Utah, Idaho, Wyoming

The American adventure continues. Who knows what lies ahead in these three states, but I know one thing is for sure, I can’t wait! After leaving SL, UT, we traveled along the Great Salt Lake in to Idaho which was our stop for lunch. Where does one have lunch in Idaho you ask? Well have I got the place for you…The National Oregon/California Trail Center! This is like the Disney World of the Rugged West. When we first entered we are asked to imagine what life was like in the 1850’s and pretend you have a strong wagon, some drift animals (preferably oxen), basic food staples, pots/pans, shotgun and a rifle amongst other necessary provisions for the journey that lies ahead! People were being “sent back” if they did not have things like Saleratus and Hardtack….honestly who cares I was HUNGRY! Anyhow once we were all able to enter the building where were greeted by two people singing country western songs and then we were able to enter our stage coach for lunch! I’m not joking look at the photos! After lunch, we were given a tour of an old camp site, old mercantile store, etc… A lot of work went into this place! It was so unexpected!

After a day of driving we stopped at Jackson Hole which has some nicely crafted Elk Arches and then arrived at The Grand Teton Lodge located in the middle of Teton National Park. With no foothills obstructing your view, the jagged peaks and deep canyons of the Teton Range rise abruptly from the Jackson Hole valley. When we arrived at the Lodge we were greeted with huckleberry margaritas and an assortment of appetizers like grille vegetables, a cheese plate and Buffalo Balls! Yes, Buffalo Balls! We had a private balcony overlooking the sunset through these floor to ceiling windows that were at least four stories high! The view was unbelievable and the wildlife that grazed the fields at the foot of the hotel almost looked like movie props! The following day we had river raft ride down the snake river and saw many animals such as river otters, moose, some deer and a hawk.

After the raft trip we had the afternoon to explore for ourselves and I decided to go for a 5 mile hike. It was so peaceful and guess what…I SAW BEAR! It was awesome… The bear was swimming and running a great SAFE distance from me! That was definitely the highlight of my day! After dinner and trying some Elk steak, a bunch of us went to the one lounge on the property and watched the Olympics! Trust me when I say my previous short narration of the Grand Tetons does not give this place enough justice!

After our stay at the Grand Teton National Park we were off to Yellow Stone National Park! The United States 1st National park. The only problem is I have been reading a book titled “Death in Yellowstone”. This book makes you not want to leave the bus!

Whittlesey believes that far too many people enter our national parks with "a false sense of security." He then goes on to chronicle the deaths in Yellowstone National Park of more than 250 people. Most of the deaths, Whittlesey argues, occurred because of human mistakes and "negligence." In this sense, the book is meant to teach and warn about the many dangers that exist in Yellowstone itself and wild areas in general. The catalog of deaths includes all manner of dying at the hands of nature (hot springs, bears, bison, avalanches, exposure, and forest fires top the list), as well as deaths strictly caused by human actions (murders, suicides, carbon monoxide poisoning, car and plane accidents, and so forth). A little morbid, but strangely fascinating. Brian McCombie

In Yellow stone we stayed at the Old Faithful inn, This Inn is located within the parks boarders and it is designed to recreate the forest indoors; the lobby measures 76’6”. It looks like one big Giant tree house. Truly a work of art! As I entered my room I noticed that smoke was coming from outside my window, the joke was on me, that was a view of Old Faithful, the world’s most famous geyser.

Here is a quick example of how a Geyser works:
Geysers are temporary geological features. The life span of a geyser is, at the most, only a few thousand years. Geysers are generally associated with volcanic areas. Geysers are caused when underground chambers of water are heated to the boiling point by the volcanic rock. When heat causes the water to boil, pressure forces a superheated column of steam and water to the surface. Their formation specifically requires the combination of three geologic conditions that are usually found in volcanic terrain.

Intense heat
The heat needed for geyser formation comes from magma when it is near the surface of the earth. The fact that they need heat much higher than normally found near the earth's surface is the reason they are associated with volcanoes or volcanic areas. Geysers, though rare, are found in the same geologic settings where volcanic heat sources are available.

Water
The water a geyser ejects comes from snow and rain. When precipitation reaches the ground, most of it drains into rivers and streams. A small portion, perhaps 5%, gets soaked into the ground. Moving gradually through tiny cracks it finds its way into the underground tunnels that make up the plumbing of a geyser, then is shot to the surface during an eruption. Travel from the surface down through the rock and out through a geyser eruption can take up to 500 years.

A plumbing system
In order for the heated water to form a geyser a plumbing system is required. This includes a reservoir to hold the water while it is being heated. Geysers are generally aligned along faults, the cracks in the earth formed by earthquakes. The plumbing system is made up of a system of fractures, fissures, porous spaces and sometimes cavities. Constrictions in the system are essential to the building up of pressure before an eruption.
Ultimately, the temperatures near the bottom of the geyser rise to a point where boiling begins; steam bubbles rise to the top of the column. As they burst through the geyser's vent, some water overflows or splashes out, reducing the weight of the column and thus the pressure on the water underneath. With this release of pressure, the superheated water flashes into steam, boiling violently throughout the column. The resulting froth of expanding steam and hot water then sprays out of the geyser hole. (Thank the internet for that explanation)
Take the time to look through these photos, they are amazing! From my window in the darkness you could here them erupting all night, at times it sounded like a dragon was breathing outside my window. The geysers in the park have various names based on what they look like and some based on a death surrounding the geysers! The warm springs look so inviting, but be careful the temperatures of the waters can be hot enough to literally melt the skin right off your body!
During our second night in Yellowstone National Park we stayed at The Lake Hotel. The Lake Hotel is the oldest building in Yellowstone. On the way to this magnificent hotel we made many stops along to way. We stopped at the Fountain Paint Pot Area, Mud Volcano Area, and the Canyon Area which contains both the Upper and Lower Yellowstone Falls. Again I hope the pictures do it justice! Other activities included volunteering to paint a park ranger cabin (not bad for a guy who does not believe in manual labor), celebrating Christmas in August and eating Wild Boar and Antelope!

Enjoy the photos! Off to Cody, Wyoming.