Thurs Aug 4, 2011. Flathead River, Big Fork, MT

We stopped to visit our Big Fork family and were treated to an evening boat cruise along the Flathead River.  Even Guinness got to take in the sun and mountain scenery!  Thanks to them for great food, showers (yes, there’s a theme on this trip), and fun!

Never thought I'd be on a boat!

Posing bald eagle

Flapping in the breeze!

Mon Aug 1, 2011. Jenny Lake, Tetons; Jackson, WY

Rain, rain, and more rain.  We woke up periodically to the sound of rain hitting the roof of the tent and all of us (dog included) chose to hit the snooze button.  When we finally couldn’t hold bladders any more, we got out of the tent to swamp foot – a small lake had formed outside our tent!  A steady rain continued, so we went on a driving tour south through the park to Jenny Lake. 

Jenny lake reminded me of a Switzerland/Glacier Park like view.  One side of the lake was met by towering, glacier covered peaks with waterfalls flowing down into the lake.  It was quite a sight and would have been even more remarkable had clouds not covered the upper half of the mountains.  We had to remind ourselves that the blue sky – snow capped mountain vistas known of the Tetons were just one side of the story: we were “lucky” enough to witness the cloudy, rain filled mountains.

Cloud covered Mount Moran

Jenny Lake on a stormy day

Since we wanted to spend some touring Jackson, WY anyway, we decided to take our rain day into town.  Many of the art galleries welcomed us, even though we were lacking showers and were clearly not capable of a significant purchase.  One of my favorite artists (again, per Chelli and Loren) Carol Hagan (http://www.carolhaganstudios.com/chhomer2.html) from Montana was well-represented in one of the galleries.  The bright colors and impressionist take on grizzlies and other wildlife brings nature to life in a new way.  Some day we’ll be back for your grizzlies, Carol!

A food review: happy hour (2-1s at the Cadillac bar) and burgers from Billy’s next door.  The 1/2 pounders they serve up with waffle fries are a deal!  The line at Billy’s was out the door around lunch time, but we went back in the evening, found a seat in the Cadillac Lounge, and ordered burgers. 

We thought we’d spent enough time in Jackson and headed back “home” to our tent at Colter Bay.  Of course, right as we hit the Teton National Park entrance, the rain started up again – just as we’d left it in the morning.  Another wet night was in our sights.  The washers and driers in Missoula, MT are in for a serious work out!

Sun July 31, 2011. Grand Tetons; Lost Lake, Bridger-Teton National Forest; Grizzlies!

We woke up to a relaxing morning in the Tetons, and hit some of the major vistas in Grand Teton, namely Oxbow Bend, best known for sunrise shots.  Our view was a bit more subdued given the rain clouds overhead.

Oxbow Bend

After a pizza lunch at Leek’s Marina, we picked Guinness up and headed to the Bridger-Teton National Forest for some dog-friendly hiking. 

The Bridger-Teton National Forest is just east of the park a few miles, but we drove out hwy 26/287 looking for forest road 30020.  Without GPS, the road would be easy to miss: it’s an overgrown dirt road behind a construction staging area (near mile marker 23ish).  We drove up the road – and by drove, I mostly mean crept.  The ruts in the road, probably from years of spring washouts, were deep and decorated with huge boulders.  A 4WD, high suspension vehicle is definitely a must.

We reached a “road closed” sign to the left, which marks the beginning of the Lost Lake trail.  The Lost Lake trail is about a mile in length down a former forest road that is now overgrown with lupine.  The trail was a great place to let Guinness off leash to sniff to her heart’s content.

We were surprised to find Lost Lake surrounded by patches of snow and full of cutthroat trout and whitefish.  The scenery was beautiful, but the mosquitoes were horrendous.  Even with bug dope on, they were swarming us looking for any patch of skin or clothing that was missed by the bug spray.  We didn’t stay at the lake long, but on a bug-free day, this hike would have been a great break from the bustling Tetons.

Lost Lake reflection

On the way back into the Colter Bay campground, we drove up to a 1-car critter jam.  We slowed down and saw a big brown blob slowly making her way along the ditch just on the other side of the road: a huge, healthy, brown grizzly!  As she walked along, now coming parallel to us, two cubs came tagging along behind her from in the brush.  One of the grizzly cubs took a break next to the side of the road.  Sitting back on his behind seeming to check us out with as much excitement and interest as we had in him!  After playing with a few long blades of grass, mamma started calling to him from down below in the gully.  He obliged just as the rangers pulled up with lights flashing to move traffic along and send people back to their cars.  A mamma grizzly with cubs is an animal best left alone to go about her bear-business.

Sat July 30, 2011. Travel day – Evenston, WY to Grand Teton National Park, WY

We finally arrived back in the cool, crisp mountain air!  It always feels like home to drive through the windy mountain roads, coast down the passes, and see snowcapped peaks all around. 

We drove through Jackson, WY on the way to Grand Teton and decided to come back later.  We already had a late start from the Motel 6; multiple rinse, lather, repeat cycles were required to get rid of the Moab layers.  I actually thought my legs had a nice tan.  Turns out my “tan” washed off.  I even had some bruises I didn’t know were there.  Sorry, I digress.

We had hoped to camp at the popular Jenny Lake campground in the Tetons.  It is tent camping only, near many entry points into the mountains, and farthest south, i.e. closest to Jackson.  It usually fills by 9 am, so we drove farther north and found a site at Colter Bay.

I was skeptical of camping at Colter Bay only because the campground has 350 sites!  But, I was pleasantly surprised to find the sites secluded, surrounded by trees, and amazingly quiet.  We even ended up in a “generator” loop with campers nearby but haven’t heard one yet. 

