Yellowstone
Sunday August 21 Somewhere in the Black Mt Hills of Dakota
Our Wild West adventure got off to a late start. Well, we we only left an hour and a half late which is early for us. We drove 13 hours with only a few bathroom breaks. Kim made popcorn, salad, zucchini brownies and all manner of stuff to make the ride fun.
We listened to the first three discs of Sea of Thunder. Bull Halsey was one crazy sonuvabitch and made one hell of a mistake. Is it wrong that all these years later I am fascinated by Admiral Ugaki. It is a perverse fascination, and I don't mean all those years later in the sense that I followed his career during WWII. I am not that f'in old. I mean...aw, skip it for now.
The last two hours of the drive, through darkness in the Black Hills were the only mild drag of the whole trip. The lights of Rapid City, SD @ 10:15pm were welcome lights indeed.
Checked into the Microhotel, ate a burger in a disoriented, Hasslehoffian fashion (even though I was sober) then passed out.
Monday August 22
Slept in and slept hard @ the Rapid City Microhotel. A fat man showed me the proper way to use the hospitality waffle iron. Ate waffles and watched CNN's useless montage of people jumping up and down in Tripoli. I'm glad that I am taking a week of following the news, but I miss the PBS Newshour. It's not that I am a fucking snob either, it's because I'm pretty fucking stupid. I need people talking, anchors talking to experts and giving me some context, considering unresolved issues and some thoughts on what might be coming next. All picture news gives me is a loud mouth bimbo asking some inane questions to a random douche on the street of wherever the action is, asking the douche 'how do you feel, describe the scene around you" then adding a one word adjective response for emphasis, finally telling viewers to go to her facebook page to tell her what we think.
On the recommendation of one of my coworkers we went to Bear County USA where bears walked up to our damned car. They are amazing creatures and I am proud that I did not shit myself. I also learned that arctic wolves are lazy bastards.
Mt. Rushmore was next. I've got to teach Alex the difference between Teddy Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman and that's all I have to say about that. I know it's been said before by commentators smarter and more poetic than me, but I love that Mt. Rushmore is and looks like an unfinished work, and not for the same reasons late progressives and those of their ilk - some find meaning in the monument being unfinished because America has a way to go before it fulfills all its promise and lives up to its ideals. I like thinking of it as unfinished because all regimes, even the best ones are unfinished. The work of man, even shit worth doing like making this great, imperfect land of ours almost always remains unfinished.
Drove through a large part of Wyoming where it is big and brown, desolate and wondrous with intermittent sunflower fields.
At about 6:30pm we saw the Big Horn Mts in the distance.
"Those mountains are bigger than Chicago," I said - knowing instantly how stupid I was for saying such a thing.
Kim said, "Honey there are a lot of things bigger than Chicago."
Like the Grand Tetons - YES!
sorry
As we approached the mountains I looked down at the GPS and it said it would be at least 4 1/2 hours before we reached our destination.
I asked my lady, “Where is the hotel for tonight?
“Powell, Wyoming.”
“And where is Powell my love?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is Powell on this side of the mountains?”
She looked at the big ass atlas (we still have one so the boy can see where we are)
Kim said, “Powell is on the other side of this stretch of the Big Horn Mountains.”
“So we are driving through these big ass mountians after dark,” I said like the worried boob I am.
“Big Horn Mountains,” said Alex laughing.
"We’re going to drive through the Big Horn Mountains at night?”
“It looks like it sweetie,” said Kim.
OK then.
Dusk fell on the mountains as we ascended. That’s not an attempt at poetry as it is exactly what happened.. I’m a shitty, shakey driver. The only mountains I’ve ever traversed at night were the Catskills and those were pimples compared to the Big Horns. Thank goodness it was pitch dark before we were even half way up the damned things. It has been said I don’t know which way is up the hill. That prophecy was fulfilled during this car ride.
We had perfect weather until we started driving in these inspiring and fucking scary mountains. Thunderless lightening ripped across the black mountain sky (not to be confused with Black Mountain Side, Back Mountain Side or White Summer)
I now understand why people like to get high in the mountains. Streaks of yellow and white light across an expanse of darkened nothingness at this altitude is some pretty cool shit.
