Days 19-21

We started north through Wyoming and got into a whole lot of nothing. It seems that the entire eastern half of Wyoming is comprised of endless, monotonous beige hills. But then we hit the western part, where the mountains and rivers came out of nowhere. It was striking to see the contrast of the soft, low-lying sage brush to the tall, dark, pointed fir and spruce.

 We stopped a few times along the way to enjoy the massive rivers and incredible scenery, then drove straight into the Grand Teton National Forest. The Tetons are not a long range, but they are like natural sky scrapers! So tall and steep that the final approach to the summit on most of the peaks can only be acheived by some very technical rock climbing.

We opted to take a trail that went by Jackson Lake, the largest lake in the park, so that we could get a good view of the entire mountain range. When we got there, we actually turned back around to get our swimming suits because the pristine lake and surroundings beckoned so strongly. And it's a good thing we did, too. Though the water was frigid at first, it only took a little getting used to, then it felt great. Even purifying. At one point after diving many times in the deeper water in an attempt to touch the bottom, I swam out about a quarter of a mile to get a better view of the Tetons. Seeing those tall peaks, snow still clinging in the uppermost gorges, made me feel like a floating speck of dust. I laid back on the surface and looked at the cloudy sky with the mountains in my periphery, and lost track of which way was up. A little freaky, but it was cool to feel as if suspended in space even for a short time.

Being in a state of quietude around such stoic mammoths forces one to become introspective. Indeed a humbling experience.

Eventually Erica brought herself to take a quick dip as well, and she was happy for it. We left very fulfilled.

Before leaving the park we stopped by the small restaurant check on their prices. We found "Rocky Mountain Oysters" on the menu and HAD to give it a try. When in Rome, right? They were served deep fried. The flavor cannot really be properly described to someone that has not had them. They weren't bad though. Especially with the creamy dipping sauce that I didn't really care to know the ingredients of. Go try some bull nuts.

 It was a short drive from there to Yellowstone National Park. We were surprised by Lewis Canyon, a 200-foot-deep gash in the earth right next to the windy road, with a raging river in the bottom carving it still deeper. There were some stunning waterfalls on our way up to Old Faithful, and we kept stopping to take in the sights. We had our first sighting of a churning hot spring halfway there, and I got a piece of mud from inside the boundary (you are not supposed to cross over railings due to people falling through the thin crust over boiling springs) as a souvenir.

It was night by the time we reached Old Faithful. Every ninety minutes or so it will launch a boiling jet of super heated water and steam from between 100-200 feet into the air. We both have wanted to see that event for many years now, and the old geyser did not disappoint. In fact, from the moment we got there, we only had to wait 5 minutes until a violent boil signaled the beginning of the jet. It suddenly erupted, exploding higher and higher until it peaked at about 150 feet! It looked to me like the water main feeding the Devil's chambers had just burst into our world. The smell of sulfur was intense. Very rewarding.

Erica and I then went to one of the hotels that is constructed right there and used the facilities. Very rustic, old west architecture there. It was a treat just to be able to use those bathrooms. We slept at the luxurious Yellowstone Hotel that night, meaning in our car, in the parking lot. A good sleep nonetheless.

In the morning we had another good look at Old Faithful and then went to the even nicer hotel and hung out. We spent the rest of the day checking out just about every thermal feature on the landscape, from BEAUTIFULLY clear blue pools with deep bottoms to lethally acidic mud pots full of thick, bubbling pools of clay and minerals. The thermophilic bacterial form wonderfully colorful mats wherever the hot mineral water flows on the ground, and they made some pretty cool pictures.

We did a short hike there as well, up to Mystic Falls. They said it was as 70-foot waterfall, and I was very excited. What was not mentioned was that there were about 20 small hot springs feeding into the massive falls! We were happily surprised when we arrived, because you are very strictly forbidden as a visitor from touching any of the thermal features in the park and are constantly reminded of the very real danger of getting body parts boiled off or burned by acid or both. But here there were no barricades or signs or authority. Granted, the pools paled in comparison, but I was wanting to touch something since we got there. So I tried a pinkie finger first for acidity, and when nothing happened, I licked it. Nothing tasted or felt off, so I gave it a temperature-gauging touch. VERY hot in some places, but where it me the icy river water, it was PERFECT! I took off my boots and enjoyed the temperature swings in the mixing zone at the bottom of the falls for a long time.
What a treat to have such an intimate experience with this place.

As a huge storm system moved in, with plenty of lightning in the distance, we enjoyed a quick pine fire and toasted bread and tortillas until the fatter raindrops started to fall and swelled the river that we stopped next to. We observed the rest of the storm from the car, stretched out on the platform in back.

Now we are headed to the Salt flats in Utah, then Death Valley in Cali! Looking forward.

-Karl