More states, more parks, more animals

I'm blogging from the Grand Tetons. Yes, there is wireless in the park (granted, at the we-don't-camp cabins and I'm probably not supposed to be here). But let me back up.

Tuesday I went up through northern Utah to see the Spiral Jetty in the Great Salt Lake. Obscure, I know. But pretty.
Oh, and I passed 140,000 miles on the car while driving the 16 miles (each way) of dirt track to Spiral Jetty! Put the car to the test, especially since it's all loaded up and has super low clearance these days... I also got to ride on an ATV for the first time, simply by random chance. I must say, even though I've always viewed that crowd as gas-guzzling environment-killers, it was super fun. I kind of want to try it again (sheepish grin). Side note: thanks to Tom and Amy, you guys know what you did... and it worked!

Next up: Idaho. Didn't do much but camp there before moving on to Wyoming for the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.

And finally, Wyoming! I took the more scenic mountain route to head up through the Grand Tetons on my way to Yellowstone, rather than battle construction on the alternate route.I got the Tetons pretty early on Wednesday, so did a four mile hike that quickly turned into something more like a seven mile hike. Beautiful and worth it, but I shoulda worn more than sneakers. I got my first glimpse of lots of wildlife as well, including a moose (a cow, not a bull), a doe and two fawns, a wolf (!!!!), a marmot, and tons of birds. I only got a good photo of the moose, though.
I then moved north to Yellowstone to set up camp (luckily right before it started raining), and went on the advice of a friendly park ranger to get up to Old Faithful in the late afternoon, since the crowds might be less. And behold:(More pics here, perhaps not today but soon).

The next day I got my first glimpse of bison (the first evidence, however, was in the form of a large pie in a parking lot. And I mean large). Actually, the first one was quite a close encounter, since it was strolling down the road.Most of the rest were a bit more sensible, and stuck to their greener pastures. It's rutting season, so they were very vocal, but unfortunately I didn't get to see any male virility contests. A German photographer I met let me glimpse through his camera lens (one of those ones that looks like a bazooka, on a tripod) and lo and behold, I was staring at a bison's glistening nostril. Not something you see every day.

I also hit up the canyon falls, some more geysers, and went all the way up to Mammoth hot springs, but truth be told, I was not really in the mood for any more crowds or steaming patches of land. So I kinda just drove by and got some ice cream. But I can say I was there! Oh and I saw another moose, a fox, and passed by a bear, but felt sorry for it with all the crowds already gathered, so just passed by. Traffic was even stopped with so many people crowding around, and when I asked the guy directing cars what all the hubbub was about, he said in the most laconic and unimpressed voice possible, "Bear sleepin' in the woods." "Oh," I said, and moved on.

I actually enjoyed the views and general surrounding of the Grand Tetons more, but spent most of my time in Yellowstone because it's just so big. I drove over a hundred miles yesterday getting from one area to another. But Yellowstone is very diverse, and has tons of roadside vistas... It took me over two hours to drive back to my campsite because I stopped so many times. I was amazed, though, at what a tinderbox it is. There are still lots of dead trees, both standing and criss-crossing the ground, presumably left from the fires of 1988, and I can only imagine what might happen if the same conditions prevail in the near future...

Today I head out, but not before I got to grab a shower (unlimited hot water for $3.50! Seemed like a steal at this point) and, of course, some internet time. From here I go back through Idaho, Utah, and then hit up the new state of Nevada before getting back to California. Not sure how long I'll take to do all of this, but I'll be in the San Francisco area by some time this weekend.