Then I almost hit a herd of cattle as they were crossing a narrow pass. Ok there were only four sets of legs and one giant pair of balls but that constitutes a herd for this non-range riding dumbass.
Or is it "an herd"
Yeah, that's why I am a non-range riding dumbass.
A mile further down the road there was a warning sign indicating that this section of the road was in an "Open Range Area" and motorists should "Beware of Loose Stock and Roaming Animals"
"The cows should be grazing after this sign," I said.
"Cows can't read Dad."
The boy had a point.
A little further up the mountain another sign read, "Road Damage, Next 6 Miles"
Now this mountain road wasn't all that hot the first several miles into the drive, but the sign was right. Things got a fuck of a lot worse over the next six miles. First the guard rails disappeared, then the yellow line disappeared, then a fox ran right at our vehicle. I slowed down significantly after losing the yellow line so there was plenty of time to stop. We hadn't seen a car in awhile either so there was no need to worry about traffic coming up behind us.
Then we lost the road entirely. It was just plants and rocks and things. GPS said we were still on Alt 14 but for all I knew we were just driving straight up the mountain.
Road damage persisted for about ten miles after the first six miles of bad road. But the last ten were not quite as bad as the first six so that was something. Then began the descent. We knew there'd be a lot of going down
NOT THAT YOU SICK BASTARDS
but we could tell that we were heading down the other side after seeing signs that read, "Steep Grade Next Two Turns" and "Use Lower Gear" and "Runaway Truck Ramp." It was the last sign that made me wonder 'If a runaway truck is coming down the mountain behind us, what the hell are we supposed to do?' Then I started looking for Runaway Rav4 signs.
There was probably no danger coming from a runaway truck on this road at night. In fact since we began driving up the mountain I counted five cars coming from the other side and the only car following us pulled into a mountain resort about half way up the the Big Horns.
Apparently no tourists or locals or anyone were taking this narrow stretch of mountain road after dark...save a few cows, a confused fox and the Posegas on vacation.
Tuesday Aug 23
We spent the night in Powell, WY.
Why not?
It was the most western-looking Super 8 this side of the Pecos. OK, I'm not 100% sure which side of the Pecos we were on, suffice it to say this Super 8 provided a better western motif than any of the Best Westerns I have visited over the years. I say that without hesitation.
Drove through Cody and it was amazing and cheesy all at once. Now that's America in a nutshell.
Made it to Yellowstone's East Entrance before noon. Took a ride through different parts of the south loop and West Thumb that we wanted to visit tomorrow. It was a smart strategy because there was so much to see, we needed to begin cobbling together some semblance of a plan. We took a stroll along Yellowstone Lake then visited the some of the West Thumb Geysers nearest our campground in the Grant Village. Set up camp and Alex was a big help even though he cut himself twice on the same lodge pole pine while gathering kindling.
We had no idea what we were doing but we were having great fun. Kim made sloppy joes for our first night in the forest. I used the propane grill for cooking and we did not explode. Got all that stuff put away before we thought about building a regular fire. We attended a ranger campfire program about the best places to see wildlife in our portion of the loop There are two loops in this wondrous place and we are in what is called the Southern Loop. South Side all the way, even in our nation's first national park.
That's how we roll.
It's probably the wrong way to roll, but what're ya gonna do?
Got back late and we were too tired to build campfire. Big mistake. It got down to 44 degrees overnight, warm by Yellowstone at night standards, but some pretty chilly shit by Posegas in a tent standards.
We are doing the best we can at an elevation of 7,700 feet.
Wed August 24
Woke up cold but happy in our little tent. Saw Old Faithful then visited and took pictures of many more geysers and cool geothermal shit. The cracked earth, the smoke, the stink all reminded me of places I've lived after too many parties with too many pals.
Sorry Hank Williams
wha?
The number one place on Kim's mental list of places and things she wanted to see in Yellowstone was the Grand Prismatic Spring located next to the Excelsior Geyser (I think....there are so many damned miracles of nature in this joint it's hard to keep 'em straight). At the Grand Prismatic Spring there were colors and sensations I never thought I'd experience all at once standing next to rocks, water, smoke and wind. Colder winds from the mountains behind the springs came across the boiling water, sometimes bringing a refreshing breeze, sometimes bringing enough heat to open and stimulate every bit of skin on our faces, and sometimes the winds brought the noxious odor of brimstone churning just beneath the Earth's crust in this amazing place. So much of what we saw around that pool was shorthand for the Yellowstone experience, everything is beautiful and everything is dangerous.
