Still Along the Coast

7/27

Brotherly love along the coast

The family at the Pacific Ocean in California

As if the freezing temperature wasn't enough to dissuade us from swimming

                We were able to sleep in this morning, and breakfast was hash browns and egg mcmuffin or egg, cheese and Canadian bacon breakfast sandwiches on English muffins, much to everyone’s delight.  It was made even better by the fact that we didn’t crawl out of our tents until 9am.  The first sight that greeted our eyes in the morning light was the massive redwoods towering over us as we lay down; with sunlight glittering down through the branches it is hard to not feel tiny.   Once the tents were taken down, teeth were brushed and suitcases were organized, we left probably one of my favorite campsites just due to the space to play, wonderful redwoods and memorable meals.  We had already been impressed by the size of the redwoods but since we had missed the location of the fallen, tallest tree in the world we headed for a grove holding close seconds.  All in a small loop in Humboldt State Park were three massive Redwoods, giant tree standing at 363 feet tall, which had been recognized by a Redwood organization for its height and size, Tall tree, another seemingly cloud touching tree at 355 feet tall, and a fallen behemoth named Iron tree whose base of the trunk was taller than three of me.  Then we were off to our final stop in the Redwoods at Hidden Creek campsite.  We took a small trail to a swimming area in the creek.  It was chillier than the river the other day and shallower but still provided a very cool experience and a beautiful place to refresh you.  We only stayed there for about an hour though mostly due to Finn not feeling well lately and his frustration at still not being able to swim and have fun in the water.  It felt great to be across the country and to see the Californian coast but so far nothing I had seen had proved the stereotypical about California, slightly self centered, shaggy blondes who loved the beach and to surf.  They seemed like my kind of people and my kind of weather but we had been dealt winding roads making everyone sitting in the back seasick, cold temperatures and no beaches with water we felt brave enough to swim in.  Still, the foggy, rocky coastline reminded my parents of Ireland or Scotland and had an eerie beauty that could not be denied.  We ate lunch at a state park along the coast and the break from the car settled my stomach somewhat and I enjoyed a great deal of apples and crackers and cheese.  Very soon after leaving, I felt the old discomfort returning and knew the seemingly never ending tight turns and twists would not ease my stomach any time soon.  We got to our campsite in Sonoma Coast State Beach much later than planned but just in time as it seemed

I would vomit if we drove anymore.  After taking time to recover we took a short drive to the beach and much to Finn and I’s delight found a dead jellyfish washed up on shore.  The trip there,  our stay and the return trip took up all of maybe twenty minutes but it was worth it to be back on a beach again which was making me slightly homesick as the scent of the sea wafted everywhere following us back to our campsite.  Dinner was again fantastic, it consisted of chicken fajitas and black beans and after roasting marshmallows for the second straight night I caught up on my blogging then headed to bed, content with my day and looking forward to tomorrow. 

California Coast and Redwood Forest

7/26

                The wake up in Elk Creek was not a hurried affair and we were allowed to sleep in until 8.  We had a pancake breakfast but did not tarry for long in the Oregon Sand Dunes.  We had a long drive that day but it would be worth it as we were about to get our first glimpse of nature’s giants, the California Redwoods.  We made it into the Jedediah Smith State Park, part of the California Redwoods National Park and planned two hikes amongst the famous woods.  The first was spectacular and led us over a small footbridge into seemingly a different universe.  Though it was a sunny day, underneath the canopy of the trees the air was cool, the area was darker and the fallen trees brought down from their much higher viewpoints had been lowered to our level.  Lichen and moss, strange bird calls and of course the trees themselves, gave the family the opinion that it should be in a movie scene or a world described in a book.  This surreal environment was everything I had hoped for in my early expectations of the woods and I was not to be disappointed as it seemed as soon as you thought you had seen the largest tree another one even bigger would be waiting around the bend.  The trail took us through the woods but also onto a rocky river crossed by a long footbridge.  My dad and I entered the river with reckless abandon and though it was very cold the sight from the river made up for it as I counted my blessings again.  I have been able to swim in some extraordinary places this trip.  With the towering trees surrounding us, we played football and swam, enjoying the water and the chance to relax.  After drying off, without a towel I might add, we finished our loop trail into Stout Memorial Grove.  It was a beautiful area filled with Redwoods and was a very enjoyable end to the hike.   Our next hike brought more of the same, but no matter how much you saw of the Redwoods I doubt anyone would get tired of them (although it is possible that you could get a cramp in your neck from craning it for so long).   The Coastal Redwoods, which we were seeing, had an average height of 300 feet and can grow up to 22 feet in diameter.  They are distinguished by grey bark and are taller than but not as thick as their close cousin’s, the Giant Sequoya’s.   After leaving the park I had learned much about the fight between lumber and mill companies and those who wanted to save the Redwoods.  After listening to horrible stories about pepper spray applied directly into protestor’s eyes and a bomb placed in a protestor’s car I gained even more respect for the trees I had been walking through and the sacrifices others made that have allowed me to do this.  We were completely done with the Jedediah State Park and our next campsite was in the storied “Avenue of The Giants”, a 31mile winding road with harrowingly sharp turns and massive trees literally two feet away from your car.  We made it into Humboldt Redwood State Park at around 7pm.    We had our best campsite meal of the trip, in my opinion, and I am sure it was shared by my whole family, penne pasta with tuna and peas with bread on the side.  It was delicious and I helped myself to three servings.  Roasting marshmallows occurred almost right after and my mom was very grateful in having the first fire she could enjoy on the trip.  Everyone was tired; it had been a busy day so after finishing this blog, I headed to bed, following the rest of my family. 

