Mon. August 19

I left Park City, MT mid-morning to head down to Yellowstone National Park. From Gardiner and on past Mammoth Hot Springs, the road wound along the beautiful mountains and valleys at the western side of Yellowstone. I stopped along the way to take some pictures at cool thermal spots that caught my eye, and arrived at the Old Faithful Inn at 3 in the afternoon, just in time to catch the day’s eruption from Old Faithful. The historic inn was lovely, and my room was so cute. It had an old-time, log cabin appearance, and the shutters could be opened to look out over the front of the hotel. I had a sink in my room; the communal bathroom, with several sinks, toilets, and separate shower stalls, was across the hall. I had a pre-dinner drink of a huckleberry cream ale, listened to a violinist playing on the inn’s balcony, and enjoyed a buffet dinner in the dining room before calling it a night.

Tues. August 20

I got up early to meet Kris, our tour guide, at the front of our hotel for the Yellowstone in a Day tour. From 7:45 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., our busload of eager tourists saw many of the sites of Yellowstone while learning about bison, wolves, bears, trees, thermal features, and history of Yellowstone. We stopped at many places to take photographs, including Fountain Paint Pots, Artist Paint Pots, Mammoth Springs, Historic Fort Yellowstone, Canyon Village and the Upper and Lower Falls of Yellowstone, Hayden Valley (with lots of bison), and a Continental Divide at Isla Lake. What an interesting, beautiful, and busy day it was. After enjoying a delicious dinner of trout and asparagus, I collapsed into bed. The day was best summarized by a quote by G.K. Chesterton that our tour guide told us: “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” I am so thankful to be on this trip, and am filled with wonder at the beauty of God’s creation.

Wed. August 21

I checked out of my room at 7 a.m. and drove to the trailhead to hike up to the overlook for the Grand Prismatic. It was a nice little morning hike, but since it was quite chilly out, the colors of the hot spring were obscured by steam. I took a picture anyway and enjoyed chatting with a couple from England while waiting for the steam to let up a bit. Next I drove over to West Thumb to walk on the boardwalks around the amazing series of thermal springs and bubbling pools adjacent to Yellowstone Lake. This was one of my favorite areas at Yellowstone.

I left Yellowstone and drove down to the Grand Tetons, arriving at the Signal Mountain Lodge around noon. They let me check in early, which was great. After checking in, I drove down to Jackson for a few hours. I stopped on the way at a wonderful wildlife art museum and enjoyed the beautiful paintings and sculptures. In Jackson, I took a photo of an antler arch at the park, looked in a few shops, and had a drink and some berry cobbler for lunch at the Silver Dollar Saloon. That was it for me, and soon I headed back to my lodge for a trout dinner and another early bedtime.

Thurs. August 22

After a good night’s sleep, I got up early and drove down to Jenny Lake to catch an early boat across the lake to get to the trailhead of a hike I wanted to do. On the way I saw four moose eating greenery along the side of the road. I managed to arrive in time to catch the 7 a.m. boat, and then was ready to begin my hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point on the other side of the lake. Although I had my bear spray and was prepared to hike alone, I was happy to meet up with a couple, Karen and Steve from Illinois, and hike with them. We had a great hike and of course took pictures at the top of the lookout before hiking back down and taking the boat back across the lake. Before heading back to the lodge, I drove to the top of Signal Mountain, but the view was too obscured by smoke from wildfires in the region.

I had signed up for a float trip on the Snake River for that evening, and at 5:15 I met the other participants at the front of our lodge for the ride in the van to the river. The float trip was such a great experience, with lovely people and beautiful sights. The rapids were minor, class 1 and 2, maybe verging on 3 according to our guide. We saw many beavers, a moose, and an eagle, and enjoyed the lovely mountain views as we floated down the river on the raft. This was a perfect way to end my time at Grand Teton. The next morning I head north through Yellowstone, cross the Beartooth Mountains, and spend the night near the sweet town of Red Lodge, MT.