Vacation Wyoming Style

Ok folks strap yourselves in. You are in for a ride.

Yes, Mike actually talked me into getting on the back. I still don't have my own bike so what is a girl to do.
My Dad and Penny on their ride.

We went to a reconstructed pioneer village and when we walked into the old school house I saw my name on the chalk board. I know we live in a small town, but this is ridiculous. Of course my dad was the culprit. They had stopped in earlier and he wrote my name on the board.

I am not sure if this picture is PC. I hope we don't offend any Native Americans

After the pioneer village we headed to the Sinks. It is where the river runs into the mountain and comes out down the road at the Rise. A river running this fast would only take minutes to make it to the rise, but since it goes into tiny little channels in the mountains it takes it 2 hours to finally come out at the rise.

Our first hike was to the falls at Sinks Canyon. Yep, the same place I went with friends a few blogs back.

From left to right: Me, Mike and my dad.

Me at the falls. Much smaller then the last time I was here. But a good place to soak your feet after a long hike.

Of course Mike had to take it a step further and jump in.

Burr!! It was COLD!

On the way back my dad and Penny had to stop this rock from falling. Ok, not really.

Day 2: going to the Tetons.

At camp Mike is loading the bear box.

Our bunks for the night.

The tent cabin. 3 log walls, with bunks and a wood burning stove inside. Pretty nice and cheaper than anything else in the Tetons to stay at.

That afternoon we all went for another hike.

Not bad views.

Day 3: Another hike. First stop was The Falls.

A little Pika. You can tell people feed them. They will actually climb on you looking for food.

From the Falls we continued on to Inspiration point. This isn't it. This is just the path we took.

Mike and my dad up at that same point in the previous picture.

Ah! Finally made it to Inspiration Point.

Mike was inspired to have a beer he toted up there.

My dad was inspired to join him.

After Inspiration Point we headed around the lake. We decided to take a rest and soak our feet and soak in the view.

Mike and Penny after their soak and a snack.

Our view from the resting spot.

Day 4: No more hikes. Went out to South Pass City. Yup, the old mining town I went to in the last blog. Mike and I are at one of the old mines.

Here we are in the old jail house. I can really only imagine one of us belonging there.

On the way back from South Pass City we stopped for a pic of Red Canyon.

We hiked a total of about 15 miles, drank more beer, wine and rum than I thought possible, stayed up late, got up early and ate and ate and ate.

Now you know why I need a vacation from this vacation.

Gold Rush

I spent the afternoon with an older couple who are my friends. We went to South Pass City. It is an old gold mining ghost town. Nothing ghostie about it. It has been all been preserved and restored for tourists. Pretty cool though. I love that era. Anyone that knows my Little House on the Prairie obsession knows that. Not to mention if you have been to our wedding at Heritage Hill (a restored 1800's community) it is no shocker to you. Anyway, back to South Pass City. It was Gold Rush days out there this weekend. There were people dressed up clothing from that era demonstrating how things were done back then. After I got my bookmark at the old printing press and a glass of lemonade we headed out.
Our destination was a "claim" staked out in the mountains to pan for gold. We drove and drove into the middle of nowhere. The whole time I have some old man's scratchy voice in my head saying:
Ders gold in dem der hills.
Is that from some movie or something? I don't know, but I couldn't get it out of my head.
We got to the spot and it actually held historical significance. It was the only place the pioneers could pass through the mountains and when they would camp there they would pan for gold.
So out of the truck comes the gold panning...stuff. It was demonstrated to me a few times and I gave it a go. It really is a delicate procedure when you get down to the good stuff. All the swirling and rinsing. Long story short. I have seen more gold flakes in a shot of Goldschlager. Wow, talk about a lot of work for a few specks of gold. But at least I can say I have panned for gold in the mountains of WY and found some. Can you say that?

Camping in Lander

We might have started out late, but we did get there in time to set up our tent before dark. Thankfully our friends had already been there since Thursday so we had a fire to cook dinner on right after we got set up.

The rain came and went each day, but it did not deter us from our plans. It was a great weekend of good ole camping. Doesn't get better than that.

Morning one for us at camp.

Wood was gathered and Mike was cutting it down to size. At least this time he didn't almost cut his thumb off.

The lake was directly behind our campsite.

This is the lake from a full on view.

Mike and Everett not catching any fish

I forget the name of the flower, but it was pretty and everywhere.

The mint we picked earlier in the day for mint tea. Becky told me no other mint tea would compare and boy was she right. I don't know how I will ever be able to go back.

Louis Lake which we had canoed across to pick the mint.

Crossing the river to get to the mint.

Maybe it was all the work that made it taste so good.

Becky, Ted and the kids on our Sunday morning hike

Moose poop.

I took this pic because it may be the closest I get to a wild moose.

Mike thinking if it comes out of the mountains it must be good enough to drink. Right after Becky told us it has Giardia in it. A not very pleasant parasite. Time will tell.

This was a pretty meadow that just popped up right off the wooded trail.

Mike found the meadow a good place to ponder things.

A nice view from the trail.

Not us, look behind us.

Guess who the kids loved hanging with. Big surprise.

The nice surprise we woke up to Sunday morning. A very flat tire.

Good thing my mom and Tom bought us this handy little Auto Sport 600.

It not only filled up Mike's tire. It jump started Ted's 1970 Chevy one ton.

It took a long and bumpy road to get there, but since the switchbacks had opened up we took them back. It cut an hour off of our trip and it was a much smoother ride. Not to mention the view didn't suck either.