Right place, right time

Another beautiful day at Yellowstone National Park. I took it easy by revisiting areas I enjoyed last year. I started out at the Upper Geyser Basin...that's the area around the Old Faithful geyser. As soon as I entered the visitor's center there, I noted the sign indicating the next scheduled eruption of Old Faithful. I got there just in time...it was in the next 10 minutes...give or take 10 minutes! Old Faithful is pretty faithful, but not pinpoint on the dot accurate. I then realized I forgot my camera in the Blazer. I rushed to the parking lot and got back just in time. But, it was early morning...around 8:30 am...and the cool temperatures created a lot of steam that obscured much of the fountain. That was okay. I figured I could probably catch another eruption later on...Old Faithful goes off about every 90 minutes.

As I walked back into the visitor's center to pick up a trail guide, a ranger announced that the Beehive geyser was going to erupt in about 20 minutes. Now this was an unexpected surprise. This particular geyser can erupt about 2 or 3 times a day...or just a few times a week. It has no set schedule. I quickly made my way out on the boardwalk to the geyser. Sure enough, the Beehive erupted...and put on a spectacular show! Because the Beehive has such a narrow cone, the water shoots like a fire hose. I captured the moment on video...the image below is a screen grab.

 

The rest of my day had more of the same...being in the right place at the right time. Some geysers erupt pretty often, or you can view pools that are constantly churning and spouting. Others may take awhile and most people don't like to wait around much...myself included. Next, I made my way of the Observation Point trail...and Solitary Geyser. This geyser was not that exciting...it spurted up a couple feet...but, it was a nice walk through a wooded area. Because I was all alone and kind of isolated from anyone else, I used my bear bell for the first time. It rings a little as you walk, and just lets bears know that you are around, which is a good idea in Yellowstone. When I returned to the main geyser basin, I was lucky to be there when the Plume Geyser erupted. And, the Sawmill Geyser put on an impressive display.

 

At noon, I was ready for lunch. Rather than the usual packed lunch, I decided to splurge a bit and eat at the restaurant in the Old Faithful Inn. It was my first sit down meal on my entire road trip! Afterward, I had one last chance to see Old Faithful...and the timing was right. Things went much better the second time aroung...I got a nice view of the geyser's famous plume.

 

I spent the rest of the afternoon viewing other hydrothermal sights at Black Sand and Biscuit Basins, and also Midway and Lower Geyser Basins. More small geyser eruptions, Fountain Paint Pots and beautiful pools...I love the blue ones the best!

 

My road trip is just about over...making the long drive back home starting tomorrow! Nothing on the agenda, just drive, drive, drive. I hear it might rain tomorrow night...now that's welcome news. The sunny skies that I've enjoyed throughout my trip has been nice, but I miss the rain...and cooler temps...and my own bed.

A whole lotta hot water

The weather was just beautiful at Yellowstone National Park today. Temperatures hovered around freezing as I entered the park and took the road north to Mammoth Hot Springs, but warmed up later. My first destination was the terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs. There was a nice boardwalk that allowed visitors to see the geothermal activity, both old and current.

 

After inquiring at the visitor center in Mammoth, I headed a couple miles up the road to see the Boiling River. A short hike brought me to literally to a river of hot water bubbling out of a bank, which joined the adjacent Gardner River. Where boiling water meets cold mountain water...a natural hot springs! There were about a dozen people in the soaking pools fashioned out of smooth river rock. I didn't join them, but I DID feel the water...yeah, it was comfortably warm! When I backtracked to Mammoth, there was a minor commotion in town. Sitting on the lawn next to a building was an adult bull elk! In the fall, male elk can get pretty aggressive, so the Park Service tries to keep people safe. In this case, traffic cones were set up to create a perimeter around the elk. After snapping a few pics, I left the elk still sitting there.

I spent the rest of the day looking at a petrified tree, seeing more geothermal features at Artists Paintpots and admiring the various falls around the park. One especially picturesque sight was the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. It has been said this canyon is as impressive as the real Grand Canyon, but I just know it made for a great photo!

 

Tomorrow, I revisit Old Faithful. The last time I saw the famous geyser, I saw it erupt from afar. This time, I want to be right there. I just hope I time it right...it only goes off approximately every 90 or so minutes. And, I don't want to wait that long!