Editor's Note:
The Oregon and California coast in this area was rugged, beautiful and cold.  Our idea of swimming in the Pacific Ocean did not last long.  Also, as Silas alludes to, the drive along the coast was exhilerating and nauseating at the same time.  It was long, winding, narrow, long and long.  But, the coast is the coast and it should not be missed. 

Pacific Ocean off Oregon coast

More of the same

Rock known as the "face" looking towards the sky

Comfy in the car

Silas, Finn and Paul stretching around a Redwood

Paul knocking the redwood down to size

More of the same

Pictures from Oregon Dunes National Monument

Silas, Finn and Paul introducing themselves to the dunes

"The Catch", Dad throws, Silas deflects and Finn catches for a touchdown!

View of the Dunes towards the Pacific Ocean

The footprints and players from the football game 

July 25

7/25

                To my disappointment the comfortable sleeping environment did not mean we would be allowed to sleep in.  Arielle had to attend work around 8:00 and wanted to spend more time with us before we parted.  Breakfast was a delicious combination of bagels and scrambled eggs, luxury’s we had not enjoyed on our trip so far aside from hotels.  Showers were taken and the Zechman family cleaned up but our stay was not done yet.   In an effort to see more of Bend we took a five minute drive to a trailhead of the short yet steep Pilot Butte Trail.  As we set off Duncan, Finn and I set the pace with Paul and Ellie racing each other as they followed close behind.  It was comical to watch the cycle unfold as both young children would sprint as far as they could, then crouch down seemingly drop dead exhausted, only to be off and running less than a minute later.  The trail offered wide views of the city and as you went higher the view broadened.  At the top of the moderately strenuous hike was a circular platform holding signposts with pictures and stories about the history of the city and the butte.  The site offered a wide variety of Mountain Ranges, urban landscape, hills and buttes.  Both family’s crowded together for a group picture generously taken by another hiker with the beautiful Cascade Mountain Range with its towering peaks and glacier covered sides in the background.  Arielle took one for the team and walked the half mile to work after the hike allowing us to follow Tommy home.   We did not have much time at the house thereafter and once packing was completed we said our farewells and hit the road once again.  We had gotten some advice on places to see and were interested in Dee “something” Observatory, a man made magma structure in the shape of an observatory.  Once we made the turnoff we took the paved trail through the magma and headed up the steps.   The black rock looking cooled lava had been hollowed and given windows and the room offered a beautiful outlook upon the rugged landscape.  At the top, there was a compass plate identifying the mountains and landmarks visible from the observatory.   We walked along the trail a bit further and read more information on the area, its early settlers and the landmarks surrounding it.  It was a very cool experience and I will never get sick of seeing volcanoes and magma and the incredible yet dark and foreboding landscapes it creates.  Lunch was at Steelhead Brew pub in Eugene, Oregon, a large, bustling city home to the University of Oregon.  We had wonderful food again for the third straight meal and left for what Finn and I had been looking forward to for a long time.  At our family reunion our cousin had told us of Niketown in Oregon which was a large Nike store that doubled as a museum filled with old, new and rare Nike shoes and other apparel.  Eugene, Oregon was the birthplace of Nike and we expected big things from Niketown.  Once we arrived at the Nike store, I instantly began second guessing the validity of my cousin’s claim.  There was indeed a store but it was small in size and seemingly filled with track gear, even the name “Tracktown” was an indication we had misheard or just were in the wrong place.  We did not stay for very long and headed off to our next campsite expecting to get our first taste of the Pacific Ocean.  We set up camp in a very quiet, solitary and mostly uninhabited campground and instantly set off for the “beach” while we still had light.  The short hike leading to the beach was covered in twigs and dirt but as we neared our destination the rough path gave way to soft sand.  We halted at the edge of a sandbank looking expectantly at the skyline above the sand.  The children, I included, were fully prepared to gaze upon the Pacific Ocean for the first time in our young lives.  As the others paused, building the suspense for the moment, I sprinted ahead wanting to be the first to see the ocean.  It was a false promise, our campsite was in the Oregon Sand Dunes National Monument and that was all we could see, rolling hills of fine sands with scattered shrubs and a smattering of green as far as the eye could see.  After our initial shock we were definitely more excited by our current conditions than the ones we had envisioned.  Our parents explained to us they did not remember how big the dunes had been and had not purposely misled us, likely story.  After cresting a mountain like sand dune, we peered over the edge and caught a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean glimmering in the late afternoon.  We quickly put any thought of the great ocean out of our mind as we spent the next hour and a half running, walking, crawling, falling, playing football and laying down covered by a blanket (Carol).  All of the boys had a role in various football games and many spectacular catches were made, one was a pass play straight down one of the steepest dunes in which I tipped the ball and it was caught by Finn, whose momentum then carried him all the way down the dune.  The catch is documented by Carol Zechman, whose brilliant photography captured the moment perfectly.  After it seemed as though sand would be permanently ingrained in our skin and scalp and we had more sand than socks in our shoes we trudged back to the site.  The rest of the night was a snack like dinner and a very early bedtime.  My father and I were the last in the tent and that was at 9pm.  We were clearly tired and needed the rest as even the notoriously disruptive Finn said very little as the family drifted off.   

