as i continue west the tall grasses and wooded hills of south dakota give way to the flat stretches of dusty nothingness that is wyoming. at least, the eastern part of wyoming. if you've never been here this is how the state works. nothing. nothing. nothing. horse. nothing. nothing. THE MOST AMAZING GEOGRAPHICAL WONDERS IN THE WORLD. nothing. nothing. horse. nothing. trust me when i say all the miles of nothing are worth the rewards of the sights this area hides in it's mountains. eventually the flat stretches yield to steep and rough mountains covered in lodge pole pines.....and i am officially in the rocky mountains.
this is the land where a man's greatest loves are his wife, his dog and his pick up truck. and not in that order. nostalgia pines for the days of open ranges and cowboys. i stayed the night in cody, wyoming. as in william "buffalo bill" cody. a city at the eastern edge of yellowstone that honors it's namesake at every turn. it has a great main street lined with restaurants, ice cream shops and saloons (yes....they call them saloons not bars) and a smattering of bronze statues.
the sun setting behind one of the many buffalo bill statues. sad to say my culinary gambles in this town were probably the most disappointing of my trip. i tried the little taco place next to my hotel hoping for a decent enchilada. i think i would have fared better ordering a burger at one of the "saloons". live and learn. and then order a hamburger.
i awoke early the next morning, eager to see the wondrous sights that were ahead of me. my drive took me through buffalo bill state park at sunrise. a beautiful sight along the shoshone river.
winding through the canyon i am surrounded by rough peaks and steep cliffs. the air here smells amazing. clean and full of sage.
a breathtaking drive west and south brings me to grand teton national park. a range of impressive mountain peaks that rise dramatically high around the valley of jackson hole below. the skies are a little hazy in these pictures due to smoke from wildfires in montana and british columbia. it made for a very misty looking view.
part of what makes this particular range so striking is the lack of foothills leading up the sharp snow capped peaks. a flat valley filled with wildflowers and sagebrush lay before the three iconic mountains of middle teton, grand teton and mt owen (in order below). glaciers rest at the tops of these peaks, adding to the beauty of their appearance.
below the mountains lay several water features, the largest of which is jackson lake. a glacial lake that was made larger when it was dammed for irrigation purposes. this time of year the mountain wildflowers are in full bloom. alpine forget me nots, sagebrush and arrowleaf balsam root dot the floor of the valley with pastel shades of blues, greens and yellows.
mahjong decided to dip her paws in the cool waters of jackson lake!
a little further south along the range is the smaller, but more picturesque jenny lake. the proximity of this lake to the three main mountains of the range make it a sought after location. it is a breathtaking sight. trails wind through the lodge pole pine forest and offer stunning vantages.
my parents went to yellowstone and grand teton for their honeymoon. there's a beautiful picture of them standing by jenny lake as newlyweds!
the main river that runs through the park is the snake river, with it's source just a few miles north in yellowstone.
my next trip to this area (and i do fully intend to return) i will be sure to schedule a float trip down this beautiful river!
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