Raincharm’s Weblog

We took a short walk this afternoon.
Some vertical, but nothing like the mountains.
And certainly not at the same elevation.
Thankfully it felt easy, as it should have.

We watched a bit of Ashlan’s softball game, and then headed around Green Lake.
It was a beautiful day, in the 70’s I think, and mostly sunny in the afternoon.
No lack of families and picnics.
We took advantage of a theatre group handing out ice-cream cones for donations.
Also found some wildlife.

Heron and Turtles in Green Lake

Mallards enjoying the nice day

We spent last night at home, but the previous night we spent in Boise.
The highlight of Boise was getting to see 3/4 of the Harper-VanVeen clan.
We had seen the other 1/4 on the trip east. Two of the Carl’s kids for several years were Will & Van.
Will until he was through Kindergarten, and Van until he was ready for Kindergarten.
Then they moved to Boise – and it was just to long a commute to continue.
They have now grown to a high school grad and a high school senior.

As they are now.

Van, Will, Carl & Ashlan

 As they were then

Will (left), Ashlan (top), Van (right), Kelsey & Max in the middle

 A year or so earlier

Ashlan & Will running, Van taking a ride

 And earlier still

Will, Ashlan & Van

The trip from Boise to Seattle was fairly uneventful.
We followed parts of the Oregon Trail, and read about the “Boo” (Blue) Mountains and the Lone Tree, which became the Lone Tree Stump. Then there were the cattle being herded along a road adjacent to the highway by 2 horsemen and 2 dogs.

Some very interesting driving skills were exhibited by those around us.
Especially noteworthy were the few that could only drive in the left lane, regardless of speed.

But all went well and we returned home before 5 PM.
We proceeded to review mail, unpack some, watch some TV and basically do nothing at all.

This morning the unpacking has mostly been completed, a major food shopping done (by Carl), and Ashlan is off to play softball. It is good to be home, and the reality of other things that must be done has not set in yet.

We are still on vacation, but had to start wending our way back to Seattle. From the wild west to the left coast. Managing to get ourselves up early, we were actually on the road by 7:14 (Babe Ruth). The last time we tried for a 7 AM departure it was more like 8 before we really hit the road.

We saw some wildlife – the first three sightings were an Antelope, a deer and a fox. Unfortunately, they were all dead and on the road. Then we saw lots of antelope. A herd off to one side, a lone doe near the road (but not on it yet), and then two males locking horns.

Our first stop was Baggs, Wyoming. Try and find this burg. It did have one gas station, which meant a bathroom break was possible. We finally found the interstate and headed towards Rock Springs.

About 18 years ago, just west of Rock Springs, we climbed up a hillside and found seashell fossils. I had called some university dinosaur dude and he had given us directions that went something like, “Take this exit, turn left, right, cross the cattle guard, go about 500  yards and park. Climb up the hill to the white band, and that is where you will find them.” And he was right.

Further on we crossed the Green River (many times) and saw an elk crossing the river. I am also fairly sure I saw a group (gaggle? flock?) of white-faced ibis feeding in a pond alongside the road.

After 450 miles we changed drivers from Carl to me. Mostly interstate, and all of the inclement weather. About 3 good storms and 2 rainbows in the rear-view mirror later we arrived in Boise, Idaho.

Total – 801 miles in 12-1/2 hours. We made great time with only a few construction zones and not too much traffic.

In Boise we got to hang out at our friend’s house described as a mix of a bachelor pad and construction zone. A pretty accurate description in the end. We are off shortly for the relatively short 500 +/- mile drive back to Seattle.

The day started with iffy weather.
It started raining as we left the condo, and continued to spit here and there.
We drove up a bit, past Montezuma – an interesting gathering of houses.
The road through Montezuma is unmaintained, or perhaps maintained to keep speeds down.
The houses ranged from old falling down cabins, to nice new large wood edifices, to a grain silo turned into a house, and everything in between. Not bad for probably less than 50 altogether. 

We then kept on the dirt road following Deer Creek, climbing up Teller Mountain.
After a bit we left the car and continued on foot.
I call this road the road of many creeks.
All the way up it was crossed with rivulets, some of which followed the road for several yards before falling off on the other side. 

