Grand Tetons

This picture is a leftover from Saturday. I just loaded it to my computer. I have been using several cameras, including my cell phone, and it is taking me a bit to get them all loaded to the laptop. I actually took this one with my cell phone. The colors are in the wrong order, but it sort of looks like the painting The Scream. I didn't intend that, its just what I see now.

I am in a coffee shop in Jackson, Wyoming and trying to get this blog updated and all of the batteries charged on my laptop, cell phone, cameras, GPS and ipod. I just spent some time talking to a young lady from D.C. that is doing a 7 week solo tour of the of the country. She is also here updating her blog. I'm not the only lone soul out here.

After my blog Sunday afternoon I finished the Grand Loop back to camp. It was a long day of driving, stopping, getting out to take a little walk and a few dozen pictures. Over and over and over. I don't know how many times I got in and out of the Jeep yesterday, but I was ready for a break from that today. I saw more geysers and hot springs north of Old Faithful. I finally got to the point where I said to myself (on the inside, of course), "are you really going to take another picture of a hot spring/geyser?". I have to be pushing 1,000 pictures taken already. If I can get it down to a few dozen that capture the trip I will be pleased. Here is a photo of one of the many road construction projects I have run into. I have been stopped by a flag man/women about 15 - 20 times in the past week. The wait has been anywhere from 30 seconds to 30 minutes. It's I good thing I am not in a hurry to get anywhere.


There was a fire in Yellowstone on Sunday about 3 miles from where I camped. I could see the smoke for many miles and as I approached camp last night there was a haze around the campground and out over the lake.


I have now met the counters to the Illinois hedonists I ran into in the Black Hills. I hate Illinois hedonists. I stopped at a park general store last night and treated myself to a hot dog at the food counter. I sat next to a couple from Illinois and we talked a bit. I must have looked in need of help, because after 3 minutes of nice casual talk the gentlemen started telling me about Jehovah and how he will be taking care of everything in the future. "Check Please!!".

It isn't too difficult to spot the wildlife out here. Anytime there are 5 - 25 cars pulled over on the shoulder in the middle of nowhere, it usually means a large animal is near. After I took this picture (along with 20 other people) I was walking back to my car and a woman driving by rolled down her window and asked "just an elk?". Really? JUST an elk? I guess we become jaded quickly out here. I wanted to reply with some smartass remark, but I didn't.

I spent the day driving the the south part of Yellowstone and then on to Grand Tetons National Park. Last week Ethan had asked me what Grand Tetons meant. In my fatherly wisdom I told him it was French for Great Teets. I'm not proud if it, but I thought it was funny. Okay, maybe a little bit proud of it. Little did I know that there may be some truth to that. Saw more beautiful scenery here and then went to get camp set up. I headed into Jackson to restock a few food items and get this updated. I am camping at Gros Ventres (I think that is what it is called) and am just a few minutes out of town. I am planning on spending tomorrow exploring Grand Tetons (THE PARK you perverts) and tomorrow night I will stay where I currently am. I am hoping to head back to the Mammoth area of Yellowstone on Wednesday, and then north to Glacier from there. That is my current plan, but that may change.


Okay, now the important stuff.


Road Trip Song of The Day:

• Sunday - Tim Curry - Sweet Transvestite (from Rocky Horror) - that will get me a response from someone. Hahahaha.
• Today - Brahams - Symphony No. 2 - on the radio, it's not on my iPod, but it was very good and timely.

What have I learned today?

• It's okay to strike up a conversation with a stranger. It might even be enlightening.
• You can drive 200 yds with a cup of coffee on the fender of the Jeep and it doesn't fall off.
• Spellcheck caught my error in Transvestite. I have never used the word transvestite in the same document more than once. Now I've used it three times!
• The people driving their Denalis sure do look comfortable.
• If you leave firewood sitting out by the fire ring while you are out exploring, someone will take it.
• The National Wildlife Art Museum is in Jackson, Wy.
• It can take 10-15 minutes to upload ONE of these pictures, but less than one second to accidentally delete it. No, there is no "undo".
• To shave or not to shave? That is the question.

As soon as I close this I will think of 10 more things I wanted to add. This is plenty long as it is. I hope to update more tomorrow or Wednesday.

Tom