Got held up by a bison related traffic jam on the way back to our digs in Grant Village. That's ok, we love being near these magnificent creatures even if there were two bulls fighting on the side of the road and the thuds were getting louder. Kim and Alex both got some great pictures here.
As soon as we reached the campground Alex wanted to call both sets of grandparents to describe his first full day in the park. Kim and I thought that would be fine. This is the vacation he suggested, we should let him tell some of the stories first. Kim and I got stuff out for the dinner. My lady made baked mostacholi and it was fabulous. I went down to the friendly folks at the Grant Village General Store/Service Station and got more ice to repack the coolers.
After the dinner stuff was put away, Alex and I built a big campfire. I bought firewood from the store earlier and we used a little newspapers, some pieces of the box that held the firewood and the kindling Alex gather to start a big ol' fire. We played cutthroat euchre (or Dirty Clubs as some folks call it where I am from) and warmed ourselves by the campfire until it was bedtime. Kim bundled herself up significantly before bedtime going as far as wearing Alex's alpaca Blackhawks hat to keep her sweet ears warm.
GO HAWKS!
GO CAMPING!
Super fun day.
Thursday Aug 25
Intermittent thundershowers throughout the night, but our little tent held up just fine. I was up at 6am but my little crew was still sleeping, probably due to the almost gentle sound of thunder and rain bouncing softly off the tent (and not our heads).
Loving being sober here in Yellowstone. Haven't had a drink since last Friday and don't miss it a damn bit. It's easy to stay straight surrounded by all this.
Everybody woke up about 7am and we made our way to the Hayden Valley. Two major bison jams on the way. Alex took some great action shots of adults and there were a few super cute red dogs (that's the nickname for their young) mixed in with the herd. Alex got some more pics of elk, random bison and some weird goat-thing (pronghorn sheep?) roaming around. Then in the Hayden Valley we spotted bears for the first time. We were high on a ridge and a mama grizzly with two cubs were down by the river a safe distance from us. We talked to the other two groups who stopped on the ridge to shoot pictures. They looked more experienced at this woodsy stuff than us, and these folks confirmed the bear was definitely a mother grizzly with cubs.
Kim said, "I've seen bears at the zoo and we saw them in South Dakota close up, but to see them out here..."
She didn't need to finish that sentence. Alex and I understood and felt the same. There is something indescribable about seeing wild animals in a place where they are just being wild animals. A few more groups stopped to photograph the bear action. Now, as I an prone to do, while everyone is looking in one direction, I take a moment to study all the other shit that is around us It's the one thing I am sort of good at in this life, the ability to not be completely part of a group when it is string at something without looking to see what the hell else is happening.
On the ridge 20ft or so below us, a pair of ears perked up...then a light brown head. A coyote climbed out of his hiding spot and watched these bears running across the valley floor. Unlike the stupid humans, the coyote acted like he'd seen bears before because he wasn't taking pictures every 15 seconds like the rest of us.
Our next stop was Yellowstone Canyon and we hiked along the South Rim. Alex and Kim took photos of the falls. I just prayed that we weren't gonna fall. I am kind of a wimp when it comes to walking on a trail that high up with canyon on one side and potentially bear filled wilderness on the other side. But no one was eaten and no one ended up canyon pizza. That's a win win for us.
Multiple bison related delays (not to be confused with Bison Dele) as we explored the Lamar Valley. On the way, the boy and I crossed a narrow part of the Gibbon Rive on a fire damaged tree that had fallen and did several short jaunts on the way, too numerous to be mentioned here...but they were all wonderful.
Our last long stop of the day was at the Artist Paint Pots and mud pits. There murky depths and bubbling/gurgling action mat have been more impressive than the geysers we saw. These things were just so weird and they made wacky fart noises. So cool...The sounds, the viscous mud belching out and splatting on nearby rocks, the stink all full of wonder and mystery. How the hell does something like this exist on earth? I'm just glad we stopped here. A legally blind fly fisherman from Ann Arbor and his wife told us we were close to this spot and it was one of their favorites. They've been coming to the park for over 40 years and thought it was a must see. The guy was also a cigar dealer and told me about cigars that go great with the Templeton Rye.
