After visiting J.C. Penney, we continued south to Utah where we bypassed Salt Lake City and Provo, bound for Capitol Reef National Park. In some areas autumn was evident on the distant hills, with red and yellow tinged trees. Not the beauty of colors in the eastern U.S., but eye candy none-the-less.
Changing leaves in UtahView from our campsite
We dry camped at Torrey, Utah, about seven miles from the park (map point 13). Our campsite had a nice view of sagebrush flats leading up to clay-colored, eroded mesas.
Capitol Reef National Park extends about 60 miles north to south and is less than five miles wide at most points. Although much of the park is remote, an eight-mile scenic drive provides amazing views.
The park is situated along a wrinkle in the earth known as the Waterman Fold. The dramatic lifts and folds of the fold are seen all along the drive. Two short side roads pass through narrow canyons to interesting hiking trails (time-lapse video).
Waterman Fold view along scenic driveDriving the canyon along the Capitol Gorge spur road
We ate lunch at a picnic area in the Fruita Historic District. The Fremont River flows through the district where Mormon pioneers built irrigation systems and planted apple, cherry, peach, pear and apricot trees. The apples were ripe so we picked several pounds for a small fee. Pat sliced the apples and baked them with cinnamon sugar and butter for a delicious dessert.
Fremont River along the Hickman Bridge TrailPicking apples
Not far away we ventured up a 1.2 mile rocky trail to Hickman Bridge, a 130-foot natural arch near the Fremont River. It was our first significant trail since hiking in the Tetons a week earlier where I fell and dislocated a finger. Thankfully there were no incidents this time – only great views of the arch and adjacent canyons.
Almost to the Hickman Bridge, a 130-foot long natural stone archHickman Bridge selfie
Tip: We learned an important lesson while in the area. Spring and fall months are high season – the parks are crowded and campgrounds are full. We were told summer (hot) and winter (cold) months are less busy. We’ll make reservations should we return one day.
Bonus Tip: locally made fruit pies, various preserves and other items are sold in the park at the Gifford House. The fruit pies are VERY popular – 28 dozen were sold by 2 pm on the day we visited. All were gone when we went to the store :>(. Stop at the store EARLY if you want to enjoy a delicious local treat!
Gifford HouseFamous pies (Google image)
After a couple days in the area, we headed northeast to Moab and Canyonlands/Arches National Parks. Along the way we would have an interesting encounter with goblins.
During the weeks and miles of our trip to the Tetons, we saw some interesting sights that we would like to share with you.
Bison, Goats, Prairie Dogs, Sheep…Brontosaurus?
We were driving along the rolling hills of southwest South Dakota enjoying amazing wildlife. Then we saw it – a turquoise brontosaurus. We wondered how it got there…
Riding A Jackalope
The jackalope is part of western folklore – said to be a cross between a now extinct pygmy-deer and a species of killer-rabbit. Occasional sightings of this rare creature are rumored to still occur, with small pockets of jackalope populations persisting in the America West.
Expedition RV Inspiration
The typical RVs one sees while traveling include trailers, fifth wheels, pop-ups and slide-ins.
Some rugged, probably affluent and definitely eccentric travelers camp in military-style prepper expedition RVs. We saw the massive rig below in Grand Teton National Park.
A few minutes later we discovered the vehicle that must have provided the inspiration for this rugged RV.
What Hair Color is That?
We hiked to an overlook with a phenomenal view of the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone. A young lady with blue hair was also enjoying the view. If you would like to dye your hair her color, request Grand Prismatic Blue.
Caution: Bison Formation Ahead
As we returned to the parking lot from the Grand Prismatic Spring, we saw the interesting formation below alongside the trail. The cone resembled several of the geysers elsewhere in the park.
A reminder to stay alert and watch where you walk.
Ava the Avocado
Before we left for the Tetons, Pat placed an avocado seed in a cup filled with water to get it to sprout. We didn’t want the resulting baby avocado plant to shrivel up while we were away, so we brought Ava with us – for more for than 6000 miles and 17 states. Now that she’s home, Ava is putting down roots in a pot on our deck!
