Last Day In Yellowstone and on to the Grandeur of Grand Teton National Park

Decided this needed to be primarily a driving day today as the 12 mile hike yesterday to Clear Lake and on to the Lower and Upper Falls of Yellowstone Canyon had worn me out a bit with some heels that were a little sore.  All things considered however, the lightweight Merrell boots Andrea and I purchased while in North Carolina before I left on the trip have worked out very well.  I would recommend them as I have encountered no blisters which is a blessing.  I was thinking back to hiking in Nepal when I was 22 years of age, in double soled Indian moccasins.  They were comfortable for the average walk but totally lacked arch support and were a bitch in the cold of the Annapurna Base Camp ay some 14,000 ft. In those days the alternative (unless you deemed yourself a self-respecting Hippie like me), were heavy leather hiking boots that often had to be well broken in with multiple blisters along the way. 

Heading north again, I saw workman taking down the sign that the bridge to Old Faithful was out, so asked, and they said it was supposed to open at 7AM.  Since it was then 6:45, I changed plans spur of the moment like, and instead of driving to Tower-Roosevelt and Lamar Valley, detoured west to Old Faithful.  The geyser did erupt on schedule around 8:15AM, but the area was shrouded in clouds, so the net effect was less than exciting as the steam from the geyser blended so well with the fog from the clouds. ^th century when it became unmanageable, and Congress then chose to have a monopoly concessionaire, which is still primarily the case today.  Lots of lodging right at Old Faithful should one choose to accommodate oneself in style.

A subdued looking Old Faithful in the clouds

I did hook up with a guided ranger tour through Geyser Hill with its bubbling pools, timed and untimed geysers and colored calcifications from the thermophiles (bacteria that like hot water conditions).  After a talk about the history of Yellowstone, which at least for the white man, started in 1872.  It was at this time that Congress sent an expedition to the area, based on rumors from trappers that there were steam geysers in the area.  Soon this to be the first national park.  There were then numerous concessioners in the park till the turn of the 20th century when Congress decided a monopoly would be best.  There is a great deal of nice lodging right at Old Faithful for those willing to pay the piper.

After leaving Old Faithful, I turned north on the Grand Loop Rd. towards Madison where I first came in from the west entrance.  From there I drove up to Mammoth Hot Springs, but only after a considerable wait along the way.  Large mudslides had closed the road and big earth moving equipment was trying to clear the way.  Did see a young black bear along the way. 

Young Black Bear near roadside

You inevitably know that there is exceptional wildlife present when there are 40-50 cars parked haphazardly by the roadside often with rangers directing traffic.  So it was in this case. 

Mammoth Hot Springs is indeed mammoth, with multiple flows covering encrusted travertine rock along a stretch of perhaps a half mile.  I climbed up to the most significant flows and did marvel at the orange coloring of the rock from the thermophiles. 

Mammoth Hot Springs

Old flows were a bright, bleached out white which provided a great deal of contrast to the palette of rocks.  Many of the tourists were paying more attention to the Mule Deer across from the hot springs than the springs.  It does show how starved many of us are for nature, in that we will spend a good deal of time and effort trying to photograph the creatures, who in some cases have become inured to the crowds of people and their vehicles. 

From the hot springs it was a pleasant drive through the mountainous terrain to Tower-Roosevelt and on to Lamar Valley, which is a positive must-see.  Saw another black bear, multiple pronghorn antelopes

Pronghorn Antelope by the roadway

and elk along the 5 miles I ventured into the valley.  Best times to visit are in the early morning and at dusk, when it is said you can see numerous wolves and bear out foraging for their food.  I have yet to see any wolves, but haven’t been out in the Lamar Valley at the right time to observe them. 

It takes me too long to drive there from the south entrance to be there as day is breaking unless I arose at 3AM.  I arrived back at camp around 5:30, tired from my ten hours stopping off and driving around Yellowstone.  Cleaned up with a shower within the context of the customary stalls with their white plastic shower curtains.  Gotten into the routine of cleaning up in the evening post hiking, then on to the lodge for dinner and a glass of wine, while uploading pics from the camera and phone.  They say they have internet, but I haven’t been able to get on the limited bandwidth from the satellite connection.  Dinner at the lodge has now become a nice, albeit more expensive routine, than trying to fix something for myself at the campsite which for two days had been getting rain in the evenings.  It is staying light here now till around 10PM, but I am generally turning off my Kindle around 9PM (nothing new there J).

