Roadtrip 2024: Week 4 "Hot and Cold"

This week was an exciting one as I had really looked forward going to Yellowstone and Grand Teton again. On my way to Yellowstone I made one more stop in the middle of the praire in Cody at a glamping KOA with pool and hot tub. Actually, before that was a roadside brewery I had to stop at in the town of Ten Sleep. The next day I headed into Yellowstone to sumit Mt. Washburn and see the two waterfalls of the Yellowstone River. It's very hard to get campsites, but I had checked throughout the previous week and was able to get a night at two different places and also one at Grand Teton. First morning was bitter cold at 28F! Yellowstone is at 8,500 ft elevation and you can tell. I got to the first geysers at 7 AM and they were steaming eerily. I also slipped badly on the ice on the boardwalks. I kind of saw what I needed to at around 1 PM and by then the park was so crowded that you have to park on the road and walk a mile just to get somewhere - or wait an hour or so at the parking lot queue. During the days it got really hot with the sun burning down on you. Second night was also pretty cold and I headed into Grand Teton early. Did two great long hikes with a nap at the campground in between. This is as west as my trip will take me. So, next day heading south to hike in the Wind River Range and move on to another KOA at Rock Springs. The pool was closed, but I did laundry. I headed further south to Utah to see dinosaurs and Colorado where I boondocked on public land for the night just north of Fruita. Had to skip several nicer spots because I needed internet for the 7 PM next-day reservation to get into Arches NP. Next morning got to Arches at 8 AM. This is now my fifth time visiting my favorite National Park. Hiked to Delicate Arch and then all trails in Devils Garden area. The second hike of 3.5h was tough, easy to get lost off trail and very hot despite the bone dry strong wind, but what a view!! Maybe my favorite hike ever! Got to a nice campground in downtown Moab for the night. Went in the pool and walked downtown for some icecream. Today I'm heading to a mountain bike trail Allison suggested here then back to Colorado. 

My trip odometer now says 4,800 miles.

Roadside parking at Bighorn NF

Hike to Mirror Lake in Bighorn NF

Mirror Lake

Ten Sleep Brewing "BEER"

Great Rye PA

Hayden Valley in Yellowstone

Mt. Washburn (peak at very left)

View from Mt. Washburn hike

Male grouse. The females were not as impressive

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Upper Yellowstone Falls

Lower Yellowstone Falls. See the folks next to the falls?

Sunset bike ride to see Lower Yellowstone Falls again.

7 AM. 28 degrees. Very eerie at the geysers.

This is such a weird blue.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring

Yellowstone Lake in the background

Yellowstone Lake in the background

Typical afternoon nap.

Jackson Lake and Tetons

Tetons

Tetons at Taggart Lake

Tetons at Bradley Lake

At least I am alert and do not run

Tetons at Lake Phelps

Tetons at Lake Phelps. Three girls swimming

Fremont Lake at Wind River Range

Wind River Range

Rain over the Prairie

Early morning rain approaching in Rock Springs

Very scenic drive from Rock Springs south

Flaming Gorge Dam

Native Americans were already visited by aliens

More petroglyphs

I camped here on public land

Good night

Delicate Arch

Landscape Arch

Double O Arch

Black Angel

Private Arch (almost impossible to find the trail without GPS)