I filed that bit of information in the old brain.
This couple was just one example of folks we met in the park. Everyone was so cool, and happy to be there. They shared their knowledge with you and didn't talk down to you, even if you were rookies like us.
Brats, PBR, campfire and cards when we returned to Grant Village. Then we slept hard. It was a long, beautiful day and we were dog-ass tired.
Friday Aug 26
Our last morning in the park. We took one more drive through the Hayden Valley and it all seems like a dream thinking and writing about it now. When we decided it was time to head back across the South Loop and make our way to the East Entrance/Exit the three of us had tears in our eyes.
Best vacation ever, and the most fun I've ever had with my clothes on.
Sat August 27
We drove 13 hours to Rapid City and avoided the more treacherous mountain route we encountered on the trip to Yellowstone. Lousy big-ass Big Horn Mountains at night. They think they are so big, and they are. It was a small consolation for leaving the beauty of Yellowstone that are drive away from the miraculous place was more scenic, had fewer cattle roaming aimlessly and we were now traveling on a road that was mostly there.
Ordered a glass of Jameson and a big ol burger at the restaurant next to our hotel. Read one sentence of my book and passed out.
Sunday August 28
Yesterday we left Rapid City, SD at 9:30am and made it back to DK Slow-pid City by 11:30pm. We made a few stops but I was able to do about 80mph most of the way. Love them open roads of SD and MN on an aimless Saturday afternoon.
Alex and I spent Sunday morning cleaning out the family vehicle. We figured Kim planned the trip and organized where everything should go, the least we could do was unpack and put stuff away the best we could. We are all in a good place after our vacation.
I was a little bummed that I had to pull out of my golf outing with Messrs Lenz and Swafford but I could not stick Kim and Alex with all this work.
Went to 9pm Mass at Newman and the whole family gave thanks to God for safe travels and giving us a world full of beauty and wonder.
Our Wild West adventure got off to a late start. Well, we we only left an hour and a half late which is early for us. We drove 13 hours with only a few bathroom breaks. Kim made popcorn, salad, zucchini brownies and all manner of stuff to make the ride fun.
We listened to the first three discs of Sea of Thunder. Bull Halsey was one crazy sonuvabitch and made one hell of a mistake. Is it wrong that all these years later I am fascinated by Admiral Ugaki. It is a perverse fascination, and I don't mean all those years later in the sense that I followed his career during WWII. I am not that f'in old. I mean...aw, skip it for now.
The last two hours of the drive, through darkness in the Black Hills were the only mild drag of the whole trip. The lights of Rapid City, SD @ 10:15pm were welcome lights indeed.
Checked into the Microhotel, ate a burger in a disoriented, Hasslehoffian fashion (even though I was sober) then passed out.
Monday August 22
Slept in and slept hard @ the Rapid City Microhotel. A fat man showed me the proper way to use the hospitality waffle iron. Ate waffles and watched CNN's useless montage of people jumping up and down in Tripoli. I'm glad that I am taking a week of following the news, but I miss the PBS Newshour. It's not that I am a fucking snob either, it's because I'm pretty fucking stupid. I need people talking, anchors talking to experts and giving me some context, considering unresolved issues and some thoughts on what might be coming next. All picture news gives me is a loud mouth bimbo asking some inane questions to a random douche on the street of wherever the action is, asking the douche 'how do you feel, describe the scene around you" then adding a one word adjective response for emphasis, finally telling viewers to go to her facebook page to tell her what we think.
On the recommendation of one of my coworkers we went to Bear County USA where bears walked up to our damned car. They are amazing creatures and I am proud that I did not shit myself. I also learned that arctic wolves are lazy bastards.
Mt. Rushmore was next. I've got to teach Alex the difference between Teddy Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman and that's all I have to say about that. I know it's been said before by commentators smarter and more poetic than me, but I love that Mt. Rushmore is and looks like an unfinished work, and not for the same reasons late progressives and those of their ilk - some find meaning in the monument being unfinished because America has a way to go before it fulfills all its promise and lives up to its ideals. I like thinking of it as unfinished because all regimes, even the best ones are unfinished. The work of man, even shit worth doing like making this great, imperfect land of ours almost always remains unfinished.
