This is only a small fraction of the photos we have taken.....
Grand Canyon
Montezuma Castle
Petrified Forest/Painted Desert
Death Valley
Yosemite - New
Yellowstone - New
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse
We had a reservation at a campground just south of Keystone, SD (Near Mt. Rushmore) but had some difficulty finding it last night… both Google Maps and the truck’s navigation system mapped the same location using the addresses provided on the campground's website, however, our campground did not exist there! In fact, it wasn’t even anywhere near there! We had some fun pulling the trailer through the twisty mountain roads, bridges, and even through a few tunnels that were only wide enough for one car to enter ( a TIGHT squeeze for the trailer!)
In the morning we visited Mt. Rushmore. I have to admit that it was more impressive than I thought it would be. 14 years of blasting away at the mountain and it still never reached its completed state. It makes us wonder if this will be the Stone Henge of the next cilvilization… will they think these 4 men were gods we worshipped? We also visited Crazy Horse nearby. Although still less than half-way complete, this giant three dimensional sculpture was something to see! It’s hard to believe that it is the result of the work of one man, his wife, and 7 children! Will it be completed in our lifetime? It will be intresteing to see...
In the morning we visited Mt. Rushmore. I have to admit that it was more impressive than I thought it would be. 14 years of blasting away at the mountain and it still never reached its completed state. It makes us wonder if this will be the Stone Henge of the next cilvilization… will they think these 4 men were gods we worshipped? We also visited Crazy Horse nearby. Although still less than half-way complete, this giant three dimensional sculpture was something to see! It’s hard to believe that it is the result of the work of one man, his wife, and 7 children! Will it be completed in our lifetime? It will be intresteing to see...
Old Trail Town
We left Yellowstone early in the morning and got stuck in another snowstorm at the exit of the park. We were delayed about 45 minutes, but we did get to see two moose in the process! Our trail through Wyoming took us through some massive mountains where we got caught in a blizzard and all we could see in any direction was white! When we finally made it down the mountain we stopped in Old Trail Town in Cody, a ghost town turned museum. It was fascinating to see the old homesteads, stable, shops, saloon full of bulletholes, and school house, all somewhat furnished with period “old west” furniture. One building was supposedly frequented by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid, and another was the home of Curly, Cluster’s Crow Indian scout. Several of the buildings were turned into museums to display cowboy relics and Native American artifacts. It really was a glimpse into another way of life to see the clothing and daily items. The Indian artifacts were perhaps the most impressive to me, especially the elaborate beadwork on the clothing and shoes, horse accessories, and baby boards (to strap the babies to while being carried). There were many photographs, skulls, and horns from the bison massacre of the 1880’s… a tragic and shameful event of our early pioneer days.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The Grand Tetons
Our last day in Yellowstone we decided to travel to the nearby Teton National Park for a closer look at the giant mountains and glacial lakes. It was extremely cold so instead of hiking around Jenny Lake we took a boat ride across it. Then we hiked up to Hidden Falls (I got to test out the waterproofness of my hiking boots while climbing rocks near the river!) Next we climbed the steep trail up to Inspiration Point. Here, the view above the lake, forests, and fields was awesome! At the very top we got caught in a snowstorm (which later turned to sleet) so we decided our hiking for the day was finished! We drove some scenic dirt roads requiring 4WD through the mountains which was an adventure in itself! At one point we came to a stream that Brandon was totally convinced we could cross in the truck. (Meanwhile I had visions of drowning and being swept away down stream) Halfway submerged, we finally opted out of that adventure due to the creek's rising water level from the afternoon storms. Instead, we drove through Antelope Flats (which by the way was completely VOID of any antelope!) but abundant with yellow dandelions as far as the eye could see!
Even MORE Wildlife!
We visited Mammoth Hot Springs early in the day and took a drive through the Lamar Valley. The wildlife was abundant! We were able to sit and watch a family of coyotes with 5 pups! The father went out hunting and came back to feed the babies while the mother had to go fetch one pup that was too scared to travel from one den to the other on it’s own. Closer to the campground we saw a mother bear and two cubs cross the road right in front of our truck!
Bison and coyotes and bears, oh my!
We changed campgrounds mid-stay at Yellowstone because it is freezing cold (literally) and we wanted hook-ups for a heater! The campground in Fishing Bridge came with the disclaimer: coyotes and bears reside in campground, beware! Fortunately we did not meet any wildlife face to face in the campgrounds (although I dreamed every night about bears breaking in and stealing our food!) However, in the nearby lakeside and meadows we were able to spot a huge grizzly bear feeding on an elk carcass!
