Day 21 - A Snowy June Day at Yellowstone

Sunday, June 8th, 2008

I had camped out for the night just west of the Park in West Yellowstone (and by ‘camped’ I mean ‘hide from the sub-zero temperatures in the comfort of room 221 at the Brandin’ Iron Inn). Before racing off to discover the secrets behind Yellowstone’s West Gate, I got caught up with the free Hot Breakfast that the motel offered. Brilliant start to the day! From the waffles, to the eggs, to the bagels, cereal, and danishes, I was all smiles (it wasn’t the MGM’s AM buffet, but it was enough to keep me interested for close to half an hour).











I flashed my American National Parks and Recreation Lands Annual Pass and just like that the 175 mile Grand Loop and all its surrounding wilderness was mine to explore. I could feel Old Faithful’s presence, but I wasn’t ready for the Big Show yet. My first few stops were at some of the smaller Basins just off the highway. Fields of steaming geysers poured hot gases into the sky creating an ominous atmosphere that mimicked images of Hell. It was way too cool of a scene to refer to as Geothermal Activity, but as I watched the Earth’s crust open up and launch tall towers of steaming water into the air, I couldn’t help but feel that I was learning about the planets make up.





It was snowing, heavily, the wind was howling, and nothing about the day seemed to promote outdoor fun, but the park was still packed. Those tourists love their Yellowstone. However, as I drove down the Park’s roadway I couldn’t help but realize that even with the crowds, Yellowstone seemed like the perfect piece of North American nature. And the wildlife agreed. Within minutes of entering the Park I had driven by three gatherings of Elk, and saw two groups of deer off in the distance. The true keepers of the land though were the Buffalo/Bison/ huge-Cow-Thingies-with-the-Lion’s-Mane. They were everywhere and they had people abandoning their running vehicles, kids locked in car-seats, dogs trapped in the third row, just to get a few snap shots. The Buffalo knew they were a big deal too. People talk about Old Faithful, but when it comes down to it, it’s the camera-friendly wildlife that pose for the perfect pic that attract all the attention. And I’ll admit, I was nearly standing amongst the heard wanting to join in on the Buffalo fun (actually it did cross my mind to try and ride one of the bigger guys, but like I said it was snowing and I wasn’t wearing any gloves, so it would have been tough to hang on… that or they’re Buffalo and they secretly like to eat people…).












And queue Old Faithful. Every day the Park (whoever that might be, some Rangers, or the Geysers Scientists, or the old woman at the gift shop who sold me a post








card, I think she may have been around when the geyser was simple called Faithful, either way) predicts the eruptions for the different geysers, and today Old Faithful was set to blow at 12:44, give or take 10 minutes. 12:44 she exploded. Just perfect. I don’t care if it makes sense, it’s just plan weird to see water blast out of the ground and soar into the air like a volcano, every 90 minutes, without fail. Reliable little tourist attraction they have there.

























It was still snowing. As I drove east, then north, then west, and finally east again, I covered over 200 km of Yellowstone’s wilderness. I stopped at a number of other basins including Norris which was more of the same, sweet explosions from under the Earth’s crust. I also saw the Yellowstone lake, the picturesque Haden Valley, the colourful Mammoth Hot Springs, and a dozen other wildlife hang-outs. At one point I drove passed an open valley that had a large heard of Buffalo, two groups of Elk, and a scattered bunch of deer, all co-existing in the same habitat without a worry. It reminded me of the scene in Jurassic Park when Dr. Grant sees all the herbivores roaming the island's open plains for the first time. It was just like that, only instead of the massive T-Rex lurking somewhere in the park, it was the elusive Yellowstone bears (Yogi and Booboo) hiding behind the scenes. Late in the afternoon I drove by a stretch of road that had people totally losing their minds, racing from their cars, and pointing frantically like they had seen the Lock Ness Monster. I could see binoculars glued to people’s faces, and the Hubble Telescope on the end of several different tripod mounted cameras. Turns out it was a bear sighting; a gazillion miles away, on the far side of the valley, a small black bear had poked it’s head out from the dense forest, only to turn back around after the paparazzi had violated it’s privacy, and disappear again. As a true Alberta boy, I have seen bears before, so I was more impressed with the behaviour of the humans, and how they completely took leave of their senses when pretend-Yogi showed up.