Drove through a large part of Wyoming where it is big and brown, desolate and wondrous with intermittent sunflower fields.
At about 6:30pm we saw the Big Horn Mts in the distance.
"Those mountains are bigger than Chicago," I said - knowing instantly how stupid I was for saying such a thing.
Kim said, "Honey there are a lot of things bigger than Chicago."
Like the Grand Tetons - YES!
sorry
As we approached the mountains I looked down at the GPS and it said it would be at least 4 1/2 hours before we reached our destination.
I asked my lady, “Where is the hotel for tonight?
“Powell, Wyoming.”
“And where is Powell my love?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is Powell on this side of the mountains?”
She looked at the big ass atlas (we still have one so the boy can see where we are)
Kim said, “Powell is on the other side of this stretch of the Big Horn Mountains.”
“So we are driving through these big ass mountians after dark,” I said like the worried boob I am.
“Big Horn Mountains,” said Alex laughing.
"We’re going to drive through the Big Horn Mountains at night?”
“It looks like it sweetie,” said Kim.
OK then.
Dusk fell on the mountains as we ascended. That’s not an attempt at poetry as it is exactly what happened.. I’m a shitty, shakey driver. The only mountains I’ve ever traversed at night were the Catskills and those were pimples compared to the Big Horns. Thank goodness it was pitch dark before we were even half way up the damned things. It has been said I don’t know which way is up the hill. That prophecy was fulfilled during this car ride.
We had perfect weather until we started driving in these inspiring and fucking scary mountains. Thunderless lightening ripped across the black mountain sky (not to be confused with Black Mountain Side, Back Mountain Side or White Summer)
I now understand why people like to get high in the mountains. Streaks of yellow and white light across an expanse of darkened nothingness at this altitude is some pretty cool shit.
Then I almost hit a herd of cattle as they were crossing a narrow pass. Ok there were only four sets of legs and one giant pair of balls but that constitutes a herd for this non-range riding dumbass.
Or is it "an herd"
Yeah, that's why I am a non-range riding dumbass.
A mile further down the road there was a warning sign indicating that this section of the road was in an "Open Range Area" and motorists should "Beware of Loose Stock and Roaming Animals"
"The cows should be grazing after this sign," I said.
"Cows can't read Dad."
The boy had a point.
A little further up the mountain another sign read, "Road Damage, Next 6 Miles"
Now this mountain road wasn't all that hot the first several miles into the drive, but the sign was right. Things got a fuck of a lot worse over the next six miles. First the guard rails disappeared, then the yellow line disappeared, then a fox ran right at our vehicle. I slowed down significantly after losing the yellow line so there was plenty of time to stop. We hadn't seen a car in awhile either so there was no need to worry about traffic coming up behind us.
Then we lost the road entirely. It was just plants and rocks and things. GPS said we were still on Alt 14 but for all I knew we were just driving straight up the mountain.
Road damage persisted for about ten miles after the first six miles of bad road. But the last ten were not quite as bad as the first six so that was something. Then began the descent. We knew there'd be a lot of going down
NOT THAT YOU SICK BASTARDS
but we could tell that we were heading down the other side after seeing signs that read, "Steep Grade Next Two Turns" and "Use Lower Gear" and "Runaway Truck Ramp." It was the last sign that made me wonder 'If a runaway truck is coming down the mountain behind us, what the hell are we supposed to do?' Then I started looking for Runaway Rav4 signs.
There was probably no danger coming from a runaway truck on this road at night. In fact since we began driving up the mountain I counted five cars coming from the other side and the only car following us pulled into a mountain resort about half way up the the Big Horns.
Apparently no tourists or locals or anyone were taking this narrow stretch of mountain road after dark...save a few cows, a confused fox and the Posegas on vacation.
Tuesday Aug 23
We spent the night in Powell, WY.
Why not?
It was the most western-looking Super 8 this side of the Pecos. OK, I'm not 100% sure which side of the Pecos we were on, suffice it to say this Super 8 provided a better western motif than any of the Best Westerns I have visited over the years. I say that without hesitation.
