowdrifts from blocking the roads (which apparently locals sometimes joke are 'stands for the antelope races', har har). after a while, though, the views got more interesting with mountains in the distance, some scrubs of yellow wildflowers here and there and even the occasional groups of antelopes.

where the antelope play

we hardly stopped at all (apart from the welcome center and to top off our gas) yet it was getting dark by the time we made it to cody. a little western tourist town that lays claim to buffalo bill as its namesake (william f. cody, i believe). the main drag seemed like bars and souvenir shops dotted with neon in that old timey saloon font. we stopped for a nice dinner, figuring we weren't going to make it to yellowstone before dark anyway. from cody it was almost another hour before we were inside the park and then another 30 minutes before we were at the lodge. it was a little surreal driving through yellowstone in the dark - knowing the towering fir trees were all around us but not knowing what else was beyond them. we made it to the lodge by about 10 and checked in to our rustic little cabin with no problem. it was very simple - tiny bathroom, sink, and a bed with bears and trees dotting the comforter. it was perfect for us and we made it an early evening.

elk sighting!

the next morning we were up early to catch morning light in the park. our campsite, if  you will, was right on yellowstone lake so as we drove into the park we had lovely views of the lake and mountains in the distance - we even saw a few elk at the water's edge! our first stop toward the center of the park was isa lake, one that JR had added to our itinerary. it seemed unassuming but in fact it's a small lake right on the continental divide, which means that in the spring as the mountain snows melt some of the water flows to the gulf of mexico while the rest goes to the pacific. all from this tiny, lilypad-covered lake. pretty amazing.

bright colors

in spite of our stops we wanted to make it to old faithful before the next eruption. in spite of being one of the most predictable (but not the most) geysers, there's enough variation between each eruption that it was hard for us to predict when the next one would happen. it was clear when we got there, though, that it had already happened. the many benches around the geyser were empty so we figured we were a bit too late. we checked the next predicted time and regrouped.

sapphire pool

we headed to a nearby area that has a lot of smaller hot springs and geysers, the hilariously named biscuit basin. i have to say overall i was impressed with the names of the geysers. most seemed pretty apt, which must have been tough at some point since they number into the thousands. we took a short walk onto the boardwalk, seeing plumes of steam rising in the distance. as we got farther into the basin we started seeing deep brownish oranges, beautiful turquoise blues and bright yellows. the colors were incredible and the way the springs seemed to go down into oblivion looked other-worldly.

ye olde faithful

we were so engrossed we had to rush a bit to make sure we didn't miss old faithful again. we made it back to the site and it was a different scene than before - the rows of benches around the geyser were filled with people. old faithful wasn't actually as reliable as it would seem - it didn't go off until several minutes after the predicted window. it was very tall - but the whole thing was over pretty quickly. from there we walked on to the rest of the upper geyser basin, a bit of a walk with a number of thermal features. the variety is stunning - some that erupt every twenty minutes, some a year and a half.

morning glory pool

then there's the size and shape of the geysers - some built up with layers of stone, some sunken into the ground. it's really amazing. also on our walk we saw our first buffalo - he was fairly far from us but seemed close to the other side of the path we could see in the distance. the people along the path seems to be pretty close to the wild animal! eventually we made it to morning glory pool, the destination at the end of this walk, with beautiful yellows and greens. it was an impressive sight, but even moreso when the sun peeked out from behind the clouds - you could really see the contrast and details in the pool. on our walk back to the parking lot it started to rain a bit and i thought the sky might stay cloudy the rest of the day.

prism from the ground

luckily it didn't because our next stop was the one i most anticipated - grand prismatic spring. by the time we got there, just a short way down the road, the sun was already out and it was actually getting fairly warm. this basin has four enormous geysers/hot springs (i'm honestly not totally sure what the difference is). the first you approach is excelsior geyser crater, with beautiful turquoise waters and steam rising steadily from the depths. following the boardwalk you pass opal and turquoise pools, which seem less impressive only by comparison.

steam rising from excelsior geyser

the main event is the grand prismatic spring, so named for the dazzling spectrum of colors visible in and around the pool. what might be more amazing is that more people don't fall into the steaming water just next to the boardwalks. there are few railings and it's barely raised above the ground. but if you look closely you can see little dead bugs floating in the water. my one disappointment of our jam-packed day in the park was that we weren't able to see the spring from above for that spectacular view of the full spectrum. there's a hiking trail that has a small offshoot where people have clambered up to get views but they were actually building a walkway to this overview when we were there. didn't do us much good but it sounds like it's necessary.

