Devils Tower

Starting our descent from Powder River Pass in Wyoming

Our trek from Thermopolis to Devils Tower was a nice one.  We met up with Sandy (my MINI Cooper friend who lives here in Wyoming) in Buffalo, WY at exactly the mid-way point of the trip - just 2 hours from Thermopolis.  It was an adventurous 2 hours - we had to make it up and over Powder River Pass at 9,633 ft.  We're debating about whether the Cedar Mountain Pass in Utah or this one was the most treacherous, but from the driver's seat this felt like our most challenging.  Up and over this pass covered around 30 miles and a good chunk of that time was in first gear.
But at the end, we were rewarded with a nice lunch with Sandy and Daddy got to drive a MINI Cooper for the first time in over 5 weeks!  Oh, the joy of motoring again!

And the joy of sitting for lunch with a MINI Cooper friend - I could have sat at the picnic table for hours, I think!  Sandy - thank you for lunch.  Dinner's on us when you make it to Long Island!

From Buffalo, it was on to Devils Tower.  We saw our first highway patrol officers since Kansas mainly due to the fact that the Sturgis bike rally is going on right now.  This week long bike rally is the biggest in the world - our Harley neighbors in Arco were headed there and told me they met bikers there in years past from Europe who would have their bikes shipped over just for this rally.  We've seen the number of bikes multiply rapidly as we've gotten closer to South Dakota, that's for sure.

First good view of Devils Tower

Driving up to Devils Tower was quite an experience.  It is truly a unique formation and unmistakable on the horizon.  Once we were in camp after weaving through the Harley's, I needed a nap and everyone took over getting us set up.  We're only here for 2 nights before we set off for Mt. Rushmore so set-up wasn't too much.  Once my nap was over, it was time to head to the deck next to the camp office where they show Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which as you may know, was filmed here at Devils Tower and in the campground we're staying at.  None of us had ever seen this early Steven Spielberg film and it was our goal to watch it before going up to Devils Tower in the morning.  Of course, as we sat on the deck and dark fell, someone ordered up the special effects.  Lightning flashed from three directions throughout the entire movie, but not a drop of rain fell nor did we ever hear the thunder (until after the movie).  As the sky flashed in the distance, Lisa and I just kept looking at each other - you can't make this stuff up.  I found out today from a biker chick named Banana (yes, her given name is Banana) that those storms were over Sturgis last night and the concert there became a mud pit.  As we left the outdoor cinema (a 30" plasma out on the deck, really) the lightning started to really ramp up - it flashed behind Devils Tower and in front, but try as we might to video it with our iPhones, Lisa and I just couldn't.  But let me tell you - to see Devils Tower in a lightning storm was both eerie and spectacular, but definitely more on the spectacular side.  It was a great night.

Our trip to Devils Tower today (actually Saturday - lack of wi-fi at Devils Tower has me behind a day) was also very eventful.  Forget the fact that this formation is huge and breathtaking.  Add bikers and climbers to the mix and a mile and a half hike became a mini-adventure!  First, the place is just thundering with Harleys non-stop.  I kind of like it - when you own a MINI Cooper, you can relate to guys and gals that just like to ride and ride together.

There is a climber in this picture - just too small to see

Then, during our hike we could hear some shouting coming from up on the face of Devils Tower.  There were several groups of climbers descending the face and one of them had somehow become wedged under a rock.  They were sending someone back to their car for a car jack to jack the rock off of him, but by the time we made it back around to the parking area (we hiked the Tower Trail which basically circles the base of Devils Tower) the Park Service had shut down the trail and 9 expert climbers were headed up to get him down.  I sat with a Park service volunteer who had a radio and this climber had definitely broken both the tibia and fibula on one leg and potentially had fractures on the other leg also.



While I was sitting listening to the radio, Lisa was talking to one of the coordinators for the bikers who is also a climber and he shared that Devils Tower is one of the most sought after climbs in the world.  By the time I got back to the lot an ambulance was on the scene...

The married couple - the guy in the background
looks skeptical if you ask me...

Also on the scene was a justice of the peace.  She was marrying these two bikers.  A crowd gathered, people smiled and clapped and the bride had a stuffed bat in her hand as she said, "I do".  I bet if we stayed a few more hours, there would be a few more stories to tell, but we had seen Devils Tower and it was time to get back.

About 5 miles from Devils Tower

I threw in a 16 mile bike ride where I saw 3 Wyoming highway patrol cars following bikers, but I witnessed no arrests...  The rolling hills around Devils Tower were rough - I was either doing 38 mph or 8.  Very cool to bike back to camp and see Devils Tower.

They had paw prints on little speed bumps along the trail -
the kids found these hand prints.  All the adults missed the hand prints...

