Yellowstone! (6.21.11)

Then we drove a grueling 50 miles north to ... Yellowstone! We arrived just in time to see Old Faithful go off. 

We then ran (careful not to fall into boiling acidic geysers) to catch an amazing eruption from Grand geyser which only goes off every 9 hours or so! (We were forewarned by the very knowledgeable "Geyser Nerds" who communicate via walkie talkie: "Waves at Grand. I repeat there are Waves at Grand. 10-4."

Other highlights included Beauty Pool,

Blue Steel (mud) Vent,

Steamy scenes along the boardwalk,

A river runs through it,

And crazy formations made by geyser sinter.

We went for epic hikes over mountains of shale.

And took the fast track down.

Saw the Yellowstone River.

And fields of Wildflowers.

And Petrified Trees. (Please let us know who has the better petrified tree impression.)

We came across this guy right after a surprise encounter with a Grizzly Bear. Yikes!

Speaking of wildlife, we saw lots of bison - often on the road.

This one wanted a coke.

Ailey stared down a fox.

And springtime meant lots of young'ns! These are pronghorn.

And finally, Adam got to go fly-fishing!

Grant Teton National Park (6.17.11)

Next we headed north to Grand Teton National Park - beautiful and refreshingly cold after the Southwest.

We hiked around scenic  lakes. 

   

Including Phelps Lake!

And enjoyed another gorgeous sunrise

While eagle-eye Ailey watched for ...

Moose!

We also took in some local entertainment at the Bar J Chuckwagon at Jackson Hole featuring a singing cowboy review and authentic cattle drive meal. Good times!

Salt Lake City (6.14.11)

Ah the big city! Laundry, wifi, movie theaters, and ... the Pony Express RV Resort. 

We stopped for a quick snack at Johnny Kolache and got a free sampling of absolutely delicious Kolaches (think donut stuffed with Philly cheesesteak) & cinnamon buns. Highly recommended to anyone passing through Salt Lake City! We also enjoyed a lovely lunch with family friends.

We were up early to hit the road to Jackson Hole when ... kathunk! Hmmm. Guess we'll stay an extra day so Adam can install a new jack for the trailer. (Without the jack we can't hook up the trailer to the truck. In other words - not goin anywhere!)

Luckily Salt Lake City is home of trailer wonderland (State Trailer Supply). New jack! Hurray!

Given the extra day we checked out Antelope Island on the Great Salt Lake. 

Beautiful ride!

And buffalo on the road! 

This one was particularly grumpy and did not want his picture taken. He charged Adam in defiance.

(pavement)

We celebrated Adam's narrow escape with a few beers & a live band at the Garage: .357 Special.

Arches (6.12.11)

 For our last hurrah on the Colorado Plateau we headed out on a one-night backpacking trip in Arches. (Requisite Arch below.)

We headed out across the desert 

to Clover Canyon.

We were told to use our "trailfinding skills" to enter the canyon so we searched.

And found lots of 100ft drops and underhangs.

huh.

So we decided to enjoy the view and plopped down at the rim to read,

make dinner,

find a place to sleep,

and enjoy the superbright moon!

The next day we hiked out and said goodbye to the Colorado plateau with a cold beer and beautiful campsite on the Colorado river. On to cooler weather and new geography!