Friday, July 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Wild Horse Creek Ranch
We are at Wild Horse Ranch (http://wildhorsecreekranch.net/theRanch.htm) in Idaho now and have been since Sunday. We’ll be here till Thursday morning and will not be writing during our stay.
Day 4 - Day 8 Idaho, Wyoming, Montana
Day 3:Preacher Bridge, Idaho to Alpine, Wyoming
At 4am we were woken with barking and growling noises just outside the tent, Jakub popped his head out to see what might be going on and a small dog aggressively tried to make his way in to the tent. Jakub gently tried to shoo him away, but my mama bear instinct kicked in (I wasn’t sure if he was feral or rabid or what) and so I raised my menacing voice and yelled, “go away”. It seemed to do the trick and the dog left, or so we thought. Shortly after we had fallen back asleep the Sasha almost jumped out of his skin and the dark was growling by his ear (outside the tent). Things settled and we woke early in the morning to the site of a cute small dog that was hungry, lonely and friendly as hec. We fed him some bacon which he devoured, looking for more. Out came the tongue, then all our tri-tip. Part way through a chunk of tri-tip the size of his left leg, it seemed he had finally had his fill. We spent the morning playing with him, discussing what to do with him (the local SPCA , about 40 miles away, had had signs that it was full. We envisioned him going for 3 months and then being put to sleep. The boys and I wanted to take him but that meant ending our trip just as we began – no dogs are allowed in National Parks. We finally agreed to leave him there given it was a higher traffic fishing area, and if I was still shedding tears in a week we could come back and take him with us. As we left the campsite the dog carried on with his usual business, no struggle to join us in the car, no chasing. Seemed we had made a good choice.
***Note on taking quick morning bath in the creek. Insert picture
Onward we went, heading east. The road here winds through small towns, surrounded by fields and open space little more lush than the desert. Though I had enjoyed the morning bath in the Little Wood River, I was in search of more water, this time hot springs. At mile 214.4 on the 93 there is a small unmarked pullout on the left hand side, without a tip you would drive right past, as we did the first time. Once in the pullout a well worn path leads to the hidden hot springs. There are two pools, the large pool being about 5ft deep. The mossy rocks as we entered the pools were a bit slick and Sasha went from sitting peacefully to a terrifying (for him) slide in to the deeper water. I think he may have actually swallowed a little water, which is not great as this pool is rumoured to give drinkers the present of giardia.
Though initially alone at the pools, we were quickly joined by ________, who works with pullingforflowers.org, an organization that collects wildflower seeds from around Idaho and plants them in other areas of the state. She tipped us off to the bounty of Ribes(currants) just beside the pools (cross the marshy grass to the right of the pool and there are more currants than you can pick). We shared a post-pool snack of yellow and red Ribes and then climbed back in the CRV to head to Craters of the Moon National Monument.
Craters of the Moon National Monument was so named because of the “dark craters and cold lava” once thought to be similar to the moon’s surface. We read in our guide book that the lunar landscape was formed by similar volcanic activity seen today in Yellowstone; they therefore conclude that the lush park will one day share this rather cold and black appearance. The park has a number of cool geologic features, but given our “tight” schedule (a whole lot to see and every stop better than the previous) we decided to do a quick hike up Inferno Cone which affords a 360®view of the monument. We made the short climb up the sliding, blue iridescent lava rock to take in the full view. The cinder cone lines, the pahoehoe below and Aa Aa for miles. Incredible! Our next stop was Cave Trail. We visited 3 of the “caves” creates by lava tubes only to realize our piddly little head lamp was not going to do the trick. It allowed us to travel deep enough into the caves to see the ice and feel the cool, cramped darkness but did not allow us to completely traverse any of the smaller caves. That said, jakub’s prescription sunglasses (all he had for eyewear) were probably a greater deterrent, or from my point of view blessing, that the light.
We thought we might head to Jackson for the night but decided to stop closer to Alpine instead. A Forest Service campground by the dam seemed like a good possibility however as we drove in, remembering our spot the previous night, we decided the ATV- motorhome- fishingless -packed full site might leave something to be desired.
Just at the junction in Alpine we turned up the Grey River road and tried our luck with sites along the river. The first few were full, but before long we found a spot with a few sites that was completely vacant. We chose a spot with a great trail to the river, and a cute branch table made by a previous occupant. The road right down to the site was 4x4 only so we decided to pack our tent and food down. As we started the pack, we were hit by a swarm of mosquitoes that did not let up for most of the night. As I right here in the Tetons I am being eaten alive (one actually just bit me on the yoni! Bugger)so I imagine they will be with us for the remainder of our trip.
The river was too blown out to fish, so we concentrated on drinking a little local Hefeweisen and roasting marshmallows instead. All in all, a perfect evening.
__________________________________________________
Day 4: Grey River, Alpine to Tetons
Morning brought a pleasant surprise, no night time visitors and the boys let me sleep in. I woke to them roasting English muffins on the fire. After a quick breakfast we made a trip to the store to check out the “what happens when you hit a large herbivore” photos, and to buy water and some fresh donuts. Across the street I spotted the cute “Coffee Cabin” so we made a pit stop. We found wifi, good coffee and super décor. I wish I had skipped the donut because the waffle looked amazing.