Thermopolis, Wyoming

Sounds like a fake place doesn't it?  It's actually real and we came here for a couple of reasons.  The first is that I didn't want to pull clear across Wyoming to get to Devil's Tower in one day and Thermopolis is about mid-way through the Middle of Nowhere.  It would have been a 10 hour day to get across the entire state and after Yellowstone, I knew we would need to take things a little slower.  The second reason I picked Thermopolis is that I motored up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire with a MINI Cooper friend back in 2009 that lives "kind of close by" here in Wyoming.  Yes, she lives in Wyoming and she motored to New Hampshire for a MINI Cooper event.  That's what crazy MINI peeps do.  Turns out we'll be meeting up with her tomorrow in Buffalo, WY for lunch.  She has a MINI Cooper named, "Dottie Bug" and it resembles a Lady Bug, dots and all!  I can't wait for the kids to see it in person.  The third reason: the Bighorn River and trout fishing.  I've had my gear stowed away for 5 weeks now and even though Yellowstone was tempting, 3 full days in Thermopolis gave me time to sort out where and how I would approach this river.  I was extremely fortunate to be camped next to an outstanding fly fishing/white water rafting outfit that goes by the name of Wind River Canyon Whitewater & Flyfishing.  I'm linking them since Mike was fantastic about setting me up with the right flies and a direction to go and explore the Bighorn.

The Olsen's (minus Daddy) soak in the Thermopolis Hot Springs

A beautiful Bighorn Brown Trout

Since Thermopolis has the Dinosaur Museum and the hot springs, the kids were able to see both while I sorted out the flyfishing thing.  And between laundry and games, here's what basically happened in Thermopolis:  Daddy biked Wind River Canyon down Rt. 20 (once with Aunt Maribeth & Laryssa and once solo) - a beautiful stretch of road where

the Bighorn is basically flanked by towering cliffs.  And Daddy flyfished the Bighorn for two days - and had the trout fishing experience of a life time.  The first day was basically 6 hours of finding trout water and then figuring out how to catch them while everyone else kicked around camp (Mommy did laundry AGAIN! - Thank you, Mommy).  I caught 4 trout that day - all of them had a difficult time fitting in the net - bigger trout than anything I can realistically catch on the East Coast.  I also had many other trout on that I lost, but when you have trout interested, you're in good shape.
The Brown Trout pictured above (both pictures) is truly the trout of my life - he's no less than 6 pounds and anyone who catches trout on the fly will tell you - that's what flyfisherman dream about!  The second day on the river Graeme came along as my official photographer and sherpa (he carried water and a chair) - I caught 7 trout.

This was after they visited the Dinosaur Museum which was fun, but most everyone napped while Graeme and I went off to the river.  On the Bighorn, Daddy caught two browns, four rainbows and I think a cutthroat trout - I'm getting an opinion on that from the photo I got of it.  It was a fantastic last day.  Graeme took his job as my "Official Sherpa and Photgrapher" very seriously  - I have the 400+ digital photos that he took from the bank of the Bighorn as proof!

Turns out that Graeme is also a little scared of cows - they were in a field near us and they are big.  There also was a lama and a few bighorn sheep. In this part of the Bighorn River, public access to the river is within 100' of the river so many farms with various animals back right up to the public access area and are separated by basically 2 wires stretched across the field.  In one place on our 30 minute hike to trout territory, the rancher constructed an A-frame ladder over his barbed wire fence.  I got a kick out of it my first day on the river and Graeme had the same reaction.

Daddy landing a Bighorn brown trout

But once he realized there was wire fence between us and them, he relaxed a little...  All in all, Thermopolis was a fantastic and heart-pounding experience for Daddy on the Bighorn and a relaxing, laid back couple of days for everyone else.  Minus the laundry for Mommy, of course, lol!

An awesome sign in Thermopolis

A bison in Hot Springs State Park

Thermopolis

Teepee formation in Thermopolis

Custom made shirts!  You want one, don't you?

While Graeme and I were away on the river, the girls decided to open their own fashion shop right here in the camper.  It's amazing how creative kids can get when they're stuck in camp while Daddy fishes for hours...

Fires started burning in Shoshone National forest the day before we left

A cat hopped right up in our storage compartment tonight -
must have smelled the grill and became real friendly...

Graeme & Annalise inspecting the "fossil" Graeme found
when he went fishing with Daddy

Yellowstone (Day 4) - A Family Bike Ride & Spectacular Springs

Grasses growing in a very acidic environment at Mud Volcano area

Before we headed for a bike ride, we stopped at a geothermal feature very close to camp - Mud Volcano.  I'm still amazed at what is able to grow in these very acidic areas, but the acidity does provide for some vibrantly colored grasses.
As a National Park, Yellowstone is a hiker's dream.  The options are seemingly limitless.  If you're a mountain biker, not so much.  I suppose there are lots of good reasons for the lack of biking trails - the first that comes to mind is the speed at which you may approach wildlife.  That could make for a dangerous encounter especially since chatting and purposely making a lot of noise isn't what happens on a mountain bike on a trail.  So of the half dozen approved riding areas (which are basically older roads that aren't paved and out of use) we chose Fountain Flat Drive.  With "Flat" in the title, I figured it would suit Annalise just fine and I figured right.