No Double D for Pat and Me
The photo below is of a ranch entrance near Taos, New Mexico. We had no desire to trespass or camp in the area.
Next week – Capital Reef National Park and the missing pies…
Having toured the Tetons and Yellowstone we faced a decision:
Head north to the Dakotas and Theodore Roosevelt National Park, then to International Falls and Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, continue across the north shore of Lake Superior to Pukaskwa National Park in Canada and finally to Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan on the way home.
Or head south to Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in Utah, followed by Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.
We chose the southern route. I had to find a place for treatment of my dislocated finger and the weather forecast for a major first storm of the winter was expected to hit Montana and the Dakotas . The northern route would have to wait for a future trip.
Our choice was good! To the north it was cold and snowy (see news), definitely not suitable for camping and outdoor activities – not for thin-blooded Floridians and most other people. In addition, we found a hand therapist in Cortez, Colorado (near Mesa Verde) to look at my finger.
Wyoming rangelands and distant mountains
We made plans to spend the night in Evanston, a town in southwestern Wyoming (map point 12). Crossing rolling rangelands with mountains in the distance, we came to the town of Kemmerer, Wyoming. In the center of town, we noticed a sign on a building:
The first JC Penney store in Kemmerer, Wyoming
The first JC Penney store was in a small town in remote southwest Wyoming! We stopped to learn how the massive department store chain started in Kemmerer.
JC Penney
James Cash Penney was born in 1875 on a small farm in Missouri. After high school, he held several jobs, including that of clerk at a dry goods store where he began his training as a merchant. He moved to Colorado where he owned a butcher shop, and at age 23 he went to work for Golden Rule Stores based in Colorado and Wyoming.
The store owners offered him an opportunity to join them as a partner and to open a new store in Kemmerer, Wyoming. The store opened on April 14, 1902 and was an instant success, based on two then revolutionary ideas – cash only transactions and the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
View along busy Kemmerer streetJC Penney home two blocks form the store
Additional stores were opened, and when the owners gave Penney an opportunity to buy their interest in the Wyoming stores, he jumped at the chance. By 1912, there were 34 Golden Rule Stores headquartered in Salt Lake City.
In 1913 the chain was incorporated in Utah as the JC Penney Company. The company headquarters was moved to New York City a year later to be closer to their major suppliers of merchandise.
The JC Penney Company was remarkably successful – by the beginning of the 1920s, there were 197 stores from coast to coast with sales of nearly $43 million.
See JC Penney for more fascinating information about this man and the department store chain that help shape America. For example, in 1940 he helped train a young Sam Walton at a JC Penney store in Des Moines, Iowa.
Penney lived the tenets of the company’s mission statement “Honor, Confidence, Service and Cooperation” and underlying Christian principles throughout his 95-year-life.
Before continuing to Capitol Reef National Park, we will pause next week to share several interesting sights encountered thus far during our Grand Teton travels.
Yellowstone National Park is north of the Tetons. Although we have visited Yellowstone a half dozen times in the past (including more than a week in 2018), we decided to visit again while we were in the neighborhood.
From Gros Ventre, we headed north a few miles to camp at Colter Bay (map point 10), still within Grand Teton National Park. Colter Bay is on the eastern shore of Jackson Lake. The Tetons rise majestically beyond the western shore of the lake. Unfortunately the weather turned cold and rainy, and we were unable to hike or take boat tours available in the area. Instead we did our laundry and toured the visitor center.
Snow-dusted Tetons across from Colter Bay
Two mornings later, we left for Flagg Ranch (map point 11) as the weather cleared. The tops of the mountains were dusted with fresh snow, a sign that winter was on its way.
Flagg Ranch is between Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, along the John D Rockefeller Jr Memorial Parkway. We decided we would camp at the ranch for three nights and take day trips into Yellowstone.
Map of the Teton-Yellowstone area
Our Yellowstone visit bypassed most of the places we visited in 2018 – Old Faithful, Mud Volcano, several other groups of geysers and many of the viewpoints of Yellowstone Falls. Instead we focused on areas we had not visited during recent trips or ever before.