Grand Tetons: Above The Timberline

When I left my hotel in Jackson, WY this morning, it was chilly...38 degrees! Brrrr! I had to put on my Five For Fighting hoodie, at least till the sun was up for a couple of hours. I was excited for my first visit to Grand Teton National Park. I knew the mountain views would be awesome, and I was looking forward to getting some nice photos. My enthusiasm was dampened a bit when I noticed a smoky haze in the sky. It appeared the park service was conducting a prescribed burn, which took away what should have been pristine views. Oh, well. I made the best of things, and it actually cleared up as I traveled north through the park. I managed to get some pretty decent shots of the peaks.

 

While at Grand Teton, I decided to have an early lunch. I stopped at a picnic area and found a table in the sun to eat the supermarket sushi I had bought yesterday. When I entered the park, I got the latest copy of the newspaper given to visitors and I looked through it as I ate. It mentioned being careful about bears, and said they might even show up at picnic areas. I found myself looking around me occasionally during my lunch. I didn't want a bear to sneak up and try to steal my sushi!

As the afternoon rolled around, I drove north and crossed into Yellowstone National Park. I had visited this park last year (see blog Geysers Are Cool, But Bison Rule) , but only had one day to look at the most popular areas, such as the Old Faithful geyser basin. This time around, not only would I have the rest of the afternoon, I had another two days to hopefully see everything I missed last time around. I saw some interesting volcanic features by taking the road less taken in the eastern side of Yellowstone. No spouting geysers, but a lot of steaming and bubbling pools.

 

Tomorrow, I'll be seeing more of Yellowstone that I've never laid eyes on before. Even though I'm not planning on doing any real hiking, I'll still be negotiating the paved trails and boardwalks around the hydrothermal features. Only four more days of road tripping...

Hello, Wyoming!

Left Vernal, CO with an easy day on the agenda...just a couple of museums to visit. As I crossed the Wyoming state line, I saw what you would expect from the Cowboy State. Actually, it's officially the Equality State, but the miles of open range on either side of the road made the Cowboy State more fitting. I hadn't gone that far when I spotted my first real herd of wild pronghorn. Yeah, I saw some pronghorn at Bryce Canyon National Park, but those were transplanted there. I pulled over to the side of the road, and tried to snap a photo of the 15 or so animals, but they were moving pretty fast and I could only manage one shot.

 

I stopped by Pinedale, WY to visit the Museum Of The Mountain Man. During the heyday of fur trapping, western Wyoming was the center of action, and this museum displayed much of that history. Later in the afternoon, I arrived at Jackson, WY, my pit stop for the night. It was here that I checked out the Jackson Hole Historical Museum. One exhibit I found most interesting was a list and map of movies filmed in the area. Not surprisingly, many western films were produced nearby...Shane was one of them. Also, more recent and well-known flicks, such as A River Runs Through It, Every Which Way But Loose and Dances With Wolves.

When I got to my hotel, I was pleasantly surprised to find I had a suite reserved for me. I had booked my room online and selected a room with a couple of queen beds. But, it wasn't costing me anything additional...hey, I'll take it! Tomorrow, I'm looking forward to my first visit to Grand Teton National Park. This afternoon, as I traveled to Jackson, I noticed many of the trees were already showng their fall colors. I hope to see more of that at the park. My camera is ready!

Old bones are good bones

Compared to my previous week, today was a relatively easy day. For one, the weather was a little cooler...mid-80s. I visited Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado with the hope of seeing a few fossils. Unfortunately, their new visitor center was still under construction, meaning their main dinosaur quarry exhibit was not available for viewing. I settled for the alternate plan...a short ranger-guided tour of the Fossil Discovery Hiking Trail. This was actually pretty cool because not only did I still see dinosaur bones embedded in rock, I could actually touch them, too.

 

After the tour, I did a short hike to a box canyon, then checked out some nice petroglyphs. Tomorrow, I'm planning an even easier day...museums! I've been doing a lot of hiking...I need a break. In fact, I think I might be done with the all-day hikes for the rest of my road trip. From now on, slow walks and auto touring! Oh, speaking of auto, I forgot to mention a couple days ago that my trusty Blazer hit 200,000 on the odometer! She has taken me on many great road trips, and hope my groupie mobile has a few more left in her!