The first bit was in an area full of bushes and ponds with Deer Creek running through the center of it all.
The road climbed at different inclines and curved back and forth. Only a few true switch-backs.
Wildflowers were prevalent amid the live trees, dead trees, fallen trees, and rocks.
Bob and Doris stopped after a bit and Carl, Ashlan & I continued up.
We eventually came out above most of the trees for quite a view all around at about 12,000 feet.
There was still snow at the top of some of the peaks. 

When we finally made our way back down to the car lunch was waiting.
We found a 5 seater log and settled in.
Well the settling took a bit.
When Carl sat down first, the log moved.
When Ashlan sat down on the other end, the log shifted more, threatening to roll down the slope.
So we wedged a rock beneath one end and the rest of us carefully sat down. 

All was well, and lunch was good – minus the tomatoes and bananas left behind – oops.
Until Bob, then Doris, and finally Ashlan got up.
The log then decided the rock was not really enough to hold it in place and almost dumped Carl & I on our bums.
Well we were already on our bums, but it tried to rid itself of our bums and introduce us to the nearby ground. 

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Back closer to home we paused by Lake Dillon, and then home again. 

The Harms - three generations at Lake Dillon

Tonight we have to pack and be ready to jet out early tomorrow morning. 

And Jane – in case you are reading – I occasionally ask people to write down interesting things that we see along the way in our vacations, because I know I will not remember them myself. Of course you have to remember to look for these jottings. Today I found a note from our Tennessee vacation about a sign that made me think of you. 

Jane Hurt Yarn 

This was in the Tallulah Falls area of Georgia. Any comments?

Boreas Pass was our destination today, and the start of our hike.
[Note for Dillon Day 1, the road we drove up towards Argentine Pass, was the Peru road]

This road used to be a railroad route and there were a few remaining items to make that clear.
The first was a Baker Tank, used to water the train.
I found this interesting because in Washington they use Baker Tanks as portable water tanks for construction sites. They can be used to hold water needed for the construction, or hold the water while it is being treated prior to discharge, so it will not be silty or polluted.

Then there was the train stop at the top of Boreas Pass itself. Several buildings still exist here, including one used for a restroom – very handy. This area looks like a great place for winter skiing, and there were notes in the restroom requesting you to make sure the door was fully closed. Apparently the john can fill with snow drifts if the door is left even a crack open.

Boreas Pass (named after the wind god) at 11,481 feet lived up to its name, and we started with jackets on.

We chose to hike from the pass up along Hoosier Ridge. Of course after a short while we were warm and a bit sheltered and took off the jackets. There were flowers along the route, a few of which I captured in pictures. The Elephant head blooms each look like an elephants head. I do not know the name of the other flower.

Bob, Carl, Ashlan & I started up the trail. Doris followed a good way, but did not attempt the full route. Ashlan shot ahead after a bit and we could see her at the top for quite a while before we joined them. Beautilful views from the top, and you can see quite a ways. The town of Breckenridge is visible in some of the shots.

We essentially followed the Continental Divide up from Boreas Pass, and ended our trek at 12,029 feet. Not bad for us sea level dwellers.

The walk down was nice, but you needed to be careful and really watch your step. We met up with Doris after a bit, and hiked the rest of the way down together.

Lunch was next to a field of flowers with more great views, including looking up to where we had been earlier.

Finally on the way down we stopped at a Lake Dillon overlook and enjoyed the local wildlife. We had seen some of their brethren earlier on the mountain, although not quite as well fed. No big animals today.

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If you are interested in big animals, check out the Marquis post from the RegenAxe link.

Somewhere near Montezuma, CO.

We got our first higher altitude hike in today.
Bob started us on our trail in a 4-wheel drive vehicle on a rather bumpy road.
This is not the type of place you would take a Prius, but Bob told us it really wasn’t a 4-wheel drive road, just a road in really poor condition.

After we reached the end of the driving portion at one of the dozens of mines along the route, we piled out and started walking. It was a good walk, but very rocky. Doris and Bob stopped after a bit to rest their feet, and Carl, Ashlan & Jay went on for a bit. We ended at a mine a bit off of the main trail. If you kept on the trail apparently you would eventually meet Grey’s Peak (spelling I am not sure of), and another offshoot would take you up to Argentine Pass.

On the way down we spotted a marmot, but not in time to get a picture. Then a deer spotted us, and started bounding above the bush. The bush is as tall as the deer, and on every bound he cleared the shrubbery. Try as I might, I could not get the animal mid bound. There is a deer in this picture.

