Yellowstone and Grand Tetons

Table of Contents:

Day 6: Yellowstone (Grandy Canyon)

Day 7: Yellowstone (Geysers and pools)

Day 8: Grand Tetons

Day 9: Teton Run and Craters of the Moon

Day 10: Boise Run up Table Rock

Concluding Thoughts

(Grand Canyon of Yellowstone)

Day 6: We got an early start, because we had a 2.5-hour drive to get to Yellowstone National Park. So after many days, we made our way out of Montana and into Wyoming. The drive was not bad, still a ton of nature just flying by but a few more towns that our previous longer drives. When we got to Yellowstone, we were greeted by a nice thick elk, and shortly after that, we drove past a bison taking a rest in the grass. Then after an hour drive through the park, we made it to the Grand Canyon. I know it is confusing, Yellowstone has its own Grand Canyon, that is different from Grand Canyon National Park.

The Grand Canyon here, is very different from the other Grand Canyon, and that by no means is a bad thing. We parked at Inspiration Point, and it is aptly named. The view is stunning. There are so many colors, and they blend together in a magical way. One of my favorite color pallets. There are reds, yellows, tans, orange, brown, and a blueish green from the water. A masterpiece of nature. So we packed up our bags with some snacks, and we set out on the North Rim Trail. This trail was relatively drivable, there were many points where the trail intersected with parking lots, but there is no fun in just driving from point to point, when you can walk. This allowed us to fully take the canyon in and digest it. The trail went over three miles along the canyon’s edge, and the scenery had some serious changes as we progressed down it.

(Grand Canyon of Yellowstone Waterfall)

One big change from this trail and the trails we had been on in Glacier, and the trail I went on in Bozeman is access. As I mentioned, this was an easily drivable trail, so parts of it were heavily trafficked, but the people on the trail were noticeably less friendly than our previous hikes. It was so noticeable that I had been thinking about it for a couple minutes, and then my dad said it out loud, because he had the same observation. Not as many people were smiling, and there were much fewer and pleasant greetings, which was sad. My only guess is that the trail was not far enough out, so it was not soaked with true nature junkies, who embrace it all, but instead there were many nature commuters, who did not seem as interested in making it a communal experience. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is different.

The trail starts on the ledge before any of the waterfalls are visible, which was fine by me, because this is where the sediment and rock was the most colorful, so it was still great to look at, also towards the bottom, there were small vents that were pumping out smoke, which is something I have never seen before. It added to the allure. The next stop was the lower falls, and this is the bigger of the two, and the one most people have seen pictures of. These falls have that greenish blue color, and it is framed by a tan wall as a copious amount of water floods down over the cliff. There is also an upper overlook, which gives a perfect view, but there is also a lower overlook, which gives a closer view, and it is more ground level. You cannot go wrong either way. It is important to know that the lower view takes a steep path, and it is about 300 feet of elevation gain on the way back in about a quarter of a mile.

Then comes the upper falls, which is not as easily visible from the North Rim, but the pool at the bottom is still a beautiful blue, and also the overlook takes the viewer right on top of the falls. At this point, the rock has turned from shades of red and yellow to the traditional gray with small parts of red. These rocks are more jagged than the previous finer sand. Once past the falls, the hike goes over a beautiful concrete bridge along the side of the river, and it concludes with a view of another concrete bridge this one extending over the river and one that cars drive over.

(Bridge at the end of the rim trail)

Like arches, I have an odd affinity for bridges. In a way, they are like man made arches, especially the bridges that were at the end of this trail. They were big and concrete, and they had a semi-circle of support under the road, but this love is not just for concrete bridges, but it is also for wooden bridges. Swaying wooden bridges are amazing in the woods. It is hard to beat the one at Tallulah Gorge and walking across it and making it bounce and scare some people.

On the way back to the car, I switched my camera lens to a more zoomed in one, and this allowed me to get more of the color and river water in the frame. It also added to the fun of walking back the same way. It allowed me to gain more perspective, and it allowed me to get some better pictures as well. Funnily enough, I think my favorite pictures came from the starting point, but it was called Inspiration Point, so I guess that makes sense. Once done, we ate our PB&Js at inspiration point, and then we went back towards the entrance of the park.

