Summer road trip.  We started in Durango so Brad could ride the Iron Horse where the bikes race the Silverton-Durango train.  I have no road bike, and I don't like steep downhill, so I just drove the truck to Silverton to pick up the bikes.  First time I had ever driven this truck, and I managed to get my foot on both the accelerator and brake and ram into a passing car.  First moving violation I've had in 50 years of driving, thank you very much.  At the end of ride party that night, it felt very weird to not be talking about the event.  I am not used to being on the sidelines.

sunset over Salt Lake

Watch out for Bison.  (no one is in the tent)

From there we drove to Antelope Island in the Great Salt lake.  There was a warning sign at the causeway which warned that the gnats had just hatched out, and people were abandoning the island in droves.  It was breezy enough that we didn't have a lot of bugs that night, and we walked around the point.  In the morning we ate between mosquitos and hiked to the high point on the island.  The trail was lovely until the last quarter mile, which took 40 minutes each way.  Very loose, exposed, and altogether nasty.  Next time turn around at the three mile mark.

Cascade canyon.  In the season, this trail is as crowded as the BA.

Next stop the Tetons.  We stayed in a fancy condo in the ski area and hiked Cascade Canyon and a little hike up to a lesser lake.  Cascade had a lot of people, the Two Ocean Lake was less crowded.  Perhaps due to the fact that the adjoining area was closed.  We read one sign which said the closure was from wolf dens in the area (!) but we didn't get to see any wolves.

Hot pool in Yellowstone

Lone Star Geyser.  Well worth the walk.

From Tetons to Yellowstone.  A one-hour wait to get into the south entrance.  If there was a by-pass for locals, I don't know where it is.  Old Faithful Inn is Okay for a National Park lodge.  We had a room without a bath, but we were right next door to the shared bathroom.  Spent two days chasing geysers.  Lone Star is a two mile walk, but it has a long eruption which was fun to watch.  Then we climbed Mt. Washburn because so many people have told me that we should.  About a quarter mile was pretty deep snow, and I fell into a hole and broke my new hiking pole.  Right near the top the snow was pretty slippery right near an interesting exposure.

Mama elks hide their babies, but this one relies too much on camouflage. 

Last night was at Mammoth Hot Springs.  This lodge was not worth it.  ONE shower and TWO toilets for the whole floor.  A fan was provided, but only two electrical outlets, so we had to choose between the fan, the lamp, and the clock.  I tried to borrow the bell cart to haul our luggage and was told it was for the bell staff only.  Then they locked it up.  I suppose one is supposed to utilize the bell staff and tip them a dollar a bag.

We left the park the day the kid went way far off the boardwalk and slid into an acid pool.  All they found were his flip flops.  Gee, I wonder what this boardwalk is for?  This is one thing we don't have to worry about at the Canyon. 

Whenever I visit a new Park I resolve not to be condescending to visitors to my Park. I tried not to ask stupid questions, but in a new area, a lot of questions sound stupid.  

On the way back we stayed in a really nice hotel in Cedar City.  We had a little refrigerator, and a microwave, and a real breakfast, and lots of electric outlets, and our own bathroom.  Why, oh why, do Park lodges have to be so tacky and cheap and still so expensive?