Upper FallsHayden ValleyTower FallYellowstone River Near Tower Fall
We decided to go to Tower Fall in the northeast corner of the park. En route we drove past Fishing Bridge, a Yellowstone River crossing just south of Yellowstone Lake. The bridge has been rebuilt since 2018 and is now MUCH smoother. Other road construction continues in the area and Fishing Bridge Campground will remain closed until sometime in 2021 (as an aside, Fishing Bridge is the only campground in the park with water and electric hookups).
It was strange not see herds of bison as we drove through the Hayden Valley. They had migrated to other parks of the park. We took a short detour along the south rim drive to see the Upper Falls on the Yellowstone River from Uncle Tom’s Trail. The trail was closed for redevelopment during our 2018 visit.
About an hour later we arrived at Tower Fall, a 132-foot cascade along Tower Creek just before it merges with the Yellowstone River. We viewed the falls at the start of a one-third mile trail that winds down 225 feet to the river. At the bottom there is an interesting view of the multicolored canyon carved by the river.
As we returned to Flagg Ranch, we stopped to photograph snow-covered Mt. Washburn. Pat and I (kind of) enjoyed a hike to the top of the mountain in September 2014 – breathless from the views and the 1400 foot climb to the peak!
The next morning we drove to the west side of Yellowstone to hike the Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail. Parking at the trailhead was very crowded and we shared the trail with many others as we hiked one mile to the overlook. We took our turn enjoying the view of the colorful spring.
Grand Prismatic Spring from Overlook
Later in the day we visited the Norris Geyser Basin to see Steamboat Geyser. Steamboat is the world’s tallest currently-active geyser and has been in an active phase since March 2018, with 71 eruptions through our visit in late September. The erupting geyser plume is more than 300 foot high and usually lasts between three and 40 minutes.
A worker at the adjacent National Park bookstore told us Steamboat eruptions were very load. “It roars like a locomotive,” he said.
Signs in the nearby parking lot warned vehicle paint could be damaged by fallout from the geyser. Some area workers even had covers on their cars.
The geyser did not erupt during our visit. We had to settle for spritzes of about 15-20 feet. Our truck was unaffected.
Little action at Steamboat GeyserWarning: Park at your Own Risk
After more than a week in the Teton/Yellowstone area, it was time to start heading home. We had a decision to make – head north to Montana and the Dakotas, or south to canyon country in Utah. We’ll let you know the outcome next week.
Tetons from Snake River OverlookT A Moulton Barn on Mormon Row
Some of the most stunning photographs of America’s national parks were taken by Ansel Adams. His most famous and remarkable photographs were taken in black and white, and include classic images of Half Dome in Yosemite and the Tetons from the Snake River Overlook.
Adams’ story is intriguing. He was not a successful student, suspected to be hyperactive and may have suffered from dyslexia. Early in his life piano was his intended profession, but a love of nature and association with the Sierra Club and several noted photographers led to a lifetime as a naturalist who captured wonderful and now iconic images.
His technical mastery of such creative photography was remarkable. He would spend eighteen or more hours per day for days and months on end mastering his craft. See Ansel Adams for more interesting details.
The beauty of the Tetons makes for excellent photographs. In the age of digital photography, one can do a reasonable job of capturing some of the same amazing elements made famous by Adams.
Gallatin Range from Dunraven Pass (Yellowstone NP)Yellowstone River in Hayden Valley (Yellowstone NP)
Next week – we head north from the Tetons to visit America’s and the world’s first national park – Yellowstone.
Despite our attempts to plan for and control everything, unexpected things happen. Familiar surroundings, familiar repair facilities and familiar hospitals and doctors at home help us deal with most unexpected events.
But when you are thousands of miles from home and the unexpected happens, it’s a different matter entirely.
Hidden FallsThe Rocky Trail
We were enjoying Grand Teton National Park after 11 days on the road. We hiked three miles above Jenny Lake to Hidden Falls and our plans were to take a boat back to where we started. But the last boat of the day was at 4 pm and we knew we could not make it time to catch the boat.
We viewed the falls for a few minutes and then started back up the trail, not looking forward to the 90-minute hike to the parking lot. The trail led up a steep slope for about a half mile, followed by a long descent to the parking lot.