When we were coming into the park, there were a few stops along the way that we skipped to get to our longer hike first, but they interested me, and I was in charge of the map, so we went back. The sights we went to see to end the day were other worldly. The first place we stopped was called Roaring Mountain. It was basically a giant white hill, and on the hill, there were two spots that were leaking out smoke. People are not allowed onto these white faces, because the temperature is so hot, and they are fragile, so with one wrong step, a person could sink into it and ruin the view and hurt themselves.

(Top of Mammoth Springs)

The next couple of stops were a part of the Mammoth Hot Springs, and this is where it really felt other worldly. There is Sulphur and a specific bacterium that feeds on the Sulphur, and the outcome is a snow-white rock/sand that is created (my science may be wrong). One area looked like it had stairs created from the material. Another area looked like it had marshmallows stacked upon each other. Some of these areas had pools of boiling water bubbling up, and depending on where you are standing, you can smell the Sulphur, which smells like spoiled popcorn. To get around the areas, they have boardwalks, so that people are not hurting themselves or the fragile ecosystem. The parts that looked the best were the areas that had the copper/orange color mixed into the white. It created a good contrast of color, or the ones that had the blue pools with the orange on the white. With all the gas, smoke, and super heat it is like being on a dangerous planet that is barely livable for humans. On our ride back, we were driving down the road, and there was a slow down on the other side of the road. Then there were two massive bison crossing the road, and they came within inches of our car. We had seen bison before at Thedore Roosevelt National Park, but it is still stunning to see such great creatures so close.

(Do not fall into the springs)

Day 7: After the alarm rang, we got up and headed to more springs and geysers. This time, we were headed more towards the big-name ones. The drive to the south side of the park was incredible. The temperature in the morning was below 40 degrees, so there was a massive disparity between the water temperature and the air, so there were massive clouds of steam everywhere. Even parts of the river/streams here are hot water. There are parts where the water is visibly boiling. So when we were driving, there were times when we went through massive billowing clouds of steam. If it was a darker color of steam, it would look like a forest fire was raging.

We arrived to Grand Prismatic early, but the lot was already full. It is one of the more colorful and bigger springs. There was boardwalk to get out into the area to view the varying pools, and it was packed with people. They have to have a one-way loop to help limit the chaos at the upper part. Initially there is a bridge to go over a river to get to the boardwalk, and off to the side of the bridge, there are two small steaming waterfalls, that are absolutely gorgeous. It is basically like if water was lava, if a person touches, they are getting burned badly. The temperature of the water can reach up to 160 degrees. More people have died at the hands of the geysers and springs than of grizzly bears in Yellowstone.

(Pool by Prismatic)

Once past the blazing waterfalls, the trail starts to climb up to a plateau. On top of this plateau, there are multiple springs, including Grand Prismatic, but the first one, drops below a cliffs edge, and there was steam just billowing out of it to such an extent that only the smallest glimpse of its edge was visible, but it was like if a moon crater had a hot pool at the bottom of it. Then as we continued, the board walk took us right to Grand Prismatic, and it was also largely covered by steam, but a decent amount of it was visible, but not enough to fully take in its beauty that can be seen from others’ pictures. There were two park workers in the vicinity though, and one of them had on special boots, so that she could walk on the edge of the pool in the piping hot water, and her job was to pick up the trash that people had dropped over the side of the boardwalk. Sadly, not the last time I will have something to say about trash.

After taking the board walk loop, we headed back to the car and went to the Old Faithful Visitors Center, which has much more than just Old Faithful. First, we walked through the visitor center and took in some scientific explanations about what we were about to see, and then we started to hike around. Almost immediately upon walking out of the back door and onto the path, a geyser had started erupting, and it was powerful and magnificent. A massive plume of water jutting straight up into the sky, and it just kept going and going and going. I thought geysers would explode for a couple seconds, and then it would be done, but this one went for close to five minutes. Enough time to take some pictures, and then slowly start walking towards it. I overheard a ranger talking, and he said that this geyser, Beehive, only goes off every two to three days. So we had been incredibly lucky.

