On Our Trip Out West

Getting There
Well, what else can I say but that MapQuest logged our trip at just over 24.5 hours, so we knew it'd be a long one. I was particularly excited about driving through three states I have never been to before, bringing my total up to 37 out of 50. Not so bad, eh? Our route, as I mentioned in the previous post, involved seven states, including our own, and a fair share of iPod clickwheel spinning, musical chairs playing, and out the window watching. Oh, and Slurpees in Missouri which was, of course, a winner. I would have to say the drive was particularly enjoyable in Nebraska, where I-80 parallels the North Platte River coursing through farmland for most of the drive through the state and Wyoming, which is a land of varied geological formations and none too many people. Ah, and the world's largest jackalope.

The Destination(s)
Oh, my word. Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park are two of the most spectacular national landmarks I have ever visited. It is astonishing that for miles and miles, there is so much untapped natural beauty and that it is here, in our country. Not some other exotic place, but the United States of America. If you ever find yourself anywhere near the northwest corner of Wyoming, say on a trip to Montana, Idaho, or Jackson Hole, WY, please, for the love of all that is good and beautiful in this country and world, go.

Accommodations
Let me just say, we love camping. It helps that we own really great gear, which adds to the overall experience, but there's nothing like the rustic simplicity of falling asleep under a blanket of stars and then waking up, zipping open your tent door, and stepping out into nature (and a great view of it, at that). Well, we thought Grayton Beach was awesome back in March, and we were blown away by our stay at both GTNP and YNP.

For Grand Teton NP, we ended up at Signal Mountain Campground, which is rather central to the elongated park. We found an elevated site (#30, in case you were wondering) with a view of both Jackson Lake and the Teton range. Perfect and sheer luck (or blessing, really) because of our late arrival. We easily self-registered at the visitor center and soon settled into our temporary home. With space for two two-person tents, a picnic bench, a parking spot, and a grated firepit (on which we skillfully cooked pancakes and bacon, thankyouverymuch), you couldn't really ask for much else. The bathrooms and water pump were just a short walk down the hill, which gave us some good practice with the elevation on our later hikes. There's a campground convenience store, a gas-station, plenty of bear boxes in which dump your odorful garbage, and an incredible spot to watch the morning sun light up the Teton range across the lake. Exquisite.

For Yellowstone NP, we ended up at Norris Campground, which is also rather central to the vastness that is Yellowstone country. At the juxtaposition of the southern and northern loops, Norris campground is at the edges of the Norris Geyser Basin (this made for unique sounds throughout our evening there). I had chosen Norris not just because of its convenient location but because of the grassy meadow with the stream running through it. Beautiful. Well, again, thanks to divine intervention, we ended up at a site (Walk-in #2, again, in case you were wondering) with an incredible view, close parking, another picnic table and firepit, and the bathrooms just a short walk away.

Word to the wise: showers are not found at each restroom (we used Colter Bay Campground in GTNP and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel in YNP) and they cost money, but they're worth it.

Places to See... Things to Do
Driving is necessary to the experience of getting to the important places, so it's good we got some practice in on the way over. There's probably not a bad place to go in either park, nor a stupid thing to do, except doing nothing. I had done a lot of research (surprise, surprise) on both and felt I had come up with a pretty good itinerary for a mixture of both leisure, adventure, inspiring views, and must-sees.

In GTNP, we headed down early to Jenny Lake, rented two two-person kayaks, and set across her frigid waters to the opposite shore, where we hiked the Hidden Falls/Inspiration Point/Cascade Canyon Trail up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. Good hike (2 miles total, 1 mile in, 1 mile out, with some good elevation change) and really great views from the perch of Inspiration Point. After hiking back down, kayaking back across, and taking a much needed lunch break, we headed over to String Lake to hike the 3.5 mile String Lake Loop and take an unbelievably cold post-hike dip in String Lake. Other GTNP moments/places we enjoyed include: sunrise on the range at the shore of the campground, early morning, calm-water picture-taking at Oxbow Bend, a view of the sunset and the Snake River valley atop Signal Mountain, hearing elk bugle, the bald eagle and chipmunks at Jenny Lake, and the delicious feasts of Hormel chili we enjoyed one evening and campfire breakfast in the morning.

In YNP, we managed to see and do far more than I had ever expected. Considering it's such a large park, it's suggested you take plenty of time to see it all. Well, plenty was not quite in our bank of time for this trip, but it was still incredible. We attempted a strategy of attacking the southern loop first, giving us some time to see breathtaking canyon, waterfalls, and a plethora of geothermal oddities, do minimal walking/hiking (after our adventures in GTNP), and cruise along the Yellowstone River and Yellowstone Lake. Oh, and of course, see wildlife. Southern loop highlights include: the grand canyon of Yellowstone and upper falls from Artist Point, Old Faithful, the Middle Geyser Basin, Yellowstone River and Lake, the "Lord of the Rings" soundtrack, and lots and lots of bison. Our time on the Northern loop was a tad more active, with a stop at the Norris Geyser Basin, a 5.5 mile hike (roundtrip) up 1,500 feet to the 10,243 foot summit of Mt. Washburn (where we saw lupine, marmots, and all of Yellowstone), a short visit to Tower Fall, a visit to Mammoth Hot Springs, and a detour up to Montana (38!!!) to soak in the Gardiner River where it meets the hot springs of the Boiling River and generally acts as a hot tub. Oh, and we totally saw moose (topping bison, coyotes, elk, and mule deer any day), thanks to my strategic eating of Moose Tracks ice cream at a parlor earlier in the day and a subsequent prayer for a sighting. Okay, and because the Lord is good and we all insisted on going to see the Petrified Tree who was out-shined by these guest performers.

Coming Home
Leaving was the hardest part; forget not showering, hard hikes, and road work. We headed out late in a rainstorm, which was rather fitting. The sky was crying for us to leave such beauty. Our way back through Wyoming was slightly different than our way there, and we looked forward to our late-night diner stop in Cody (named, come to find out, for William Cody or "Buffalo Bill", the town's founder). Well, our late night diner (named "Granny's Kitchen") had closed by then, but a kind shift manager offered us to-go meals, which we greedily ordered, purchased, and devoured in the diner's parking lot. Best patty melt of my life.

Rain and slumber continued throughout Wyoming, where I took the Cheyenne, WY to Lincoln, NE shift and happily so, for my path was lit by the sunrise over Nebraska's flat lands. Nebraska was pretty much the same as we had left it, just less foggy, and we very much looked forward to Missouri, where we certainly did cry "Oh! Thank Heaven!" for that beacon of orange, green, and white on an exit somewhere in the middle of the state. Fueled by gasoline, an incredible adventure, and Slurpees, we arrived home late on the day after Labor Day, mourning the gem of our country we left 1700 miles behind and cherishing the memories we now carried with us.