Our trip thus far has really been about taking small roads on a whim. Today was no different. On our way to Jackson we turned off for a “short peak” and ended up at Fox Creek where we fished, swam, ate lunch and generally enjoyed ourselves. Along the road were seas of wildflowers and Fox Creek was this incredible meandering stream through with a lush border in the otherwise arid landscape. As the hot afternoon sun came around we all wanted to set-up our tent and take a siesta, instead we pulled ourselves on, with the promise of the Tetons and Yellowstone.
Jaskson was a pleasant surprise. The town was quaint and friendly with sites for most types of tourists. I of course wanted to check-out the town square with its elk antler arches and then head on to the local coffee company. They were local roasters so I expected something like Peets instead it was your typical watered down American style coffee. Jakub had the good sense to order a double espresso macchiato, to which the gal said, “Oh, are those your friends outside? Cuz they just ordered one to and that was my first ever. Oh, cept he said, “doppio”.” With our blood full of caffeine I took the boys to the local mercantile to get a view of all manner of dead animals. They had antler chandeliers, stuffed mountain lion, bear, marmot, birds, and skins from everything you can imagine. It was an interesting feeling as we could not help but wonder about their source.
As it was late afternoon , though we wanted to just stay in Jackson and check out the streets, we loaded up and headed for the Tetons.
Jakub had a small hike picked out at Schwabacker Landing on the Snake River. It turned out to be very fruitful as we saw a moose within five seconds of arriving. The moose, like most of the large herbivors in the parks, took little notice of us and actually followed us down the trail. Lovely. They trail itself meandered along the river, the banks were teaming with wildflowers and a lush grass that demanded a snack break to enjoy its cushion. The mosquitoes were qui ck to send us on our way again. We had hoped to fish down the creek but it got increasingly shallow. We finally decided to do some casts near the trailhead. Jakub and Sasha were joined by Beaver (capitalized here because Sasha was sure it was Beaver from “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”.
Our desired campsite had been full since early morning so we headed to Gros Ventre campground where we were treated to a nice view of Tetons. The backroad route via Mormon Road brought us near our first herd of bison. Jakub got (almost)dangerously close to snap a great picture. As we continued on the road we were blessed with the presence of Northern harriers, ground squirrels, and kestrels.
The night was hot and so we slept with the fly off allowing a beautiful star blanket to lull us to sleep.
Day 5: Gros Ventre to Jenny Lake, Tetons
I woke early this morning with a painful belly. Remembering the warnings of the giardia in the hot springs and surrounding creeks I hoped my pains were merely due to slightly off food and not the little bacterial friends. Forcing my self out of my warm sleeping back, I made my way through the tent sage obstacle course to the restrooms on the other side of camp. The pains proved to nothing, thank goodness for false alarms.
The upside to my early rising was a quick start to Jenny Lake where we secured a much coveted tent spot. We found a great site with a back door view of wildflowers, a peek of the Tetons, and some healthy pines to provide shade.
Once the tent was set-up we set-out on a rocky pathway that circled the lake. The splashes of colour from wildflowers and bushes provided an opportunity to show the boys some of the plant species that I grew up with in B.C. It was a pleasant walk with only a few other people on the trail. Once we reached the boat docks on the other side of Jenny Lake it was like we had missed the flyer for the Wilkes Bashford sale at the falls and now found ourselves directly in the middle of a very driven mob. The falls were Took ferry back, took swim in lake. Man @ store said only Canadians and Alaskans would swim on a day like today.
Got bad coffee and snacks at store, headed to hot springs.. AMAZING saw snake eat frog, kids caught tropical fish, saw elk. Went fishing at String Lake and boys caught a few brookies, Sasha landed his first which supplied us with dinner for the night. Great sleep and off we go…Sasha has cough.
Day 6: Tetons to Grant Village, Yellowstone
Yellowstone has been an interesting experience thus far - a combination of awe at the wilderness and beauty and shock at the Disneyland –like quality of “The Great Outdoors “. When I think about it makes sense that once of the most visited national parks would be like any other major tourist attraction with huge crowds, tons of stores selling overly expensive junk and junk food galore. The good thing about major tourist destinations in once you move away from the crowds you experience the place in a whole new way. In the case of Yellowstone it is incredible wilderness with a semi-isolated quality. I say semi because it seems wherever one goes there are at least a couple of other people around.
I should add to this description a small point that will perhaps clarify my experience thus far. I have dreamt of seeing Old Faithful all my life. My dad gave me a National Geographic geography book when I was little and it had several incredible pictures of an enormous tower of steam and water shooting into the air out of Old Faithful. I imagined it somewhat isolated, requiring a short hike,. Naively, never did I envision the huge circular seating area near a gigantic shopping center. I know this is a classic case of too great expectations.
To get away from the crowds we rode the bikes to Lone Star geyser, a mere 2.5 miles from the road but sufficient to thin the crowds down to a few people. The geyser sports a very impressive cone, a great eruption and we could get close enough to feel the spray and bathe in the sulfuric smell.
