OMG We have internet

Below you will find the latest blogs of our last 6 days of travel.  Being incommunicado had it's challenges, and in all actuality we enjoyed the peace and quiet the wilderness afforded us.  But every so often we did hit a "hot-spot" to make quick phone calls home.

Jeremy and Kelsey enjoying Dubois





Our first sighting



July 20 - Leaving Lander, WY heading to our final destination we passed through a small town called Dubois.  Recognizing it as a quiet little town with lots of character, we felt we had no choice but to stop and pay a visit, we were not disappointed.  Our first order of business was to scope out the local coffee shop for Mark; our second was to find Mark a black Stetson cowboy hat.  Both endeavors were successful.  There were a few small shops to buy some handcrafted jewelry, and artists displaying their art.  One artist carved intricate western themes into moose antlers, this same artist played an old timey salon piano located on the sidewalk outside his shop.  We shopped the local butcher, and bought some yummy steaks, smoked ham, and bison jerky.  There was also a nice wine shop to restock our cellar.  Continuing on, we gained our first glimpse of the Teton Mountains at 2:43pm.  We’ve been captivated by its beauty ever since.

Excited travelers

July 21 - Yellowstone, WY – Rising early, as Tucker tends to demand, we planned our trip to Yellowstone.  The drive up was beautiful, and our first stop was the Continental Divide at 7988 feet.  Our second stop was a photo op – a big bull Elk in full velvet grazed not 100 ft from the road, not paying a bit of attention to the crowd around him.  Dotting the landscape were dead Lodge Pole Pine trees with re-growth thick below.   As devastating as a forest fire can be, the re-growth is as vibrant as a spring morning.  A lunch break at Grand Village, a bit of shopping, and much needed contact to the outer world, our tour resumed to Old Faithful.  We got lucky!  Old Faithful erupted within a short time of arriving, and the unfaithful Beehive graced us with its height, and beauty.  The rest of the afternoon was spent touring Mothers Nature Art Gallery to include geysers, mud-pots, various thermal lakes, ponds, and wildlife.  All back dropped by ever present beauty of the mountains.  Of note, Mark still is wondering where in the heck is the Moose, Bears, and Starbucks.  We did not finish the full loop, and promised ourselves to finish tomorrow. . .

July 22 - Jackson Hole, WY  - Today we spent an unexpected day in Jackson.  Our original plan was to rise early, and return to Yellowstone to finish the loop we had started yesterday…Tucker had other plans for us.  As fate would have it we had to pay a visit to the vet.  Thankfully it was not anything major, and fortunately a vet was willing to see him while we visited the town of Jackson.  We dropped him off, and left him in their capable hands.  Within the hour we had the diagnosis…conjunctivitis.  After picking him up, we ate a nice lunch at an outside restaurant, and drove back to the campground to spend the evening relaxing and readying ourselves for 2 more days of adventure.  The sights along the drive to Jackson were stunning to say the least.  The Teton Mountain range is a spectacular sight to see, nothing compares to its jagged, snow-capped peaks.  Along the drive home we enjoyed America’s symbol of the West, 5 large beasts were grazing in a field, and as we stopped to get the requisite tourist picture, they wondered within 50 feet of our car.  When we returned to the campground, Mark, Jeremy, Kelsey, Terri, and Tucker took a stroll to the Snake River to fish.  Jeremy upon realizing he left his tackle box out for the bears had Terri, Kelsey, 

and Tucker going back to the campground to retrieve the errant tackle box.  Upon returning we realized that we were locked out of the camper.  Kelsey, picture noted, crawled through the window and unlocked the camper.  After a dinner, Kelsey, Jeremy, and Terri went for a “Wild Moose Chase,”  we were told how to find a warm springs to swim in, but all we could find was a grassy lake, and a moose enjoying a sunset meal. 

July 23 - Jenny Lake & Fishing – This morning, Mark rose early to take advantage of his 48 hr - $28.00 fishing license, and walked down to the Snake River to try his luck.  As luck, or talent, would have it Mark caught a Rainbow Trout, and almost (fish story inserted here) caught a very large brown trout.  After exercising Tucker, we left for Jenny Lake.  Pulling into the parking lot of South Jenny Lake, our initial impression was we were back in Northern Virginia…cars, and people everywhere and no where to park.  But thankfully, as we entered the trailhead, we were quickly back into the Wyoming wilderness.  Mark, and Jeremy fished the shoreline when possible.  It’s needless to say that hiking the rim of a gorgeous lake at the base of the Tetons is nothing short of breathtaking.  Add to that, a (divide and conquer) strategy, where Mark and Terri forked off to Hidden Falls for a great visual of a 200 ft+ raging waterfall while the younguns continued climbing to Inspiration Point where they had a Birdseye view of Jenny Lake.  After rendezvousing in the parking lot we made the trek back to Flagg Ranch to be greeted by a very happy puppy.  To reward Tucker for being such a good boy while we were gone, we took him down to the river for a good swim. 

July 24 – Finish Yellowstone – The Early Bird Gets the Worm, or so they say.  A chilly morning greeted us as we rose, and readied ourselves for a last day in the mountains of Wyoming.  The plan was to finish Yellowstone, see the Upper and Lower Falls, then head home for some afternoon kayaking in the Tetons.   One thing you shortly realize after arriving in the expansive country, the drive to your destinations are not short, but the rewards are worth it….The sweeping landscape of Hayden Valley, Buffalo grazing along the shoreline, or lounging in the dirt, and the cutest little coyote pup hammed it up for all who stopped to visit.  We arrived at Grand Village to view the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River.  To view the Lower Falls, a mere 308 foot waterfall, we took a trail called Uncle Tom’s Trail.  The walk down and up were not for the faint of heart, or for one who is afraid of heights, as one hiker was overheard, we descended, give or take, 380 steps. For a visual of this extraordinary feat, click on this link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_eiayDm4gw (not our video, we were too overwhelmed to take a picture.)  When we returned to Flagg Ranch, Mark opted to stay put and relax.  Jeremy, Kelsey, and Terri took off for Lake Jackson, and kayaked before dinner.