Home»Sierras_DeathValley_Yellowstone_Superbloom»9/21-27/2024 Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Elko: Our Amazing Planet»9/21-27/2024 Road Trip: Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Great Basin, Home

Here is a brief summary of the trip, with an emphasis on selfies and cute dog pictures.

We stand on solid earth, and think we know. Deep beneath this thin crust we take for granted, ancient energies are at work, moving toward an unknown future. Hang on, take it a day at a time.

Flying to Jackson Hole, I join Rogelia and Jameson on the last leg of their road trip from Cambridge to Portola Valley. Ending the season, Rogelia and I take the boat across Jackson Lake on its last day.

We visit Yellowstone in one long day, catching Old Faithful, visiting geysers and hot springs, ending with an amazing walk down Mammoth Hot Springs Terrace as dusk falls. Driving back to our cabin in Grand Teton Park after dark, we surprise Elk, Deer, Fox, Rabbit, and Owl: 13 encounters along the dark road. A couple of sudden surprises, huge elk appearing right next to our road. We are glad to make it back without incident. The stars are lovely, the Milky Way spread out above us through the moon roof.

Jameson and Dan take a boat across Jenny Lake (last week of the season) for a hike past Hidden Falls to Inspiration Point, then a short walk up and back a valley in the Grand Tetons. I am out of energy on the way back down: the beginnings of Covid? We hang out at Glacier Point Lodge, site of the annual Jackson Hole conferences of the US Federal Reserve, and eat in Pioneer Grill, unchanged since the 1950’s modernist era. The next morning, in search of Moose, we circle Moose Lake. No luck.

Great Basin… Wyoming, Utah, Nevada… Long straight roads. Traces of Lake Bonneville, almost as large as modern Lake Michigan, covering much of present-day Utah. It emptied in less than a year, a huge flood carving the Snake River and the Columbia.

An unexpected treat. At breakfast in Elko, a fellow diner tells us about Lamoille Canyon in the Ruby Mountains nearby. Classic U-shaped glacial valley, psychedelic fall colors. Jameson, Shasta, and I take a short walk up to 9000 feet past Road’s End. On the way back out, another hiker offers to give us a dog, similar to Shasta, not cared for by its current owner. No thanks.

Driving the old highway across Donner Pass, heading for home, we watch a helicopter maneuvering amongst the granite, practicing dropping and retrieving rescue workers.

A nice trip, marred by my Covid after returning to Portola Valley. Jameson and then Helen caught it too; Rogelia stayed healthy. I was very sorry to miss Hidden Villa’s 100th anniversary celebration, as well as the Nature’s Inspiration gathering for Green Foothills.