Yellowstone
Two days of non-stop driving and we arrived in Yellowstone. I believe this has to be the most beautiful state (second to North Carolina, of course!) The landscape has it all: forests, rolling hills, snow capped mountains, grassy fields and meadows, hot springs, geysers... You name it, it's in Wyoming!
The wildlife is spectacular also! We were only in the park 5 minutes before we saw a herd of Bison and calves! There were mule deer, elk, and pronghorns everywhere! Our first excursion was to the fountain paint pot area. There was a storm rolling in and the sky was gray and heavy. It was just at dusk and freezing cold. There was a small cluster of geysers that were “unpredictable and infrequent” but we decided to wait and see if anything happened. We were rewarded by an experience that was almost otherworldly! All the geysers erupted at the same time, shooting boiling water high into the sky and creating walls of steam that rose up to meet the clouds. It was at the same time thrilling and eerie to witness this in the dark with bison in the distance as our only company.
The wildlife is spectacular also! We were only in the park 5 minutes before we saw a herd of Bison and calves! There were mule deer, elk, and pronghorns everywhere! Our first excursion was to the fountain paint pot area. There was a storm rolling in and the sky was gray and heavy. It was just at dusk and freezing cold. There was a small cluster of geysers that were “unpredictable and infrequent” but we decided to wait and see if anything happened. We were rewarded by an experience that was almost otherworldly! All the geysers erupted at the same time, shooting boiling water high into the sky and creating walls of steam that rose up to meet the clouds. It was at the same time thrilling and eerie to witness this in the dark with bison in the distance as our only company.
Finally, we found the internet!
(So I guess that part I wrote last about "more to come soon" was a little misleading...)
We have been without internet pretty much since we got to Yosemite!
My favorite part of the park was the Grove of Giant Sequoias. We spent a whole day hinking among these magnificent trees... they were so huge it was hard to comprehend! The oldest tree in the forest is believed to be about 1,800 years old, only half of it's life expectancy! There were trees that we could walk through, look through from bottom to top, and some that had even grown together to form one massive tree! All I can say is "wow!"
We have been without internet pretty much since we got to Yosemite!
My favorite part of the park was the Grove of Giant Sequoias. We spent a whole day hinking among these magnificent trees... they were so huge it was hard to comprehend! The oldest tree in the forest is believed to be about 1,800 years old, only half of it's life expectancy! There were trees that we could walk through, look through from bottom to top, and some that had even grown together to form one massive tree! All I can say is "wow!"
Friday, May 18, 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Yosemite
Our last few days have been spent in Yosemite National Park. With frozen lakes and snow covering the ground in areas, it has been hard to get used to the extreme temperature change from Death Valley! We have done a good deal of hiking and even a bit of bike riding... Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite Falls, Mirror Lake and Glacier Point... all stunning destinations! The only complaint is the amount of tourists. This is like the Disney World of National Parks. We have experienced morning traffic jams trying to enter the park and there is absolutely NO parking anywhere!!!
Today we went for a horseback ride to avoid the more heavily populated areas. We were surprised by the ruggedness of the trail with steep mountain switchbacks. We saw our first bear and several deer along the way.
We are actually camping outside the park in the area near Bass Lake. Waking up every morning to the sun rising over the water has been awesome! More to come soon....
Today we went for a horseback ride to avoid the more heavily populated areas. We were surprised by the ruggedness of the trail with steep mountain switchbacks. We saw our first bear and several deer along the way.
We are actually camping outside the park in the area near Bass Lake. Waking up every morning to the sun rising over the water has been awesome! More to come soon....
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Death Valley
We arrived in Death Valley last night around sunset with temperatures around 105 degrees F! My first impression of the landscape was.. how strange! It was more beautiful than we thought it would be and there are many different types of landforms. There are areas with mountains and surprisingly large amounts of foliage and desert plants. There are other areas containing nothing but sand dunes. We saw several different species of lizards... dull gray small ones to huge (at least 1 1/2 ft long) pinkish ones. We even spotted some quail!
This morning we headed for some sand dunes said to have accoustic activity (walking on them or running your fingers through them apparently creates audible vibrations). We looked at the map and chose the road that seemed to lead out to them... what we found was a very rustic unmaintained gravel road that didn't go anywhere near the dunes at all! In fact, we couldn't see that ANY road actually went to the dunes, and in 100+ degree weather, we weren't in the mood to hike many miles in the sweltering desert! Our off-road experience lasted about an hour and a half. Back on a paved road we discovered some closer sand dunes and hiked around on them for a while. (I wish I had a camel.)
