Roadtrip Daily Log

We landing in Chicago safe and sound on Wednesday night! I'll be staying with Rachel and Brandon in their HUGE south side apartment while looking for places. I've had a few chances to go out in the city and I've finished uploading all my pix onto flickr...
http://flickr.com/photos/shaynakatherine/sets/72157606588003157/

Here's my daily log from the middle days of the road trip:

Day 3 – We drove from Montpelier, ID to the Grand Tetons National Park and set up camp at Gros Ventre campground. The large first come first serve campground is located within the parks perimeter, situated with a grand view of the mountains. From there we spent some time at the visitor center and then to Jenny Lake for a picnic lunch by the water. After lunch we headed into Jackson the town to see the sights and for an early dinner. We soon saw rain clouds in the distance and quickly headed back to camp for early bedtime before the skies dumped.

Day 4 – Grand Tetons
We broke down camp and packed up the Jetta before heading to Taggart Lake Trail Head for our big hike for the day. Our 12 mile / 8 hour (10a – 6p) round trip hike started at Taggart Lake and continued up through Avalanche Valley to Lake Taminah at the peak on an unmarked, remote and at times hard to follow. It was definitely an adventure. We had read about the route in the LonelyPlanet guide for the Grand Tetons and followed the directions diverting from the well-traveled hike past Bradley Lake. The last mile we scrambled up a steep, rocky incline, tired and hungry, exhausted from heat and elevation the reward came when we reached the beautiful, snowy lake at the top. Because the trail was not officially on the map we only came across 8 other hikers in our daylong adventure.
When we finally returned to the parking lot we headed to Jackson Lake Lodge for a celebratory drink. I had actually stayed at the lodge many years earlier when my family visited the region. There we relaxed and enjoyed the breathtaking view of the Tetons before heading north into Yellowstone.

Day 5 – Geyser Country
After our big hike up the Tetons we spent that morning chilling out at camp before heading into Geyser Country. We stopped by the visitor center at Grant Village for a map and some information before heading to Old Faithful. We got there an hour before the next eruption so we watched a few informative videos at the visitor center there. After viewing Old Faithful’s spout we walked the surround area’s boardwalk passing dozens of other geysers, fumeroles, hot springs and mud pits. (pretty bad ass)
Years before when visiting as a child I didn’t quite grasp how special Yellowstone really is. Now seeing it as an adult I have a much greater appreciation for how unique and rare the hydro-thermal activity of the area is compared to the rest of the world. We then had a drink in Old Faithful Inn and grabbed dinner at Hamilton’s Store – two of the oldest functioning structures within the park.

Day 6 – Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
In an attempt to glimpse some wild life we got an early start and headed out first thing in the morning. We stopped by Yellowstone Lake Hotel on the way North from Grant Village to view The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Our first stop was Artist Point along South Rim Trail on the south side of the Canyon with an impressive view of Lower Falls (dropping 300 ft). Our next stop was Uncle Tom’s Point (also along the South Rim Trail) with a view of Upper Falls (dropping 100 ft). We then stopped by the impressive and newly remodeled Canyon Village Visitors center for more park info and for our hundredth turkey sandwich picnic lunch.
After lunch we quickly explored the North Rim Trail. Because of construction most of the North Rim was closed to pedestrians and cars but we still got to view both Lower and Upper Falls from the edge of the canyon. It was impressive and definitely worth the trip.
After the canyon we headed home to chill out and for an early dinner before heading to bead.

Day 7 – Mt Washburn, Mammoth, Bozeman
That morning we packed up camp and said goodbye to our Yellowstone campsite. We drove north to Mount Washburn for a popular and much shorter 6-mile round trip hike to the summit. We followed the fire road up to the cold and windy summit taking in expansive vistas and extensive view along the way. After 3 hours of hiking we returned to the parking lot and headed further north towards Mammoth Hot Springs, another area with active hydrothermal activity. We briefly watched the boiling water cascade over beautifully shaped terraces before moving towards the northern border.
Before finally departing the national park we made one last stop to swim at the hot pools where The Boiling River (run off from Mammoth Hot Springs) meets the glacially cold water of the Gardner River mixing to create water of the perfect bathing temperature. It was a wonderfully relaxing way to end our Yellowstone journey.
After soaking in the river we made our way into Montana and spent the night at a cheap motel in the hip college town of Bozeman Montana. There we explored Main Street and got wine and beer at the fancy bar, PLONK before bed.