Now we get to Yellowstone

Dining in Jackson

The next day of our trip, Tuesday July 17, we had a breakfast of sourdough pancakes at Jedidiah’s in Jackson, where they say their starter is over 100 years old. Various of us tried to explain that to Gavin. We left Jackson and headed up through the Tetons and took in the grand sights along the way. Saw a moose! We encountered a sudden, cold rain storm in the Tetons.



Beautiful scenery on the Snake river.



Yellowstone lake, and fire scar from the fires a decade ago.

We rolled in to Yellowstone through the south entrance and headed towards, of course Old Faithful.

Got there 40 minutes before she was set to blow again so we headed out on the boardwalk in that geothermal area. It was now a hot day, and we were walking where the steam and hot mud come spurting out of the ground, Andrea and I sought shade!

Greg, Amy, John & Gavin on the boardwalk.






Gavin, Greg, and Amy

After the geyser blew, we meandered back to the lodge, got ice cream. Headed to the Old Faithful Inn, as John & Amy wanted to make a dinner reservation. So we took in the grand log cabin that it is, and ended up sitting on the outside deck for Old Faithful’s next performance.

Along the way, John & Amy explained the ‘animal jams’ we’d see on the road: all the cars pulled over because someone saw something. Elk, Moose, Bison, Wolves, Coyotes: ‘CMF’ they called them, Charismatic Mega Fauna. So, if you see someone pulling over, make the dive too! The driving in the park is tricky – narrow 2 lane road with animal jams spring up out of nowhere, and the drivers are all distracted trying to spot an Elk, or a Bison.

We drove out of the park and got to our motel for the next three days. Lord, it was not good. If you’re ever in West Yellowstone (a town in Idaho just outside the western border of Yellowstone park), DO NOT stay at the Yellowstone Country Inn. My room was scary bad, including goopy stains on the wall, tacky splotches on the rug, and moldy food in the corners. I didn’t stay in the room that night. Instead, stay at the lovely Moose Creek Cabins, just next door. A world of difference. Clean, pretty, and nice innkeepers.

The next day we all got up, trooped across the street to Uncle Laurie’s for breakfast. Great place; insanely good coffee. Cold brewed, said Turtle. He grinds it medium fine, and steeps it in cold water for 16 hours. Takes the resulting tincture (or is it decoction?) and puts 2 ounces in a cup, heats it up with hot water. Absolutely wonderful coffee, no acidity or bitterness. I’m sure I ate breakfast but just remember the coffee. Afterwards, we headed in to the park. Stopped at more geothermal areas on the way.



Gavin in front of Beryl Spring



From the back, John, Greg, Andrea, Amy (maybe you can see Gavin down low)

Ended up at a picnic area for lunch (which the great folks at Uncle Lauries had packed up for us.)






The boys climbed the postpile

and then we all went swimming in the Gardner river.





Bathing Beauty

This was the first river swimming I’d done since my last camping in the Sierra – it was so great, I could feel my DNA unwinding. After we dried off, which took about 45 seconds in the 97 degree 15% humidity wind, we hit Mammoth Hot Springs on the way to the Lamar valley.




Mammoth Hot Springs Geothermal area



It’s not snow!



Lawn Elk at Roosevelt lodge.



Dinner that night was at Roosevelt Tower, and the worst in the park. Very boring, white lettuce kind of food. But the hours in the Lamar Valley afterwards more than made up for it. We drove for about 40 minutes after dinner into the valley, which kept opening up and up.





There were clouds and a distant thunderstorm. We pulled over after sharp eyes (not mine!) spotted a bison herd across the river bank. As our engines cut out and silence descended, we heard wolves calling. The left side of the valley, then an answer a few seconds later from the right. Some of us tried yipping to see if they'd answer, but they were not playing along that night.



Sunset lasts for hours there. We stood by the road as night gathered, watching the unconcerned bison browsing. John, Gavin and I walked down the bank to the river to see what we could see down there. Just an amazing view.

When it was full dark, we marveled at the stars and drank in the silence and night air for a while, then headed back to West Yellowstone as the rain started. It took 2 hours to get back to the hotel. This park is BIG.