Death defying day

I wanted to get an early start on my day at Arches National Park. Mainly to beat the heat...90 degrees was forecasted...but, also to beat the inevitable weekend crowd. When I visited the park last year (see blog post "The Real Golden Arches"), I saw a lot of arches, but I missed some, too. Those arches would require some hiking...and a bit of risk taking on my part. I arrived at Arches promptly at 7:00 am, the sun just coming over the horizon. My first hike of the day was the 3 mile round trip to the park's famous Delicate Arch. I left the Wolfe Ranch trail head at 7:30 and made good time, the biggest challenge being a very steep walk over slickrock...that's bare stone that can be slippery when wet or icy. But, the slickrock was dry, and an hour later, I made it to the end of the trail...and Delicate Arch!

The view from the arch was awesome, and I had to be very careful walking on the rock to get closer to it. One misstep and over the edge I would go and...well, it's best not to think about something that didn't happen. The hike back went much faster as it was pretty much all downhill. When I reached the parking lot, I quickly hopped in my Blazer and headed north to the Devil's Garden trailhead. By now, it was 10:00 am and temperatures were well into the 70s. Last year, I only walked about a mile to Landscape Arch. This time, I planned to go farther, hiking the full 5 miles to Double O Arch and back, with side trips to Partition and Navajo Arches. I knew the trail was going to be a bit challenging, but I almost changed my mind when presented with a huge...and potentially dangerous...section of slickrock. I mean, it was REALLY steep!

That little hump of rock right above the tree was the most frightening for me. Hard to get around and over going up, and even harder when coming back down. In fact, it was the descent that could have been fatal. It's a good thing I'm not afraid of heights. But, it was all worth it in the end. Partition Arch was particularly beautiful.

It was at this arch that a humorous incident occurred. It was right before I took the photo shown above. Three guys with pretty fancy cameras were taking photos of the arch. They were all moving around trying to get the best shots. I was getting ready to take some shots of my own when I heard one of them talking about how people just stand in the way and ruin the shot. He kept at it, and I realized he was directing his comments...but not directly at...a young woman standing right next to the arch. I finally told him why he just didn't say something to her. I guess he was just being too polite, so I decided to do it for him. I got her attention, and made it clear that the guy was trying to take a photo without her in it, and to please move to the side. I think she may have been a foreign visitor because she initially didn't seem to comprehend. But, when I added my hand gestures, she moved enough for the guy to get his shot. He complimented my technique...admitted I said it better than he would have. Afterward, he laughed and said the photo probably wouldn't be that great anyway!

After 8 miles...and about 5 1/2 hours of hiking...I was hot and exhausted. Yes, it was 90 degrees when I finished my ordeal. I'm seeing cooler temperatures are just over the horizon. It can't come soon enough for this Pacific Northwesterner.

A road...and a trail...less taken

I left the tiny town of Torrey, UT, having spent a very nice night at the Days Inn there. I'm staying at a LOT of Days Inns on this trip, but some...like this one...are better than others. A perfect shower set up and SOFT towels can make all the difference in the world. Oh, and then there was the small rubber duck in the bathtub...don't know what that was all about.

I drove about ten minutes east to the park of the day... Capitol Reef National Park.  Never heard of it?  It sits between Bryce Canyon and Canyonlands, but I have a feeling most people just pass it by.  That's a shame.  Capitol Reef has some awesome rock formations, too and really nice trails.  I had two such trails on my agenda today.  The first...Capitol Gorge trail...is located at the end of the main park road, then another two miles more along a dirt road.  My Blazer handled the sometimes rough road just fine.  The Capitol Gorge trail proved to be a wonderful hike. A 2 1/2 mile round trip, the walk takes you up a dirt and gravel wash with steep canyon walls on either side.

 

Along the way, you can see petroglyphs both very old and somewhat newer.  Rock drawings done by ancient ancestors of the Fremont Indians, and graffiti placed by Mormon settlers  in the late 1800s and early 1900s. As I was returning to the parking lot, I encountered a group of guys walking in the opposite direction. From their accents, they sounded like Australians or New Zealanders.  They asked me if I could take a couple of photos of them. One guy handed me his smart phone and another his digital camera.  I happily obliged, and they were very appreciative!

