Road Trip - Day 7
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
~ Mark Twain
There are certain days that are worth remembering all your life and then there are days which leave you gasping. Today was one such day when the latter was true.
It started with me and Arun K. heading to the Yellowstone one more time. We checked out of our hotel and drove to see the rest of the park.
Topmost on our agenda was to see at least 1 hot spring. We were soon at the Midway geyser Basin which had a bunch of Hot Springs / Geysers. The Excelsior Geyser was worth exploring. It was great watching the hot water spring bubbling out of the ground. The water then empties into the various rivulets. Around the springs, not even a blade of grass grows, but a certain form of bacteria and algae thrive even in those extreme conditions. The various hues of the water is due to the sulphur and other contents.
From the hot springs we proceeded Southwards and halted at Luis Lake for a break. We sat by the lakeside for a while munching on some snacks. The weather by the lake was beautiful and the water was crystal clear. It was quite peaceful out there and soon we were on our way back and towards the east entrance and on our way out of the park.
I read somewhere that he eastern route is a very scenic route, but nothing had prepared me for the sight that I was about to witness. We ran into some female Elk on the road and then a few miles away we saw this huge bull Elk resting in the woods. In almost all species except probably in humans, the male of the species is the most attractive and the male Elk is no exception. This fella was magnificent and with his antlers etc, just sat there ignoring the human presence. Even though Elk are not carnivorous, there is something so powerful about this guy that makes you not want to get close.
We also stopped by the Yellowstone Lake and took in the beauty of the surroundings. It is phenomenal as to what exquisite sights nature can create with 3 colors - Blue, Green & Brown.
Then soon we exited out of Yellowstone a bit disappointed that we had not been able to see any grizzlies or wolves the famous hunters of the Yellowstone, but at the same time we were satisfied with the overall outcome.
As we continued with our journey out of the park towards South Dakota, the beauty of Yellowstone and Wyoming began to unfold. The daylight was fading and the night creeping in and the hues it created on the rocky mountain cliffs, the river flowing beside it, the pine trees, the lush meadows and the wild flowers growing beside the road all together created an enchanting and surreal atmosphere. And when you add to the fact that we were the only people on the road, it became an exclusive show from nature.
We then continued our drive through the beautiful Wyoming, the daylight had faded to just a dark blue hue in the sky and night had almost taken over. The mountains gave way to the plains and the landscape looked eerie and almost looked as if we were exploring a different planet sitting inside a spaceship.
As we drove we reached the city of Cody in Wyoming. This is a quaint old western town, with mock gunfights etc. Then I made the biggest blunder of the trip. Instead of staying over in Cody, I decided that we should drive for another hour and a half.
We hit the US-14 which took us through the Big Horn National Forest. 70 + miles on a pitch dark highway, driving through a mountainous forest, without a house, light or person in sight. We did not encounter even a single car till the last stretch of this highway. The only sign of life was when an occasional deer or rabbit would run across the road. On top of that there was no cell phone service too. :-)
Scary stuff maan! Just imagine if the car broke down due to some reason, we would have had to spend the night in a pitch black forest and help probably would come only in the morning.
~ Mark Twain
There are certain days that are worth remembering all your life and then there are days which leave you gasping. Today was one such day when the latter was true.
It started with me and Arun K. heading to the Yellowstone one more time. We checked out of our hotel and drove to see the rest of the park.
Topmost on our agenda was to see at least 1 hot spring. We were soon at the Midway geyser Basin which had a bunch of Hot Springs / Geysers. The Excelsior Geyser was worth exploring. It was great watching the hot water spring bubbling out of the ground. The water then empties into the various rivulets. Around the springs, not even a blade of grass grows, but a certain form of bacteria and algae thrive even in those extreme conditions. The various hues of the water is due to the sulphur and other contents.
From the hot springs we proceeded Southwards and halted at Luis Lake for a break. We sat by the lakeside for a while munching on some snacks. The weather by the lake was beautiful and the water was crystal clear. It was quite peaceful out there and soon we were on our way back and towards the east entrance and on our way out of the park.
I read somewhere that he eastern route is a very scenic route, but nothing had prepared me for the sight that I was about to witness. We ran into some female Elk on the road and then a few miles away we saw this huge bull Elk resting in the woods. In almost all species except probably in humans, the male of the species is the most attractive and the male Elk is no exception. This fella was magnificent and with his antlers etc, just sat there ignoring the human presence. Even though Elk are not carnivorous, there is something so powerful about this guy that makes you not want to get close.
We also stopped by the Yellowstone Lake and took in the beauty of the surroundings. It is phenomenal as to what exquisite sights nature can create with 3 colors - Blue, Green & Brown.
Then soon we exited out of Yellowstone a bit disappointed that we had not been able to see any grizzlies or wolves the famous hunters of the Yellowstone, but at the same time we were satisfied with the overall outcome.
As we continued with our journey out of the park towards South Dakota, the beauty of Yellowstone and Wyoming began to unfold. The daylight was fading and the night creeping in and the hues it created on the rocky mountain cliffs, the river flowing beside it, the pine trees, the lush meadows and the wild flowers growing beside the road all together created an enchanting and surreal atmosphere. And when you add to the fact that we were the only people on the road, it became an exclusive show from nature.
We then continued our drive through the beautiful Wyoming, the daylight had faded to just a dark blue hue in the sky and night had almost taken over. The mountains gave way to the plains and the landscape looked eerie and almost looked as if we were exploring a different planet sitting inside a spaceship.
As we drove we reached the city of Cody in Wyoming. This is a quaint old western town, with mock gunfights etc. Then I made the biggest blunder of the trip. Instead of staying over in Cody, I decided that we should drive for another hour and a half.
We hit the US-14 which took us through the Big Horn National Forest. 70 + miles on a pitch dark highway, driving through a mountainous forest, without a house, light or person in sight. We did not encounter even a single car till the last stretch of this highway. The only sign of life was when an occasional deer or rabbit would run across the road. On top of that there was no cell phone service too. :-)
Scary stuff maan! Just imagine if the car broke down due to some reason, we would have had to spend the night in a pitch black forest and help probably would come only in the morning.
Finally we came to the city of Sheridan closer to the South Dakota border where we will rest for the night, capping an eventful day.
Another quote to close...
"I remember a hundred lovely lakes, and recall the fragrant breath of pine and fir and cedar and poplar trees. The trail has strung upon it, as upon a thread of silk, opalescent dawns and saffron sunsets."
Hamlin Garland
Another quote to close...
"I remember a hundred lovely lakes, and recall the fragrant breath of pine and fir and cedar and poplar trees. The trail has strung upon it, as upon a thread of silk, opalescent dawns and saffron sunsets."
Hamlin Garland
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