There was about an hour until Old Faithful was about to erupt, and so we walked around a little bit getting a small glimpse of what was to come, but not too much. We completed a small loop and ended up back at a viewing area for Old Faithful. Our viewing area was further away from the visitor center, so it was not as crowded, but we were still in the second row. It was amazing, there was still like twenty minutes until it was supposed to explode, but there were already hundreds of people lined up sitting and standing waiting in anticipation. It was also luck that we ended up here in a close proximity of time when Old Faithful was supposed to erupt. Before it had even erupted, people started clapping, like they were trying to encourage it to erupt. It felt almost like sitting in a packed concert venue waiting for the band to start playing.

(Bee Hive Exploding)

Then it exploded, and water started to spew into the sky, and Old Faithful is on its own in the middle of this field, so it takes all the attention. It did not quite erupt to the level or length of Beehive, but it was still amazing. It lasted a couple of minutes, and then it slowly sputtered out, but as it was coming to an end, we heard people start screaming and yelling out, “Oh no! Grab her!” The immediate thought that came to my head was that it was like a kid running out to the geyser or someone fell off the boardwalk, but instead there was a flash of white, and dog bolted across in front of the crowd, and then it came back to its owner and was safe.

(Old Faithful Erupting)

Once the excitement died down, we started a longer hike right from where we were seated. There was a climb up that gave an overlook of the valley of geysers and, it was a nice view, but it was hard to take much away from being that high, and then that path continues on into the woods, and leads to Solitary Geyser. The sign said that Solitary Geyser erupted every five to seven minutes. It was a wider pool, so I was intrigued to see how it would erupt. When it did, it was just like a big bump of water that made the water turn into a wave pool. It was more of a burp compared to the other geysers, but the pool itself was gorgeous blue with a rust outline, but this was just the beginning. What came next was unexpected and unlike anything I have ever seen, and I do not know if there is anything else like it in the world.

Initially, I just thought that there would be a couple of pools and geysers here and there, but this was not true. There were pools and geysers everywhere! We walked for miles, and we continually saw new pools and geysers in a variety of formations. The “trail” was basically all boardwalk now, and eventually part of it was on a road. The best part about this, is that it made nature so accessible. There were multiple people that I saw in wheelchairs that now had a chance to really explore nature and move around for miles, whereas other trails might be paved for a small fraction, this was more expansive. It also meant that there were more families with children out there as well, and in most instances, the children seemed to be having a good time with their exploration, but there were also a couple of kids having meltdowns. In a way, people watching is also a part of observing nature, but it is not as calming to watch a kid throw a fit, but it happens.

So we came out of the woods, and in front of us, another geyser was erupting, and this one was of a medium size, and it lasted long enough for use to walk over to it and take some pictures. Then we back tracked to take some pictures of the pools we missed while walking over to the geyser. Then we continued on to explore miles of boardwalk. So I could go through and talk about all of the pools we saw and the geysers that were erupting, but instead I will try to give an overarching explanation of what we saw.

(One of the many pools/geysers by Old Faithful)

Each pool was completely unique like a fingerprint. Some were small, not much bigger than a couple feet in diameter. Others were bigger like the size of a room. There were some that looked very shallow, typically the small in diameter ones, and others that had bigger openings, where the bottom could not be seen. Although all of them go down to a certain level, which is where the hot water is coming from because it is all on top of a caldera, so there is hot magma down there somewhere. The colors were also different. There were all sorts of shades of blue from bright glacial blue to a deeper ocean blue. There were also pools that were rust colored and orange with a tinge of yellow, and there was even one with some green as well. Each pool also had its own personality. Many of them were docile and flat, but others seemed grumpy. They would make a grumbly noise, that sounded like a loud stomach growling. There was even one erratic and unhinged geyser. It was spraying at different heights and different amounts, and it felt like if it could, it would spray out at every person standing and watching it. Even the geysers had different shapes. Some were basic cylinders where water would erupt out, but others looked more like igloos, or like they were made from bricks of marshmallows. There was so much white sediment along the path that it was blinding as it reflected the sun back at us. The temperature was not even 80, but it felt like was closer to 90.