My second planned hike was the more challenging trail to Hickman Bridge...a natural stone arch. The first part of the two mile hike consisted of a series of ascending switchbacks up a dirt and rock trail. It gave me quite a workout, made even worse by the increasing heat of the day. The payoff was worth it, though...the view was impressive.

 

After taking pictures of the arch, the return trip to the parking lot was easier, mainly because the trail was mostly downhill. I met an older couple on the way back and chatted with them a bit. They said they were from Wisconsin, and like myself, they were not used to the heat either. I guess where they live, the weather is similar to what I'm used to. Tomorrow, I'm planning a couple more hikes at Arches National Park. It's supposed to be another scorcher. So, what's new?

Bryce is nice

Beautiful weather for Day 7 of my road trip. I left Cedar City, UT and made the short drive to Cedar Breaks National Monument. It was downright chilly this morning...40 degrees! I had to put on my trusty Five For Fighting hoodie. The park was almost deserted...it's a pretty small one. It was kind of early for really good views of the rocky vistas...the sun wasn't quite right yet.

I took a few pics and went on a short hike on the Alpine Pond loop trail. It was a pretty easy walk except for one steep section. I had to rest a few times, probably because the 10,400 foot altitude affected me a bit. My high point of the day was a visit to Bryce Canyon National Monument. Personally, I think this park is even better than Zion, with scenery that rivals even the Grand Canyon. I drove along the park road to the very end, then backtracked, stopping at vista points along the way. Awesome scenery and perfect weather...what could be better? Oh, I saw my first wild pronghorn antelope!

One thing I've noticed after a week on the road and seven national parks visited. Most of my fellow tourists have consisted of retirees and foreign travelers. Almost no kids...except for the occasional baby. I guess it makes sense, since families tend to vacation during the summer, and everyone is now working or going to school. It makes it easier for me...less crowds, for the most part. It looks like another couple days of hot weather, then...cooler temps for the rest of my trip. And, NO RAIN in the forecast!

Knight in shining armor...or a ranger

I was hoping to leave my worst day ever behind and start afresh today. I got up extra early to do a little shopping. I visited the Walmart Superstore in Hurricane, UT at 7:00 am. It was pretty deserted at that hour. I had noticed I was consuming my bottled water faster than expected, thanks to the terrible heat I've been experiencing for most of my road trip. So, I picked up a case of water. One special item I needed to get was soda. Now, you're thinking I could get that anywhere, anytime. Unfortunately, they don't sell my favorite Diet Code Red Mountain Dew in Washington...or Oregon or Idaho or even northern California! I picked up three half cases for myself, plus another three for a friend who can't live without it. The heat also made me realize I could use something for my head. I selected a visor to shield my face from the sun. Finally, I grabbed a sandwich for lunch. When I got to Walmart, it was still dark. As I exited the store, the sun was coming up.

I got to my destination for the day... Zion National Park...around 8:00 am. It was still pretty early. I had no problem finding a parking space. Zion utilizes shuttles to transport visitors from one end of the park to the other. They are numerous, so you never have to wait more than 5-10 minutes at each stop. I opted to ride the shuttle to the final northern stop to hike the popular Riverside Walk. When I started out on the paved trail, I noticed it was a little chilly! I'm thinking low 60s with a breeze. Actually, it felt pretty good to this Northwesterner who prefers temps like that!

It was about 1.5 miles round trip and pretty much flat...I like easy trails. As I was making the return trip, the serenity was broken by the sound of chattering...kids! There is no such thing as a quiet child! It was a school group going in the opposite direction. I'm glad I got there early!

I took the shuttle south to the half mile Weeping Rock trail...short, but a bit steep. As I was going back down, I couple of older women greeted me. They had seen me on the Riverside Walk, and noted that I walked faster than them! They were cheerful and very friendly. My final hike of the day was the Lower Emerald Pool trail. This one was about a mile in length. By now, it was getting rather hot, and this trail didn't have as much shade. There was a humorous moment when I saw the two ladies again...and again while I was leaving and they were arriving. Again, they made note at how fast I walked! Oh, I guess I should mention Zion is most famous for its steep canyons and beautiful red rocks. And, I DID take a lot of photos!