Fly fishing has been an imperative part of the trip, especially for Sasha. We have tried to do a least a few casts each day. On our first day in Yellowstone we decided to try our luck at the Fire Hole River. The day had been quite calm and we could not have predicted that the wind would pick-up as it did that afternoon. The boys managed to do a few casts but Sasha had difficulty against the strong winds. He was rather disappointed until they came across a small bison carcass. The vision of the fur, skull with horns and ribs strewn along the bank made their day. It was satisfying enough for us to head off to the Old Faithful Inn for dinner. As I checked in for a table I was informed that if we really wanted to eat in the incredible hall, originally built in 1904, we would have to let our bellies rumble until almost 10pm. fortuitously there was a cancellation just as I was given this information, and so we were immediately seated. The restaurant was busy, the food ok, wine bad, BUT the ambiance, the grandeur of the enormous log house made it all worth it. Perhaps, on our next trip, we will just grab a beer and sit by the fireplace in the main hall, but for this trip it was the perfect end to our first day.
Day 7: Grant Village to Canyon Campground
After a breakfast of pancakes with blueberry syrup we headed to the shower and laundry facilities to take our first real shower in almost a week and to wash a bit of our clothes. There is nothing like getting sparkly clean after a week of creek and lake “baths”. Once smelling a little less gamey we drove directly to the Canyon Campground to get our site. We had made a reservation but were told no site had been assigned so we would need to arrive early. We did so only to find we had been assigned a site , as I was smilingly told, “near all the amenities”. Read near the road, a construction site, toilets. It was Jakub’s least favourite thing thus far. Oh well, we did have a site in the full 400 site camp.
From the campsite we back tracked to see the sites we had driven past. First stop,the bison that rest near the steam vents, a place that allows them to graze when the ground are covered in snow. Next stop Fishing Bridge, once a popular fishing spot, picture shoulder to shoulder fishers pulling in huge cutthroat. Today is a protected spawning ground that attracts bald eagles, pelicans and other natural predators. Stop 3, Pelican Cove loop, a short 1 miles loop that promises viewings of grizzlies later in the summer, and earlier in the year, a chance to see marked trees and sappy spots with clumps of their fur. We were afforded markings and hair clumps, something I was secretly thankful for, while Jakub as somewhat disappointed. Perhaps it is the Canadian in me, but I prefer to move away from known grizzly spots, call it a self preservation thing. Last stop of the day, Gibbon River for a little fishing. Sasha and I had a small fish on on our first cast and after that they mocked us. We came and presented and they slurped up other insects. As the sunset neared we were visited by a huge bison that decided on grazing directly in our path back to the car. With all the goring stories the boys were anxious and wanted to go home. We tried to make our way around him nbut the path was quite marshy and we had no luck. We could not go forward as he seemed quite agitated at our presence and so, with Kinder on our backs, we forged the river. When we were safely in the other side Jonas’ poor little legs were still shaking. Best part of the trip so far!
We experienced a few losses on this day. Jonas lost Sasha’s Swiss Army knife in the tall grasses along the Gibbon River and Jakub’s BMW bag with the lion’s share of his clothes is somewhere in Yellowstone.
Day 8: Planned trip from Canyon Campground to Norris and on to Madison, actual Canyon back to Grant in search of one black BMW bag
Despite the bright lights and loudish noises at our campsite we all slept relatively well. It was a VERY cold night, at most 0°C. The boys were freezing! Jonas climbed into my sleeping bag early on and poor Sasha kept telling me he was cold so I would zip him up an drub his back. It was not until around 7am that he said, “momma it is my feet that are so cold”. They were like icicles! I looked at the degree rating on his bag when we got up, 30 F, he should have been fine,humph. Mental note, warm woolies at night.
The back track to Grant Village was unsuccessful on the bag front but fruitful for the kids. We took time to have lunch, charge electronics and do the Junior Ranger Program. The reward in Yellowstone is a very cool patch that we can sew on their vests. The programs are a great way to engage the kids in the geology, geography and biology of the parks. I regret not having done it in the Tetons, though the Tetons are so spectacular they require little motivation to engage the youngsters.
At 4am we were woken with barking and growling noises just outside the tent, Jakub popped his head out to see what might be going on and a small dog aggressively tried to make his way in to the tent. Jakub gently tried to shoo him away, but my mama bear instinct kicked in (I wasn’t sure if he was feral or rabid or what) and so I raised my menacing voice and yelled, “go away”. It seemed to do the trick and the dog left, or so we thought. Shortly after we had fallen back asleep the Sasha almost jumped out of his skin and the dark was growling by his ear (outside the tent). Things settled and we woke early in the morning to the site of a cute small dog that was hungry, lonely and friendly as hec. We fed him some bacon which he devoured, looking for more. Out came the tongue, then all our tri-tip. Part way through a chunk of tri-tip the size of his left leg, it seemed he had finally had his fill. We spent the morning playing with him, discussing what to do with him (the local SPCA , about 40 miles away, had had signs that it was full. We envisioned him going for 3 months and then being put to sleep. The boys and I wanted to take him but that meant ending our trip just as we began – no dogs are allowed in National Parks. We finally agreed to leave him there given it was a higher traffic fishing area, and if I was still shedding tears in a week we could come back and take him with us. As we left the campsite the dog carried on with his usual business, no struggle to join us in the car, no chasing. Seemed we had made a good choice.
***Note on taking quick morning bath in the creek. Insert picture
Onward we went, heading east. The road here winds through small towns, surrounded by fields and open space little more lush than the desert. Though I had enjoyed the morning bath in the Little Wood River, I was in search of more water, this time hot springs. At mile 214.4 on the 93 there is a small unmarked pullout on the left hand side, without a tip you would drive right past, as we did the first time. Once in the pullout a well worn path leads to the hidden hot springs. There are two pools, the large pool being about 5ft deep. The mossy rocks as we entered the pools were a bit slick and Sasha went from sitting peacefully to a terrifying (for him) slide in to the deeper water. I think he may have actually swallowed a little water, which is not great as this pool is rumoured to give drinkers the present of giardia.