Duncan showing Silas, Finn and Paul the secrets of negotiating the river

The two happy families before the Cascade Range

Duncan and Silas quietly contemplating the vastness of this world

Arielle and Carol, it's as if time has stood still for these last 21 years 

The view from the top of Pilot Butte



Family at Dee (something) lava Observatory on way to Oregon Coast



Reconnect

7/24

                After waking up at the luxurious KOA campground site we had a laid back morning and were on the road around 8:30.  The final destination was my mother’s childhood best friend who lived in Bend, Oregon and whom she had not seen for twenty years.  We made three pit stops on the journey, the first being at the football field of Boise State University which contains the only blue turf field in the nation.  Hesitantly, we passed through a construction zone around the stadium and entered through an open gate leading to the bleachers.  A man rode by on a bicycle and warned us we had passed through a construction zone.  Both my mother and Paul headed back towards the car, their courage failing them while those remaining waltzed out onto the field.  After rubbing and lying on the blue field we took a couple of pictures and made our way back the way we had entered.  It was very cool stepping onto the Boise State field and I will always remember it when I see them playing.  My mom is an avid shopper at Sierra Trading Post and had been very persistent that while in Wyoming, we stop.  We did not in Wyoming but Mom lucked out as there turned out to be a Sierra Trading Post outlet on the same exit as the KOA campground.  We only had a short time to spare, but no way was mom going to let us pass the store without stopping.  Some products caught my eye but even Paul the most abundant of spenders has been very frugal with his purchases lately, reflecting the actions of the rest of the family.  Lunch was leisurely and spent at a pleasant outdoor rest stop.  We had made a grocery trip the day before and we did not lack of desirable food.  Once we had eaten our fill, the boys, myself included, began a mini football game in the grassy clearing.  It ended on late game heroics by Paul, who made a great catch just over the longer, albeit one handed defender, Finn.   Then we were prepared for the three and a half hour drive to Arielle’s (my mom’s friend).  I hopped in the driver’s seat eager to enjoy the lack of carsickness the front seat provided and with my dad grudgingly seated in the back, we headed off without a hitch.  Pulling into the house we were greeted by the Arielle and her family, including her husband Tommy, son Duncan and daughter, Eleanor.  After initial pleasantries were exchanged and introductions made we changed into our bathing suits and both families went on a short walk to the nearby river on the 90 degree day.  The bank of the river was rocky and just to the north there were rapids in which we saw a local attempting to paddle board across, with little to no success.   Beyond the rapids were a strong current and a long river.   Duncan leapt right in and was pulled down about 100 feet, I took the more cautious approach wading in cautiously rather than taking the literal plunge.  Soon though, the three older children, even Finn with his cast arm held high above the water, were far down the river in the thick of the current seeing who could stay standing on the slippery rocks.  Paul and Elli played close to shore but Paul eventually made his way to the older children.  The water was cold but refreshing.  Duncan and I were the last men standing after ten to fifteen minutes and we were only in that long because it took a solid five minutes of cajoling to entice Paul to leap from his sense of security on a large rock in a generally serene part of the rapids into the fast moving current that would get him back to shore.  With Duncan and I acting as safety nets we finally convinced him and upon arriving safely back at shore we made our way home, wetter and colder than when we began.  Dinner was held soon after and consisted of spaghetti and a delicious meat sauce with amazing bakery bread and salad accompanying it.  Once we had eaten to our stomachs content, the adults went out to the patio to discuss old times and other boring things while the children watched I, Robot the movie with Will Smith projected onto the wall of the living room.  Feeling safe and warm, it was a very nice night and after the movie ended we gathered again to eat ice cream and enjoy one another’s company.  Duncan was the first to head to bed and the others soon followed.  Again I had been lulled into the ease of staying and sleeping warm and inside, I couldn’t allow it to last if I was to handle the rest of the camping on the trip.  More pictures to come. 

