09.10.06The view from the car window for the first 3/4 of the state. Yawn.
On the road in South Dakota
09.10.06The view from the car window for the first 3/4 of the state. Yawn.
Badlands
09.10.06
South Dakota's redeeming quality is the Badlands - you really do have to take the scenic trip through the Badlands instead of staying on I90. Click on any of the pictures to see just how great the views were.
South Dakota's redeeming quality is the Badlands - you really do have to take the scenic trip through the Badlands instead of staying on I90. Click on any of the pictures to see just how great the views were.
Day 5: Monday
Accomplishment 1: Hike around Devil's Tower
Accomplishment 2: Cross the big ole state of Wyoming
Celebrate by drinking wine with Chris Dickey in Jackson, WY (our next host)
Tried a Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle and managed about 10 clues without any cheating. About 10 more after I cheated once (or twice). Who was going to get “Needing crackers, say” was “incode” ? I don’t even know what that means. Alas…
Waking up at the base of Devil's Tower
It’s 10.29am here (is that 1.29 or 12.29 in Columbus?) and I just rolled out of my tent and am admiring the view of Devil’s Tower. I do not imagine that there is any way to make this, the first National Monument, look good in a picture with just a normal camera at the ground level. Perhaps you need to do a fly by or take a camera up the four pitch trad climb. Maybe an old 8x10 film camera with none of the bells and whistles – black and white film and long exposure times could actually show off these channels that look chiseled out and run the height. Much like large city, the sum is greater than all of the parts – you cannot capture all of the highlights in one shot or painting – although the artists in the streets of Montmarte are a bit more carefree in the positioning of Paris’s tourist landmarks in their paintings.
At the base of the tower’s ‘pedestal’ (looking for a
word that is smaller than a mountain and larger than a bread box, I mean hill) – there are these deep red rock cut outs. Everything else is so gray and brown that you think you are looking at a two tone picture. After a while even the grasses look brown. But this red is just shocking. Now you can see the different shades of all the other colors. Brown grasses and trees are now pale green sage bushes, the seasonal change of leaves on the trees to these neon yellows. Bridesmaid dress green trees (Sorry Angie) and dark evergreens.We are preparing to go for a walk around the park and play with the prairie dogs. The sun is shining and we are debating pants v. shorts. I think we have begun to unwind from the stresses of normal life because this decision is the hardest we have faced since we left Chicago. I must chase the man down because he is biting into one last Molly apples – no more until next fall’s Worthington Farmers Market
I miss Boo.
Disappointment
09.11.06Devil’s tower has many accessible (in rating) climbs but unfortunately for us, we were not going to do any climbing here – all crack climbing does not work well with a foot held together with the metal. Paul's left foot no longer likes to be shoved into tight places. Now that I wrote that, I wonder if his foot ever liked to be shoved into tight places...
I am not quite sure if I am disappointed in this picture because we would not be climbing Devil's Tower or if it was because of the incoming thunderstorm.
Wyoming has cops?
09.11.06
I thought that there was not a speed limit in this state... isn't that what the word around the country is?
2 speeding tickets in less than 3 hours should dispell that urban myth.
Wyoming is a deceptively large state and it is ridiculous that they enforce their traffic laws so mercilessly. It is, however, a compelling state – the colors, forms, stuff, etc. A lot to see and think about. Such as – why do all of these landowners put hundreds of miles of fence up when there is nothing around?
I thought that there was not a speed limit in this state... isn't that what the word around the country is?
2 speeding tickets in less than 3 hours should dispell that urban myth.
Wyoming is a deceptively large state and it is ridiculous that they enforce their traffic laws so mercilessly. It is, however, a compelling state – the colors, forms, stuff, etc. A lot to see and think about. Such as – why do all of these landowners put hundreds of miles of fence up when there is nothing around?
Wyoming Homes
09.11.06Paul likes dead trees, I like dead houses. Wyoming has so many that we could stop every 10 minutes for dead house pictures if Paul would let me.
Day 6: Tuesday
High point 1: (Or second highest point?) Today we hiked almost to the top of Jackson Peak in Jackson Hole, WY (there was some confusion once we got close about which was the high point. After getting to the top, we saw that we were wrong.)
High point 2: We saw 1 MOOSE!
High point 3: And cooked in a REAL kitchen! REAL food - Chilaquiles for our host and his roommate as a thank you.
High point 2: We saw 1 MOOSE!
High point 3: And cooked in a REAL kitchen! REAL food - Chilaquiles for our host and his roommate as a thank you.
That's a moose
09.12.06I am told since it was eye to eye with me that this one is a young'un. That was good to find out after I tried chasing it.
This a moose and a man print.
Which makes me ask: In a wildlife death match who would win, Paul or a young'un moose?
Outrunning Winter
Day 7: Wednesday
*Today we hiked to Ampitheater Lake in the Grand Teton's
*We saw 4 BEARS!!
*Celebrate life by having dinner at Teton Thai
*We saw 4 BEARS!!*Celebrate life by having dinner at Teton Thai
Broken
13 SeptemberThis hike to Ampitheater Lake in the Grand Tetons was not the most technically difficult of all that we have done, but a severe lack of water made this TheKate Death March. I hit several walls during the first 5 miles but with Paul's help and alot of water I managed to smash every one.
Our eyes met from across the log...
09.13.06
We came across our first bear on the shore of Surprise Lake in the Grand Tetons (about 4.1 miles from a car). We learned quite a few things about how to act around bears but does looking a bear in the eye through a camera lens count as a threat?
We came across our first bear on the shore of Surprise Lake in the Grand Tetons (about 4.1 miles from a car). We learned quite a few things about how to act around bears but does looking a bear in the eye through a camera lens count as a threat?
Teewinot
09.13.06Teewinot Peak in the Grand Tetons - we want to summit this but it probably won't happen this trip - maybe next year.
Admiring Ampitheater Lake & the Tetons
09.13.06We ate lunch and rested our feet on this a boulder looking over Ampitheater Lake. Immediately after I took this picture I climbed back up on the rock and put my hiking boots back on. Right after I finished lacing and tying them, we heard a noise and looked over Paul's shoulder...
An uninvited, but always welcome, lunch guest
She came to occupy the rock on which we lunched.
We graciously gave up the rock.
Her cub joined once we were safely removed.
The closest we were to the bears was about 10 feet. Kate took these pictures by holding the camera behind her back while walking away.That was the exact rock that we ate lunch on just 2 minutes before. Momma bear and Baby hung out for awhile before moving on to more interesting adventures. We hung out and watched them for about 20 minutes before they were far enough past the trail that we could safely leave.
Dead Tree
13 SeptemberHiking includes alot of dead tree watching as these generally end up being Paul's favorite pictures (if you have seen most of the art in our house, this would be obvious).
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