I left Yellowstone at four o’clock realizing that I had just barely scratched the surface of the amazing park’s potential. As for how long one should take to explore the Yellowstone National Park, I would recommend between two days and… forever. It’s an outstanding piece of nature that deserves a thorough visit.

It was back to Montana for me. I headed north about four hours and stopped for the night in Great Falls. I’m closing in on home, but have one last stop before My Great American Adventure comes to an end; Glacier awaits my visit.
















Day Twenty-One: I want a pet Buffalo… and a geyser in my backyard.

Day 20 - Exploring the Moon in Idaho

Saturday, June 7th, 2008

I woke up to a ‘fresh’ morning, which is my way of putting a positive spin on the down right cold weather that I had found in Idaho. Before leaving Twin Falls I pulled in for gas at the Flying J at the north end of town. This place was ridiculous; people racing around abandoning their huge RVs in search of food, restrooms, showers… it was total chaos and I spent close to 15 minutes trying to get close enough to a pump to fuel up so I could put as much distance between myself and the Flying J as possible. I guess there is a down side to a Truck Stop that ‘offers everything’.

I drove over a hundred miles of peaceful prairie swells before entering the dark rocky fields of the Craters of the Moon Monument and Preserve. Three separate lava flows covering nearly half a million acres of land is what was awaiting my arrival. Without fail the National Park lived up to its name, as the ancient lava rock that covered the ground created a surreal Moon-like atmosphere. I wasted no time before pulling out my camera and snapping away at the strange landscape.












My tour of the Park began at the Inferno Cone which reached high into the air and offered a great introductory overview of the area. The only down side to standing on top of the huge black cone was the wind. It was absolutely freezing today, and with the scattered showers and relentless gusting winds I enjoyed my Moon walk while wearing several layers and sporting a touque. The closest site to the Inferno hill was the Spatter and Snow Cones area, which was a gathering of smaller peaks that you could walk right to the edge of. I tried to imagine the hellish scene thousands of years ago when the Earth was pouring out lava and filling the sky with dark ash. With what remains today I could picture a melting land glowing red with molten lava where only Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kanobi would dare duel (tragic scene in Episode 3, tragic scene). Next to the cones was a massive crater that rose up like a mountain out of the blank sea of rocks. I was able to walk the rim of the crater and see what was left over. It was amazing to have so many cones and craters in such close proximity. I was starting to see why the Apollo 14 astronauts had been sent to the area to study the geological make up of the rocks prior to their mission; minus the whole atmosphere thing and the blue/rain-grey sky, it could have been the surface of the Moon.

















High peaks, scattered cones, and massive craters turned into oceans of solidified lava at my next stop. I wandered across the frozen lava flow like it was any other hike. There was a path that took me to a part of the Park they called the Cave Section. Here a number of Lava Tubes were accessible, provided you had a flash light and a desire to head below ground. I started with the Indian Tunnel which was a large diameter lava tube that stretched out for over 800 feet. It was a nice introduction into the world of caves as both entry points were quite wide and the entire length of the tunnel was easy to access. Dewdrop, Boy Scout, and Beauty were the real deal. It was dark, wet, cold, and quiet, not to mention tight. The entrance to the Boy Scout cave was so small that you needed to crawl and wiggle around to get into the tunnel. Why would one wish to do this? That is a good question, a question that I asked myself before, during, and after the tight squeeze. The answer was clear once I made it into the cave; I had entered a new world full of small caverns, hanging stalactites, and the traces of an angry volcanic magma that had created it all. The tunnel was almost completely frozen with several inches of ice built up on the rocks covering the floor of the cave. After scrambling around several obstacles and dodging small drop offs I found myself in complete darkness, alone, with nothing but the sound of water dripping off the ceiling. I killed both my mini lantern and the head lamp I was wearing and stood in the middle of nothingness. It was like I had escaped everything that had ever existed. I loved it. Then I started to think about the movie the Descent. It was a pretty quick return trip after that. The three caves and the large tunnel were an excellent way to experience the bizarre subterranean without needing to get too extreme (it was nice to not have to ‘shimmy’ at all, or require ropes and climbing gear, or find myself hundreds of feet away from daylight, oh and not partaking in the creation of the Descent 2 was also a bonus).















