YELLowstone and the Grand Tetons

Hwy 212 arcs up into Montana, down past Red Lodge, and then zigzags thru Devil's Pass into Wyoming.  As you can see from the map's screenshot, the road is full of switchbacks and tight curves.  What you don't see is that the views are breathtaking, because you are going up, and up, and up and then down, and up and up and up, and then down, and then up  and up and oh hey! is that snow and ice in August, why, yes, it is! and up again.  There were a few good spots to pull over and enjoy the view, both going up and up and coming back down on the other side of multiple peaks.  Perhaps this view does more justice to the terrain:

Shortly after navigating all that, we entered the northeastern corner of Yellowstone.  Earlier this summer, Jerry bought a lifetime senior pass for the National Park system for ten dollars, and additional ten as it was bought online.  The price went up to $80 August first, and an additional ten if bought online.  Even at that price, it really is a steal, especially if you plan to see multiple parks with others.  The pass covers Jerry plus three other people, which came in very handy, as we ended up going thru eleven fee entrances for National Parks on this trip alone.

I hardly know where to begin with Yellowstone, it was simply amazing.  Some of the geysers and basins were sending up clouds of white billowing steam.  Others were pretty trippy in glorious multiple layers and swirls of color, from the minerals and sediments reacting with each other in the water and over the stones.  This was one place where I just gawked at everything.

It was sprinkling for awhile, but as the afternoon progressed, the cloudier the sky became.  We didn't care because life goes on and the buffalo roamed about the fields, the meadows, and the middle of the road.  There were young ones who didn't stray too far afield, sticking with their moms; but occasionally, you'd see one dash off, away from the group for a quick sprint and then turn and meander back with a sort of swagger.  There were a few traffic jams, as buffalo always Always ALWAYS have the right of the way, as well they should.  The huge beast can meander as slowly as he wants, take up the whole road, and we all are just awed.  I was watching some of the oncoming drivers as they passed us {because I could no longer see far enough ahead to watch the buffalo} and their grins of delight were contagious.  The picture that we'd taken simply doesn't do any of the sights justice.

Of course, we were able to catch Old Faithful, which was amazing.  Even waiting in the dimming light of dusk during the rain, the anticipation of seeing this for ourselves was thrilling.  At one point, while Ol' Faithful was warming up and spitting lil jets, about three feet high; I glanced to my right and against the dark grey sky, perched above a mountain top, was the most vivid rainbow extending for a good distance into the sky before it began to fade.

By the time we queued up with all the other vehicles leaving the park, it was dark.  Apparently the white SUV behind us was under the mistaken impression that there was plenty of room in front of us and swerved out to pass, directly into the path of oncoming traffic.  There was NO room in front of us, nor now was there any room behind us; but fortunately there is a lower speed set thru out the park and there was also a wide shoulder on the other side of the road.  But the vehicle still ended up going off the road entirely.  Sometimes karma is immediate.

We ended up curving thru the Grand Tetons, heading toward our airbnb for the night in Irwin, Idaho.  If you are ever in that neck of the woods, I highly recommend Buck's Gas & RV.  It is so much more than what you might expect of a gas station or an RV park.   This dude has a lil of everything you might need or want to fully enjoy the Grand Teton's and the Snake River, whether it is a canoe, tube, or bike rental or some snacks for your excursion or a good night's rest in a cute lil cabin for a reasonable price, this dude has you covered.  It's a one man operation, tho he does have a few folk came help him run the register during peak seasons; oh! and his name is not Buck, it's Sean, but he'll answer to Buck, I know because I called him that a time or two.

The place is sandwiched between mountain ranges on one side and the river on the other.  You can't get any closer to both the Tetons and Snake River than that!