Yellowstone Adventure - Day 14

   Well it has been two weeks of being at Yellowstone and for my day off I celebrated with a nice lunch in front of Lake Yellowstone.  After lunch I headed down south to the Grand Teton National Park and just stopped to visit Jackson Lake.

  The day started off with a trip to West Yellowstone for some Wi-Fi time to get the computer and cell phone updated.  I also needed to stop by the Westronic store to purchase a cable so I can connect my pc to my phone.  I am in dire need of moving photos off the phone to the pc for storage.  I was not alone on this trip as one of my co-workers and dorm mates Bob needed a ride to West Yellowstone to do some shopping.  So I invited him along.  Bob is a fellow Cub fan and a pretty nice guy.  He has been working at Yellowstone and other places for a few years and knows the ins and outs of temporary summer employment pretty well.  We are both cashiers at the store and find ourselves on the same schedule.

  After data uploading, shopping and getting gas I drove back to the dorm to let Bob off and I picked up my PB&J sack lunch.  I headed out to Lake Yellowstone where I planned on finding a nice pullout with a view along the highway where I could eat my lunch and enjoy God’s handy work.  The problem was there were so many great places to stop and eat with a view, but eventually I found one along the west edge of the lake facing the mountains.  I stopped and popped the hatch up on the back of the car and proceeded to have a great lunch.  The temperature was around 55 degrees with a slight breeze but the sun was out.  It was a great lunch and after I ate I went down to the water’s edge and put my hand in the lake.  Believe me it was pretty cold.  I think you would have all of ten minutes in the water before hypothermia set in.  I took several pictures of the spot and sent a few to Cathy to enjoy.

  After lunch I decided to head down south and visit the Grand Teton National Park but not to go all the way to Jackson Hole.  I proceeded south and stopped at a great waterfall that had a nice pullout for cars.  I noticed that there was a trail up the hill to the top of the falls and I took a little hike.  The interesting thing was that the trail still had snow on it in several places and it bordered the cliff edge.  So I had to make sure I watched my footing or else I would have slid over the cliff and into the river.  Reaching the top near the falls there was a place where you could stand and take some pictures.  I was hoping that a bear would have been at the top of the falls on the rocks trying to grab some fish going over the falls but no chance on that.  After several minutes of looking at the falls and the surrounding hills for wildlife I proceeded carefully back down the sow covered trail to the car.

  I drove several miles reaching the south entrance to Yellowstone, which also happens to be the entrance to the Grand Teton national park.  I said hello to the ranger who let me pass into the park for free because of my employee sticker on my car.  I then proceeded down the road toward Jackson Lake.  On the way I spotted an elk just trying to leave the forest and cross the road in front of me.  She had the good sense to retreat back into the woods and not cross the road.  You always need to keep a sharp eye out for things like that because it is very easy to hit a wild animal trying to cross the road.  Going down the road I saw a rather strange sign to my right that said “Noise Checking Station Ahead”. I thought “Noise Checking?” and then I saw up ahead on the right side of the road a very large electronic meter display like a thermometer.  As the cars passed by the meter the lights on it would start at the bottom and move to toward the top and then it would display a decibel number.  I thought to myself “My tax money is going for noise checks in the middle of a park on a long stretch of highway!” So feeling as I did when I approached the noise check I laid on my horn so that I could sort of mess with the average.  Yeah Yeah I know it was childish, but hey it is a free country and I can honk my horn when I want. 

  I reached Jackson Lake after a few miles of driving and I cannot begin to describe the beauty that was there but I will try.  I came down a hill out of the woods and the lake appeared on my right and bordering the lake on its right side was the Grand Tetons.  I pulled over to a nice pullout where I could park the car and proceeded to just stare at the majesty of the view.  I went down to the edge of the lake and looked across it to the mountains that came down to the edge of the lake on the other side.  I do not know how far it was across the lake, but I would guess no more than a mile.  Then you would exit onto a short meadow and then it was a drastic climb up to the mountains.  The Teton Mountains extend from where I stood all the way south to Jackson Hole.  On my side was Wyoming, but over the mountains was Idaho.  On another day off I will venture all the way down to Jackson Hole and over the Jackson pass into Idaho.  From there I will proceed back up north to West Yellowstone Montana, but that is another day.  I stayed at the lake edge and took several pictures which I put on Facebook and texted to Cathy.  Cathy showed them to our grandkids and the oldest, Oliver, said they were beautiful.  After several minutes of standing and just admiring the view I climbed back into the car and headed back to the dorm in the Old Faithful area.

  I did not see many wildlife today but I can tell you I saw some great sites.  God can really put things together well.  Back at the dorm I decided to do my laundry and get the clothes ready for five days of working the early shift.  The dinner tonight was hamburgers cooked on the outside gas cooker and cheese cake for dessert.  I have got to stop taking the dessert after each meal or start to walk ten miles a day to get rid of the guilt that Kathy’s desserts put me through.  After dinner I watched the Cubs win, yeah, and walked around the general store for a while.  Now it is time for bed and I hope and pray you all are well.  It is good to hear from those dropping comments or sending me messages.  You all take care and please stay well.