But the farther south we drove the uglier it got. We decided to keep going because you never know how quickly the weather can change here. Here's what it looked like.
We made our way to Teton Village and found the tram. As we looked up the mountain it didn't look very promising. The tram goes up about 4,000 feet from around 6,000 to 10,000 feet.
There was only one other person on the ride up with us. It was a relatively smooth trip, but as we ascended it got windy and cold with some rain/sleet pelting the windows. When we reached the top the guide reported that the temperature was 30 degrees with winds at 30 mph. We opted to stay on the tram instead of going out because there was nothing to see in the fog and we were cold enough. On the way down the view of the village was interesting, and the guide gave good information about the area.
We plan to go back when it is warmer to get the full benefit of the sights on the top and maybe even walk the 7.5 miles back down.
After visiting the city of Jackson for a little while we headed north back through the Tetons. We were hoping to view a moose around the Moose Entry Station, but there were none to be seen. We stopped at Jenny Lake Visitor Center. When we were there two years ago the lake was frozen and the center was closed. This time the lake was beautiful and the center impressive. Since it was cold and drizzly we didn't take any hikes around. We'll save that for a warm day also. Although we didn't see any moose we did spot a grizzly in a field in the distance.
On the way north we could barely see the Tetons through all the dark clouds. We hope to do this trip again when the weather is more cooperative.
On Saturday, June 16 we joined another couple, Bob & Micki, on a hike to Mystic Falls. Unlike the previous Saturday, it was sunny with promise of a picture perfect day for a hike. The beginning of the trail passed through Biscuit Basin where there are colorful pools of bubbling water and small geysers.
The trail continued flat for a while and then slowly made its way uphill through the woods for about a mile.
We could hear the falls before we saw them. What a magnificent sight when we finally got there. The falls are 70 feet but seemed much taller.
We climbed up to the top where we looked down on the sides at all the colorful rocks. We were glad that we had the walking sticks because the trail was steep with loose dirt part of the way. After sitting a spell and enjoying the sights and sounds we moved onward and upward to an observation point at the top of the mountain. There we could see the Old Faithful Inn and geysers several miles away. What a view!
We made our way down the mountain through about five switchbacks. It was quite challenging at times for us since this was our first hike in a while. After we got to the bottom we walked back through Biscuit Basin and drove north to a picnic area. When we are not at the employee dining room for a meal we can order a packed lunch with choices of meat, cheese, bread, chips, veggies, cookies, and drink. It was more than enough to fill us up after all the walking. The area where we stopped is called Whiskey Flats. I hope to find out why that name was chosen. In the past there have been moose spotted there, but we didn't see any that day. After we filled out tummies we headed back to Old Faithful area. On the way there was a herd of bison on the hillside across the water. There were lots of cars stopped so we stopped too. There were several groups of mamas with cubs.
As we watched, some of the large bison started to cross the water. Then the whole herd followed along. It was a sight we had never seen before.
Although there are warnings to keep a distance between you and the animals, there were many people who were right down by the water taking pictures. If a ranger would have seen them they would have been told to back away and probably would have fined them. Fortunately no one was hurt while we were there. You just never know what you may see in Yellowstone!
Today we had quite a nice Father's Day. We were able to attend a church service at the rec hall which is by the Old Faithful Lodge, so we won't have to drive to West Yellowstone for church on Sundays. We got to talk to all the kids. They served BBQ Ribs for dinner and grilled burgers for supper so Dan was a happy camper! We drove to Grant Village Visitor Center this afternoon where they have a film and displays about the fire of 1988 and its devastation. There's so much to see at Yellowstone and we hope to do more on our days off. Our schedule stayed the same so we have next weekend off. We have all week to plan another adventure.
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