Silas and Finn leaving their mark on the blue turf of Boise State U.

Pausing for a refreshing dip in the river in Bend, OR with dear friends, Tommy, Arielle and Elli and unkown paddle boarder

Craters of the Moon National Monument

7/23

Editor (Dad)

Today we travelled from the Best Western of Idaho Falls, ID through the Crater of the Moon National Monument via the Goodale cut of the Oregon Trail.  We have arrived outside of Boise, just east of the Oregon border at a KOA campground.  This morning was spent sleeping in and swimming in the hotel pool.  Check out was noon and we didn’t leave a minute early.  As mentioned in an earlier blog, we deviated from our plan to camp last night due to the slow recovery of our tandem sicklies.  Paul has taken full advantage and has begun eating and is annoying his brothers, sure signs he is feeling better.  Carol has decided to call in sick one more day, at this rate Carol will need a vacation from our vacation.  Upon departure from the hotel we headed for the Craters of the Moon National Monument in Central Idaho.  It was also not part of our original plan but become possible when we hoteled it last night.  We didn’t know anything about it but it quickly became a favorite of the boys.  It has a weird moonscape that was the result of tremendous lava flows and explosions thousands of years ago.  The most exciting part about this was that these flows and explosions left several caves that are free to be explored.  This was really cool.  We had to get a permit in order to explore but the requirement was not significant, “have you been in a cave since 2005? No, have any of your clothes or shoes been in a cave since 2005? No.  This is designed to protect the bats in the caves from exposure to white nose syndrome.  The first threecaves were really kind of freaky.  They were exactly what you would expect from a cave, cool temperatures, wet, slippery rocks, and pitch black a few feet in from the opening (everyone had a headlamp).  You could really feel like a spelunker.  We also hiked to the top of Inferno Cone, which is the remnant of the volcano that formed this monument.  It is all black cinders and appears like a giant black sand dune in the middle of the monument.  In addition to the funky landscape, Craters of the Moon was also the location for Goodale’s cut, which was a northern route of the Oregon Trail established by a mountain man named Goodale.  Between 1840 and 1870, 240,000 settlers used this trail to head west into Oregon.  Seven out of every 10 wagons heading west went through Craters of the Moon.  The black top on Route 20, the route we took to Boise, has been laid directly over the wagon tracks of the Goodale cut.  We scrambled a bit for a campsite this evening.  At about 8:10pm from a rest stop, we called the Riverside RV Park in Boise.  The problem was the site closed at 8pm.  We moved on to Meridian KOA and fortunately one site remained.  We pulled in around 9pm.  This is entirely an RV park adjacent to town.  Our tent site is on an RV site which means setting up the tent on rocks but also having easy access to on site water and electric (hence the computer use at midnight, our time).  To make it easy on ourselves we stopped at a grocery store and purchased sandwiches for dinner in order to avoid the late night cooking and dish washing.  Probably should be turning in, those rocks are calling my name.

