We did not make it down to catch the notorious momma and baby elk this morning. We were ready to hit the road again and just plain forgot! So… we move on.
We took off this morning and headed down through the south exit and out of Yellowstone. Gorgeous scenery, an amazing waterfall, lots of beautiful forest, and another canyon (we were at altitude aprox 8,500ft). Then, when you exit YNP you immediately enter Teton NP. Although it was cloudy, we enjoyed the views of the mountains (although we couldn’t see the top of Grand Teton), the forest, plains, streams and Jackson lake where they allow water skiing. You can’t go in most of the water in the parks at all because of the low temps (or, of course, scalding chemical filled temps!). With the exception of a pelican and some bison (imaging that), we really didn’t see much wildlife today. I really do have an acquired love for those bison, I never did until now!
We have had some sweet views of the Snake River, which we have sort of been following since TNP, as it continues to grow on it’s way to the ocean.
We ate a very small breakfast (cereal and milk that we brought) and planned to eat in Jackson Wyoming but when we got there, there were so many people and so much traffic that we just kept going. Although it was a beautiful town, we decided to hope for somewhere decent to eat in the next town. About 10 miles further we came to Wilson, population 200! We both thought we were out of luck (since we were about to go through the mountains by way of another pass) and then a very small business district appeared. We spotted a place called Nora’s Fish Creek Inn and decided to experience some local color. The food was amazing. The special of the day was fish tacos, which I had. They were by far the best I’ve ever had! Jeff ordered a philly steak (prime rib) and cheese and it was also delicious (we gave each other tastes). We would highly recommend this place if you ever travel this way. Wilson is less congested, the scenery is amazing, and the food is delicious.
After we had full tummies we headed on through the mountains and into Idaho. Although less mind bogglingly (is that a word?) amazing than Bear Tooth Pass, this pass also had stunning views.
We were initially planning on settling in Idaho Falls tonight but since the town was rather flat and generic, and we wanted to get a bit further, we went on to Pocatello. The drive from Idaho Falls was a little boring at first and then all of the sudden there was a lava field! It is a fairly large area that is slowing being filled in with wind-blown sand and dirt allowing the growth of plants such as sage brush (a lot of it) and what appeared to be juniper. There are also large cracks in the lava and you can see a lot of deep crevices and caves… really sweet! The site is labeled a geological site now and there is a rest stop with paths leading through the lava flow which we took advantage of to stretch out and enjoy the scene. The day is also gorgeous… I didn’t mention that is was lightly snowing this morning in YNP. Now it is warm and sunny.
Pocatello is a really nice town with beautiful hills all around. We are now settled into our hotel room and looking forward to being re-energized after 3 days of hiking and intense sensory intake. We enjoyed a pizza from a local pizza place and we plan to get a good night’s sleep before heading further west. Our plans are to hit HWY 86/84 and press on toward Portland where more adventure awaits us!
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