Next we took Ron's advice (GREAT advice, btw!) and drove down 20 Mule Team Canyon Road and Artist's Drive, both narrow winding one way roads cutting through the intensely colorful mountains. Breathtaking! Artist's Palate was by far the highlight for me!
A stop in the Badwater Basin nearly killed me. At 282 feet below sea level, it's the lowest (and arguably, Hottest!) point in the Western Hemisphere. The salt flats here stretched out for miles. It reminded us of snow because the salt would collect around our boots and make a slushy concoction that was difficult to walk though.
In the evening we took another off-road adventure in the truck to see the Panamint Falls. We never found them... I think it probably required another wild goose chase hike through the desert to reach them. Not what we had in mind. So instead, we drove out to to Father Crowley Point to watch the sunset over the mountains and dunes.
This morning we headed for some sand dunes said to have accoustic activity (walking on them or running your fingers through them apparently creates audible vibrations). We looked at the map and chose the road that seemed to lead out to them... what we found was a very rustic unmaintained gravel road that didn't go anywhere near the dunes at all! In fact, we couldn't see that ANY road actually went to the dunes, and in 100+ degree weather, we weren't in the mood to hike many miles in the sweltering desert! Our off-road experience lasted about an hour and a half. Back on a paved road we discovered some closer sand dunes and hiked around on them for a while. (I wish I had a camel.)
Next we took Ron's advice (GREAT advice, btw!) and drove down 20 Mule Team Canyon Road and Artist's Drive, both narrow winding one way roads cutting through the intensely colorful mountains. Breathtaking! Artist's Palate was by far the highlight for me!
A stop in the Badwater Basin nearly killed me. At 282 feet below sea level, it's the lowest (and arguably, Hottest!) point in the Western Hemisphere. The salt flats here stretched out for miles. It reminded us of snow because the salt would collect around our boots and make a slushy concoction that was difficult to walk though.
In the evening we took another off-road adventure in the truck to see the Panamint Falls. We never found them... I think it probably required another wild goose chase hike through the desert to reach them. Not what we had in mind. So instead, we drove out to to Father Crowley Point to watch the sunset over the mountains and dunes.
Grand Canyon Photos
We had an amazing time in the Grand Canyon... Met some wonderful fellow "RV-ers" and hiked/walked more in four days than I have done in 4 months. The photos really don't do it justice!
The first time I saw the "Grand" Canyon my stomach literally sank.
The first time I saw the "Grand" Canyon my stomach literally sank.
Less than 5% of the people that visit the Canyon actually hike down below the rim.... Only 1% actually hike to the bottom and back; we are some where in the middle. We hiked as far as recommended by the Rangers in one day (Skeleton Point) any further and they say the average person will not make it back to the top before sunset. Well we are not average :) but we are far from being in shape. We made a wise choice hiking half way to the bottom. We saw some spectacular views and fortunately for us it was not too hot.....
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Death Valley
We arrived just at dusk into Death Valley and it was 105 degrees....
The sunset was amazing and the sand looks like snow as it blows across the road.
The sun has been down for several hours and it is still a 100 degrees outside, although the low should be in the 60's
Death Valley Weather
The sunset was amazing and the sand looks like snow as it blows across the road.
The sun has been down for several hours and it is still a 100 degrees outside, although the low should be in the 60's
Death Valley Weather
Grand Canyon
WOW! The Grand Canyon was absolutely amazing! It was bigger, deeper, wider, and more impressive than I ever could have imagined! A true masterpiece of God the Artist!
We hiked for 7 hours into the canyon and back out... reaching the farthest point (Skeleton Point) that is reccommended on a day hike. It was hard to get used to being so close to the edge with a sheer cliff and certain death below, but it was truly a wonderful experience. We saw wild deer, elk and even some California Condors soaring above the cavern!
The first day it actually snowed at our campsite. After that the days warmed up enough to be comfortable with pants and a t-shirt during the day, but the nights remained FRIGID!
We hiked for 7 hours into the canyon and back out... reaching the farthest point (Skeleton Point) that is reccommended on a day hike. It was hard to get used to being so close to the edge with a sheer cliff and certain death below, but it was truly a wonderful experience. We saw wild deer, elk and even some California Condors soaring above the cavern!
The first day it actually snowed at our campsite. After that the days warmed up enough to be comfortable with pants and a t-shirt during the day, but the nights remained FRIGID!
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