Silas giving a thumbs up to Craters of the Moon

First stop overlooking the lava fields of Craters of the Moon

Entering the Dew Drop Cave

Picture in cave taken with flash

without flash

Inferno Cone

Grand Tetons

7/22

                My father, waking up around 5:30, as usual, made his rounds waking up the rest of the slumbering family around 6:15.  It was our quickest turn around yet as we headed out of Flagg Ranch at 7:30.  The first stop was Colter Bay Visitor Center where we had our National Parks passport stamped and spoke with a ranger about popular destinations and recommended hikes.  I was driving and once again was impressed with the sheer size of the Teton Mountain Range; we could even identify the two tallest peaks after a long debate on which was the Grand Teton and which was Mt. Moran.  Once that was settled we took a dirt road which accessed an area that has been noted as having a grizzly bear hanging around.  The road was scenic but did not present us with a grizzly bear and after walking around near a small lake shore at the end of the road we headed back the way we had came still hopeful we might see the elusive creature.   To our disappointment, we had no such luck but were already looking forward to our next stop; a mile long hike along a popular park lake named Leigh Lake.  The hike took us through the woods with the lake on one side and tall trees flanking us on the right.  It was a hot day and getting hotter, the trees offered long pools of shade along the quiet trail and the path revealed an abundance of moose, horse and deer poop, much to our delight.  My father, Finn and I soon left my mom and Paul (who waited by the car) in the dust and we took advantage of the numerous paths leading down to the lake.  Once we found a decent sandy stretch of shore along the water, my dad and I entered the refreshing lake water.  The smooth sandy lake floor we had envisioned turned out to be muddy and filled with hidden surprises.  After this realization we attempted to remain afloat much of our swim.  A small rocky island about 200 yards away beckoned us and we made the swim without much trouble.  The water remained about five feet deep the whole time and it seemed the depth did not change until much farther out into the middle of the lake.  As we pulled our weary bodies up onto the rocks we were greeted by the Grand Tetons stretching in every direction, the calm crystal clear lake was seemingly isolated with a green screen like backdrop of giant mountains, towering forests and even snowy peaks on some of the taller mountains.   With Finn waiting patiently on shore we made our way back and then headed back the way we came finishing our hike and continuing on our way.  We debated a final stop and decided on one of the most popular attractions of the Tetons, a boat ride across Jenny Lake where two hikes, one to Hidden Falls, the other to Inspiration Point would greet us.  Finn, dad and I would be the only hikers this voyage and we rose to the occasion, we had not eaten lunch yet and we were fueled by our hunger as we sped past slower hikers, passing precariously on either side.  The Hidden Falls were somewhat of a disappointment tainted by the majestic falls we had seen at Yellowstone but Inspiration Point, a little over 7000 feet above sea level, drew our focus and we stopped for a bit to enjoy the beauty of it.  We continued the hike meeting fewer and fewer travelers until we were well into the canyons.  We were still in the forest and at a very high elevation but everywhere you turned were the Tetons rising up above the canopy of the forest like massive black fingers seemingly cradling you in their palm.  Of course when we did decide to head back we overheard a park ranger explaining to other hikers a location just in front of where we had stopped in which he had seen a couple of large bull moose.  Finn took this news very hard but was suffering from a lack of water and a headache from the high altitude so he did not even request we turn back.  Making our way back down the mountain, maybe slower than we had gone up was still spectacular but held none of the new sights that a loop trail offer.  The boat ride back was uneventful as was our car ride into Jackson, Wyoming for lunch.  Commonly referred to as Jackson Hole, the popular tourist destination has many stores, a couple of celebrities owned residences and giant ski resorts.  Finn was particularly interested in a fur jockstrap he saw while window shopping and I enjoyed walking around their bustling downtown.   We then made our way to a Best Western where we were staying the night largely due to help our sick family members recover after their visit to the clinic.  Dinner was pizza from a local restaurant and we spent much of our night in the pool and hot tub.  We fell asleep to Spiderman 3 and I was grateful for the comfortable bed once again.