Then it happened. I caught my right foot on a rock and fell. Stumbling forward, I saw there was a drop off to the left side of the trail. With nothing to grab onto and not wanting to fall down the side, I tumbled to the ground trying to stop myself with my hands. My left hand jammed into a rock and my right cheek scraped along the ground.
Sprawled on the ground, I slowly tested various body parts to see if anything was hurt. Pat helped me up and I noticed the middle finger on my left hand was bulging at a peculiar angle. I touched my cheek and my fingers were covered with blood.
A hiker stopped and offered first aid tape to tape my throbbing fingers together. Pat dabbed the blood from my cheek with a wet handkerchief.
As we hiked the trail to the parking lot, Pat and I discussed my injuries. We decided I would have to visit a medical facility to have my finger and cheek looked at.
Ouch 1Ouch 2
Back at our truck, we learned the clinic in the park closed at 5 pm. So Pat began the 15 mile drive to Jackson, the nearest town. We called our insurance provider and found out there was an urgent care facility in town, but it also closed at 5 pm. So we headed to the emergency room at St Johns Medical Center.
We arrived a bit past 6:30 pm and anticipating high ER charges, I asked the receptionist if there were any other urgent care clinics in town. There was one across town affiliated with the hospital, but it closed at 7 pm.
We made it to the clinic a little past 6:45 pm. An x-ray of my finger revealed it was dislocated. I was glad I did not need stitches for my cheek injury.
After trying twice to reset my finger, they splinted it, told me to keep it iced and made an appointment at Teton Orthopedic the next day for further treatment.
The next morning I was told the hand specialist at Teton Orthopedic had the day off. However, when she saw the x-ray, she made a special trip to the office. She was able to pop it in place to my immediate relief! I was then sent to get a more permanent splint. Shortly after noon we were finished!
BeforeAfterSplinted and ready to go
Since retiring, this was our first significant unexpected medical issue. We had several unexpected issues with our camper however during our 2018 Alaska trip – major repairs of the slide in Texas, a medicine cabinet falling off the wall along the Alaska Highway and bad wheel bearings just outside Haines, Alaska.
We realized things could have been MUCH worse in each situation – I could have been seriously injured in Grand Teton, the slide could have fallen out along the road in a remote area, or the camper could have required a long and expensive tow.
We have learned and re-learned several important lessons from the situations above:
We are under the watchful eye of loving God. To us, unexpected things happen. To Him, nothing is unexpected. Any situation can be used to glorify Him. We don’t always know why such things happen, but we know He is in control over everything. (Psalm 121:8 – The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore)
There are many, many people who help in unexpected situations: a man with first aid tape along a trail, a worker at an auto parts store in Haines, Alaska who gave us the name of a repairman who fixed our camper bearings at the campsite for a reasonable price, a manager at Camping World near San Antonio who gave our camper repairs high priority. The list of helpful people goes on and on.
Being anxious about a situation (or anticipated situation) doesn’t help. Pat and I pray, discuss. seek advice from others and then trust as God guides us. (Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God).
Unexpected things will continue to happen when we are at home and on the road. We are called to remember and often re-learn the lessons above. And, more often than not, we are taught new lessons as well.
Next week: so easy, even Ansel Adams could photograph it!
We headed west from Riverton (map point 8) anticipating our arrival at Grand Teton National Park. The road snaked upward between Absaroka mountain ranges and we approached Togwotee Pass at 9659 foot elevation. We crested the continental divide and pulled into a parking area.
Our first view of the Tetons.
It was our first view of the magnificent Tetons, some 30 miles to the west. Our travels had taken us more than 3000 miles over 11 days and the drive was worth it!
The Teton Range runs north-south for nearly 40 miles, with 10 peaks over 12000 feet. The tallest peak is Grand Teton at 13775 feet. What makes the range so spectacular is the view of the mountains from the relatively flat valley below – the range towers more than a mile above the valley in some areas!
Our plans were to camp three nights at Gros Ventre Campground in Grand Teton National Park (map point 9). From our campsite, we could see the tips of some of the Tetons.