Though initially alone at the pools, we were quickly joined by ________, who works with pullingforflowers.org, an organization that collects wildflower seeds from around Idaho and plants them in other areas of the state. She tipped us off to the bounty of Ribes(currants) just beside the pools (cross the marshy grass to the right of the pool and there are more currants than you can pick). We shared a post-pool snack of yellow and red Ribes and then climbed back in the CRV to head to Craters of the Moon National Monument.
Craters of the Moon National Monument was so named because of the “dark craters and cold lava” once thought to be similar to the moon’s surface. We read in our guide book that the lunar landscape was formed by similar volcanic activity seen today in Yellowstone; they therefore conclude that the lush park will one day share this rather cold and black appearance. The park has a number of cool geologic features, but given our “tight” schedule (a whole lot to see and every stop better than the previous) we decided to do a quick hike up Inferno Cone which affords a 360®view of the monument. We made the short climb up the sliding, blue iridescent lava rock to take in the full view. The cinder cone lines, the pahoehoe below and Aa Aa for miles. Incredible! Our next stop was Cave Trail. We visited 3 of the “caves” creates by lava tubes only to realize our piddly little head lamp was not going to do the trick. It allowed us to travel deep enough into the caves to see the ice and feel the cool, cramped darkness but did not allow us to completely traverse any of the smaller caves. That said, jakub’s prescription sunglasses (all he had for eyewear) were probably a greater deterrent, or from my point of view blessing, that the light.
We thought we might head to Jackson for the night but decided to stop closer to Alpine instead. A Forest Service campground by the dam seemed like a good possibility however as we drove in, remembering our spot the previous night, we decided the ATV- motorhome- fishingless -packed full site might leave something to be desired.
Just at the junction in Alpine we turned up the Grey River road and tried our luck with sites along the river. The first few were full, but before long we found a spot with a few sites that was completely vacant. We chose a spot with a great trail to the river, and a cute branch table made by a previous occupant. The road right down to the site was 4x4 only so we decided to pack our tent and food down. As we started the pack, we were hit by a swarm of mosquitoes that did not let up for most of the night. As I right here in the Tetons I am being eaten alive (one actually just bit me on the yoni! Bugger)so I imagine they will be with us for the remainder of our trip.
The river was too blown out to fish, so we concentrated on drinking a little local Hefeweisen and roasting marshmallows instead. All in all, a perfect evening.
__________________________________________________
Day 4: Grey River, Alpine to Tetons
Morning brought a pleasant surprise, no night time visitors and the boys let me sleep in. I woke to them roasting English muffins on the fire. After a quick breakfast we made a trip to the store to check out the “what happens when you hit a large herbivore” photos, and to buy water and some fresh donuts. Across the street I spotted the cute “Coffee Cabin” so we made a pit stop. We found wifi, good coffee and super décor. I wish I had skipped the donut because the waffle looked amazing.
Our trip thus far has really been about taking small roads on a whim. Today was no different. On our way to Jackson we turned off for a “short peak” and ended up at Fox Creek where we fished, swam, ate lunch and generally enjoyed ourselves. Along the road were seas of wildflowers and Fox Creek was this incredible meandering stream through with a lush border in the otherwise arid landscape. As the hot afternoon sun came around we all wanted to set-up our tent and take a siesta, instead we pulled ourselves on, with the promise of the Tetons and Yellowstone.
Jaskson was a pleasant surprise. The town was quaint and friendly with sites for most types of tourists. I of course wanted to check-out the town square with its elk antler arches and then head on to the local coffee company. They were local roasters so I expected something like Peets instead it was your typical watered down American style coffee. Jakub had the good sense to order a double espresso macchiato, to which the gal said, “Oh, are those your friends outside? Cuz they just ordered one to and that was my first ever. Oh, cept he said, “doppio”.” With our blood full of caffeine I took the boys to the local mercantile to get a view of all manner of dead animals. They had antler chandeliers, stuffed mountain lion, bear, marmot, birds, and skins from everything you can imagine. It was an interesting feeling as we could not help but wonder about their source.
As it was late afternoon , though we wanted to just stay in Jackson and check out the streets, we loaded up and headed for the Tetons.
Jakub had a small hike picked out at Schwabacker Landing on the Snake River. It turned out to be very fruitful as we saw a moose within five seconds of arriving. The moose, like most of the large herbivors in the parks, took little notice of us and actually followed us down the trail. Lovely. They trail itself meandered along the river, the banks were teaming with wildflowers and a lush grass that demanded a snack break to enjoy its cushion. The mosquitoes were qui ck to send us on our way again. We had hoped to fish down the creek but it got increasingly shallow. We finally decided to do some casts near the trailhead. Jakub and Sasha were joined by Beaver (capitalized here because Sasha was sure it was Beaver from “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”.
Our desired campsite had been full since early morning so we headed to Gros Ventre campground where we were treated to a nice view of Tetons. The backroad route via Mormon Road brought us near our first herd of bison. Jakub got (almost)dangerously close to snap a great picture. As we continued on the road we were blessed with the presence of Northern harriers, ground squirrels, and kestrels.