 Editor’s Note:

These notes are being written on the evening of 7/23.  Carol and Paul have now completed their 3 day cycle of antibiotics.  Paul has responded well, he is eating and active and had a really good day today.  Carol is improved but not fully recovered.  As Silas pointed out, we varied from our schedule to seek out a hotel instead of camping in hopes that more comfortable surroundings will spur recovery.  She and we hope that her current upward path continues. 

Aside from the maladies, we have had a couple of other travel blips that I thought I might mention.  The first is when I packed the car (I believe in Ohio) after breakfast but neglected to close the back hatch.  Silas was driving and it was a few minutes and several falling bags later that we realized we had a problem.  No harm, no foul except it led to an additional re-packing of the car.  On this trip, my least favorite event is packing the car.  It is such that everything has to come out every time before it goes back in (woe is me).  The second event occurred while travelling at warp speed on I-90 in South Dakota.  I was minding my own business when I noticed an orange something or other fly behind our car.  It was quickly followed by a blue then a silver something or other.  I thought, “What in the world is flying out of our windows”.  It turned out nothing was flying out of our windows, something was flying out of our Thule car carrier.  I quickly pulled over, which turned out to be more than half a mile post flying event and discovered that the front Thule lock had not latched.  The wind therefore was able to pry open the carrier just enough to squeeze out some personal belongings, including an orange bag holding maps, a blue blanket and a silver sleeping pad.  Finn and I scurried along the edge of I-90 to retrieve our belongings and hurried ahead to renew our journey.  If these things are the worst things (non-medical) that happen to us during the trip, I guess that would be okay.

See pictures from last blog entry

More Pictures

 

Paul outside of the Yellowstone Medical Clinic

On the shore of Yellowstone Lake

 View from Flagg Ranch Campsite outside of the Tetons

Intrepid explorers looking for mountains

Silas and Finn at Inspiration Point, Grand Tetons

Silas, Finn and Paul under the Antler Arch in Jackson, WY

Bull Elk in Yellowstone



Mom, Silas and Finn at Jackson Lake, Tetons

Taking advantage of some down time at Jackson Lake

Happy Birthday to Gammy

It is 10:44 mountain time.  We are just settling down to sleep at a KOA in Meridian, ID just outside of Boise.  We'll keep posting but wanted to give you a shout out.  We're thinking of you.

Yellowstone/Tetons and Medical Clinic

7/21

                After waking up in Madison Campground around 6:20am, the temperature was hovering around freezing.  It was our second morning of this and it gave you a jolt as you left your warm sleeping bag and tent.  At night you can go to bed in 75 degree weather and wake up to 35 degrees.  Our day was to be spent traveling around Yellowstone enjoying the sites and touring the park.  We left in the morning as early as possible in an attempt to see more wildlife.  It turned out to be a smart decision.  In only a short period of time we saw many cars pulled over alongside the road, always a sign of something interesting to see.  The first sight that greeted our eyes was a massive bison laying in a patch of dirt and many tourists milling about the grassy field which held three large Elk farther away on the plains.  Finn, my dad, and I headed for a closer look and Finn got dangerously close.  I personally hung back not wanting to be gored by the massive horns on the Bison.  Soon, one of the funniest and most interesting things I had ever seen occurred, the massive animal crouched onto all fours and then proceeded to roll on its back and side like a dog with its stomach being scratched.  After covering its hide with dust it lumbered off into the woods, as the crowd dissipated the three of us made our way to the Elk and when we had watched the animals in the wild to our hearts content we made our way back to the car to continue on the loop.  Throughout the park we saw Mud pots or bubbling pools of super heated mud.  We also saw fumeroles, which are steam vents, hot springs, and the most impressive part, the geysers.  We witnessed many more natural wonders that I could not tell you the name of but each one brought new surprises and different features from cloudy hot springs the size of a pond to mud shooting geysers.  Yellowstone was a much different park than the Badlands but made a huge impression on me and my family as well.  With its rolling hills, large plains and vast wilderness the park has landscapes for every person’s preference.   As we left Yellowstone I was excited at the idea of seeing the Grand Tetons, a park my parents seemed very impressed by.  After setting up camp at Flagg Ranch campground we headed to the rocky shores just inside Grand Teton National Park.  My first view of the range made me feel tiny and insignificant; the second look filled me with awe.  I had never seen mountains this big and the fact that I was the length of a lake away took my breath away.  After wading into the warm waters and taking many pictures the whole family spent an hour in view of the majestic range and lake reading or just enjoying the sights.  We had a relaxed night at the campground and roasted marshmallows for the second straight night.  We had left one beautiful National Park to camp at another and I pondered what other natural wonders were in store for us during the trip. 