I had survived the cold, had the chance to get lost in my own little sci-fi adventure, and was ready to get back on the road. It was mid afternoon, and the plan was to head north. From the expansive lava beds I drove into the dense forests of the intersection of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. It was frustrating to have to drive through snow, in June no less, but I felt good about returning to a wilderness so similar to that of Alberta’s Rockies. I am getting closer and closer to home and in the last two days have said goodbye to both the Utah deserts and the Idaho farmlands. This is the beauty of the road trip, there are no constants.















I’m hiding from the cold in the Brandin’ Iron Inn in West Yellowstone, poised and ready to attack the country’s oldest national park in the morning. Before settling in for the night, I wandered down to the first floor room labeled Hot Tubs. About a week ago I caught fifteen minutes or so of the Seinfeld episode with Jean-Paul the marathon running, George’s theory on looking busy at work, and Kramer’s new hot tub. Ever since then I’ve longed for my own ‘Soak’, and tonight’s twenty minute session was exactly what the doctor ordered. I let the jets bring me back to life after the long day and didn’t even think about leaving the tub until my hands were nice and pruney.
















Day Twenty: Craters, Snow, Hot Tubs; not bad for a Saturday in Idaho.

Day 19 - Back out on the Open Road

Friday, June 6^th, 2008

Today was a travel day. I had finished with my exploration of the Utah National Parks and was looking to turn north. My destination for the day was Twin Falls, Idaho, over 400 miles away.

It was fun to get back on the highway and look to cover some American country side. Neil knows all about the comforts of a travel day from our European tour, where a day on the train meant passive sight seeing from within the gently rocking car. It was a chance to break from the hectic hustle of tourism by foot while catching up on some much needed rest and relaxation. Today the Dakota was my Euro train, and the state of Utah was the scene that presented itself to me. I left Green River and took highway 6 north through winding valleys of the central Utah mountains. I was leaving the desert and finding diversity in the state’s landscape.

Getting back on the road meant returning to the Road Trip Way of Life. There are certain qualities that become apparent when it’s just you, your four wheels, and the highway. To begin with, the trip needs to be considered as The Event. It may sound played out and cliché, but it truly is all about the journey, and not just the destination. It’s not a race… unless of course it is, in which case there is a totally different code to follow, but assuming that you have the time, you have to take it. Slow down and absorb what’s passing by the windshield. I can’t get over the different kinds of country side that I’ve drive through. From the cloud covered northern Pacific coast to the wide open seas of sand, there is too much that must be seen to just cruise by in an Interstate-Coma. I suggest taking random detours off the scenic byways, stopping at the view points, pulling into the small towns that only show up on the local maps. It is amazing what a road trip can be when you don’t let yourself get distracted by the road.

As I moved into the white-tipped mountain region, nearing Salt Lake City, I found myself remembering the comfort that comes from finding your travel team along the highway. Traffic seems to balance itself out, meaning that eventually you will find yourself moving through passing lanes and eating up the open road with vehicles of a similar driving philosophy. It’s funny how attached one can become to random vehicles that are cruising at the same speed as you. They turn into part of your convoy, teammates of the roadway, friends; the White Grand Cherokee from Washington, the little Colorado hatchback, the southwestern Black Chevy. You start to know each others moves and tendencies on the road, and before long you are progressing as a unit. Then comes the inevitable Goodbye that will happen at some random exit. Today I almost took the I-80 east just to stick with the Rust Orange Dodge Nitro that I’d been following for 200 miles. But that’s just me, I’ve always had trouble with Goodbyes. Lonely? Noooo… it’s the Dakota who misses the Webb parking lot in front of our house.