The night was hot and so we slept with the fly off allowing a beautiful star blanket to lull us to sleep.
Day 5: Gros Ventre to Jenny Lake, Tetons
I woke early this morning with a painful belly. Remembering the warnings of the giardia in the hot springs and surrounding creeks I hoped my pains were merely due to slightly off food and not the little bacterial friends. Forcing my self out of my warm sleeping back, I made my way through the tent sage obstacle course to the restrooms on the other side of camp. The pains proved to nothing, thank goodness for false alarms.
The upside to my early rising was a quick start to Jenny Lake where we secured a much coveted tent spot. We found a great site with a back door view of wildflowers, a peek of the Tetons, and some healthy pines to provide shade.
Once the tent was set-up we set-out on a rocky pathway that circled the lake. The splashes of colour from wildflowers and bushes provided an opportunity to show the boys some of the plant species that I grew up with in B.C. It was a pleasant walk with only a few other people on the trail. Once we reached the boat docks on the other side of Jenny Lake it was like we had missed the flyer for the Wilkes Bashford sale at the falls and now found ourselves directly in the middle of a very driven mob. The falls were Took ferry back, took swim in lake. Man @ store said only Canadians and Alaskans would swim on a day like today.
Got bad coffee and snacks at store, headed to hot springs.. AMAZING saw snake eat frog, kids caught tropical fish, saw elk. Went fishing at String Lake and boys caught a few brookies, Sasha landed his first which supplied us with dinner for the night. Great sleep and off we go…Sasha has cough.
Day 6: Tetons to Grant Village, Yellowstone
Yellowstone has been an interesting experience thus far - a combination of awe at the wilderness and beauty and shock at the Disneyland –like quality of “The Great Outdoors “. When I think about it makes sense that once of the most visited national parks would be like any other major tourist attraction with huge crowds, tons of stores selling overly expensive junk and junk food galore. The good thing about major tourist destinations in once you move away from the crowds you experience the place in a whole new way. In the case of Yellowstone it is incredible wilderness with a semi-isolated quality. I say semi because it seems wherever one goes there are at least a couple of other people around.
I should add to this description a small point that will perhaps clarify my experience thus far. I have dreamt of seeing Old Faithful all my life. My dad gave me a National Geographic geography book when I was little and it had several incredible pictures of an enormous tower of steam and water shooting into the air out of Old Faithful. I imagined it somewhat isolated, requiring a short hike,. Naively, never did I envision the huge circular seating area near a gigantic shopping center. I know this is a classic case of too great expectations.
To get away from the crowds we rode the bikes to Lone Star geyser, a mere 2.5 miles from the road but sufficient to thin the crowds down to a few people. The geyser sports a very impressive cone, a great eruption and we could get close enough to feel the spray and bathe in the sulfuric smell.
Fly fishing has been an imperative part of the trip, especially for Sasha. We have tried to do a least a few casts each day. On our first day in Yellowstone we decided to try our luck at the Fire Hole River. The day had been quite calm and we could not have predicted that the wind would pick-up as it did that afternoon. The boys managed to do a few casts but Sasha had difficulty against the strong winds. He was rather disappointed until they came across a small bison carcass. The vision of the fur, skull with horns and ribs strewn along the bank made their day. It was satisfying enough for us to head off to the Old Faithful Inn for dinner. As I checked in for a table I was informed that if we really wanted to eat in the incredible hall, originally built in 1904, we would have to let our bellies rumble until almost 10pm. fortuitously there was a cancellation just as I was given this information, and so we were immediately seated. The restaurant was busy, the food ok, wine bad, BUT the ambiance, the grandeur of the enormous log house made it all worth it. Perhaps, on our next trip, we will just grab a beer and sit by the fireplace in the main hall, but for this trip it was the perfect end to our first day.
Day 7: Grant Village to Canyon Campground
After a breakfast of pancakes with blueberry syrup we headed to the shower and laundry facilities to take our first real shower in almost a week and to wash a bit of our clothes. There is nothing like getting sparkly clean after a week of creek and lake “baths”. Once smelling a little less gamey we drove directly to the Canyon Campground to get our site. We had made a reservation but were told no site had been assigned so we would need to arrive early. We did so only to find we had been assigned a site , as I was smilingly told, “near all the amenities”. Read near the road, a construction site, toilets. It was Jakub’s least favourite thing thus far. Oh well, we did have a site in the full 400 site camp.
From the campsite we back tracked to see the sites we had driven past. First stop,the bison that rest near the steam vents, a place that allows them to graze when the ground are covered in snow. Next stop Fishing Bridge, once a popular fishing spot, picture shoulder to shoulder fishers pulling in huge cutthroat. Today is a protected spawning ground that attracts bald eagles, pelicans and other natural predators. Stop 3, Pelican Cove loop, a short 1 miles loop that promises viewings of grizzlies later in the summer, and earlier in the year, a chance to see marked trees and sappy spots with clumps of their fur. We were afforded markings and hair clumps, something I was secretly thankful for, while Jakub as somewhat disappointed. Perhaps it is the Canadian in me, but I prefer to move away from known grizzly spots, call it a self preservation thing. Last stop of the day, Gibbon River for a little fishing. Sasha and I had a small fish on on our first cast and after that they mocked us. We came and presented and they slurped up other insects. As the sunset neared we were visited by a huge bison that decided on grazing directly in our path back to the car. With all the goring stories the boys were anxious and wanted to go home. We tried to make our way around him nbut the path was quite marshy and we had no luck. We could not go forward as he seemed quite agitated at our presence and so, with Kinder on our backs, we forged the river. When we were safely in the other side Jonas’ poor little legs were still shaking. Best part of the trip so far!
