11-17 September, 2021
11 September, Saturday
This is our last and longest trip of 2021, but still brief compared to the wanderings of 2015-2019. Yesterday was Friday, our usual day to watch A. We drove her home to Newcastle in the evening and enjoyed a delightful dinner of savoury waffles provided by E and K. Along with A came a very nervous Lucy, accompanied by her big comfy bed and blanket, her daytime sleeping pad, and a supply of biscuits and other treats. O and I are glad Lucy has an auxiliary “pack” to bunk with while we are traveling, although Lucy is probably not terribly thrilled about having naps interrupted by “human puppy,” A, with her enthusiastic cuddles and pets.
O and I were amazingly organized for this trip. Packing has gone quite smoothly. . .not surprising after our “practice” trips during the spring and early summer. Vincent seems downright spacious without any dogs, extra adults, babies or bikes! O and I are pretty much packed and ready for tomorrow’s departure by 10:30 pm!
Next morning we are up a bit after 5 am. While our apple pie breakfast is warming in the oven, I prepare our lox, avocado, and cream cheese bagel sandwiches for tonight’s dinner and slice up our last peach and apple to take along for snacking. We’re on the road by 7:50 am. Our drive goes smoothly. We even get a thumbs up along the way from another driver excited to see our TARDIS license plate. We arrive at Quartz Flat campground in Montana and, after enjoying our sandwiches and some Trader Joe brownies and brookies, we manage to fit in exercise, fiddle practice, a walk, and a bit of journaling and reading. The evening passes quickly and by 8 pm it is dark enough to justify an early bedtime.
12 September, 2021, Sunday
We are up before sunrise, just around 6:45 am and are quickly organized and on the road. Our plan is to get coffee near Missoula and then stop at the first convenient rest area for breakfast. At the coffee shop we also buy two large chocolate chip cookies for lunch. Montana’s mountains are beautiful, especially as misted peaks rise from lakes of morning fog. We finally find a rest area after 83 miles of driving. Pie and coffee are soon consumed. Even after the sun rises, the mountains remain shrouded in a smoky haze due to the severe fire season. The smoke is coming from California, Idaho and Oregon. O and I are concerned about air quality conditions in Wyoming at Grand Teton National Park.
Near Caldwell, Montana we turn south and drive towards West Yellowstone. We’ve never been this way before. It’s a scenic drive through the broad Madison River Valley, between two mountain ranges. As lunch time approaches, we see signs indicating we are near Earthquake Lake. We’ve never heard of this before. We stop for our lunch of cookies and yogurt next to the Madison River at Windy Point boat launch. The name is appropriate: it’s quite windy. Shortly after lunch we pull off at one of the interpretive panels along the road. Apparently, there was a severe earthquake here in 1957. Lots of vacationers were stranded by landslides and everyone was in fear for their lives, especially with a dam just upstream. A vacationing nurse took charge of organizing first aid for all the injured. When the outside world heard of the disaster additional assistance came by helicopter. O and I decide we will have to learn more about Earthquake Lake when we have the time and an internet connection.
We finally arrive in West Yellowstone and enter Yellowstone National Park. As we drive south along the scenic park road, travel comes to a complete halt in both directions. We are caught in the middle of a bison traffic jam. The entire herd is crossing the park road and they are in no hurry. We are close enough to see what’s going on. Every so often one car manages to get through on the opposite side of the road. Finally, after 30 or 40 minutes, the road clears and traffic progress slowly resumes. We drive south past at least a two mile back up coming form the south. The poor people down the road had no idea why traffic was stopped.
O and I finally arrive at the entrance to the Colter Bay Campground around 4:30. The young man at the entrance kiosk has just shut down his computer, but he provides a map and directions to campsite 350. It’s not the most scenic campsite we’ve been in, but there was not much choice. I had to string together 3 separate sites to cover our six nights here.
After dinner we have a brief conversation with a couple from New York. They’re from Utica they explain, but they always say they are from Syracuse since no one has ever heard of Utica. We tell them we are familiar with the area as our son attended Hamilton College. They break out in smiles. The husband coached lacrosse there for years! O and I walk over to Colter Bay Village. Here we discover a restaurant that opens at 6:30 am. Perfect! We would like to get an early start on our 9+ mile hike tomorrow.