(Some of the pools by Old Faithful)

Many of them reminded me of geode rocks. The ones that look normal on the outside, but once cracked open there is a beautiful set of crystals inside of splendid colors. This was like if you cracked open part of the earth a beautiful pool with magnificent colors would be beneath it, but with burning hot water. They also seemed like they could be portals to another dimension. The deeper pools had the darker bottoms seemed so inviting, and it just looked like if a person jumped into one, that it would suck them down and shoot them out somewhere else. The pools really do look very inviting, and it is like a parent telling a child not to touch the stove, but they touch the stove anyway. People are told not to touch the pools and geysers, but they still do, and they get burned. Literally a couple days before we arrived, there was a Michigan man who got in and got seriously burned.

(Morning Glory Pool)

Out of all the pools, my favorite was called Morning Glory. Its width was a little wider than a hot tub, but it had all the colors going: rust, yellow, green, and blue. It was one of the deeper pools, where the bottom could not be seen, and the deepness added to the variety of colors occurring. While we were looking at it, the sun was out and then it briefly went behind the clouds, and it was interesting to see how the brightness and colors of the pool shifted based off the light. Sadly, this was another place where trash was a problem. They had a whole information board dedicated to talking about how every year they have to put a tube into the pool to suck out trash, coins, and rocks that people have thrown into the water. Although the pool starts out wide, as it goes down, the tube thins, and the trash starts to clog the hole, and this prevents the hot water from fully being able to enter the pool, and this affects the color. Why would you throw your trash into something so beautiful? Something that does not look like it even belongs on Earth. It hurts my heart just to think about it.

After we finished looking at the copious amounts of pools, we drove a different way back. This allowed us to make a few stops. One was to look at Yellowstone Lake, which was vast and ocean blue with mountains in the background. There was also a natural bridge, which is another name for an arch, so I made my dad stop and hike the two miles, so that we could see it. It was splendid, and the hike was the easiest back country trail ever.

(Natural Bridge)

Then we stopped at two more springs, the Mud Volcano area and the Sulphur Caldron. These two were different from the geysers and pools we had seen earlier. These pools were murkier, and like their names stated the water was mud like. The best one was called Dragon’s Mouth. It looked like it was a deep dark cave that had muddy water erupting from the abyss, and there was also a plume of steam billowing up. It had an incredible sound as well, like a mix of gurgling and waves crashing, and to top it off, it had the stinky Sulphur smell, just like dragon’s breath. Everything a person would want from a natural feature called Dragon’s Mouth. Also to put the contents of the water into perspective, the acidity is just below battery acid, and there are microorganisms that live in these incredibly hot and acidic places, which is just amazing. Then we finished the day off by driving around the other side of the Grand Canyon that we did not hike. The time of day made for some interesting lighting, and the sun was reflecting off the river way in a way that was very cool. It looked like there was a golden flow separating the canyon walls.

(Dragon's Mouth)

Day 8: We left Yellowstone, and as we were exiting the park, we got to see an elk up close as it walked along the side of the road. There is just a brief road between Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park, so before we knew it, we were in our last national park of the trip, and we were greeted by the massive Teton range, and it was glorious. It has many jagged peaks, and they still had a scattering of snow and glaciers upon them. At times it seemed like the road was going to run straight into the mountains. Apparently there needed to be an abundance of caution on the drive, because there had been a recent problem with people having car crashes with bears!?

(Elk)

The trail we were going to the in the Grand Tetons, and basically the only trail we were going to do in the park with our one-day limit, was called Cascade Canyon. To get to the trail head, to save a little time, there is a ferry that takes people across Jenny Lake, and then the hike begins. Almost immediately after getting off the boat, there was a moose visible off in the distance, and this was the first time my dad and I had ever seen a moose, but it was a little hard to see, and I did not even attempt a picture of it.

