Old Faithful
On our way back home, we began with the scenic route. We headed south to Wyoming, and then meandered through Yellowstone for several hours. Even though the damage from the big forest fires of a few years ago is still present, the health and regrowth was very evident. I loved seeing the green emerging through, and the vitality that the fires had actually improved. Life emerging stronger after death...
We stopped to see Old Faithful, of course. Unfortunately, our timing was off; it had erupted only a few minutes before we got there. Rather than waiting for the next one (we had a lot of hours to go yet that day), we walked around for a few minutes and then moved on.
Our reservations for the evening were at a hotel in Sheridan, WY, so the last portion of our trek that day was spent making our way over and through the Bighorn mountains. These are high (we saw a sign which noted the elevation was 9,033 ft, and we were on our way down at that point) and cold (the 75° day at the base became 40° in the middle of the pass), and breathtakingly beautiful.
It was also some of the best pure fun that I've ever had behind the wheel. I was driving at that point, and the descent was chock full of curves and turns and switchbacks... it felt like a slalom course. What a hoot! I will admit that my family was not quite so enthusiastic, though. They didn't say much through the pass; but collectively declared that the first establishment we came to on the east side-- the Crazy Woman Saloon-- had been named in anticipation of my arrival. I don't know why they'd think that...
Next stop: South Dakota.
We stopped to see Old Faithful, of course. Unfortunately, our timing was off; it had erupted only a few minutes before we got there. Rather than waiting for the next one (we had a lot of hours to go yet that day), we walked around for a few minutes and then moved on.
Our reservations for the evening were at a hotel in Sheridan, WY, so the last portion of our trek that day was spent making our way over and through the Bighorn mountains. These are high (we saw a sign which noted the elevation was 9,033 ft, and we were on our way down at that point) and cold (the 75° day at the base became 40° in the middle of the pass), and breathtakingly beautiful.
It was also some of the best pure fun that I've ever had behind the wheel. I was driving at that point, and the descent was chock full of curves and turns and switchbacks... it felt like a slalom course. What a hoot! I will admit that my family was not quite so enthusiastic, though. They didn't say much through the pass; but collectively declared that the first establishment we came to on the east side-- the Crazy Woman Saloon-- had been named in anticipation of my arrival. I don't know why they'd think that...
Next stop: South Dakota.
posted by Jane Ellen+ at
8:34 AM
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