This post includes pictures from my trip to Wyoming. I did a photoshoot with Danielle (Mike's sister) when we were in Kentucky because she needed some photos for her modeling portfolio. Her session photos are on the Kait McClanahan Photography blog - check them out!
Our trip began with the Old Faithful side of Yellowstone National Park. On the way to Yellowstone we passed through Grand Teton National Park and quickly stopped at a turnabout to take in the mountain views. The sheer majesty of this mountain range was difficult to capture on film (digital photo card?) but trust me, it was so pretty!
Grand Teton
Dad and Mt. Moran (pronounced more-ANN... although we affectionately dubbed it "Mount Moron")
Aww... Krags and Jake :)
When we got into Yellowstone, we stopped at many of the geyser basins to see hot springs, mud pots, and geysers - including the famous Old Faithful (and faithful it was, erupted just as we got there!). The terrain, smells, eruption of hot water, bacteria mats, and colors were almost other-worldly. Yellowstone is a crazy place. My favorite was the Grand Prismatic Springs. It was so colorful!
Megan and Scott's outfits complimented the Grand Prismatic Springs color scheme... haha
GORGEOUS (the orange coloring is a bacteria mat)
Geyser in a hot spring in a river. Very cool.
The whole family and Old Faithful (before it went off) coming out of Karagh's head
Jake made a Ladybug friend
Old Faithful!
Lewis Falls
Cuties.
Teton Range and Jackson Lake
Day Two began with a seven mile hike around Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park. The scenery around the lake is gorgeous: glassy water, pebbly beach, soaring mountains. It would have been breathtaking even if I wasn't completely out of shape (and under-hydrated for a seven mile trek in hot weather - props to Megan and Scott for the extra water bottles).
Gorgeous.
Three Sisters and Grand Teton!
Sweet spider web
The colors in Jenny Lake were so pretty - and the water was so clear!
Jenny Lake Shuttle Boat (which we did not take! We hiked all the way around the lake, haha)
Glaciers!
Tetons from the middle of the Snake River
One of the many eagles we saw
Little old married couple!
Got a little artsy with this silhouette of Mom :)
A moose in Moose Junction, of course!
Bison herd
We took a short walk with Lady that evening and I took a quick shot of the valley near our cabin. Right down the road from us was the Heart Six Ranch, a dude ranch where Mom and Dad spent a week celebrating their ten year wedding anniversary - almost twenty years ago! It was pretty cool to see it, I remember when they came back with pictures of the mountains, their horseback riding adventure, hiking, Yellowstone, and Mom's stories about the snakes. Anyway, I nabbed a photo of them in front of the sign, so many years later (wink), with the addition of their granddog, Lady!
Twenty Years Later :)
Gorgeous sunset in the Buffalo Fork Valley
Aww, Meggie and Scott!
Day Three was a little more relaxing. Mom and Dad went golfing and Karagh, Jake, me, and Megan went horseback riding at the Heart Six Ranch. Horseback riding was so much fun! Karagh's horse's name was Amos, Megan's was Bacon, Jake's was Classy, and mine was Pep. We took a two-hour guided trail ride with another couple (riding Rocket and Cricket) and our guide Carly (riding Dollar). If you can believe it, I only took a couple photos before the ride, and one with me and Pep after the ride. I enjoyed watching Karagh's horse stage a rebellion and try to run away with her - Carly and Dollar had to chase them down and get them back under control. It wasn't quite as dramatic as it sounds, but it was pretty funny. The scenery from the top of the bluff was gorgeous, but due to a wildfire in Montana, the Tetons were difficult to see through the haze. So, my camera stayed in my saddlebag!
Karagh and Amos
Megan and Bacon
Me and Pep
On Day Four we went back to Yellowstone, this time we made our way along the right side of the park to see the waterfalls. On the way into the park, we saw a herd of bison along the side of the road... it was very cool. Megan, Scott, Dad, Karagh, and Jake, did a four mile hike to the top of Mount Washburn, and Mom and I decided to opt out, as the weather looked iffy. We took the car and saw the Tower Falls and then waited for the rest of the group to finish their hike (in the pouring rain!). After the hike, we went to the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River - GORGEOUS. On the way home, Mom, Dad, and I stopped to see the Sulphur Springs and Mud Volcano - so. smelly. On the way back from there we saw more bison (crossing the road, walking right next to the car, they were everywhere!) and a black bear feasting on a deer/elk carcass! It was a great day for large game sighting haha.
Haaaa, it's sticking it's tongue out!
Tower Falls
Elk!
Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River
Dragon's Breath Springs (it made a loud echo-y sound and waves came out of the cave... when it was first discovered, the men thought there could be a dragon in there!
Mud Volcano!
BEAR.
Om nom nom, carcass.
On Day Five, Megan, Scott, and Dad went on a nine mile hike into the Cascade Canyon in Grand Teton National Park. Karagh, Jake, and Lady stayed close to the cabin and played in the creek. Mom needed to be at the airport in the early afternoon, so she and I spent the morning walking around and having lunch in downtown Jackson Hole. Jackson Hole is a really quaint little place, but man is it ritzy. Unlike the town of Grand Lake, where we spent family vacation two years ago, Jackson Hole was fancy, with a farmer's market, expensive art galleries, etc. I snapped a few photos of the famous Elk Antler Arches, which consists of elk antlers gathered by local boy scouts (Don't worry, elk shed their antlers every year, so it's totally humane).
Bucking Bronco in Jackson Town Square
Elk Antler Arch and downtown Jackson
On our final full day in Jackson Hole, Dad took Megan and Scott to the airport early in the morning, and then we took Lady down to the Buffalo Fork Creek for some swimming and stick chasing. I took hundreds of photos of Lady during our whole trip, but the ones of her playing in the creek are my favorite. Lady was a born swimmer - she loves being in the water, treading in deep water, riding the current, and diving for sticks. We played with her for hours and then spent the rest of the day relaxing. It was wonderful!
Aww, nappin' with Grandolf
Lady loves fetching sticks!
She hops like a fox
Basking in the sun, trying to dry off
Buddies :)
On Monday, our last day in the cabin, we cleaned up and drove the six hours back to Karagh's house in Laramie. Dad and I spent the night with her and Lady and she gave us a tour of her bird lab the next day. Karagh is a Neuroscience PhD student at the University of Wyoming and does research with zebra and bengalese finches. Dad and I met her for lunch on Tuesday and then toured her lab and the bird colony. She's doing some pretty cool stuff, none of which I am going to pretend to understand here, I'll let you know when she gets published so you can try to understand it yourself. She's really made a life for herself and she is going to do great things in her field - I'm really proud of her! After our tour, Dad and I headed south to the Denver Airport, where we parted ways for Nashville (me) and Philly (him).
All in all it was a great vacation, and I while I was there I found out that my interview with the Wayne County Newspaper went well and I'm officially hired as a writer! Hooray! Stay tuned for more news about my job, my first day is tomorrow! :)
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