Summer 2021 Adventure
What a truly fabulous trip this was to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons!
June of 2021, my husband and I traveled West to experience Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks for the first time.
We flew into Salt Lake City, UT, picked up a rental car, and began our adventure. Driving through Idaho we were amazed at how beautiful Idaho is! I felt like a kid hanging out the car window gasping as we came around a curve or crested a hill.
At one point, we drove through a rainstorm and then were treated to a double rainbow! It was spectacular.
We stopped for the night in Idaho Falls at a Holiday Inn and Suites and even though it was just a place to sleep, it was a very nice hotel! By 5:00am we were on the road to get to the West entrance of Yellowstone at 7:00am.
Day 1 in Yellowstone
Watching the sunrise that morning knowing we were about to see some of the world’s famous sights was exhilarating!
Yellowstone National Park’s West entrance gate at 7:00am only had a few cars in line, so we made it through the gates with our annual National Parks pass very quickly.
The morning was clear and bright so we were treated to some amazing views of the landscape. It wasn’t long before we came across our first buffalo just quietly grazing and totally ignoring us! I had said I wasn’t going to leave without seeing buffalo, so that mission was accomplished. During the two days we were in Yellowstone we must have seen hundreds of buffalo, some even close enough to smack them on the rear!! Obviously I didn’t, but I certainly could have!
We drove on to Grand Prismatic Basin where the fog was so thick we could barely see the boardwalk under our feet! That was a little disappointing, but I knew as the sun warmed us up the fog would dissipate.
Old Faithful was our next stop and getting there early in the morning helped us to avoid the crowds. We only stood there maybe 15 minutes until the big eruption happened. The ground beneath our feet trembled from the eruption! I’m glad we experienced Old Faithful’s eruption, but I would not feel the desire to see it again.
We headed into the visitor’s center and found a beverage to enjoy later in the day! Snake River brewing impressed us with their “Earned It” and “Jenny Lake” craft beers. We still look for those tasty beers when we find an eclectic selection of IPAs, just hoping to find those again.
We made our way back to Grand Prismatic Spring, and this time walked up to the overlook to get a view from above. WOW!! What an amazing sight that was! The colors were so vibrant and the overlook was the perfect way to see it all.
From there, we wanted to hike to Fairy Falls, an easy and short 1.6 mile hike. We ended up missing the small trail sign pointing us to the falls, and ended up on an 8 mile detour!! At one point, we came across a bison skeleton in a wide open field! We had a map on our phones in the All Trails app, so we knew we would eventually end up at the falls, but it was quite the unexpected hike. Looking back, we are glad we missed the trail sign, because we experienced a side of Yellowstone we would have missed….the wide open spaces with no one else around!
This detour also took us to Imperial Springs which was a true gem! It had some of the same vibrant colors as Grand Prismatic, but also a small geyser that erupted every few minutes. There were also bubbling mud pots close by. We were able to stand right in front of them and watch the incredible bubbling! It was like we were on another planet with so many geothermal things happening around us!
A short hike from there was Fairy Falls, what we had intended to see a couple of hours previously! It was a steady but almost misty and delicate waterfall 200 feet high.
Leaving Fairy Falls, it was an easy .8 mile hike back to our vehicle. We laughed thinking about the mistake we made that resulted in one of our trip’s highlights!
The rest of our day was spent in Canyon Village getting some quick glimpses of what we would explore the next day…the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Walking up to Artist’s Point, my husband kept telling me to look, but I wanted to wait until I was standing fully in front of it to see it for the first time. It may sound silly, but the sight brought tears to my eyes! I had spent months planning this trip, researching everything. To finally see what I was most anticipating, it was overwhelming in the very best way. Words cannot describe the awesomeness of that view. I thought of explorers seeing this and then traveling hundreds of miles back home, attempting to describe it to others. It’s just something you have to see with your own eyes….pictures cannot convey the magic!
Leaving the park through the South gate, we got our first look at the Grand Tetons on our way to Jackson, WY. What a sight!! We were blown away by the magnitude of them as we drove by. Watching the light change in the late afternoon was spectacular!
The Hampton Inn in downtown Jackson Hole was our landing spot for the next two nights. We were easily able to walk into downtown and enjoy the fun atmosphere. Supper that night was at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. We bellied up to the bar and sat on barstools made of real cowboy saddles! So much fun! We enjoyed their bison burgers, a few beers, and some live music. Even though we were exhausted from our big day, we soaked up all the fun that night!