Gros Ventre camping, tips of Tetons behind our campsiteTeton view from campsiteFrosty solar panels
As in Alaska and Yellowstone, the weather can vary considerably each day – our first afternoon was cloudy and pleasant. It rained the next morning and began to clear in the afternoon. The third day started out nearly freezing and crystal clear. Because we were dry camping, we ran our generator the third morning to warm our camper and to charge the battery.
We made a trip into Jackson, a tourist town 15 miles to the south, to get gas and have dinner. In the center of town there is a large park with massive elkhorn arches at each corner entrance. We presume the antlers were collected at the National Elk Refuge not far out of town.
Elkhorn arches in JacksonElkCoyoteHerd of BuffaloPronghorn Altelope
We didn’t see elk herds in the refuge (wrong season), but did see various other animals in the park.
We dodged rain the next morning with stops at two visitor centers and a brief walk along the edge of Jenny Lake. After lunch in our truck as it drizzled, we drove a steep road to the top of Signal Mountain as the weather began to clear. We enjoyed the views of the Jackson Hole Valley, the Tetons and the large lakes at the foot of the Teton mountain range.
Snake River Overlook on a cloudy day
The next morning was clear. We took photos of the Tetons from the Snake River Overlook and from Mormon Row with several iconic barns in the foreground.
Snake River Overlook on a clear dayT A Moulton Barn on Mormon Row
Later we hiked to Hidden Falls, following a three mile trail above Jenny Lake to a nice 200 foot waterfall. Little did we know something unexpected would change our plans as we hiked back to our starting point. More on that in the next blog update.
View of Jenny Lake and distant mountains from trailPhoto at Hidden Falls
From Devil’s Tower we headed west, eagerly anticipating the Tetons after a night in Riverton, Wyoming (map point 8). As we drove, the Black Hills of eastern Wyoming smoothed to gently rolling golden grasslands, with occasional hills and canyons.
Stopped to see Teapot Rock
We discovered we would be passing Teapot Rock (map point A), quite literally in the middle of nowhere – 27 miles north of Casper WY! The teapot rests atop Teapot Dome, location of the infamous bribery scandal involving the administration of United States President Warren G. Harding from 1921-1923.
As the US Navy transitioned from coal to fuel oil, several oil-producing areas, including the Teapot Dome oilfield in Wyoming, were designated as oil reserves so the Navy would always have enough fuel available. A member of Harding’s cabinet, Interior Secretary Albert Fall, leased the oil production rights at Teapot Dome to a subsidiary of Sinclair Oil Corporation. Fall was accused of accepting sizable loans and gifts to award the leases to the oil company.
The Teapot Dome scandal is regarded as the worst cabinet scandal in US history and has been compared with subsequent scandals like Watergate (and some say the Trump administration).
Teapot Rock no longer resembles a teapot – the handle and spout broke off some years ago. Perhaps it should be renamed Teapot Urn!
This is a special post regarding some changes to the RabbiTRAILS we hope you will like.
Going forward, we will post blog updates each week as we travel. The updates may be related to a recent trip (such as our 2019 Grand Teton journey) or other interesting RabbiTRAILS topics.
We will also be adding map links to blog posts where applicable for you to better understand details about our travels. We will be using Scribblemaps software. You can zoom in or out on each map, and click on reference points for additional details.
We hope you like these changes. As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome!
In northeastern Wyoming, an 867-foot stone formation rises up against the sky. Originally called Bear Lodge in a Kiowan Indian tribe legend, the formation became known as Devils Tower after an incorrect translation in 1875. The name stuck and Devils Tower was sensationalized by Hollywood in the 1977 movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
From our campsiteDidn’t have mashed potatoes – used yogurt and applesauce instead.
We camped close to the base of Devils Tower and after lunch, set out to encounter the tower via a 1.3 mile trail around the base.
Devils Tower
We saw the tower from every angle except the top. That is reserved for hearty climbers who brave their way up (and back down). Every year around 5000 climbers from all over the world climb one of over 220 routes to the top. We were quite content to enjoy Devils Tower from below.
Climbers on the topClimbing Devils Tower
Soon we would be enjoying views of much taller mountains above a broad Wyoming river valley in Grand Teton National Park.
Take the LONG Road... 