We experienced a few losses on this day. Jonas lost Sasha’s Swiss Army knife in the tall grasses along the Gibbon River and Jakub’s BMW bag with the lion’s share of his clothes is somewhere in Yellowstone.
Day 8: Planned trip from Canyon Campground to Norris and on to Madison, actual Canyon back to Grant in search of one black BMW bag
Despite the bright lights and loudish noises at our campsite we all slept relatively well. It was a VERY cold night, at most 0°C. The boys were freezing! Jonas climbed into my sleeping bag early on and poor Sasha kept telling me he was cold so I would zip him up an drub his back. It was not until around 7am that he said, “momma it is my feet that are so cold”. They were like icicles! I looked at the degree rating on his bag when we got up, 30 F, he should have been fine,humph. Mental note, warm woolies at night.
The back track to Grant Village was unsuccessful on the bag front but fruitful for the kids. We took time to have lunch, charge electronics and do the Junior Ranger Program. The reward in Yellowstone is a very cool patch that we can sew on their vests. The programs are a great way to engage the kids in the geology, geography and biology of the parks. I regret not having done it in the Tetons, though the Tetons are so spectacular they require little motivation to engage the youngsters.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Day 3: Leaving Idaho and on to Alpine, Wyoming
The road from Winnemucca to Wells, where we turned north, proved to be much of the same – vast expanses of desert with little more than sage brush clinging to life. The boys were engaged by the scenery for a few moments when we played eye-spey but quickly requested we turn the BBC rendition of Narnia back on.
We made it to Enco rather peacefully, only some whining from Sasha that he would prefer to be fishing and when would we be “there”. As we rolled in to Enco I saw a sign for a Mexican restaurant and thought that might be a good bet but when we spotted two rather hip looking people on bikes we decided to ask the “locals”. The guy thought about our question, turned to his girlfriend and they exchanged a few sentences in Norwegian, then recommended the casino restaurant. We headed for the Mexican place across from the old train. A little train climbing, some Carne Asada (for Jakub), cheese quesadilla (for the boys) and Mickey Mouse, a plate of onion with prawn and avovado grilled in lime and chile, (for me) and we were all a lot happier. As we climbed back in the car I encouraged the boys to sleep promising the desert would pass more quickly. They took the advice and were asleep within a few minutes, thereby dreaming through the remainder of Nevada.
At around Kaffee Pause time both boys woke up, internal clock promising sugar?, and we tried to find another good coffee shop, this time in Twin Falls. We hit the Java Hut, as recommended by the gentleman on one very quiet Main Street. Java Hut proved to be very Canadian. Though the barista made a huge point of asking if I wanted my cappuccino wet or dry (on the dry side I said) and commended me on knowing the difference, a huge milky drink appeared with little espresso added. The desserts, though reasonably tasty, were as big as Montana ( a good thing perhaps if you have a family of 8) and all in all my three boys were not so happy. Note for next trip: great breakfast stop and in afternoon stick to a macchiato.
I am not sure if it is the Baptist influence, but on this Sunday everything save the Barnes and Nobles and liquor store were closed. We therefore hit Barnes and Nobles to get a good recreation map of Idaho and a book with some tips. Though the book was a whopping $25.00 it proved itself immediately useful, as I scanned it to find a nice “primitive” campsite at Preacher Bridge just outside of Shoshone. The dirt road that led to it made it seem as though I had totally blown it, but once we rounded the corner and spotted the creek we caught site of a perfect pull-out complete with fire pit just by the water. I did a little yoga, splashed in the creek and the boys are currently trying to catch us some dinner. Till morning.
Day 2:
At 4am we were woken with barking and growling noises just outside the tent, Jakub popped his head out to see what might be going on and a small dog aggressively tried to make his way in to the tent. Jakub gently tried to shoo him away, but my mama bear instinct kicked in (I wasn’t sure if he was feral or rabid or what) and so I raised my menacing voice and yelled, “go away”. It seemed to do the trick and the dog left, or so we thought. Shortly after we had fallen back asleep the Sasha almost jumped out of his skin and the dark was growling by his ear (outside the tent). Things settled and we woke early in the morning to the site of a cute small dog that was hungry, lonely and friendly as hec. We fed him some bacon which he devoured, looking for more. Out came the tongue, then all our tri-tip. Part way through a chunk of tri-tip the size of his lef it seemed he had finally had his fill. We spent the morning playing with him, discussing what to do with him (the local SPCA , about 40 miles away, had had signs that it was full. We envisioned him going for 3 months and then being put to sleep. The boys and I wanted to take him but that meant ending our trip just as we began – no dogs are allowed in National Parks. We finally agreed to leave him there given it was a higher traffic fishing area, and if I was still shedding tears in a week we could come back and take him with us. As we left the campsite the dog carried on with his usual business, no struggle to join us in the car, no chasing. Seemed we had made a good choice.