There are two quick views on the hike, Hidden Falls and Inspiration point. Both were less than a mile from the dock. The waterfall was tall, and it was slightly hidden around a corner, but it could be heard, before it could be seen. Then it was a steep climb up to Inspiration Point. The view in the morning was clouded by smoke and haze off in the distance, so the other side of the lake and mountains that way were only partially visible, but the mountains in the direction the hike was going were visible and inspiring!

(Ferry to the hike)

So we continued on our way into the canyon, and an incredible canyon it was. After a short climb, we were almost immediately transported into the valley of the great mountain ranges. The trail went for about four miles after inspiration point, and almost the whole way, there was a view of mountains on both sides. To the left were the peaks that had the snow and the glaciers upon them, and to the right were the mountains that were a little lower, and they had sharp rocky peaks, but they were all formed by glaciers thousands of years ago, and they are still constantly forming and changing. The only issue was that the smoke was blurring some of the left side. It was not as bad at the start of the hike, but the more we progressed, the more the smoke rolled in distorting the view, but it still allowed the sunlight to come in an interesting way.

The trail was mediumly trafficked. For a trail that would garner its participants upwards of nine miles, there was a large amount of people, but it was by no means overwhelming. While on the trail, I came up with the Happiness Hypothesis. On this trip, we went to Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Park, and depending on where we were, the interactions with others have been variable. So my hypothesis is that if a person is further out than a mile from the head of a trail, then they are more likely to be a friendly hiker, and they are more likely to engage with someone in a positive way. This could be as simple as a hello or a smile, or it could be more like a conversation. When we were on the trails that were easily accessible by everyone, and the parking lot was not too far away, the interactions were minimal, and people were more likely to pass without saying anything, but the further we got away from parking areas and truly into wilderness, then people were way more likely to be friendly and have some level of interaction with us. That is not to say that there are not friendly people early on the trail, but it is more likely to find happy kindred spirits a little further out into nature, when people are usually all out there to truly be immersed in nature.

(Mountains with the smoke)

While hiking along the Cascade Canyon trail, it was interesting to see the different peaks as we traveled along the path. One advantage that the left had through the haze of the smoke was waterfalls. Due to the left side having the snow and glaciers, that meant that they were constantly melting, and when they melt, waterfalls are created. So there were these massive peaks that seem to extend so high that they start to bend into the ceiling of the sky, and running down them, there are falls. This created some of the most epic landscapes we have seen on this trip. I do not know if the pictures will do them justice, but the in-person visuals were off the charts. It can be hard to tell how tall a mountain is until it is being viewed from right below it, and the person must crane their neck up to the sky to see the summit.

This trail is not like others though, when we got to the end there was no grand look out or waterfall signifying our end. Although the view was not bad, if we stood in the right spot, the peak and river were perfectly viewed in a beautiful spectacle. The journey itself was the view. As I mentioned there were very few points in this hike where there was not something to stare up at in awe. So after we ate our PB&Js and headed back the way we came, it was still brilliant. The sun had changed some, and the smoke had rolled in more on the one side, so our perspective shifted to the other side that was clearer and rockier, which was the side that we had looked at less on the way out.

(End of the trail)

Also on the way back, there were a few nature sightings. Two of which were marmots, and the marmots here are different from the marmots I had familiarized myself with in Washington. These marmots are black instead of brown with a lighter colored belly, thus their name, the yellow-bellied marmots. Our first snake of the trip was also spotted. It looked like it might have been a baby, but it slithered across our path, and then into the brush. Also when we were hiking out, we heard a weird noise. It sounded like it could be coming from a baby mountain goat, but we did not see the source of the sound. On the way back, I saw a small rodent that looked like a mouse mixed with a hamster, and then towards the end of the trail, I saw another one, and it was the culprit making the noise. I saw it in the act. Later at the gift shop, I saw a children’s book, and it had the animal on the cover, and I learned that it was called a pika. Google them, they are cute, but elusive, I was never able to get a picture of it.