One downer for the day: had to make a 45 minute drive back to Jackson because our 8 day old Coleman air mattress had a leak!  Ugh!  We made it to the Sports Authority just before closing and picked up a new one. 

One pick up for the day: since we were in Jackson, we decided to check out an art gallery that was still open (per Chelli’s recommendation).  It was phenomenal!  We got a little tour of the various artists represented there, since we were the only ones that late at night.  The gallery guy told us many stories about real estate in the area, the beginning of the National Park, and of course, we talked art.  What a relaxing and fun way to wrap up an evening that we had been irritated about.  Just goes to show, when on vacation (or anytime, really), take what’s handed to you and make the best of it!

Fri July 29, 2011. Negro Bill Canyon Trail; Travel day to Wyoming

If you’re looking for a cool, shady hike (in relative desert terms, of course) with incredible scenery, the Negro Bill Canyon Trail just outside of Arches is a must do.  Just off of hwy 128 on the way to many of the campgrounds along The Colorado, is the turnoff for a 2.5 mile hike along an ever flowing stream.

The trail meanders along the stream, crossing it at several points, allowing dogs and people the chance to cool off.  With only a 330 foot elevation gain, most of which is near the end of the trail, almost anyone can walk to the highlight of the trail: Morning Glory Arch.

Morning Glory Arch is the 6^th largest rock span in the U.S. at 243 feet in length and is a hidden gem in the Arches National Park area.  Although the trailhead was full of cars – many of them from a rock climbing adventure group – people were spread out enough along the vegetation-covered trail that we took in some much-needed time away from the crowds of Arches.

After hiking in the morning, we got back to the car full of sweat and dirt again to find the temperature had reached 95 degrees before noon.  Yikes!  Before leaving Moab for Wyoming, we stopped by Lin Ottinger’s rock and fossil shop (www.moabrockshop.com) and had lunch at the Moab Brewery. 

A few notes on these places: Lin’s is slightly overpriced, although we were admittedly in a tourist town.  That being said, he is a well-known dinosaur fossil hunter, has a museum collection in his shop, and has a vast selection.  There were a few things I would have liked on my bookcase if it weren’t for the price.  Maybe we’ll be back in a few years.

Second, the Moab Brewery has good food at good prices, although the beer leaves a bit to be desired.  We tried the pale ale and thought it wasn’t well balanced with aroma hops that are usually added at the end of the brewing process.  The Pilsner was a better choice.  The best thing on the menu at the Moab Brewery has to be the beer cheese soup.  Order a side of this if you have anything with french fries and sub for ketchup.  Or, just eat bowls and bowls of this soup.  It tasted like a queso deliciously thinned out to soup consistency with beer.  I’m actually drooling a bit right now just thinking about it.  I seriously thought of asking whether I could get an ice cream bucket of it to go.  In retrospect, I really should have done that.  If anyone happens to be at the Moab Brewery, drop me a line and I’ll send you postage and pay for the beer cheese soup if you send me a shipment of it.

We left the dry, hot, sandy desert for the cool mountains and spent the night halfway just across the border of Utah and Wyoming at the Motel 6 in Evenston, WY.  One more night out of eating took us to Michael’s bar and grill.  We found it, oddly enough, by google reviews even though Michael’s doesn’t have its own website.  Echoing the other reviews, Michael’s has great sandwiches, good prices, and some of the best service around.   If you ever find yourself in Evenston, WY, don’t stay too long but do try out Michael’s.

Thurs July 28, 2011. Landscape Arch, Arches; Deadhorse Point State Park; Canyonland National Park

To avoid the crowds and “Disneyland-like” feel of Arches, we got up early, skipped coffee and headed straight for one of the iconic arches in the park: Landscape Arch.  Landscape is accessible by a short walk (~1 mile) and is best seen in the morning.  We arrived before 8:00 and found the parking lot at the trailhead about half full. 

Landscape Arch is truly impressive.  At over 3 football fields in length, it is one of the longest natural arches, but it is also one of the thinnest.  In the 70s, park visitors actually happened to be picnicking beneath the arch when they heard rumbling, looked up, and saw a few pebbles falling from the arch.  Moments later a huge, 70 ton slab of rock fell from the arch, narrowing it even further.  Because of this, the trail now stays in front of the arch.  Ironically, the same force that initially formed the arches: the falling of rock, will eventually lead to its demise.  The latter can be seen in action at Landscape Arch.  Truth be told, we did put the video on for a few seconds wondering if we might be the next to capture a fall.  

Arches shares a great mesa with other rocky lands that have been affected by water and erosion over millennia.  Because of differing rock composition and the action of two rivers: The Colorado and The Green, a vast canyon formed and was protected as Canyonlands National Park. 

Canyonlands can be seen in the distance from Dead Horse State Park, which overlooks a sharp bend in The Colorado.  Dead Horse Point has become a bit of a mecca for photographers in the past few years, and improvements to park facilities from the increase in $10 entrance fees are apparent.

The view from Dead Horse Point is impressive as it overlooks the river bend and the expansive Canyonland National Park extends out toward the horizon.  Normally, The Colorado runs green, making for a beautiful contrast of colors against the red rock walls.  But, we visited during monsoon season and the daily, heavy rains had turned the Colorado brownish-red.  Although the view at Dead Horse Point is beautiful, if one had limited time, bypassing this small state park for the vastness of Canyonlands itself would be a good choice.

Canyonlands, like Grand Canyon National Park, has a road that drives along the rim with many turnouts offering views across the canyon.  Also similar to Grand Canyon, the vastness of Canyonlands is hard to take in by eye. 

The LaSal Mountains with an afternoon rainstorm 31 miles past the canyon