13 September 2021, Monday
Hermitage Point Trail
Once again we are up early. Sleeping gear is soon packed, and we drive the short distance to the Jack Colter Restaurant. It’s dark and cold and we are both glad not to be cooking this morning. Breakfast is not gourmet, but it’s certainly adequate – and filling. We each order vegetarian breakfast burritos. The coffee is good, refills are plentiful and the wait staff is very friendly.
By the time we finish breakfast, the sun is up. The air is clear this morning and the Tetons are beautiful, especially so – clothed in early morning clouds. Soon we are on the trail to Hermitage Point.
As we walk along the trail we can see that Jackson Lake is a shadow of its former self. The drought has taken its toll. The areas we walk along could more accurately be called Jackson Mud Flats. Still, the scenery is beautiful. We soon reach Heron Pond which is covered in yellow water lilies whose end of summer leaves are every shade of brown, gold and green. We see beaver lodges, but no beaver, and – appropriately enough, we spy a great blue heron perched atop one of the lodges.
O and I continue our hike and re-enter the woods. I soon spy a small furry brown critter with rounded ears. My first impression is, “Oh No! A bear cub – we’re in big trouble! But I quickly realize that it’s way too small for a bear. It stands up on hind legs and regards me inquisitively. It’s really cute! I am able to snap a photo before our furry friend scampers off into the woods. A mink? – Probably too big. A marten? A weasel? We have some research to do.
On we wander with varying views of the Tetons and Jackson Lake / Mudflats to our right. Out on the water we see geese, white pelicans, mergansers, and herons. We cross sagebrush meadows with scattered pines and see small birds with yellow rumps and a couple of bright yellow birds – warblers? We also spy a bald eagle perched on a snag and an osprey flying overhead. A gray jay calls from a nearby pine, hoping for a morsel.
At Hermitage Point we encounter a man hiking the loop in the opposite direction. We discuss our various camping experiences and he shares a video he took along the park road of a bear. O and I agree it’s a grizzly as it has quite a prominent hump. The hiker wasn’t sure, but commented that his friend also thought it was a grizzly.
On we go around the loop. We finish our hike just after 3 pm and return to camp with plenty of time to clean up, prepare dinner and precook a potato cake for tomorrow’s early breakfast.
14th September 2021, Tuesday
Fairy Falls, Yellowstone
Once more we are up in the dark of the morning, but this time we’ve overslept. . .it’s already 6:15! Not to worry – we pack up sleeping gear and reorganize Vincent quite efficiently. We’re getting very good at this. On our way out of Colter Village we stop by the restaurant to have our two large Yeti mugs filled with coffee. Then we are off on the hour and 40 minute drive to the Fairy Falls trailhead, 60 miles north in Yellowstone.
The John D. Rockefeller Highway is pretty empty this time of day. We follow a larger RV up the road. He’s moving along at a pretty good clip, but suddenly comes to a halt behind another car stopped in the middle of the road to photograph a sizable grizzly just off the highway. Even after the grizzly wanders off, the car remains, maybe texting photos to a friend!? But wait – there’s no cell service here. The delay sparks a horn blast from the car behind us. Finally the RV drives around the stopped car, followed by us and the horn blast car. After this minor delay, our drive proceeds smoothly. As we drive I spy a huge lone bison trodding through the trees. We finally arrive at the trailhead about 8:15 and secure a parking spot in the auxiliary lot.
Since we have parking, which was the main goal for our early departure, we can now enjoy our cold potato cake, along with yogurt and still pleasantly hot coffee. (We love our Yeti mugs!) Having finished breakfast we prepare for our hike: apply sunscreen, get our hiking sticks, put on hiking boots, pack lunch, binoculars, cameras, and bear spray. We’re ready! Outside the van I spy an osprey diving for breakfast. I turn around and note a “guard” raven checking out Vincent’s roof and the roofs of the cars on either side of us. We’ve been told in the past that ravens like to peck on windshield wipers, but luckily, this one leaves them alone.