***Note on taking quick morning bath in the creek. Insert picture
Onward we went, heading east. The road here winds through small towns, surrounded by fields and open space little more lush than the desert. Though I had enjoyed the morning bath in the Little Wood River, I was in search of more water, this time hot springs. At mile 214.4 on the 93 there is a small unmarked pullout on the left hand side, without a tip you would drive right past, as we did the first time. Once in the pullout a well worn path leads to the well hidden hot springs. There are two pools, the large pool being about 5ft deep . The mossy rocks as we entered the pools were a bit slick and Sasha went from sitting peacefully to a terrifying (for him) slide in to the deeper water. I think he may have actually swallowed a little water as well, which is not great as this pool is rumoured to give drinkers the present of giardia.
Though we were initially alone at the pools, we were quickly joined by ________, who works with pullingforflowers.org, an organization that collects wildflower seeds from around the state and plants them in other areas. She tipped us off to the bounty of Ribes(currants) just beside the pools (cross the marshy grass to the right of the pool and there are more currants than you can pick). We shared a post-pool snack of yellow and red Ribes and then climbed back in the CRV to head to Craters of the Moon National Monument.
We made it to Enco rather peacefully, only some whining from Sasha that he would prefer to be fishing and when would we be “there”. As we rolled in to Enco I saw a sign for a Mexican restaurant and thought that might be a good bet but when we spotted two rather hip looking people on bikes we decided to ask the “locals”. The guy thought about our question, turned to his girlfriend and they exchanged a few sentences in Norwegian, then recommended the casino restaurant. We headed for the Mexican place across from the old train. A little train climbing, some Carne Asada (for Jakub), cheese quesadilla (for the boys) and Mickey Mouse, a plate of onion with prawn and avovado grilled in lime and chile, (for me) and we were all a lot happier. As we climbed back in the car I encouraged the boys to sleep promising the desert would pass more quickly. They took the advice and were asleep within a few minutes, thereby dreaming through the remainder of Nevada.
At around Kaffee Pause time both boys woke up, internal clock promising sugar?, and we tried to find another good coffee shop, this time in Twin Falls. We hit the Java Hut, as recommended by the gentleman on one very quiet Main Street. Java Hut proved to be very Canadian. Though the barista made a huge point of asking if I wanted my cappuccino wet or dry (on the dry side I said) and commended me on knowing the difference, a huge milky drink appeared with little espresso added. The desserts, though reasonably tasty, were as big as Montana ( a good thing perhaps if you have a family of 8) and all in all my three boys were not so happy. Note for next trip: great breakfast stop and in afternoon stick to a macchiato.
I am not sure if it is the Baptist influence, but on this Sunday everything save the Barnes and Nobles and liquor store were closed. We therefore hit Barnes and Nobles to get a good recreation map of Idaho and a book with some tips. Though the book was a whopping $25.00 it proved itself immediately useful, as I scanned it to find a nice “primitive” campsite at Preacher Bridge just outside of Shoshone. The dirt road that led to it made it seem as though I had totally blown it, but once we rounded the corner and spotted the creek we caught site of a perfect pull-out complete with fire pit just by the water. I did a little yoga, splashed in the creek and the boys are currently trying to catch us some dinner. Till morning.
Day 2:
At 4am we were woken with barking and growling noises just outside the tent, Jakub popped his head out to see what might be going on and a small dog aggressively tried to make his way in to the tent. Jakub gently tried to shoo him away, but my mama bear instinct kicked in (I wasn’t sure if he was feral or rabid or what) and so I raised my menacing voice and yelled, “go away”. It seemed to do the trick and the dog left, or so we thought. Shortly after we had fallen back asleep the Sasha almost jumped out of his skin and the dark was growling by his ear (outside the tent). Things settled and we woke early in the morning to the site of a cute small dog that was hungry, lonely and friendly as hec. We fed him some bacon which he devoured, looking for more. Out came the tongue, then all our tri-tip. Part way through a chunk of tri-tip the size of his lef it seemed he had finally had his fill. We spent the morning playing with him, discussing what to do with him (the local SPCA , about 40 miles away, had had signs that it was full. We envisioned him going for 3 months and then being put to sleep. The boys and I wanted to take him but that meant ending our trip just as we began – no dogs are allowed in National Parks. We finally agreed to leave him there given it was a higher traffic fishing area, and if I was still shedding tears in a week we could come back and take him with us. As we left the campsite the dog carried on with his usual business, no struggle to join us in the car, no chasing. Seemed we had made a good choice.
***Note on taking quick morning bath in the creek. Insert picture
Onward we went, heading east. The road here winds through small towns, surrounded by fields and open space little more lush than the desert. Though I had enjoyed the morning bath in the Little Wood River, I was in search of more water, this time hot springs. At mile 214.4 on the 93 there is a small unmarked pullout on the left hand side, without a tip you would drive right past, as we did the first time. Once in the pullout a well worn path leads to the well hidden hot springs. There are two pools, the large pool being about 5ft deep . The mossy rocks as we entered the pools were a bit slick and Sasha went from sitting peacefully to a terrifying (for him) slide in to the deeper water. I think he may have actually swallowed a little water as well, which is not great as this pool is rumoured to give drinkers the present of giardia.