Day 2 in Yellowstone
Early the next morning we drove north, back past the Tetons. Seeing them in the morning light was so different from the previous afternoon. We stopped at Oxbow Bend, a small pull-off, and were treated to the Tetons in what felt like an up close view. The reflection of the mountains in the lake that morning was spectacular!
Leaving Oxbow Bend, we drove back through the south gate of Yellowstone National Park. There we drove west to see the gorgeous Yellowstone Lake and up to Hayden valley where we were greeted by SO MANY buffalo! They were grazing alongside the road, some with their babies, and walked out into the road without a care in the world! We were stopped for several minutes to allow them to cross, but they were certainly not in any hurry!
Several pull-offs pulled us in with their spectacular views, and it was great to just take our time and soak in the beautiful sights. Gorgeous waterfalls, rocky cliffs, wide open vistas…the beauty of Yellowstone is just so captivating!
Canyon Village was a nice place to grab a sandwich and drinks before we made our way to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone for the rest of our day.
We hiked to Lower and Upper Falls where every turn of the trails was breathtaking. The day was so clear and the air so crisp, and we never encountered large crowds. Some of the parking areas were pretty full, but we always found a spot and the trails were not crowded with tourists.
Finishing our time in Yellowstone, we headed back through the South gate and made our way back to Jackson. That evening we walked around downtown Jackson and relaxed in anticipation of our huge adventure the next day.
Hike to Lake Solitude
We decided not to take the ferry across Jenny Lake because there was already a pretty long line of people waiting for the quicker and easier way across the lake. Instead, we hiked around the lake.
Our mission that day was to hike through Cascade Canyon and up to Lake Solitude at an elevation of 9,035 feet. This was a lofty goal, but we felt prepared for the challenge.
The beginning of the trail took us to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point where we encountered more people than we would see the rest of the day. Both places were beautiful and required a little bit of climbing, but nothing compared to the rest of our hike that day. Hiking through Cascade Canyon was just breathtaking! It was a gentle climb along the rushing water with mountains along both sides. The sky was bright blue and the air was crisp. We were like bobble heads trying to take in all of the views!
The last mile and a half was by far the most challenging. Rocky trails and steep elevation gains had us questioning our abilities and decision to continue on. At one point we were walking through snow! Scrambling over rocks and constant climbing was just exhausting. When we were passed by an older woman who was RUNNING, we were definitely humbled. Finally, we came to the top of a grueling and rocky hill to see Lake Solitude! This was what we had been pursuing all day and the view did not disappoint!
The only way to see Lake Solitude is to hike this incredible trail. There is no easy way in. Snow melting from the surrounding peaks creates this crystal clear lake and it is a spectacular view! We sat on the large boulders, ate our snacks and re-hydrated. A few people were brave enough to strip down and jump into the lake! The water was so cold that you could see snow under the surface of the water. It was one of the most beautiful sights we have ever seen and definitely the hardest hike we had ever attempted.
At this point, we knew we were only halfway done with our hike and needed to get back on the trail. What had been the hardest mile and a half on the way up we did in half the time! Downhill was definitely easier. On the way back through Cascade Canyon, we saw a large elk resting in the shade of some pine trees, but never saw any bears. Although I would have loved to see one, I was relieved that we didn’t have an up close encounter!
The last mile and a half around Jenny Lake was grueling and at one point my husband called back to me “keep pushing!” If I could have caught up to him, I probably would have pushed him into the lake!! Our total distance was 19 miles and a total of 2,400 feet of elevation gain! What an incredible accomplishment! That is a day we will remember forever. Now when things get tough, we joke and tell each other to “keep pushing!”
Unfortunately, we had a 4 hour drive to Park City, UT where we were staying the night. We hustled to our vehicle, dusty, dirty, sweaty, hungry, and exhausted. Because we were flying out of Salt Lake City that next day, we did not have time to spare!
Three days was all we had in those magical parks, but we made memories to last a lifetime! If you ever have the opportunity to visit Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, say YES and it will be an experience you will always remember!
If you are searching for more information about these national parks, head to http://www.nps.gov for camping, trails, and other activities available.
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