(Mountains on the other side without smoke)

We ferried back to our starting point, and we hopped in the car to do a little exploring. We stopped at String Lake, and the parking lot was right by the water, so I took my boots off, and slipped my sandals on, which was nice after a four-hour hike, and we walked to the water. It was a nice greenish blue color, and I dipped my feet in. At first it felt freezing, so cold that it hurt, but the longer I stayed in, the better it felt. One lady was all the way in, which seems like a lot especially considering that it was only like 72 degrees, but more power to her. We hung out there for ten minutes, then continued on our way. There was a pull off for Signal Mountain, so we drove to the top of that, and it gave us a good viewpoint of the other side of the park. It was not as mountainous, but it had a giant field, and then there were some smaller mountains in the distance.

The lodge we were staying at for the night was called Jackson Lake Lodge, and as you can guess, it sits overlooking Jackson Lake, and it was incredibly nice. We washed up, and then we went down and had dinner, but the real magic happened after dinner. We got to sit in the massive lobby filled with artwork inspired by the park and watch the sun descend below the mountains as the world around us slowly got darker and darker. That is the view I have as I finish writing this daily entry. A spectacular way to end our last night in the national parks.

(Jackson Lake Lodge)

Day 9: Due to this day being mainly a travel day, and the majority of our hiking being done, I had time to run this morning. When I went down to the lobby, I looked out the massive windows, and it was quite the sight, the moon was full, and it was descending toward the mountain tops like the sun had done the previous night. When I started running, it was still dark, and according to my phone, it was still ten minutes till dawn, or when it really starts to lighten up outside. So fearing bears, I just stayed in the parking lot, until it started to get a little brighter. There was a first with this run. I had never run with bear spray before, but I did on this run. I just kept it in my hand like a water bottle. Animals like to come out and wander around during sunrise and sunset, so it was a little worrisome, and I wanted to be prepared just in case.

I thought there would be a better trail around the hotel, but it was limited. I got on it, and I ran for less than a mile. It was a nice single track, but when it went into the woods, it started to get overgrown, and it got to a point, where I think it just ended, but it was hard to tell. So I went back to the start, and I ran a different way from the hotel that was gravel, but it quickly turned into road. So I ended up just doing the rest of the run on the road, but there were a couple of viewpoints that looked out on the mountains nicely. I did get one last glimpse as the moon slipped behind a peak. Also at this point, the sun had risen enough, so that it was giving a nice glow upon the face of the mountains. Even by the time I finished the run, the mountains still looked amazing soaked in full sunlight. To be able to experience the full progression of the mountains becoming illuminated from darkness was spectacular. One of my favorite experiences running is starting a run when it is still dark, and then having the world slowly come to life around me. It is a great experience everywhere, but it is the best in the mountains.

(Moon setting behind the peaks)

After the run, we had breakfast, which for me consisted of some of the biggest pancakes I have ever had doused in strawberry with some cream cheese to make Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes. We took one last look at the amazing view and packed up and headed out. On the way out, we stopped one more time, because there was a spot where the mountains reflected nicely in the river, so we took some pictures. Then it was a four-hour drive to Craters of the Moon National Monument.

This park was very different from what we had been experiencing on the trip so far. This park was on a micro scale compared to our previous parks, which had been on the macro scale. That is not to lessen the beauty of Craters of the Moon, it was just different. Our first “hike” was a half mile hike, and it just showed different lava rocks. So to fully enjoy the view, we had to stop and stare at the fine details of the rocks. Some of them had what looked like a wood grain pattern, so that the lava flow direction was visible. Other pieces looked like fossilized logs, and others were more porous, and they looked almost like sponges. The best way to describe the park is that it was like an above ground coral reef. The rocks and structures of the rock gave off a very similar vibe, it just was not as colorful.

