So far, I've mostly talked about what I've been doing, but not necessarily my thoughts along the way. Here's my attempt to remedy that by talking about the week in review and thought's about the places I visited, didn't visit, and people I met.
Grand Teton National Park
This place was beautiful, and though my time was short, it felt amazing. I barely scratched the surface with Delta, Surprise and Amphitheater Lakes. But, it felt like a great introduction to my trip, figuring my stuff out, and proving to myself that I can make it at least in the wilderness. Being alone at altitude, in bear country, and managing to have a blast, hike lots and stay alive were all positives.
To flip the coin though, I am alone. Though I am surrounded by strangers and other people, I have to be responsible for myself, my resources, and my safety. Its a strange feeling being this independent, but also this free. I can do anything with my time as I please, and with only a week in a WHOLE state, I'll have to be effective, but not burn myself out.
Yellowstone
Maybe this isn't my kind of "park." Or, maybe I went on the worst day of the year, 4th of July. Maybe because I was dealing with the idea of being alone, and seeing all the "happy" families made me remorseful. Either way, my time here wasn't nearly as fun as the last times with my family. The crowds were horrendous, navigating between all the RV's, slow people walking in the middle of the road, people stopping in the middle of the road to gawk at wild life and other nuances was more irritating than anything.
Sure, there's some beautiful geothermal activity here and a literal hotbed of activity, I just wasn't digging it. Maybe I was still missing the peaks of the Tetons just south.
I think the best way to see Yellowstone would be to bicycle the whole thing. With each "checkpoint" only about 20 miles from each other, and frequent stops along the way. I think a cool way would be to spend a day riding from each checkpoint and stopping at every place along the way to enjoy the view. Sure, this would take about a week or more, but that's the kind of park Yellowstone strikes me as, a sightseeing park, not an adventure one.
Wild Iris/Lander
My first link up!! Though the weather was bad, the company more than made up for it. Its always great seeing friends throughout yours and their travels. (I also got to finally meet Kari's dad, whom we've both heard a lot about one other).
With only a few climbs and some wandering around town, plus a long day of personal and car work, it was a grand time. I need to work more on my urban exploration skills, as I don't feel like I saw Lander for what it is. A cool little town in the middle of nowhere, it was refreshing and quaint.
My biggest regret is not spending at least a day in the Wind River Range. A beautiful mountain range just outside city limits, I felt rushed to leave as quickly as I had entered. I definitely had time to spend the day, but didn't. Add that to the list of many many things I need to return to Wyoming to do.
Devils Tower
A little world of its own, Devils Tower is more associated with the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota than Wyoming. Though separaated by political borders, it remains it its own unique niche.
I was also fortunate to meet my first friend as well, Andrew. With friendly conversation and crazy ideas of our unknown futures, it was a great way to start my final day in the state.
As always, you can see all the photos by visiting my Flickr account here