Yes, there is a deer in the picture

OK – can you find it in this blow-up of a portion.

Look for the tan back peeking over some bushes

Here are the other pictures from todays adventure.

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The last one is the parking lot deer. It was there both when we entered and exited the bumpy road.

After we returned to Dillon, Ashlan & Carl found a school where they could kick the soccer ball around.
Me? I worked on this post. They will undoubtedly live longer.

Today we drove through Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks.

The drive started at 8 AM.

After we left the Tetons we continued through Wyoming, eventually getting back to the low scrub shrub that we think of when somebody says Wyoming. Down to Rock Springs, east to highway 789, south to Baggs, and into Colorado.
Craig, then Steamboat Springs, Kemmling, Silverthorne and finally Dillon.

More than 600 miles, and 11-1/2 hours total driving time.

We did get to see some elk, buffalo and antelope, and a few deer as well.
And the Tetons were magnificent. We have one picture of the Tetons, but I am not going to try and post it because our internet connection here in Dillon is a bit slow.

For more important items, we bade farewell to Pooh and Mark, and seriously hope they made all of their connections with time to spare. And we got to greet Bob and Doris. Dinner and chatting this evening. Tomorrow some sight-seeing is in store.

Tired tonight, even though Carl did 2/3 of the driving today.

We really did have a great time in Yellowstone. Hoping for the same result here in Colorado.

Re-reading this seems jumbled and not really very descriptive.
It was basically a beautiful drive, and great weather. But I am still tired.

Tired evening.
This is because we had a good long walk, actually a hike.

We drove up to Mammoth Hot Springs, and embarked on the Beaver Pond Loop Trail. It was a little more than 5 miles, but at altitude felt more like 7. It went up, through forests, fields, by several beaver ponds and then across a scrub shrub field that went on forever. We saw prairie dogs, ducks, coots a glimpse of a deerish thing, but no beavers. Then it ended very suddenly in Mammoth.

We rested with water and lunch on a picnic table.
The next stage was in the car – on the look-out for wildlife, hopefully large.
We went to the Lamar Valley and found buffalo by the hundreds, and finally a bear. We found the bear all by ourselves, with no other stopped cars to point the way. The drive back led us through elk country as well.

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Back at the ranch we had dinner and are relaxing on our last day together.
Tomorrow we split for St. Louis and Dillon, to see other family members.

Yellowstone today, the southern loop.
Into the park and beautiful scenery.

Started out at the paint pots, a nice start with a walk around some bubbling basins of varying colors.

We hiked down to the lower falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Many switchbacks, down (and up later), but well worth it.
So much power in that water.

Then on to lunch.
We found a picnic spot on the Yellowstone and settled in for luch.
Three buffalo were on the hill across from our lunch spot, and ravens and an osprey provided some additional action.

Lunch on the Yellowstone - with buffalo

We finally rousted ourselves off the riverbank and back on the road.
Got to see an elk butt somewhere along this stretch as well.

At that point we found our way to Old Faithful.
We didn’t have to wait too long for the geyser’s eruption.
After that we walked all around the geyser basins.
We got to see the beehive geyser erupt as well.
It only goes off every 10 hours to 5 days, so we were really lucky.

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We took so much time we were able to see Old Faithful again.

Then it was back to West Yellowstone.
Spaghetti, meatballs and garlic bread.
Sleepy time tonight.

We managed to get out of town at noon on Wednesday.
This had been the appointed time, so we stayed on our plan.
I was ready about 30 minutes before hand, having passed off the mailing to my able work-mates.
This would have probably been finished if the mailing machine had not been out of service.
Nothing like having to stuff a few hundred envelopes by hand.

So our first day was mostly driving.
10 hours.
Then we got to Helena, and a friend’s new apartment.

A couple of hours to catch-up and time for sleep.
Just not enough time, so we continued chatting in the AM, and off to yet another friend’s “cabin” in the nearby hills.

A delicious breakfast and chatting more.
Friend #1 off to work.
Finally we are off to Yellowstone, West Yellowstone that is.

After we arrived and settled in to our digs, Carl & Ashlan went out to play.
I finally succumbed to the need to check out for a while, and checked out the couch.

Pooh & Mark have now joined us – yeah – and it is time to go to dinner.

[Dennis – the house is ready for your arrival.]