The Great Salt Lake

I’m having trouble getting my photos from my camera to my blog. I’ve been so spoiled, using my iPhone camera and Google Photos—pictures sync automatically and I can easily access them on my iPad, where I write the blog posts. Our computer has a card reader port but it has been inconsistent in sending my images to Google Photos. First world problems, to be sure! I’ll figure it out.

We visited Salt Lake State Park on Wednesday. The wind was blowing fairly hard, kicking up a lot of sand which you may see in some of my pictures. 

There are no fish in Great Salt Lake. In fact, the only organisms that can tolerate the high salt content are brine shrimp, brine flies, algae and bacteria. The brine shrimp and brine flies feed on the algae and help keep the lake clear. Migratory birds feed on the shrimp and flies, making this lake an important route on their migrations.

It’s also very smelly here, because of the brine shrimp. We had to keep a close watch on Auggie to make sure he didn’t roll in the smelly sand, and he needed a bath when we got home.

Apparently, one can camp here in an RV. Full hookups, too. But I think the smell and the crowds would bother me.

After leaving the lake, we drove around Salt Lake City a bit. There are some beautiful buildings, and we located the genealogical library...just steps from the light rail stop. Bob’s back was bothering him on Thursday, but we hope to make it to the library before we leave SLC.

We Leave Idaho Falls

On Sunday, Bob and I said goodbye to Idaho Falls and continued on our way southward. Within minutes we were in a snow squall that had us wondering if we had left too early. Fortunately the snow quickly changed back into rain and before too long, even the rain disappeared.

I had noticed the night before that we would be passing withing .4 of a mile of Idaho State University Library in Pocatello, where they happen to hold a copy of a book I've been trying to find for years. Bob said, "sure we can stop," and so he navigated through the city streets and stopped the rig in front of the library. Talk about service! He stayed with Auggie to make a sandwich and read a little while I ran in to find my book. And I actually found two I could look through.

I spent a few happy minutes photographing some charts, then we were on our way again, through some beautiful areas. There was some fall color on the mountains which gave them vivid splashes of color.

Idaho is very pretty. This is the potato farming area of the state. Years ago, we had visited tge northwestern part on a river rafting trip, and the topography was much more rugged.

It was a fairly long day, between the stop in Pocatello and another 4 1/2 hours of highway driving, but soon we were seeing the mountains that surround Salt Lake City, Utah.

We got settled in to our campsite and immediately decided to stay here for a full week. I think there's a lot to see, and we want to not feel rushed. Our 18th anniversary of the day we met was on Sunday, so the next day Bob and I hopped on the light rail into the city to find a place for lunch.

We found the light rail to be an easy way to travel.

The Vertical Diner in Salt Lake City serves plant based food and we each enjoyed yummy sandwiches here. Bob had his first Cuban tempeh sandwich and I had a vegan Reuben.

There was an interesting sculpture at the train station called Faces of the Neighborhood, with glass faces imbedded in the metal. Very cool.

On Tuesday we took advantage of the fact that there is an IKEA within a few minutes of our campground, and picked up a few things we needed. I'm also hoping that we'll have time to visit the geneology library in SLC while we are here, so I set up an account on Ancestry.com and have been spending a lot of time entering our family information. I spent a lot of time on this many years ago with daughter, Kristen, and it was exciting to see the familiar names popping up again. On my father's side I have traced the family back to the 1640s when they emigrated to America, and back even before that to Dudley Castle in England where they lived in the 1500sx. Records of my mother's family were destroyed when the local church flooded a couple hundred or so years ago, so I'd love to see if the library here can help fill in some gaps.

End of the Month Crafting

My daughter, Emily, asked me to make a troll hat for her four year old, Eve, and I was happy to do so. I admit that I had my doubts as I was attaching the hair, strand by strand, to the crocheted cap that served as a wig base.

Doesn't look like much, does it? But a couple of hours later the strands were in, I had brushed out the yarn, and I had a pile of fiber.

AND, a cute little troll hat/wig.

It has been put in the mail and I can't wait to see my granddaughter's photo of her wearing it.

I also finished knitting my Hanasaku Cowl, designed by Tori Gurbisz, and am very pleased with it. It was an easy knit.

I really like the thick 'n thin yarn in this, with little bumps.

Besides crafting, Bob and I also visited the Yellowstone Historic Center, a museum dedicated to telling the story of travel to and through Yellowstone National Park.

The town of West Yellowstone was founded in 1909 with the arrival of rail service to this location. The museum is housed in the former railway station and is a beautiful building.

We enjoyed the exhibits featuring information on early tourists who visited here, some of which got the "royal tour" and others who camped in the park.

The museum has a nice collection of original carriages, used to offer guided tours.

Bob was startled by a huge grizzly bear named Old Snaggletooth. And we learned about the 1959 Hegben Disaster following a series of massive earthquakes that buried 26 campers. Apparently, the Yellowstone area is due for another massive earthquake. Any time now.