Editor’s Note:

Carol and Paul were still reeling from the nausea and weakness inherent with a lack of ability to hold down any food or water.  The trip has been a bit surreal in that it seems there is one trip that Silas, Finn and I are on, which is healthy and lively and then there is the trip that Carol and Paul are on, which is significantly different.  Paul had a better day on Saturday so we were hopeful there would be progression but Sunday he again was waylaid by symptoms.  Carol hadn’t really improved any and we were all sufficiently worried and frustrated that a trip to the local clinic seemed the most prudent act.  We stopped at the Lake Clinic within Yellowstone at 11:30am on Sunday.  Carol and Paul were both seen and as we thought, evidence suggested to the provider that the cause of the symptoms was a bacterial infection from Lake Erie.  Carol was dehydrated to the point that she required 2 liters of IV fluids and both she and Paul were given antibiotic and anti-nausea prescriptions.  The clinic does not take United Insurance so $1,000 and 2.5 hours later we were back on the road.  This time with at least some hope that we will all be experiencing the same trip.   

More pictures to come:

Hot Spring Action

Yellowstone

7/20

                After our hike, work needed to be done.  We set about taking down tents and repacking our bags.  It seems that every day there is a new system and order and you can never expect to find something in one place for more than a day.  We left the camp around 9am, a disappointing turnaround time according to my dad.  I took it upon myself to take the wheel and drove for two hours on our way to “Palisades Falls.”  It was a fond hike of my mother’s when she had lived in Montana as a young girl and I was not disappointed.  The hike was moderate, not too steep and cut right through the woods but the walk was worth it as it opened into a rock filled clearing with a river flowing through it.  The white rocks that had been seen throughout the hike were in sharp contrast to the dark sandy colored ones littering the base of the waterfall.  Finn and I had reached it before the rest of our family and walked right up to the falls, not a thundering, rushing or very powerful waterfall we challenged each other to attempt to scale the slick, water covered edges of the falls.  Instead, we sprinted up the steep, loose rock strewn covered sides of the valley and perched on high peaks looking for photo ops as the rest of our family made their way to the falls.  After we had seen all there was to see in the lush forest and vertigo causing falls we climbed a rugged path. Finn and I to look out over a vast canyon just around the bend of the waterfall, everything about the hike had been eye catching and note worthy and I was glad my mom could enjoy the trail again, reliving childhood memories.  Leaving Palisades falls we headed for a famous national park, “Yellowstone”.  It is a place you hear about all the time in your life but never can really grasp the beauty of it until you enter the park and see for yourself the wonders it has in store.  Every single campground in the park had been filled and luckily we had made a reservation at Madison campground.  Amazingly, it was the fourth campsite without a single mosquito.  It seemed as though there were enough mosquitoes at the campsite at Lake Erie to last us the whole trip.  I for one was pleasantly surprised.  After hastily setting up and pulling out our needed bags we still had a lot of day light left and a massive park to explore.  Leaving the wife at the site, my dad took the boys out for a loop drive of the park stopping at interesting locations along the way.   Before reaching any of Yellowstone’s famed attractions we saw two female elk and a third later on the drive.  It was our first taste of elk on the trip and for a while we had trouble determining if it was in fact an elk and not a moose.  Our first stop before “Old Faithful” was a mud paint pot.  This site had a variety of different natural wonders to see including a sulfur smelling hot spring and bubbling, heated mud pit.  The hot spring looked inviting and was a crystal clear oasis; the only thing letting you know something was off was the smelly steam rising from the surface of the water.  I had never seen such feats of nature and was drawn to the many earthquake caused attractions Yellowstone had to offer.  The main goal of our expedition that evening was to witness “Old Faithful” not the biggest but possibly the most famous geyser in the world.  Going off every 90 minutes for just a few minutes it can shoot up 80 to 100 feet tall spouts of super heated water.  Before arriving at this destination, we found a way to pass the time.  Paul, my dad and I drove to the popular location on Firehole River.  It has a swimming hole that seemingly hundreds of people come to enjoy.  The warm water is heated by a hot springs runoff and its location is beautiful.  The Firehole river is a river with slight rapids that runs through a large canyon with jagged rocks and a wide beautiful blue sky presenting a sun that beats down on your back as you lounge in the shallow, warm and clear water.  Paul and I struggled with the current which made it all the more fun but suffered some bumps and bruises as we allowed ourselves to float down the water slide type rapids that hid many a sharp or large rock.  I had the misfortunate of going down them twice though the fall is short it can give you some aches and pains.  We left the swimming hole just in time and made it to “Old Faithful” with minutes to spare.  A huge crowd had turned out and they stretched along the boardwalk surrounding the geyser and rows upon rows of people leading back almost to the park lot.  We pushed our way into the front row and I set up with the video camera while my dad took pictures.  As the geyser teased its spectators who watched with baited breath as steam intensified and water broiled, we watched and waited.  When it finally erupted its height gradually grew until it reached almost 100 feet.  The water surged out of the large hole in the ground and began to decrease in size after a steady five minutes of streaming water.  As we wearily made the drive back to the campsite we even spotted a juvenile moose on the side of the road.  The first day in Yellowstone turned out to be a great success and we even got to make smores for the first time that night.  As I made my way to bed I found myself eagerly waiting for the next day.  