I left the state of Utah and am now in Idaho. The south part of the state that I crossed to get to Twin Falls is a wide open prairie farmland. It reminded me of the Canadian prairies, and has left me a little more homesick then normal. Then again it could be my ever growing fatigue that has me longing for my old Calgary routine. It’s not so much that I’m mal nourished, but being so consumed by the Adventure, I find I’m not quite ‘full of fuel’. This means that when I come to a stop, say in a motel or at a campground, I find it tough to not just get lost in a pillow for the night. I suppose it is a very efficient way to travel; give myself the energy to be one with the adventure, attacking hikes and conquering the sightseeing meanders, and then when the exploration is over, just shut the system down.

I’m in another Motel 6. They really do get the job done when it comes to Lodging; a simple room, with a large bed, a TV, a full fledged bathroom, some A/C, and that sense of security that is occasionally lacking from the walls of a tent (those Elk could have been Samsquanches for all I knew). Tonight’s room is identical to last night’s room, and I mean identical. It’s as though the city did the traveling and the Motel 6 and I stayed put. It’s nice that way. It really feels like I can get all caught up in the day and experience what My Road Trip Americana has in store for me with the comfort of having a bit of certainty and familiarity when it’s all said and done.

After settling in to the room I gave Neil a quick call. This trip really does have a similar atmosphere to the EuroWebb journey, and without Neil here to ride the crazy traveler’s roller coaster with me, it just doesn’t seem right. Plus the Dakota doesn’t laugh at any of my witty remarks, and the video camera only listens to stories and has none to share with me. It was fun to quickly catch up with the brosef. With that said, I am pretty good at this solo routine. I like to think it has a lot to do with how Awesome I am. I’ve had very few disagreements with myself, and I always seem to enjoy my company, so really I think I’m pretty easy to travel with.

Tomorrow I will check out the Craters of the Moon National Monument which is said to be one of the most extraordinary landscapes in the country. I am making my way north and I can feel the end of the journey approaching. It’s funny how quickly nineteen days goes by, and yet how even San Francisco feels like an eternity ago.

Day Nineteen: The essence of a good Road Trip… Driving the Road, and everything around it.

Day 18 - So Much More than Just Arches at this National Park

Thursday, June 5th, 2008

Panguitch is about four hours away from Arches National Park, so when my watch woke me up at 8am I didn’t want to waste any time. It was cold outside, really freakin cold, especially considering the fact that my Triple Threat Canyon Experience had all taken place in the mid to high twenties on the Centigrade scale. I was all bundled up in a hoodie, and was sporting long pants as I hit highway 89 in search of an eastward I-70. For most of the time that I spent heading north on the 89 I was moving across some of Utah’s quiet farm land. The drive was quite calm and peaceful with the low level clouds bringing the skyline down. I was a little worried as I moved into the mountain range near Richfield and found heavy rains, because there were vehicles heading in the opposite direction that had snow covering their roves. I missed out on that action though, because the closer I got to Arches the clearer the skies became.


























I made it to the park gates by 1pm and began my tour of the area. The Arches roadway carries you passed the many sites of the National Park as it heads north. I doddled for a while stopping at different viewpoints and exploring some of the scenic turnoffs. The south end of the park is protected by massive rock towers that stand overlooking the road. Near the beginning of the roadway is a collection of these rock towers that have formed a canyon called Park Avenue. This picturesque site reminded me of Zion’s Garden of Eden setting, so I was an instant fan of Arches.



















As I drove passed a large assembly of the red rock towers I found a great viewpoint that looked out over a field of Petrified Sand Dunes. My stop was brief at the Dunes, because off in the distance I could see a precarious balancing act that they call Balanced Rock. This fragile formation was made up of a narrowing cone-shaped base that held up a very large bolder. My bet is on glue, some sort of industrial style glue that the park has concocted to keep this balancing act alive. All this took me close to forty minutes, and I still hadn’t reached the arches yet, so even though there were more viewpoints along the way I prioritized and drove to the end of the road where the Devils Garden Trailhead began.



















