On Monday, we got to sleep in for a while, which was great after hiking Bryce Canyon the previous day. We took a while to drive around downtown Salt Lake. We drove by the substantial LDS temple square, and really just got a chance to look at the atmosphere and nuances of the city. After heading north for a while, we reached the great salt lake. In the southern part of the lake there is actually a large island/animal sanctuary called Antelope Island. We drove out to it on a long causeway, and spent a little while on the island. We got the chance to go down and stick our feet in the lake itself, and then we drove partway around the island looking for antelope, deer and buffalo. After our stint on the island, we continued our drive up through Utah. By the end of the day we had just crossed the Wyoming border and stayed in a small town outside of Jackson, Wyoming.
On Tuesday we got up and drove through Jackson and Jackson Hole. We stopped and ate breakfast at this great little place called The Bunnery. After fueling up, it was time to head out to see the Grand Tetons! After showing up there, we hiked around String Lake for several miles. The scenery was absolutely astounding. It was incredible to look out over the lake and out into the valley and the mountains beyond. Then you would turn around and gaze up at the still-snowy Tetons. The Grand Teton itself looks like a gigantic version of the Disneyland Matterhorn! After this scenic adventure we headed back to the car and got on the road to Yellowstone. After arriving in the park through the south entrance, it was still early enough to go see Old Faithful, which was pretty much on the way. Unfortunately though, a while before it's eruption, the thunder, lightning and rain began heavily. That meant getting back on the road and going out the west gate, into West Yellowstone, Montana. We barely managed to find a room for the night, and after a nice dinner, bedded down for the evening.
That brings us to today (Wednesday)! Wow, what a day. It was a fast-paced, incredible trip through Yellowstone. After getting up and eating some breakfast, we headed back into the park itself. Our first stop was at the Paint Pots. This small area is a combination of hot springs, boiling mud pits and small geysers. The pots themselves are the hot springs, and boy are they beautiful! The water is incredibly clear, and the colors caused by minerals in the ground are beautiful. There was so much steam, and the entire place smelled like hard-boiled eggs, due to the high hydrogen-sulfide content of the water and resulting steam. It was also neat to see the huge pool of boiling mud that kept bubbling up. After that first stop we headed off to Old Faithful for a second attempt. We waited for about 45 minutes, but it was well worth it, the eruption of this geyser was a truly amazing sight! It spouted a jet of boiling water to a height of about 180 feet, and the eruption continued for about three minutes. Absolutely fascinating and one of the highlights of the park for sure.
After Old Faithful, we drove along the beautiful Yellowstone Lake until we reached the mud volcano. This is another series of highly caustic and active mud pits, that are surprisingly fascinating to view. The sights and sounds and smells all combine to create an experience of awe, even for mud. Our final big stop on the way out of the park was the Tower Falls. As the name suggests, this site is comprised of some waterfalls created by the Yellowstone River as it flows out of the lake. The picture that you see of the waterfall is the second and most impressive of the two we stopped to see. Finally, we drove up and out of the park on the Northwest side, through Beartooth Pass. We were almost the only ones on the twisty, narrow road up through the mountainous wilderness, some of the views we got from the tops of the mountains were just breathtaking.
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