(Craters of the moon)

The next stop allowed us to walk up an old volcano. The ground was basically fine black lava rock. It was only .2 up, but it was so steep that there was a false summit. We got up this big hill thinking that we were there, only to find out that it was only like halfway, so we kept chugging up to the top. The view at the top was pretty, and surprisingly there was some plant life up at the top, despite the side we climbed being total baron. It gave a good overview of most of the park, and some other volcanoes were visible in the distance. Our journey at the park ended by going up two smaller cones, and these allowed us to look down inside them, which was an interesting sight, but of course people had thrown trash inside of the holes. One of the cones brought us into the cone, which I enjoyed. One interesting aspect to this park was the informational signs they had up at the spots. Basically all of the signs had something on them about how people were destroying the park in a variety of ways, some direct, some indirect, but it kind of made me feel guilty, and it took away part of the alure of the park. I prefer something more inspiring included with the doom and gloom. Then we hopped back in the car and finished our long drive to Boise.

(Craters of the moon)

Day 10: The last full day of the trip started out with a long run. There was a greenway path close to our hotel, so after initially going in the wrong direction, I found it and started on my way. My plan was to do 20 miles at a sub seven pace, which seemed manageable, because the path was supposed to be flat. It was still dark when I started, and I worked my way down the path. It did go under a bridge, which while still dark outside, and the bridge being low, it was a little creepy under there, but I survived, and the world started to light up around me.

Slowly the path worked its way out of the city, and it made it to some golf courses, so the world opened up more, and I could see more of where I was going, and off in the distance, I saw a mountain, and I thought, there has to be a way to get up there, and as I got closer to it, it looked like there were trails cut into the side of it, and there was a giant cross up at the top, so there had to be a way up. I could not figure it out at first, but then I saw a road, that was steep and looked like it was going to the trails, so after 3.8 miles on the greenway, I hopped off it and went a new way. The road wound its way up, and it turned out it was a neighborhood, and the higher up the road I went the nicer the houses became. They were pretty incredible, and right between two houses, there was an entrance onto the trail!

(Trail to Table Rock)

The trail did have quite a few spurs, and for the most part, I made the right choices, but a couple of times, I had to back track and go the other way, but I was so happy to be on the trail, that I did not really care. I also did trip and fall while running uphill, so I got a cut on my hand and some scratches on my forearm and shin, but I got up quickly laughed at myself and continued on my way. The people on the trail were also super friendly. I was coming to a junction right before the climb to the top started, and this guy going the other way pumped his fist high in the sky to cheer me on. Then shortly after there was a lady, who asked me if she could have some of my energy, and there were many others that gave smiles and exchanged good mornings with me. It felt good to be one of the only runners on the mountain again.

(Top of Table Rock)

The summit of Table Rock gave a very pretty view in all directions. One view was of the city down below, and the other view was of the other mountains, and the sun was rising over said mountains trying to peak through the clouds, and it was beautiful. There was a back side to the mountain, so I ran down that dirt road, and then I turned around and ran back up to add some vert. Then I went back down the mountain, and I took one of the other trails to go in a different direction, and it took me down the mountain in a different way. It was a nice runnable path down, and I was cruising, but while I was going, I saw an old man, and it looked like had had also fallen earlier. He appeared to be bleeding some from his head and on his forearms, but he was still chugging up the mountain with his dog like nothing was wrong. I still am not convinced that this was not some trail ghost, and that I really did not see this, because I did not see him on the way back, but who knows, maybe he was just really committed to getting his dog some exercise.

I kept meandering around this system going up and down on some rollers and passing a good amount of people. They really love to be outside in Boise, which was awesome, and so many people had dogs too, which adds to the fun. I greet the dogs too. One unusual sight was of a dog with a mesh net over his head. It was a very funny sight to round the corner and see a dog like with that on his head, but I was confused. Later, I passed another dog with the same thing. After doing some googling, I found out that this is to protect the dog’s face from foxtails and grass seeds. I guess this is not a problem on the East Coast.

After ten miles of wandering through the trails, I headed back to the neighborhood, and when I came out from the trail, I still needed some distance, before I headed back. So I continued to run up the hill in the neighborhood, and somehow the houses continued to get nicer. My favorite sat perfectly on a hill, and it had a massive glass panel on the front of the house and the back, so I could see right through it. On top of that, they had an infinity pool that was right on the ledge. It was stunning. I think my annual salary would cover like three house payments on that if I am lucky. The hill in the neighborhood was awesome. It just kept winding up. When I finally got to the top, it was nice to float down for what had to be at least a mile.