Tomorrow we leave this magical area and head towards Idaho Falls, then Salt Lake City for a few days.

Grand Teton National Park

How did the Tetons get their name? Well, according to Climbing Magazine, "French trappers are responsible for naming the three peaks now known as the South, Middle, and Grand Teton. They called the mountains “Les Trois Tetons,” or “The Three Breasts.” The Grand Teton—the tallest of the three—literally means “the big tit.”"

OK, all I can say is that those French trappers must have been REALLY lonely, because I don't see what they did. Nevertheless, these mountains are seriously breathtaking.

Bob, Auggie, and I left the rig at 7:30 on Wednesday morning to visit this park. It took a little over two hours to get to the entrance of Grand Teton National Park, traveling through Yellowstone and stopping along the way for a "bison jam."

These big fellas were covered with frost as they lumbered down the road.

We also had to stop to marvel at this little guy, a red fox who posed for me before trotting off into the woods.

What a view we had as we drove into the park!

These folks were enjoying the crystal clear day in their little rowboat. It was 25 degrees when we left West Yellowstone, but it gradually warmed up to the 50s and we started shedding layers of clothing.

Jackson Lake was enlarged in 1911 when the Jackson Dam was built. The dam was enlarged in 1916 and rebuilt in 1989.

Can you imagine having a little summer home here? Yeah, as long as no one else is allowed to build in the area...

We drove the loop through GTNP, then returned home by passing through Yellowstone again and crossing the Continental Divide. The Continental Divide snakes across Yellowstone National Park so that you go over it three times as you travel in one direction. And after 6 1/2 hours of driving, we made it back to the rig, tired but happy.

Old Faithful

Bob, Auggie, and I got up at 5:30 and left our rig at 6:30 am Monday morning to drive to Old Faithful. Five thirty came awfully early, especially as I really didn't sleep well the night before, but since the geyser was nearly an hour away we wanted to get an early start.

We watched the sun rise over Yellowstone, an awesome sight. The morning was cold, about 29 degrees when we left West Yellowstone and became even colder as we continued to climb in elevation.

In the early morning the mist rose off the rivers as elk grazed.

We passed a lot of geothermal areas to reach Old Faithful. When we arrived it was in "resting mode," gently steaming away.

I texted my sister in Massachusetts, Cher, and gave her the link to the webcam at Old Faithful so she could check to see if we were visible. Sure enough, she could see us but only on a frozen screen so we couldn't wave to her. This is her screenshot.

While waiting, a woman came up to ask if she could pet Auggie and we struck up a conversation. I admired her handknitted hat, she told me it was a WestKnits pattern, and we started chatting about knitting. Rosemary even recognized my cowl (http://weavingdowntheroad.blogspot.com/2015/09/southern-alabama.html as qiviut which impressed me to no end! Such a fun encounter! Now I'm going to have to knit one of these hats, especially since I already own the pattern (Kvosin, by Stephen West.)

After almost a 40 minute wait, Old Faithful erupted with an audible whoosh. This was the start of the eruption. As it continued over the next several minutes, the cloud became wider and higher than I am able to show here because the steam completely filled my camera screen. Old Faithful is a cone geyser, erupting from a mound of siliceous sinter, and its eruptions reach up to 183 feet high.

Then it was time to move on. We stopped to look at Mud Volcano (picture a photo of steam) and Sulphur Cauldron (above.) It was smelly but not as bad as the ones we had visited in Iceland, so many years ago.

We saw herds of bison grazing near geothermal fields. What a sight! Twice we came upon bison walking along the road, blocking traffic both ways. Auggie is fascinated with them and enjoys these close encounters.

If you look very closely you may be able to see the two coyotes in this photo, hunting for mice. Occasionally one would leap straight up and pounce when he spotted one.

The Gallatin River was a lovely sight.

Yellowstone is incredible, and even if you are wimpy like we are and afraid to hike along the trails for fear of encountering a bear, it can be enjoyed by car.

We saw less snow on the ground as the day wore on yet we saw it lingering on the mountain tops. After driving around for seven hours we returned home tired but very happy.

Raptors and Wolves and Bears, Oh My!

Yesterday Bob and I went to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone.

This place takes in grizzly bears, wolves, and raptors (birds who hunt with their talons) that can no longer survive in the wild. We saw a very nice raptor program featuring two birds: a Rough Legged Hawk (above)...

...and a Northern Saw Whet Owl. While they eat mice in the winter, these tiny owls' main diet in the summer is moths.

Outside we came face to face with a huge grizzly bear.

The sanctuary focuses on community education and had exhibits that were very nicely done. Bob and I were amazed at how big the polar bear was.

And aren't baby grizzlies adorable? Here's what I wanted to know--what to do if I meet a bear in the wild.

We learned a lot here. Now we are ready to go into Yellowstone.