Six Weeks/14 Parks
2008
We don’t care what gas costs!
Uncle Tom’s Trail
Artist’s Point
Wildfires
YELLOWSTONE NP TO CODY, WY
Last night was our final night sleeping in the tent. Adios, tent! It’s been real. What a lovely sight, teenagers slumbering in the tent. After breaking down camp, we drove to the south rim of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Uncle Tom’s Trail descends half a mile into the canyon by Yellowstone Falls. Great views down there, including a double rainbow, but you have to go up 324 metal stairs to get to the top of the trail.
After returning to the rim, we took the South Rim trail to Artist’s Point. This is the area from which many of the most famous photos of Yellowstone have been taken. It’s very popular and crowded, but we got some nice photos as well.
On our way back down the South Rim trail, there was a grizzly bear in the woods about 50’ off the trail. we didn’t get very good pictures because he was laying down in the trees and not really moving.
Leaving the park, we immediately noticed how the countryside changed. The rock formations were much more like those in the Southwest.
8/4/08
On our way out of the park by the East Entrance, we passed the fire that has been burning since we got here. Flames could be seen shooting up above the tree tops! We thought it was the scariest thing we’d seen.Little did we know what was coming.
As we drove along WY-120, we were suddenly confronted with a fire much closer to the road. Firefighters and the sheriff had stopped traffic and were only letting one lane through at a time. As we waited and finally drove through, we realized that the smokejumpers had *just* put this fire under control and that only so the road could be open. WY-120 is the only road between the East entrance of Yellowstone and Cody, WY. There are no alternate routes!
Hats off to these brave, hard-working men and women. Theirs is not an easy job.
Later on we arrived at Cody, WY, home of the Cody Nite Rodeo. This is a real piece of Americana. Maybe not my cup of tea, but at least we can say we’ve been to a real rodeo!
As we begin our final week on the road, I’m filled with conflict. We’ve seen so many unbelievably cool things, I’d love it to go on forever. On the other hand, I miss Belmar! But sunsets are beautiful no matter where you are, I suppose.