Drove through Cody and it was amazing and cheesy all at once. Now that's America in a nutshell.
Made it to Yellowstone's East Entrance before noon. Took a ride through different parts of the south loop and West Thumb that we wanted to visit tomorrow. It was a smart strategy because there was so much to see, we needed to begin cobbling together some semblance of a plan. We took a stroll along Yellowstone Lake then visited the some of the West Thumb Geysers nearest our campground in the Grant Village. Set up camp and Alex was a big help even though he cut himself twice on the same lodge pole pine while gathering kindling.
We had no idea what we were doing but we were having great fun. Kim made sloppy joes for our first night in the forest. I used the propane grill for cooking and we did not explode. Got all that stuff put away before we thought about building a regular fire. We attended a ranger campfire program about the best places to see wildlife in our portion of the loop There are two loops in this wondrous place and we are in what is called the Southern Loop. South Side all the way, even in our nation's first national park.
That's how we roll.
It's probably the wrong way to roll, but what're ya gonna do?
Got back late and we were too tired to build campfire. Big mistake. It got down to 44 degrees overnight, warm by Yellowstone at night standards, but some pretty chilly shit by Posegas in a tent standards.
We are doing the best we can at an elevation of 7,700 feet.
Wed August 24
Woke up cold but happy in our little tent. Saw Old Faithful then visited and took pictures of many more geysers and cool geothermal shit. The cracked earth, the smoke, the stink all reminded me of places I've lived after too many parties with too many pals.
Sorry Hank Williams
wha?
The number one place on Kim's mental list of places and things she wanted to see in Yellowstone was the Grand Prismatic Spring located next to the Excelsior Geyser (I think....there are so many damned miracles of nature in this joint it's hard to keep 'em straight). At the Grand Prismatic Spring there were colors and sensations I never thought I'd experience all at once standing next to rocks, water, smoke and wind. Colder winds from the mountains behind the springs came across the boiling water, sometimes bringing a refreshing breeze, sometimes bringing enough heat to open and stimulate every bit of skin on our faces, and sometimes the winds brought the noxious odor of brimstone churning just beneath the Earth's crust in this amazing place. So much of what we saw around that pool was shorthand for the Yellowstone experience, everything is beautiful and everything is dangerous.
Got held up by a bison related traffic jam on the way back to our digs in Grant Village. That's ok, we love being near these magnificent creatures even if there were two bulls fighting on the side of the road and the thuds were getting louder. Kim and Alex both got some great pictures here.
As soon as we reached the campground Alex wanted to call both sets of grandparents to describe his first full day in the park. Kim and I thought that would be fine. This is the vacation he suggested, we should let him tell some of the stories first. Kim and I got stuff out for the dinner. My lady made baked mostacholi and it was fabulous. I went down to the friendly folks at the Grant Village General Store/Service Station and got more ice to repack the coolers.
After the dinner stuff was put away, Alex and I built a big campfire. I bought firewood from the store earlier and we used a little newspapers, some pieces of the box that held the firewood and the kindling Alex gather to start a big ol' fire. We played cutthroat euchre (or Dirty Clubs as some folks call it where I am from) and warmed ourselves by the campfire until it was bedtime. Kim bundled herself up significantly before bedtime going as far as wearing Alex's alpaca Blackhawks hat to keep her sweet ears warm.
GO HAWKS!
GO CAMPING!
Super fun day.
Thursday Aug 25
Intermittent thundershowers throughout the night, but our little tent held up just fine. I was up at 6am but my little crew was still sleeping, probably due to the almost gentle sound of thunder and rain bouncing softly off the tent (and not our heads).
Loving being sober here in Yellowstone. Haven't had a drink since last Friday and don't miss it a damn bit. It's easy to stay straight surrounded by all this.
Everybody woke up about 7am and we made our way to the Hayden Valley. Two major bison jams on the way. Alex took some great action shots of adults and there were a few super cute red dogs (that's the nickname for their young) mixed in with the herd. Alex got some more pics of elk, random bison and some weird goat-thing (pronghorn sheep?) roaming around. Then in the Hayden Valley we spotted bears for the first time. We were high on a ridge and a mama grizzly with two cubs were down by the river a safe distance from us. We talked to the other two groups who stopped on the ridge to shoot pictures. They looked more experienced at this woodsy stuff than us, and these folks confirmed the bear was definitely a mother grizzly with cubs.