O and I proceed up the trail. We climb up to an overlook to see Prismatic Spring and then walk on towards Fairy Falls. It’s a pleasant walk through pine woods. Lots of fellow hikers travel along the trail. After about 2 miles we reach the falls. They are worth the visit, and it’s easy to imagine them as an entrance to the fairy world. O and I plan to complete a long flat loop back to Vincent. We arrive at a fork in the trail and choose the left branch as the trails are unsigned. The left branch proceeds straight ahead through an inviting woods. The right branch climbs up a sunny (and hot) hill.
As we walk through the woods we hear loud repeated splashing and crashing sounds off to our right. What could it be? Moose? Elk? Bear? We walk on cautiously and then notice steam rising ahead of us. It’s a geyser rising from the middle of a pond. We stop to marvel at it awhile and try to catch photos of the spouts of water reaching their highest points.
Then on we go, eventually reaching higher country with switchbacks climbing onto a ridge. We finally stop for lunch and I take out the map. Wait! This was supposed to be a flat hike! We realize we took the wrong trail. On the other hand, it’s been a beautiful walk. After lunch we retrace our path back to the geyser. Here we stop again for even more photos. In my quest for a better angle I am engulfed in a sulfurous cloud of vapor. Ahh – Yellowstone!
On our way back to Fairy Falls we find our (very obvious) missed turn. We return to Vincent the way we came. As we are approaching the parking area we encounter a crowd of people staring up the hillside next to the trail – binoculars at the ready and cameras snapping. There is a large grizzly just up the hill. I take a few photos of my own and we return to Vincent.
Back at Colter Bay Campground we move to our second campsite. As we are about to enjoy our dessert after supper a loud rustling commences in the evergreens right next to our site. Whole bushes are swaying right and left. . . and out walks a (thankfully small) black bear. It still looks pretty impressive up close, even if the bear is on the small size for its species. I grab our (tempting) trash bag and run to the van for the bear spray. Back at the picnic table O is bravely guarding our brownies. I grab those and put them in the van as well. By now there is a small crowd of fellow campers, armed with cameras, bear spray and binoculars, all watching the bear. I start clapping my hands loudly. The bear decides there is too much commotion here to bother with the food spread invitingly on the picnic table across the road. He heads across the street, past the trash containers and disappears into the woods. It’s certainly been a good day for wildlife spotting!
15th September, 2021, Wednesday
String Lake
We’ve decided on a more leisurely day today. We sleep in until 7:15! This is the first time this trip that we wake in daylight. Vincent’s thermometer reads minus 0.5 degrees C. We dress quickly, and I take out a pair of hand warmers for each of us. They are very helpful. Breakfast is spinach-mushroom frittata, a leftover backpack meal from our aborted 2019 Fundy Footpath hike. I know that sounds old, but dehydrated food seems to keep forever, especially if it’s stored (as I do) in the freezer. It tastes good, especially with a pot of hot coffee. We’re not quite up to consuming a whole backpack breakfast so I store the leftovers for lunch.
O and I have the best intentions of catching up on email at the Colter Bay wi-fi hot spot, cleaning up, shampooing our hair and finding a restaurant for an early Saturday morning get-away. But first we drive down the park road. O has been refreshing his memory on the geology of the area. He wants to revisit the Cathedral Turnout on the Jenny Lake Scenic Loop to look at the escarpment, that is the drop-off formed by a fault instrumental in forming these impressive mountains. Since we are now very close to String and Leigh Lakes we decide to walk the 4 mile circuit around String Lake. It looks like this hike might give us an even better view of the escarpment.
The weather is perfect – sunny and breezy as we begin our walk. The trail is wide and sandy, shaded pleasantly. We cross the foot bridge over the outlet from Leigh Lake and take a short detour to get a better view of Leigh. An armada of canoes is heading up the lake towards us. We turn to retrace our steps to the String Lake circuit. Along the way we pass several grouse pecking their way through the underbrush.
We proceed around String Lake climbing to the intersection of this trail with the Paintbrush Canyon Trail. We take no wrong turns today. As we proceed we have views of String Lake to our left and the rocky spires of the Tetons to our right. And yes – we do get a better view of the escarpment. We finally cross the String Lake outflow and return through more woods and past several sandy beaches ideal for picnics – to Vincent. It’s already 2 o’clock!