plateaus at mammoth hot springs

from there we found a nice little field to stop in for lunch. we spread our fruits and sandwiches on the table for a little picnic and hoped to see some animals stroll by. mostly we saw bugs although we did spot a deer amble through the field at one point. from here we headed to around to the northern part of the park, stopping at a waterfall along the way. eventually we made it to the very top of the park and stopped at mammoth hot springs. some of the springs were dried up but you could see where the sediments had been deposited and built up in different colors. the whole plateau really is other-worldly. in fact it was used in a star trek movie as the backdrop for vulcan. the sun was still out which made the terraces of painted rocks really glow as we climbed up the side of the hill. this was also the only point during the trip where i felt winded sooner than i think i would have normally. which at an elevation of 8,000 feet is probably normal. after a quick visit to use the visitor centers' wifi (cell service being something of a rarity in the park, at least for me) and bathrooms we made our way back down to the eastern side of the park.

variegated canyon

our last big destination was the so-called grand canyon of yellowstone. i was hoping we would get there before it got too dark although it was hard not to stop and admire the view as the landscape seemed to change every few miles. from some spots we could see the smoke rising in the distance from the forest fires that had been burning for a few weeks. despite a few pit stops, including one for a petrified tree and a black bear on the side of the road (our first bear sighting!).

falls in the distance

by the time we made it to artist's point the sun was starting to go down but we could still make out the beautiful colors of the canyon's hills and the falls in the distance. the variety in this park is really unbelievable - there's enough diversity for there to be at least three different parks. we drove a little ways back on the road and parked at a different spot where we could get a view of the other falls. on the walking trail we spotted a little porcupine who didn't seem to mind us walking closer and taking some photos.

geysers everywhere

by the time we left, the sun was beginning to go down and i had hoped to find a nice spot in the hayden valley to watch the sunset. we drove along and got some nice views of the winding river and the valley - not much wildlife though. there was a clearly popular overlook that was packed, so we drove on. a little past the crowds we stopped so J.R. could see some of the mud pots.

sundown on the river

on the other side of the road i noticed a small clearing near the river. i climbed down a small hill to the riverbank and got some lovely views of the sun going down over the water with some steaming geysers in the distance. after a few (dozen) photos i crossed the street to join J.R. at the mud pots just before it was too dark to see them. from there it was a short drive back to our campsite, although it was disrupted a bit by the buffalo ambling down the road and walking in front of our car. by the time we got back we were ready to have a quick (albeit mediocre) dinner at the lodge cafeteria and lie down. although i'm sure there was more to see in the park - and it would've been cool to pop into montana - i think we did a pretty great job of hitting the highlights especially in a day.

black pool

the next morning we were up early to head down to the tetons - it's a quick drive but we wanted a full day in that park too. on our way our of yellowstone we stopped at another small geyser basin (west thumb) we hadn't visited the day before. we saw a few of the mud pots, bubbling up in that brown milky water. we saw a few other of the more colorful geysers and some that were right up along the shore of the lake. it's a huge lake but since we were only along the west 'thumb' part that juts out it didn't look quite so expansive. we also saw a few chipmunks, which happened to be one of the last animals we saw and (funnily enough) one of the animals JR had never seen. we reluctantly bid farewell to yellowstone and its colorful anomalies and headed south toward the tetons.

coulter bay cairn

there are only a few miles of that drive in between parks - along the way we followed the river and some small wildflowers. we weren't sure exactly when we made it into the grant tetons park, since there was no sign welcoming us, much less a ranger station or gate. odd. before long though we had gorgeous views of those beautiful peaks rising up on our right. before too long we made it to coulter bay, where our campsite was. we were actually supposed to stay in an area in between the parks but a few days before we were told they were closing early due to wildfires in the area. this may have worked out better though - we managed to get a slightly cheaper campsite in the park. we still had a picnic table and fire pit but our lodging was less of a cabin and more of a hybrid - it had two walls made of wood and two of canvas, with a little wood stove for warmth. it was a bit strange but still fun.

fall colors in early september??

we explored the area near our campsite area - coulter bay has lovely views of the mountains and blue waters - before driving through the park. we drove south through the park, stopping periodically for the incredible views. i swear you can't take a bad picture in this park. we stopped at some particularly scenic overlooks, including willow flats, where we got our first glimpse of fall colors. since those don't typically make it to south carolina until at least months later that was a bit of a surprise.
every now and then we had to stop for another photo - wildflowers, horses grazing. all perfectly picturesque. at one point we stopped for a small jaunt to see a historic cabin (JR's favorite stops). built in 1885 and though it was quite modest, i don't think you could get a better view if you tried.

cunningham cabin

 eventually we came to the celebrated snake river overlook, made famous by ansel adams. although the trees have since grown up, obscuring the full view of the winding river, the vista remains stunning. here we got a view of not only the evergreens but a few changing leaves as well. once we got close to the bottom of the park we stopped at a few more historic structures in a little area called menor's ferry. first we popped into a tiny little chapel (chapel of the transfiguration) and then a few small houses and barns near the river (hence 'ferry'). one house was instrumental as the site of talks about preservation of the tetons and another was restored as a home and general store. we picked up some huckleberry (there's huckleberry everything here) soda and sarsaparilla along with some huckleberry muffin mix (see?) for when we got home. the sodas made for a good addition to our picnic lunch, which we had along the road with a lovely view. our trip to trader joe's really was probably one of the best decisions we made - sandwiches, snacks, and fruit made for perfect lunches.