Palisades Falls, Hyalite Canyon, MT

The kids among the geysers

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Finn testing his luck

Waking up in the C'mon Inn in Bozeman, MT

7/19

                Waking up after a comfortable night’s sleep was extremely refreshing and though mom and Paul were still in “critical” condition, I, myself, felt very refreshed.   Breakfast was in view of the artificial fountain and mini water fall and consisted of scrambled eggs, toast, yogurt, banana and tater tots accompanied with a hot salted caramel cappuccino type drink.  This was just my breakfast as there were many other options at the buffet style breakfast.  The males, including Paul, then went for a swim and spent time relaxing in the hot tubs; checkout was not until 12 but in order to stay on schedule we left at 11.  It was a sad departure but with determination in our eyes we set out again for the road.  The next stop was a blast from the past as we rolled on into Helena, Montana around noon.  My parents had lived there for three months and this is where we celebrated my first birthday.  My parents couldn’t remember the street name they had lived on but even though I was very young, it all flooded back to me as soon as we entered the city and I quickly took charge and flawlessly guided them to our old home.  Not really, eventually my parents found the old street and it felt surreal to stand in front of the house as they explained the events that had taken place there.  Throughout the afternoon we walked through “Last Ditch Gulch” a downtown type area filled with unique stores where my mom had walked me often as a young boy.  While mom and Paul slept on a park bench looking quite homeless, Finn, my dad and I strolled through the streets and enjoyed a wonderful lunch and made a stop for ice cream soon after. Helena is a very pretty place and I was very grateful we visited here as it had been a debated stop due to time concerns.  Next was the 1800’s Ghost Town in Elkhorn, Montana.  Though I was disappointed many people had decided to take up residence in the secluded rural town it was still an incredible opportunity to look at an old Western mining town and the falling, splintered and dark buildings that had remained standing all these years gave it an eerie quality.  The trip, so far, has been enjoyable but also seems to have a history lesson in each stop, not the boring history either, but rather an exciting, entertaining and awe inspiring field trip each day.  We camped that night at the Missouri Headwaters in Three Forks, MT, a location that was discovered by Lewis and Clark.  Another interesting fact is that it is also the location of the meeting between Sacajawea and the expedition.  Finn and I entertained ourselves with a creative, soccer type game.  We split the series but I had invented the game and was clearly the better player.  In the morning the three healthy ones set out around 7 for a trail along the Madison River, though we were met with beautiful scenery we did not observe any wildlife. 

Editor’s Note:

This evening we also attended the Three Forks Rodeo.  It was very entertaining.  It is really cool to be able to expose the kids to things that they wouldn’t ordinarily experience.  The rodeo showcased all of the typical events, highlighted by the bull riding.  Carol and Paul muddled through as best they could as they continue to battle this stubborn stomach ailment. 

Last Chance Gulch in Helena, MT

Attic Apartment that Carol, Silas and I shared in 1998

Carol and Paul living it up at the Three Forks Rodeo

Ghost town in Elkhorn, MT

Madison River at the Missouri Headwaters in MT

Bucking Bronco in Three Forks