After enjoying our lunch we proceed to Jenny Lake to check the ferry schedule. O and I are considering hiking up beautiful Cascade Canyon again, a hike we last did in 2017. Next, we try to find the restaurant we enjoyed on that trip. We are hoping to have breakfast there early Saturday morning. We finally figure out that it’s the Trapper Grill at Signal Mountain Lodge that we are looking for. Alas, their hours and menu have changed due to covid. There is only a limited early morning take-out menu available.
By the time we return to camp it’s supper time. Personal cleanup and shampoos will have to wait until tomorrow! Fortunately we have no bear interruptions this evening.
16th September, 2021, Thursday
Chores
Today is a catch up day:
Breakfast, then off to Colter Bay Village for a WiFi connection and to check email for information on our upcoming Sierra Club Trip. Reply to Covid email from the outfitter: Yes – we are immunized, No – we haven’t had fever, cough, nausea, muscle pains, etc. No – we have not had a known contact with a Covid patient. No – we haven’t had Covid ourselves. . . etc. We fill out the forms online and send them off. Hard to believe the trip starts this Sunday!
We also get laundry done and charge batteries. O cleans the inside of Vincent’s windshield. We have a friendly conversation with our young neighbors across the road. The are very interested in Vincent. We give them the grand tour and then discuss our travels to national parks. They tell up about their trips. They have a 1 year old baby boy with them. We swap stories about camping with babies. O is happy to find a young person (the dad) who still has a flip phone and doesn’t want an upgrade. After dinner O finds time to exercise, while I take out my fiddle. I’m very rusty after not playing for 5 days, (beginners lose ground quickly) but it begins to come back. . .
17th September, 2021, Friday
Cascade Canyon
It’s cold this morning! Minus 2.5 degrees C! And it’s hard to get up early in the cold. We sleep in until 7:15. Then we are up. We dress quickly in multiple layers. Soon our breakfast of coffee, oatmeal, toast with strawberry jam, and coffee yogurt is consumed. O cooks up hot water for dishwashing.
We drive to Jenny Lake where we purchase two senior round trip tickets for the shuttle across the lake. The return ticket is a stamp on the back of our hands. We both hope the ink is sweat proof. By 11:30 we are climbing the switchbacks past Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. O and I skip these stops on this trip. Our goal is to spend as much time in Cascade Canyon as possible. The canyon is incredibly beautiful, even in the smoky haze drifting in from California and Idaho. We stop frequently to take photos – as do most of our equally awed fellow hikers.
Two rangers tell us there are a bull moose and a cow moose to the left across the canyon up ahead. “How far ahead?” asks one of the hikers. “Oh, you’ll see the crowd,” replies the ranger. Sure enough we soon reach the spectators gazing across the canyon. The female moose is standing and relatively easy to spot. The bull moose is lying down – only his rack is visible. O and I watch for awhile through our binoculars, then proceed up the trail. There’s another gathering of moose watchers here. One of them exclaims that the bull moose is moving. O and I look again Now we can see moose antlers waving back and forth. Then the bull stands up. Even at this distance he is quite impressive!
On we go, surprising a pica on a rock. She squeaks and disappears into the talus. Two hikers approach from the opposite direction. The woman says she and her husband weren’t sure how long the trail is so they turned around. O explains that the track proceeds through the canyon and eventually meets up with trails going through side canyons making an ideal backpacking loop. The woman shakes her head. “We’re not doing the backpack loop, we’re doing the brewpub hike!”
Onward we go – the views remain spectacular. We pass yet another hiker with binoculars out. This time it’s a doe and buck that have caught his attention.
Finally, O and I reach a shaded spot in the woods overlooking a rushing stream with the rocky peaks of the Tetons visible further across the canyon. Lunchtime! We break out our PBJ’s and cookies. By now it is 2 pm and the last ferry across the lake leaves at 4. O and I reluctantly turn around and head back to the dock. We arrive just before 4 pm. There is a crowd of other stragglers here waiting their turn to embark. We mask up as we wait.
Back at camp we prepare supper and ready Vincent for travel. It’s on to Green River, Utah tomorrow. We’ll need to get an early start for our 476 mile, 8-9 hour drive.