Kim said, "I've seen bears at the zoo and we saw them in South Dakota close up, but to see them out here..."
She didn't need to finish that sentence. Alex and I understood and felt the same. There is something indescribable about seeing wild animals in a place where they are just being wild animals. A few more groups stopped to photograph the bear action. Now, as I an prone to do, while everyone is looking in one direction, I take a moment to study all the other shit that is around us It's the one thing I am sort of good at in this life, the ability to not be completely part of a group when it is string at something without looking to see what the hell else is happening.
On the ridge 20ft or so below us, a pair of ears perked up...then a light brown head. A coyote climbed out of his hiding spot and watched these bears running across the valley floor. Unlike the stupid humans, the coyote acted like he'd seen bears before because he wasn't taking pictures every 15 seconds like the rest of us.
Our next stop was Yellowstone Canyon and we hiked along the South Rim. Alex and Kim took photos of the falls. I just prayed that we weren't gonna fall. I am kind of a wimp when it comes to walking on a trail that high up with canyon on one side and potentially bear filled wilderness on the other side. But no one was eaten and no one ended up canyon pizza. That's a win win for us.
Multiple bison related delays (not to be confused with Bison Dele) as we explored the Lamar Valley. On the way, the boy and I crossed a narrow part of the Gibbon Rive on a fire damaged tree that had fallen and did several short jaunts on the way, too numerous to be mentioned here...but they were all wonderful.
Our last long stop of the day was at the Artist Paint Pots and mud pits. There murky depths and bubbling/gurgling action mat have been more impressive than the geysers we saw. These things were just so weird and they made wacky fart noises. So cool...The sounds, the viscous mud belching out and splatting on nearby rocks, the stink all full of wonder and mystery. How the hell does something like this exist on earth? I'm just glad we stopped here. A legally blind fly fisherman from Ann Arbor and his wife told us we were close to this spot and it was one of their favorites. They've been coming to the park for over 40 years and thought it was a must see. The guy was also a cigar dealer and told me about cigars that go great with the Templeton Rye.
I filed that bit of information in the old brain.
This couple was just one example of folks we met in the park. Everyone was so cool, and happy to be there. They shared their knowledge with you and didn't talk down to you, even if you were rookies like us.
Brats, PBR, campfire and cards when we returned to Grant Village. Then we slept hard. It was a long, beautiful day and we were dog-ass tired.
Friday Aug 26
Our last morning in the park. We took one more drive through the Hayden Valley and it all seems like a dream thinking and writing about it now. When we decided it was time to head back across the South Loop and make our way to the East Entrance/Exit the three of us had tears in our eyes.
Best vacation ever, and the most fun I've ever had with my clothes on.
Sat August 27
We drove 13 hours to Rapid City and avoided the more treacherous mountain route we encountered on the trip to Yellowstone. Lousy big-ass Big Horn Mountains at night. They think they are so big, and they are. It was a small consolation for leaving the beauty of Yellowstone that are drive away from the miraculous place was more scenic, had fewer cattle roaming aimlessly and we were now traveling on a road that was mostly there.
Ordered a glass of Jameson and a big ol burger at the restaurant next to our hotel. Read one sentence of my book and passed out.
Sunday August 28
Yesterday we left Rapid City, SD at 9:30am and made it back to DK Slow-pid City by 11:30pm. We made a few stops but I was able to do about 80mph most of the way. Love them open roads of SD and MN on an aimless Saturday afternoon.
Alex and I spent Sunday morning cleaning out the family vehicle. We figured Kim planned the trip and organized where everything should go, the least we could do was unpack and put stuff away the best we could. We are all in a good place after our vacation.
I was a little bummed that I had to pull out of my golf outing with Messrs Lenz and Swafford but I could not stick Kim and Alex with all this work.
Went to 9pm Mass at Newman and the whole family gave thanks to God for safe travels and giving us a world full of beauty and wonder.
posted by edP | 9:12 PM
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