Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks

It would be a futile attempt to try to condense 9 days, 2389 miles, more than 400 pictures and many adventures and discoveries into a blog posting. As we drove back home from our visit to Yellowstone and Grand Teton, I asked everybody to name the first three things that came to their minds as the most memorable or enjoyable. Interestingly enough, the same experience was number one for all of us. On Sunday morning we got up before dawn (our Ipod was still set for PT, so we woke up @ 5:30 instead of the intended 4:30 am) and headed out to a lookout over Hayden Valley. As we sipped our hot drinks and waited for the fog to lift, we sat in silence listening to the wolves howl. When the curtain lifted, we were treated to an amazing scene.

In the distance, a male grizzly bear feasted on a bison carcass, while a wolf counting on the bear generosity, attempted to get a morsel of meat for himself. The grizzly did not even have to move his jaw, which was tearing away at the meat, to assert his domain over the carcass . All he had to do was lift his immense paw and the wolf retreated immediately. Eventually, the wolf did sneak away with a piece of meat. Once the male gorged himself with bison, it was momma grizzly and her two cubs turn. They had been wandering around patiently, delighting us as we observed the "cute" cubs play and roll around. A big reason for this awesome, priceless experience, is due to the generosity of a very nice gentleman, who graciously let us view these scenes through his powerful scoping lens. My camera's zoom did not even get close to getting a nice shot, but the images are engraved in our minds.

Shawn had a close second on his list. Soaking in the water where the hot springs of the Boiling River meet the cold currents of the Gardner River was another unique, pleasant and unforgettable experience.

Ethan enjoyed all of the amazing thermal and geological features of the park, but when asked where he would like to go back to, he did not hesitate. His pick was his own personal playground that he and his friends found at the banks of the Yellowstone Lake.

Of course we enjoyed all of the typical sights and experiences that made Yellowstone famous. Typical is really not a fair word, there is nothing ordinary about Yellowstone, it's an active volcano after all! Even if you have seen this images on paper or screen, it blows your mind and senses when you see, smell and feel it for yourself. We had the privilege to explore this mind puzzling place under the guidance of a knowledgeable man, who helped us see Yellowstone through a Biblical geological perspective.
Check him out at www.northwestrockandfossil.com

Bellow are some of our favorite shots in no particular order.
Lamar Valley in the background with an amazing canyon and geological formation in the foreground.

Terraces around Mammoth Hot Springs.
Geysers and hot spring pools in the Old Faithful basin.
Daisy Geyser (not sure why the name, either did not read the info or forgot the reason)
Norris Geyser basin

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Yellowstone River in the Hayden Valley after a hail storm.
Old Faithful

Hot Springs at the West Thumb basin.

On our way to Grand Teton.

Animals are always entertaining and fun to watch, we had a good dose of bison sightings
and bison traffic jams.
Spotted a coyote and several marmots, picas, ground squirrels and even a big horn sheep around Mt Washburn.

Elk were hard to miss, not only are they big but so is the traffic jam that they create.

We logged many miles, saw many license plates; 47 states (missed DL, RI and Mississippi), 8 Canadian provinces and even a French and a British motor home.

We returned safely with many memories to last us a life time.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Into Thinner Air

I fell in love with this place when Shawn and I went on this hike for the first time last year. Back then I was strongly inclined to call it my favorite, but we had not covered all of the trail and the weather had only partially opened up. Now I know for sure, this hike is my top pick. Here are a few reason why: Even before you get out of your car, you are surrounded by majestic views. You really could just have a picnic right there, but after a 2 hr drive we had sat on our butts long enough. As we looked around at these rugged peaks from our parking lot vantage point; we would not have imagined that after 5 hrs, we would have been at a much better vantage point; one where we could look over and beyond these peaks.
This is what was beyond the first peaks, an endless sea of endless peaks.
Just like with everything else in life, you must take one step at time and enjoy the journey.

We were not the only ones that were drawn to the "solitude" of the mountains. A beautiful Saturday can transform the remote North Cascade National Park into a crowd magnet.

However, the crowds and the air got proportionally thinner the higher we went and we were greeted by a different kind of population.

Our first view of Sahale Peak and the glacier. Shortly after we spotted some very small dots far off on the distant glacier. Those dots were people. That was our destination, we just didn't know it though. We only wanted to make it to the campsites, oblivious to the fact that they were at the end of the trail at 7.600 feet.

We just kept on going and enjoying each others company.

Appreciating the unique rock formations


Looking west.

Taking in the views.


And eventually there we were!

OK, maybe it wasn't just like that. It took some effort and energy. It took a chocolate bar bribe to encourage Nolan to clamber up the last 500 feet. It took some breaks, food, lots of water and rest. However, the experience we shared with our son is something I will not take back.

Cousin Camp

Our dwellings had an infusion of energy, laughter, play and lots of cousin bonding for the last few weeks as my dear nephews spent some time with us.
Meet the crew:
Little Graham that will melt every one's heart with that toothless smile and sunny disposition.
Sweet Gavin who has the most stunning blue eyes, always ready to play but just as ready to lend a helping hand.
Older brother Thomas with his inquisitive eyes and mind and the most polite manners I have witness in a 10 year old boy.
They truly were a great bunch to have around and we all had a lot of fun and shared many adventures together.
Graham and his "guyzz", he can entertain himself for hours while playing with these little action figures friends.
Most mornings breakfast was interrupted by a dash to the porch to check out the deer.
Lots of cards were played, we have a deck that bears witness to that. Let's just say they are not casino standard anymore.
Christian and Graham formed a special bond. An older cousin guiding and helping his younger cousin.
Thomas and Nolan shared many experiences, including a week at Firwood camp.
Gavin and Ethan have many common interests, including getting water logged!
Off to Fircreek day camp, where they played hard and later slept well at home.
Airsoft battles were a highlight, this was the one time they actually asked to have a picture taken and were very deliberate on their posing!
Boys, sun and water, a winning combination!
These two impressed some older college guys who could not believe that "those kids" were sailing on their own! I have to say myself, that they are very competent.
It always easy to hug this little guy!
After all that sun, water and play, it's no wonder I have a bunch of famished boys!
More water fun!
Cousin Camp would not be complete without a tree house sleep over.
All the fun and food came at a price, we also put these guys to work.
Pet sitting for friends was easy with so many creature lovers in the house.
Love those lazy summer mornings!
The boys enjoyed looking at pictures of their parents adventures in South Africa. Notice that by now I have them all in uniform!
It truly was a blessing to have these boys around. We made great memories and I had a chance to get to know my nephews just a little better!
The time to head to Grandpa & Grandma arrived! A mix of excitement for going and sadness for leaving!
It was great having you, we are missing you already!