When planning our trip I had originally planned Twin Falls for Idaho but the more I looked at our route, the more I kept seeing that we would be passing right by Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. We were going so far, I figured why not stop a few extra days.
Initially I thought we should land at Jackson Hole, WY to see the Tetons and then drive up to Yellowstone. This was the most efficient driving wise and would save us about 4 hours of driving over 4 days. That said, Jackson hole was not a great solution. Sometimes closer is not better. For every stop, there are many logistical issues. We need a hotel, a car and then there is the suitability of the airport.
Jackson Hole is at 6,451 feet and squeezed between some 11 to 13 thousand foot mountains. It also has some fast changing weather and you can easily get socked in or out. With the altitude, I have very little performance in the the event of an engine failure. Combine this with much higher fuel and parking costs, hotels that were either exorbitantly priced or pretty marginal and tough to get rental cars, I decide to take the safer, easier option and drive a bit more.
Weather ended up driving our schedule and we went to the Tetons on Wednesday, our first day. After hot but dry weather, we awoke to a line of rain pushing through and the prospect of much worse weather Thursday. Driving East from Idaho, we could see rain storms ahead of us but as we neared the rain moved East and we could see the back of the Tetons. To get to the Tetons you cut East from Idaho and then climb the mountains as you enter Wyoming. This highway is steep with grades up to 10%. It is also the road that washed away a few months ago. This meant we had to deal with some traffic issues but eventually we arrived just as the rain cleared. Our timing was good or maybe just lucky.
The Mountains are stunning and it makes a great postcard. That said, I think the place is overhyped. The overhype has made it really crowded which detracts from the whole experience. Also it is basically one string of mountains with a road in front of them. We enjoyed the drive and the sights and did two shorter hikes around Lake Jenny and The String Lake.
We were looking forward to the Bison herd which is supposed to be 300 strong but when we came to the overlook the Bison were close to a mile away. Is it a great park, sure. I can see why people like it and like the visuals. That said, the actual experience was not as good as some of the other places we have visited. One other factor may have been that we had a stunning view flying by on the way to Idaho. Not saying, don’t go but don’t blame me if you are disappointed.
Thursday we awoke to more rain and it was much colder, at least by Florida standards. Forecast was for early rain, some clearing and then lots of rain in the afternoon. Heading up to Yellowstone we had bouts of rain but nearing the park the skies cleared a bit, just some light drizzle once in a while. So yesterday I was not that impressed with the Tetons but Yellowstone does live up to the hype. My only complaint is that it is so popular it is always crowded.
Crowds aside, we had a lucky visit. When flying I don't want to rely on luck, but sightseeing, am all good with being lucky. On the way in we drove by a Bison and a Moose. As we headed deeper into the park the traffic came to a dead stop. We saw rangers ahead and initially thought there had been an accident but then we saw the wolves. The cars started moving again and we pulled over to get a better look. A pack was out in an open field, howling and wolfing around. Apparently this is rare and we were lucky to see it.
We then headed off to the Lower Geyser Basin. We scored a great parking spot and enjoyed the bubbling and steam. Technically it’s water vapor, sorta like a low cloud. We bypassed the Grand Prismatic Spring but got useful intelligence on parking. Our goal was Old Faithful. If we were a bit smarter we would have been more up on its schedule but we winged it. Arriving we once again scored a great spot.
We walked over to Old Faithful and the crowd was big. The people around us were more knowledgeable and knew the next predicted eruption was in 10 minutes. Given that they are about 2 hours apart, score!!!! The prediction was close but it started two minutes late. It’s a cool geyser and we enjoyed the eruption. It was a bit gray so we didn’t have great contrast with the background but we enjoyed it.
Our next stop was the Prismatic Spring, known for its colors and impossible parking. Arriving, there was a line backed up to the main highway but we knew you could also park on the road. Passing the entrance, we found a space 3 cars from the first spot, score again!!! As we started to walk to the Spring, a small shower came by. This is also a high wind area and the hot pools make copious amounts of fog/cloud. We hiked out to the Spring and endured high winds, blowing rain and low visibility. OK not super lucky but it made me feel like an intrepid adventurer. The cold temperature made for copious amounts of fog but we persevered. The views were only OK due to the weather and fog but it was fun. Heading back we walked by the cars stuck in the parking lot mess and chuckled as we walked to the road and zoomed off.
On the way out of the park, we passed many nice overlooks of the Madison river and I was looking for the perfect one for us. As we came around one bend I saw a pull off and then the rushing water. Pulling off we had great river views and a bonus waterfall. We hiked around a bit and got some great waterfall and rapids views. After that the weather was moving in and it was time for us to move out. We cruised out enjoying the views as we went and headed back to our hotel.
Overall Yellowstone is beautiful. It has a variety of landscapes, geysers, rivers, animals and much, much, more. We easily could have spent another day there or more. It is a top 10 park and it deserves its spot. This was the end of our first Idaho stop. Even though we started in Idaho today, We actually visited Montana and Wyoming as well. So our technical stop in Billings was backed up by visit today.
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