On the way back, I had a stomach cramp, but I breathed through it, and it passed. I spent most of the time running back focusing on my form, because I was feeling very tired, but I did not want to get sloppy. This helped keep my pace in a good place. Then I got to enjoy one of my favorite things. Hotel breakfast. They had a tasty croissant breakfast sandwich, and my dad had gotten me a bowl of oatmeal in case I did not make it back in time before they closed. It really was an incredible run. The trails were perfect, the people were nice, and the effort felt right.

The rest of the day, we urban explored. We went to the Boise Zoo, which was a solid size, and then we went to multiple breweries and one bar. The people working at all the places were amazing, and we had some great conversations with them. Boise is a slightly bigger town, but it maintains that small town friendly feel, and it made for a very fun afternoon/night.

(Happy Dog)

Concluding thoughts:

My dad and I have been on many trips out west together, and on those trips, we have gone to some of the parks that are most well known for bear activity, specifically grizzly bears. Parks that recommend that everyone has a bear spray handy. At these parks, we have gone on more trafficked trails, and we have been on more solitary trails, yet we have never had a grizzly encounter. This is a blessing, but I also find it hard to believe. So many of these places make it sound like it is impossible to not to see a grizzly. While in the national parks on this trip, we had our bear spray, and I was vigilant with my scanning and making noise to make sure we did not come upon a bear unprepared. It was even a little nerve racking at times on the more solitary trails, but we never saw anything. So this leads me to one conclusion. Grizzly bears are not real.

(Not a grizzly)

Another thing that comes to my attention often when hiking, is how often I trip. I do it all the time. I do not know how I survive trail running. It is genuinely a miracle that I do not trip and fall every time I am out on the trails. Of course, as I write this, I am on a two-day tripping or slipping and falling streak. I think the main reason why I trip so much when hiking is because I am trying to take in all the sights, and so I do not look at the ground nearly often enough. I think it is a good trade off. I get to fully enjoy the views, and every once and a while I almost fall over.

While going on this trip, and my one to Arizona, I have been lucky enough to be gone for almost my whole three-week break. While out in the woods, it made me realize how mundane everyday normal life is. Basically, everyone spends the majority of their time working, and work can be entertaining at times, but it is not the same as being in nature, and too much time is spent just waiting for the day to be done, so that the weekend can come, and that kind of sucks. When I was in Flagstaff sleeping in a tent and eating canned bean tacos, I realized how little it takes to be happy and survive in the outside world. Of course, as I go back to civilization and work, these lessons will slowly be forgotten as I fall back into the routine mundaness of normal life. That is one reason why I love running so much. It gives each day purpose, and it allows me to change things up during the week, at least to some extent, and I also do love routine, sometimes too much. I just know I will miss waking up each morning not knowing where exactly I was going, but knowing that wherever it was, it would be outside, amazing, and I would be on my feet for hours exploring some place new.

Finally, I am beyond grateful for all this time that I had with my dad. Each year, we try to go somewhere new, specifically national park/nature related. It has led to so many great experiences, and it has opened my eyes to all the great things that are out there. Our country is so diverse and beautiful. It does not matter what type of environment; it is worth experiencing from the ocean to the desert to the mountains. I do not know how many miles we have driven and hiked over the years, but it has been a massive amount and getting the chance to do it with him has been amazing, and at 58, he still put in a serious amount of miles on his feet and almost all of them were at elevation, and with blistered feet. We were also moving pretty quickly out there, and many times, we would pass our younger counterparts out on the trail. Words cannot describe how lucky and thankful I am for being able to go on the trip and for this time I will always have with my dad. Words and pictures also cannot describe how amazing the places we went were, so I can only suggest that everyone go out there on their feet and walk around and experience the magic for themselves.

(Cascade Canyon Hike)