After lunch and a visit to the small park museum, I was ready to leave. When I got to my Blazer, it was blazing in the hot sun. The door handle was very hot...ouch! As soon as I opened the door, I knew something was wrong. I didn't hear my auto cooler operating. Sure enough, I tried starting the engine and the battery was dead! Great! My cooler drained the battery in the five hours I was away. My other auto cooler actually had a feature that turned off the cooler rather than drain the battery...obviously, this one didn't do that! I knew it would take AAA awhile to get to the park, so I decided to ask the park staff for help. I went into the visitor center, and asked the ranger at the information booth if I could get a jump start. To my relief, she made a call, and told me another ranger would arrive in about five minutes. I returned to my car, and in no time, he arrived. Hmm...he was kinda cute! His truck had a built in plug in the bumper and a couple minutes later, I was in business. Oh, I must mention he saw my FFF FAN license plate, and asked me what I was a fan of. I explained to him... Five For Fighting...musical artist...Superman and 100 Years? The nice ranger was totally clueless. Oh, well. That's nothing new. Not everyone knows who Five For Fighting is. I guess I should have played my 100 Years CD? On the other hand, he probably had other visitors to rescue.

I had one more place to go before my nightly pitstop. Kolub Canyons is officially part of Zion National Park, but since it is in the far northwest corner and away from the main area, most people bypass it. They really shouldn't. The Kolub Canyons overlook is only five miles from the interstate, and provides equally awesome views of the red rocks.

 

Tomorrow...more rocks! Cedar Breaks National Monument and Cedar Breaks National Park. The weather forecast says the 70s. Ahh, finally...cooler!

When it rains, it pours

I got a late start this morning. Before leaving Reno, I wanted to fill my gas tank. I located a 76 station via the internet...I have a 76 gas card...and used my GPS to direct me. When I got there, I found it WASN'T a 76 station, at least not anymore. Not wanting to search around for another, I went ahead and filled up. Next, I planned to pick up a quick breakfast from Burger King, but when I got to the location...yes, using the internet again...it was nowhere to be found. Two strikes already, and I hadn't even left town yet!

I had a long day of driving ahead of me...about nine hours worth. I would be traveling about 2/3 the length of Nevada...desert country. Things continued to work against me as I encountered two construction zones before the halfway point. Now, I didn't need this! My day would be long enough as it was with the long drive. Construction delays wouldn't make it any easier! At my midday pitstop in the town of Tonopah, I filled the tank again...my Blazer is kind of thirsty...and decided to pick up lunch. I went to a Subway, hoping to try out their new...and highly advertised...oven-baked crispy chicken sandwich. But, when I placed my order, the counter girl checked something behind her, then disappeared in a back room. When she returned, she told me they were out. HUH? It was 12:30 pm! How could they be out already! They had the whole day to go! Reluctantly, I ordered something else. At this point, I realized the planets were not aligned for me on this day.

As I continued south, my journey was slowed two more times by construction. One wait was almost a half hour! Needless to say, I was getting extremely frustrated. I had been planning to get my Blazer washed and make a necessary shopping trip. Now, I would be lucky to get to my hotel before dark...and I hate to drive after the sun goes down. Oh, another downside to the traffic stops for construction. When that happens, vehicles bunch up, particularly the big rigs and RVs. It makes it that much more challenging to pass the slower vehicles on the two-lane highways I was traveling on.

About 10 hours later, I checked into my hotel. What a day! I was hot, exhausted and hungry. When I got to my room, I found it warm and stuffy. Great. It took about an hour to get it comfortably cooled. To top it off, the free hotel internet is sluggish and forgot that I crossed over into the Mountain time zone. Which means I lost an hour AND I missed Survivor because prime time starts an hour earlier! Sigh. I'm ready for this day to be over. Tomorrow has to better! On a bright note, my Blazer performed beautifully in the 100+ degree weather. The air conditioning worked perfectly and it didn't get overheated. Pretty good for a ride pushing 200,000 miles. I love my groupie mobile!