I believe we left camp at 10:00 and as we finally got to Fountain Flat Drive at 12:30 (after our short detour at Mud Volcano) it really hits you how big this park is.  We essentially drove from the eastern side of the park to the Firehole Canyon area on the west side and by the end of the day we drove over 100 miles round trip. Before our ride, we had another picnic at the same parking area where we could start our ride and despite the fact that we had our pick of tables, the kids wanted to eat on the grass with our picnic blankets instead.  We had another stream to wade in and it was good to get some food in us before our ride.  

The ride itself was a good one for Annalise - she did the entire 5.5 mile road.  I rode with her for a good chunk of the ride and then Maribeth escorted her to the end.  I ended up riding the road 3 times - the first time we all got to see an elk and the third time I was alone and saw my first coyote.  He was a little one, but it was cool to see one.

Grand Prismatic Springs viewed from our biking trail

I'm going to backtrack a little bit to Craters of the Moon.  We hiked and explored the caves for a bit with three guys from Seattle, Washington.  When we told them our next stop was Yellowstone, they immediately said we had to see Grand Prismatic Springs.  Since we knew today was going to be our trip to that area to ride, we were able to bike around to the back side of Grand Prismatic which has to be one of the most spectacular views of a hot spring in Yellowstone.  Grand Prismatic is eye candy when you're standing near it, but from behind it appears like a blue dome.  Now, when we started biking, I had no idea that Grand Prismatic was going to be viewable from our trail - I only knew it was somewhere nearby and we would end up driving there after our ride.  But the minute I could see it from the trail, I thought that this had to be Grand Prismatic.  Those dudes from Seattle were dead on - the most spectacular hot springs in the park and must see if you ever get to go.  As spectacular as Grand Prismatic was, I'm going to share the most un-spectacular aspect of Yellowstone - the visitors.  It's sad really.  The park is big and wide, but if you're going to look at the hot springs, etc. you have to deal with what I think had to be the most ill-behaved people on the planet.  We saw a half dozen people, at least, that were approaching bison on foot despite the warnings.

Hot springs draining into to river.  And people waded in it anyway...

At Grand Prismatic, there were kids in the river despite the fact that acidic hot springs are draining into it only 50' away and there are posted signs about not swimming in the water.  AND there parents were taking pictures of them!  It was shocking and this kind of behavior was more the rule than the exception.  Bad drivers, people taking up an entire board walk instead of walking in single file, people purposely walking in areas that are marked, "Dangerous and unstable".  It was pretty bad.  When we return, we may be taking back country hikes exclusively to put some distance between us and that 2% of the park that is developed...

All the family at Grand Prismatic

Grand Prismatic Springs from the boardwalk - the most stunning hot spring in Yellowstone - in my opinion

Yellowstone (Day 3) - A Back Country Hike and the Canyon

Lisa picked a good one today - a Ranger led Back country hike starting at the Upper Falls of Yellowstone Canyon which led to Wapiki Lake.  This was a fantastic hike across the prairie with a view of Hayden Valley where we encountered the bison herd on the first day in the park.  We watched a Swainson Hawk pursue a swallow and learned about Bison wallows, witch’s broom and Old Man’s beard, a lichen that some of us ate.  

A Swainson Hawk

 We also learned about the  lodgepole pines that make up 80% of the trees in the park.  They have two cones, one of which releases it’s seeds at 121 degrees (after a forest fire) which is why it has survived countless fires.  This was, by far the best hike of the 


trip.  Our Ranger reminded us that the roadways, campgrounds, lodging, restaurants and shops only make up 2% of the entire park.  Getting out into the other 98% was truly a breath of fresh air.  The expanse of the back country was serene and breathtaking at the same time.

The Ranger attends to an injured little boy -
although "injured" may be too strong a word for a scrape on his knee.

Wapiki Lake

The Ranger points out Witch's Broom -
a disease that eventually kills the tree

Old Man's beard -
Graeme, Scarlett & Mommy were the only brave ones to eat some.

At the highest point of our hike with Hayden Valley behind us.

Today we actually found a vacant picnic table for lunch!

The top of the Lower Falls - 308' high.  Taller than Niagara Falls.

The Canyon

 Our afternoon hike was a shorter one - along the South Rim of the Canyon.  The Canyon reminds you why Yellowstone got it's name.  The walls are stunning.  We got to hear about Yellowstone's discovery and what it took to make this America's first National Park.  What an interesting history –


Truman Everett’s 37 days lost was very interesting and I didn’t know until this hike that Yellowstone was America’s first attempt at a National Park.  Glad it worked out!

The kids at Artist's Point

The Yellowstone River from Artist's Point

Scarlett & Annalise take in the view

All of us at Artist's Point

After the Canyon, we went back out to Hayden Valley to look for our elusive bear – no luck but saw more bison and an elk herd that kept growing as dark fell, trout feeding frenzies and bats!  I've never seen so many bats as they practically skimmed the water feeding on the same flies as the trout.  I have a great video of them and one that flies right next to Scarlett.  One flew so close to me that I could here the flutter of his wings.