This AM, June 12^th,  I tried to get on the internet at the lodge, but again to no avail.  I left around 6:30 and turned the SUV south toward Grand Teton National Park.  Before too many miles passed, the sights of the Tetons just blew me away,

The Tetons

especially against the alpine lake waters.  I pulled off at the String Lake Trailhead and had a nice leisurely hike around the lake for an hour and half while texting a few folks with current pics and talking to David Love on the phone. 

Had a quick snack by the String Lake picnic area then drove further south with the goal of getting to Jackson Hole, WY. 

String Lake and Teton in background

Jackson Hole has a special place in my heart.  In 1971, returning from the Rose Bowl, Conrad Johnson, a young lady who must remain nameless (because I can’t remember) and myself, got a drive away car in L.A. that needed to be driven to Chicago.  It was a big Olds, with a huge 8 cylinder engine, with all the bells and whistles of the time.  I well remember coming out into Nevada and finding no speed limit at the time, so we hiked it up to 110 MPH and made tracks.  We had a set number of days and miles to get to Chicago.  All that being said, the snow was beckoning, and Conrad had friends living in a trailer in Jackson Hole.  To make a long story short, we disconnected the odometer, and made for Jackson Hole where we had a great time skiing, and drinking beer that was made in 55 gallon trash bins within the trailer.  The problem came trying to get back on to the interstate.  The snow kept coming and we ended up being stranded in Fargo North Dakota for a night of Pinochle at the at hotel bar.  We had told the owner of the Olds that the Interstate was closed, which it definitely was, but then we were over a hundred miles from the Interstate at that moment, with a few hundred extra miles on the car before the odometer was reconnected.

Well, back to Jackson Hole. I drove into Teton Village which is now quite glitzy in comparison to 1971, and bought a ticket for the aerial tram which didn’t exist when I was last here.  $32 later I had a ticket and went up to the top of Rendezvous Peak at some 10, 770 ft.  It was a spectacular view with those awesome, bright, clear blue skies.  Grand Teton Peak was showing it’s majesty at over 13,000 ft. 

Grand Teton

The downhill runs were ridiculously steep, and I can only think that this is not the area I skied back in the day, with only jeans as protection from the cold.

Another View from  atop Rendezvous Peak

Had a nice lunch at the Mangy Moose Restaurant and Bar, then rence S. Rockefeller Preserve which has some great displays and history on the Phelps Ranch that was donated to the American People in 2007.  On the way back came across a nice Moose.

Mr. Moose

Following this treat, made my way back to the Flagg Ranch campsite where I proceeded to open my lounge chair, pour some Chardonnay and enjoy the balance of the afternoon sun and warmth.

It's the morning of June 13th, and I am off early to hike up Death Canyon.  What a great hike with views of Phelp's Lake, staggeringly beautiful creek and snow still present in the valley's niches.

Phelp's Lake

The inveterate hiker at Phelp's Lake Overview

Came across a party of four  who were rock climbing.   I hiked the 4 miles to the Static Peak Junction, also called Alaska Basin, with a log patrol hut, horse rings and corral. The only creatures to be seen on the way up were some curious Woodchucks and ground squirrels,besides the ever present Robins.  On my way down, a runner of 20 something in just running shorts and water pack came jogging up the hill I had just traversed while breathing heavily.  He asked about the views further up and I told him they were  spectacular with the rushing creek.

Rushing Creek in Death Canyon

He said he had only limited time as he had to attend a wedding in Teton Village.

I proceeded down and found the runner and three other hikers at the Phelp's Lake overview.  One lady was still breathing heavy and was discussing the large brown bear that was in the middle of the trail that she turned away from.  They hesitated to proceed, so I took out my handy bear spray and led the way down.  We had no incidents and didn't come across the bear.  Hiked the rest of the way down with the runner whose name is Kyle, and who lives in Burlington, VT. He is an ultra marathoner, and therefore this energetic training style!

The 8.5 mile hike covered uphill elevation gain of 2100 ft. and I completed the hike in 3.5 hours.  Have now made my way to Jackson, where I got the car washed and am presently in Starbucks completing this post, which of necessity requires the internet.