The Devils Garden was littered with huge sandstone slabs that stacked up like giant dominos on their side. The trail found its way around these piles of rocks to Landscape, a 300-foot-plus Arch that stretched out across the sky. This was a sight to behold; my first arch, and it was the largest natural arch in the world. A ribbon of rock extended further then the length of a football field. Go Big or Go Home right?





















It’s amazing to think that these strange rock formations not only exist but are created naturally. The red arch cutting through the deep blue sky; my arch dreams were fulfilled, and I had only just begun the hike. This was the end of the ‘Easy Trail’; queue the strenuous Double O Arch path (like Bond it has a license to kill and is super cool… or maybe there are just two ‘O’ shaped arches hiding in the same rock face, which ever you prefer). The trail was now less of a path and more of a general direction that found its way around narrow ledges. I tip-toed and danced over the rocky terrain and climbed up and down the rock slabs to Double O Arch. It was over 2 miles to this point in the trail, and after just over an hour of hiking, while I marveled at the wall with the stacked arches, it started to rain. Typical. Perfect timing. Of course my only real worry is my camera, my precious, my precious. Luckily it was a quick little storm that was forced out by more sun, and the hike continued. On the way back, with more of a familiar step, I got caught up working on my Parkour over the rock layout. It was way too much fun, and far less dangerous than you might suspect. Three more impressive arches waited for me on my return; Navajo Arch was a thick stretch of rock that nearly formed a cave, Partition Arch acted as a porthole opening up to a great view of the park, and Wall Arch was just that, a huge arch stuck in a wall along the trail. After two and a half hours I had crushed the Devils Garden Trail and was loving this park.


















Each arch was significantly different from the last, making my return trip down the park roadway very exciting. I had three more stops planned. The first was a short run to Skyline Arch which had been significantly smaller half a century ago, but after a large chuck of the rock broke off and doubled the arch’s size, it is now an impressive monument. The day was starting to slip away from me, so instead of walking the Delicate Arch trail, I settled for the Upper Viewpoint of the Arch that many know as ‘the One from the Utah License Plate’. It’s not as long as Landscape, or as neighbourly as Double O, but it is the Archiest of the Arches. The formation stands alone on a slanted rock face, open to the world and standing tall like the frame of a door. The trail leads you right to the arch itself, I on the other hand was a valley away, still impressed beyond belief. The final pit stop was at the Window Section where the North and South Windows and the Turret Arch are gathered in a short 1 mile loop. These are big arches that act as frame-work for great landscape shots of the park beyond. An excellent finale to my Arches National Park experience.

I was on the go for over eleven hours, but when I check into the motel in Green River it felt like the day had flown by. Tomorrow I will be moving on from Utah in search of more of Mother Natures Miracles further north. Physically and mentally I am starting to fade, but when the sites are this good, it doesn’t matter; I can’t get enough of this trip.















Day Eighteen: I want an Arch in my backyard.












Just over a month after my trip to Arches National Park, the Arch Family lost one of there favourite Sons. On August 5th, Wall Arch could no longer be found. During the night the 12th largest arch in the national park collapsed and left nothing but an open gap and a pile of rubble along the Devil’s Garden Trail. I received the news while at my desk at work. It was tough to take in. Not quite a tragedy, but a serious enough shock to sit back and reflect on. Visitors to Arches know that there’s an expiration date on all the amazing structures, but for one of the Greats to disappear just a few weeks after I had walked beneath it put things in perspective for me; the world won’t wait. I was one of the lucky ones. One of the last to see Wall Arch before it became Fall Arch. Sure there are thousands of other arches that can still be admired within the parks boundaries, but it’s not the same park that I saw in early July. It just goes to show that opportunities need to be exercised. Wall Arch has shown me that there is no time to waste, I have to make sure I continue to explore this world, and pursue the adventure. There is too much to see to put it off for another day; a day when things may have already collapsed for you.