We left the Old Faithful area searching for a lunch spot; all the walking worked up an appetite. Continuing up the east side of the bottom loop, we would find an idyllic location to watch the steam surge out of the earth as we chowed down on some Mediterranean wraps. I had begrudgingly roasted off some veggies after our night on the town, reversing the order of things and saving the leftovers of the wrap for a bowl later. Potatoes, squash, onions, chic peas, eggplant, and artichokes all combine with hummus and babagonush. We dipped them in some cauliflower tzatziki sauce that made for quite good lunch.
We would make our way almost to the turn-off for the west entrance, looping back down fire creek road by a beautiful bluff, waterfall, and a swimming hole where hot spring water mixes with the cold river water.
Next would be the paint pots; I would venture these boardwalks myself. Amanda was tired, with her knee still hurting. The pools were a sight, with steam rolling off in the crisp air. These mud pots would be more like I had imagined, thick bubbling lava consistency mud. They were colored pinkish hence the paint pot name.
I wandered around the corner to a geyser spewing hot water up in the sky, not as high as the Old Faithful show, but I was closer to it with no one else around. The backdrop to these features would look like the spot in Lonesome where Call would tell the boys this is the spot. I would see many sites throughout our Yellowstone days that reminded me of that scene.
Next stop would be where the Grand Prismatic Pool was located, the one I’d been waiting for. Much like my previous favorite spot with all the colors but on a larger scale. Amanda would limp along to see this sight. It turned out to be not so grand, with the cold temperatures making steam rise over the entire pool. We weren’t able to see any of the colors at all. I’ll still remember the small pool filled with thermophilic colors to treasure and, as Amanda said, a reason to come back again.
I got a shot of Amanda next to the turquoise pool, her favorite color, and a few other neat features as we returned to the car.
Jack would tell us stories of the park fires and trees as we drove. Pine tree seeds are housed in the cones, some encased in a resin that is only opened by fire. Nature taking care of itself, so when a fire rages through the forest, it is ready to reproduce itself even if totally wiped out. Amazing to see all the sites here pointing to a creator of everything, not just by chance, as I once believed. The science of pine cones tells the same. We couldn’t leave the park without grabbing a shot of ourselves next to the Yellowstone park sign.
As we made our way towards the Tetons and our cabin, we would see an incredible sunset over the mountains and capture a lake reflection scene as well.
Once in Teton park, we skirted the river and lakes, looking for wildlife. No sightings, but stopping at the Capel of Transfiguration. We serve in and have been privileged to visit many pretty churches. Some nestled in a mountain setting, but none with this view or the view from the back of this pulpit. This tiny log church was absolutely stunning. Services are still held here every Sunday.
Then in search of more wildlife, Amanda’s favorite part, we ventured along a road that was closed a few miles down. Nothing to see here but some marshes that would seem to be a prime spot for an iconic moose in the marsh type shot. A quick stop by the visitors center looking for a Teton shirt for Amanda. Then back to the cabin for dinner and to turn in for the night. We did spot Amanda’s fox again; he was on the hunt for dinner and found something. I joked with Amanda that he was likely eating her favorite little chipmunk!
I threw together an eggplant marinara pasta dish loaded with zucchini, eggplant, fresh herbs, and a whole grain reginetti. Amanda worked on a stary night Teton puzzle as I cooked.