Though we were initially alone at the pools, we were quickly joined by ________, who works with pullingforflowers.org, an organization that collects wildflower seeds from around the state and plants them in other areas. She tipped us off to the bounty of Ribes(currants) just beside the pools (cross the marshy grass to the right of the pool and there are more currants than you can pick). We shared a post-pool snack of yellow and red Ribes and then climbed back in the CRV to head to Craters of the Moon National Monument.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Dry and dusty Winnemacca road
We are in Winnemucca, the town made famous, and the road aptly described (dusty) by the Johnny Cash song “I’ve been Everywhere”. We of course had the song on replay as we rolled in to town, in search of a Starbucks(it’s been at least a year of drinking coffee everyday and given Starbucks are the most ubiquitous coffee shop it seemed like our best bet). Would a town as small as Winnemucca have a Starbucks? I was holding out hope since up until recently Starbucks were opening inside existing Starbucks to keep up expansion.
As we hit the greenery, houses and water of Winnemucca Sasha gleefully asked,” is the desert over now?” Jakub replied, “No this is only an oasis.” An oasis it was because instead of a Starbucks (yuck) we found Delizioso Espresso, complete with checkers games, great biscotti and, as the name promises, delicious espresso. Added bonus of an internet connection which is how we were able to post this blog. All is all, the perfect morning stop before we more desert.
The desert….well, what is there to say, it is certainly an interesting landscape (for the first few miles) but when travelled from Reno to Winnemucca all I could think was, they should relocate San Quentin prisoners (ohne prison) to that stretch of road, that seems like punishment enough.
Okay, the sugar cookies have kicked in so let me sum up the rest in one short paragraph. We rolled in to a Subway in some small town, had a foot long between the four of us, on the grass near the train tracks. The sun was setting, there were June bugs out, birds hunting them, the air had that warmth that you only get in the desert. After our brief pause we drove for another hour to dry patch where we pitched the tent in the dark to the hum of generators.
The morning brought Sasha searching at 6 for his pants, losing the car keys and waking me for aid in both plights. Jakub and Jonas slept peacefully while Sasha and I checked out the bass rising. We (okay I) took a quick swim, the boys did a little casting and we were off. Signing off from Delizioso Espresso in Winnemucca, Nevada.
As we hit the greenery, houses and water of Winnemucca Sasha gleefully asked,” is the desert over now?” Jakub replied, “No this is only an oasis.” An oasis it was because instead of a Starbucks (yuck) we found Delizioso Espresso, complete with checkers games, great biscotti and, as the name promises, delicious espresso. Added bonus of an internet connection which is how we were able to post this blog. All is all, the perfect morning stop before we more desert.
The desert….well, what is there to say, it is certainly an interesting landscape (for the first few miles) but when travelled from Reno to Winnemucca all I could think was, they should relocate San Quentin prisoners (ohne prison) to that stretch of road, that seems like punishment enough.
Okay, the sugar cookies have kicked in so let me sum up the rest in one short paragraph. We rolled in to a Subway in some small town, had a foot long between the four of us, on the grass near the train tracks. The sun was setting, there were June bugs out, birds hunting them, the air had that warmth that you only get in the desert. After our brief pause we drove for another hour to dry patch where we pitched the tent in the dark to the hum of generators.
The morning brought Sasha searching at 6 for his pants, losing the car keys and waking me for aid in both plights. Jakub and Jonas slept peacefully while Sasha and I checked out the bass rising. We (okay I) took a quick swim, the boys did a little casting and we were off. Signing off from Delizioso Espresso in Winnemucca, Nevada.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The Happy Husband
Jakub spent the weekend steelheading on the Trinity with Mitch and Bruce. Here are a few shots of the happy men and their fish.
It seems it was a very successful trip, which catches averaging 2 fish a day per man. Jakub came home gleeful and intent on making fishing trips a once a month deal.
Monday, January 21, 2008
The day in brief...
I have been promising my mom that I will blog (is that a verb now?) more regularly. Most weeks this promise stays in the realm of intention while laundry, ironing, washing dishes (running, surfing and date night) make it to the realm of reality. I imagine if writing still came easily, as I deludingly believe it did in university, I would be more apt to scribble down a few lines. As it is, each line is a difficult, drawn out process, filled with many interruptions. That said, it is for my mom, who fortunately still appreciates my writing, so, despite the new year being well underway, I’ve decided to move blogging to the top of my resolution queue. Let’s see how long it lasts!
In brief….Sasha and Jonas ran their second career TCRS today. The race, which starts at the Tennessee Valley parking lot, is a hilly 3.78 miles and with a headwind it can be brutal. Fortunately, we had good weather and Sasha completed the race unassisted, while Jonas only took a few stroller breaks. Their fine performance prompted me to make a pancake breakfast (Buckwheat with blueberry-maple syrup and a ton of fresh berries) to which they were allowed to invite “friends”. They searched for “Ken White”, Laila and their new buddy Adam. Finding Adam and Laila, invitations were given and the five of us enjoyed a great breakfast together.
In brief….Sasha and Jonas ran their second career TCRS today. The race, which starts at the Tennessee Valley parking lot, is a hilly 3.78 miles and with a headwind it can be brutal. Fortunately, we had good weather and Sasha completed the race unassisted, while Jonas only took a few stroller breaks. Their fine performance prompted me to make a pancake breakfast (Buckwheat with blueberry-maple syrup and a ton of fresh berries) to which they were allowed to invite “friends”. They searched for “Ken White”, Laila and their new buddy Adam. Finding Adam and Laila, invitations were given and the five of us enjoyed a great breakfast together.
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