Yellowstone was America’s first National Park, and it’s not hard to see why Americans have been keen to protect this area for over a century. This whole part of the country is full of incredible beauty; just south of Yellowstone is Grand Teton, and surrounding them on almost all sides is National Forest. One of the most surreal experiences I’ve ever had is driving through Grand Teton in the pitch black to get to my Airbnb in eastern Idaho and having deer and elk literally jumping out at me in the dark; only later to drive on that same road and realize that towering over me that whole time had been one of the most dramatic mountain ranges I’ve ever seen. As I continue to adhere to social distancing protocols, the Wyoming/eastern Idaho area was a great place to take in some incredible natural beauty, while still keeping my distance from the general public.
Devil’s Tower National Monument
Devil’s Tower has got to be one of the stranger things I’ve seen on this weird planet we live on. For God knows how many miles in every single direction it is nothing but gently rolling prairie from here to the Wyoming sunset. And in the middle of it, for no apparent reason, is this tower sticking up like a middle finger. I don’t get it (even scientists barely do), but I respect the sheer “fuck you” quality it embodies.
GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK
I was excited when I got to Grand Teton to take out my inflatable kayak. I bought it in Arkansas just so I’d have something to do there, and it has ended up being worth every penny I spent on it and every cubic inch it takes up in my car. I took it out first on Jackson Lake, the largest lake in the park. I asked the ranger at the entrance station which lake I should kayak on and she literally whispered as though it was scandalous, “I know Jenny lake is more famous but I actually think the views from Jackson Lake are better.” And she was right – the views were incredible. But I’m also not one to miss out on “doing the thing I’m supposed to do in the place I’m supposed to do it,” so once the crowds at the more popular Jenny Lake died down in the afternoon, I also took my little inflatable boat out on that lake too.
I ended up coming back to Teton a couple of weeks later and did a hike in a less crowded area of the park. It was not only some of the most abundant and varied wildflowers I’ve ever seen in one place. But, I also got to see two bald eagles land in a tree just a few feet away from me. You can see my best attempt to capture them below.
Yellowstone National Park
One of the things I was most excited to do in this part of the country was to go backpacking in Yellowstone National Park. My first attempt ended up being only sort of successful; because it was Fourth of July weekend the competition for backcountry sites was a little stiff and I ended up with a site that required a slightly more difficult hike to get to than I anticipated. I thought it would still be fine – but I forgot to consider that, at around 8,000 ft above sea level, the elevation would make a somewhat challenging hike very challenging. The hike was amazing; it took me past one massive waterfall to another smaller one at my site, and the views of the forest along the way were incredible. But, the mosquitoes ate me alive and the altitude finished me off; I had reserved permits for two nights, but ended up leaving after just one because I gave myself terrible altitude sickness.
Not one to be defeated, I returned the following weekend with more bug spray and a healthy appreciation for the elevation. My second attempt was much more successful. I chose campsites that were much less strenuous to get to and I managed to stay both nights without wanting to puke my guts out from the altitude (the mosquitoes still got me the second night though – all I can say is backpacking in Yellowstone in July is probably a great way to get eaten by bugs no matter what).
Beyond these (mis)adventures, what else can be said about Yellowstone that hasn’t already been said? The hydrothermal features are like something from another planet. The wildlife is unlike what you will see anywhere else – I watched a wolf chasing a herd of antelope across a field, how am I ever going to top that experience? I also saw bison, antelope, deer, coyotes, elk, and bears – black AND grizzly bears!
Craters of the Moon National Monument
Probably close to a year ago before I ever left California I mentioned my travel plans to a couple I knew from work, and their strong advice if I was going to be near Idaho was to visit Craters of the Moon National Monument. I did not realize until I went there that Idaho is some real proto-Earth shit. Like there are whole sections of the state that are literal lava; nearby where I stayed I did a hike up the side of an actual extinct volcano. At Craters of the Moon it’s perhaps the most prominent; there you can see lava flows, peer down collections of extinct volcanic formations, and walk up piles of volcanic ash. It’s surreal and fascinating.
Alyson Gagne 