last bit of light on the lake

since we only had the better part of a day and a bit of the morning in the park we had to be selective with how we used our time. we bought a little book with hikes in the park and found one we thought would be good. we got to jenny lake and somehow found a spot in the very crowded parking lot. we decided to take a boat across the lake and hike the few miles back. on our boat ride we got the very last glimpse of sunlight before the skies clouded over and drizzle began.

vegetation at the water's edge

the first part of our hike was uphill toward a small overlook. on the way we crossed a few small bridges over creeks and modest waterfalls and saw the beginnings of some fall colors in the growth close to the ground. eventually the rain picked up and we started to worry about lightning or just getting soaked so we headed back downhill and started to make our way back around the lake. the views weren't spectacular but i'm sure they would have been a bit better had the skies cleared and we could see farther. we did spot a deer at one point along the trail but otherwise not much wildlife. maybe they were hiding from the rain too. after another hour or so we made it back to the start and luckily the skies hadn't opened up. it was beginning to get a bit dark so we started back up the park towards our campsite. back at the bay we popped into the cafe to get a few local beers, write some postcards and of course make use of the wifi.

coulter bay at sundown

we lingered at the cafe until the sun started to go down and then walked to the water's edge to get a better look. back at our campsite we tried to get a fire going before it got too dark to see. we had gathered some sticks and found newspapers to use for kindling so before long we had a nice little fire. we roasted some sausages (again, courtesy of TJ's) and had ourselves a modest dinner.

bay views

by nightfall it was starting to get quite cold so we stayed around the fire as much as we could without getting smoke in our eyes. not wanting to linger outside we made an early night of it. the cabin was definitely rustic, which was fun but didn't make for lounging. this was probably for the best since i'd made plans to be up early to catch the sunrise.

ansel's view, thick with clouds

i surprised myself by actually dragging myself out of bed (cot) at some ungodly hour in anticipation of the sunrise. it was still quite cold and the roads were dark and deserted but in about a half hour i made it to snake river overlook which i figured was a good a view as any for what i hoped would be a good sunrise. i waited quite a while, hoping the sun would dramatically break through the clouds behind the peaks.

horsing around

though it eventually did, the sun was fairly high in the sky and so it was less dramatic than i had hoped for. still, there were some lovely views of the sun glowing on the hills below. and along my drive back there were beautiful views of horses grazing in the morning light. by the time i made it back JR was awake, to my surprise, so we packed up the car and got on the road.

john moulton's well-placed barn

as we drove through the park for the last time the skies began to clear so we had some nice parting shots of the tetons. one of the best of course was moulton's barn - surely one of the most picturesque and photographed barns in the country - on a little stretch of land called mormon's row. we stopped for a little while admiring the views of the cabin, the thistle growing up around the property and of course the peaks looming in the distance. there were a few other old buildings around so we, along with the other tourists, tramped around getting other views. in fact this was probably the spot in which we saw the most tourists. this park seemed much less crowded than yellowstone for whatever reason. naturally yellowstone is more famous but the views in the tetons are stunning and being so close i can't imagine why people wouldn't visit both parks. their loss! as we drove out of the tetons and into jackson hole we reflected back on our whirlwind days in the parks and agreed that if we'd had more time in the tetons we would've loved to go for a horseback ride. i can't imagine a better setting to do that in.

overgrown wildflowers at the fossil cabin

jackson hole was a neat little town - touristy of course but not necessarily kitschy. there was a little market going on as we drove through and we stopped briefly in the hopes of finding some handmade souvenirs. no luck, as it was more of a farmer's market than anything. still, it seemed like a fun town that would've been worth a visit. we drove a slightly different route back through wyoming which means we ended up seeing a fair amount of the state. we stopped at a great little brewery/burger place for lunch and made a detour to see the old 'fossil cabin' (once a little tourist trap for those interested in dinosaur fossils) but for the most part powered through to colorado. we stopped for dinner and a distillery in fort collins, missing the tour de fat (fat tire brewery's big bike ride) by mere hours. it seemed like a fun town that we'd love to go back to. eventually we made it back to denver, stopping at a couple of the other places on our list - namely a bar filled with trees (forest room five) and a famous hot doggery (biker jim's gourmet dogs). with a very long drive and all these pit stops you can imagine it was quite late before we made it to the rental car place (which, remember, was pretty far south of town) and even later when we made it back to courtney and mike's place. we both agreed that it was worth it though - better to have a fun day on the road than just drive straight and not enjoy it. all in all, a very busy couple of days with some incredible views. now we're figuring which other national parks are next on our list...