Carrie's Comments

Dinner with Michael

My friend Michael from Arkansas was in DC this week at an EL training - which I got him mixed up in. We had a nice dinner at Levantes tonight and even got to sit outside.

Happy Birthday Dad!

It is my dad's !@#@!? birthday today. He is celebrating at the Jersey shore, lucky him.

Happy Birthday Karen!

Happy Birthday to my friend Karen.

Fossil Butte National Monument

Apparently we did not have enough National Park time on our trip, so on our way back to Salt Lake City mom and I stopped at Fossil Butte National Monument. A lake about 50 million years ago, a sudden atmospheric change drained the lake and left whole animal fossils in the earth. It was very hot, desert-like. We took a short walk and continued our drive through Wyoming.

Alpine Slide

As a finale, we took the chirlift up Snow King mountain and slid down the alpine slide, like a luge without ice. And considering you could go really slow, it was not that scary, but actually a lot of fun.

The Coldest Day Ever!

An early morning frost greeted us this morning, just in time for our wetest and craziest day of the trip. Breakfast again at the great brunch place and then we packed in to the van for our drive south to the launch point on the Snake River. We were rafting in Class I-III rapids. Waiting for our boat to launch we played some frisbee.

We all fit on one boat and our leader for the rafting was Johnathan. Originally from Bowling Green, KY, Johnathan said he had run the river on average five times a day for the last three months - and only lost a few people.

The water was freezing and the air temperature matched - thought it was above the actual freezing mark. Mom and I sat in the front of the boat - me in the paddling position and sh enext to me. We would switch off our rowing responsibilities. We got splashed a few times on the initial small rapids. But the big one was right around the river bend.

We could see the "big Kahuna" in the distance. It was certainly the biggest rapid we had come upon during the trip. Oh, and it lived up to its name. We hit the rapid straight on and the entire front of the boat was soaked! It was like one moment we were there and the next you could not see us. But when the water cleared you had a few wet and very cold people. It was so much fun, but then the cold set in and it took a lot of energy to stay warm for the rest of the almost two hour ride.

Lots of Ups and Downs

Our morning began with the best brunch we have had during our entire trip - fresh fruit, eggs, french toast, anything you could imagine eating for breakfast. We then gathered for a very full day of hiking and biking.

We began our hike at Jenny Lake. We made our way around the perimeter of the Lake to Hidden Falls. The path was crowded with hikers. We continued straight up to Inspiration Point above Jenny Lake, which had a marker saying we were at 7200 feet. The view of Teewinot Peak was impressive.

We continued our hike around Jenny Lake - the terrain changed from rocky and open to dense forest to sweeping vistas of the Lake and mountains. We kept a pretty quick pace around the Lake and made it to lunch before 1pm on the edge of String Lake. Lincoln and Kevin got creative today and made cold pizzas with various toppings - artichokes, peppers, pesto, etc. It was an interesting twist. Dessert was a yogurt parfait with sweet blackberries.

With barely enough time to digest we got on our bikes and headed south. We made the Jenny Lake loop, which took us along the Lake and through forests. We then came to the main park road where the wind was blowing strong. It was difficult to bike, but mom and I made it to the van at the 4.5 mile point. Mom hopped on the van, but me, a glutton for punishment decided to push on. I made it the full 10 miles - not a long bike ride, but the wind made it tough.

We took the back road out of the park and back to our hotel for a quick hot tub dip and clothing change before dinner. Dinner was in Jackson at the Cadillac Grill - yummy! I had the rare ahi tuna, but the best part of the meal were the appetizers. We all shared some sort of dumplings, spring rolls and crab cakes.

The night was not over just yet, though the food coma was setting in. We went to the Jackson rodeo. We entered the bandstand and found our seats. We were quite late, but got the just in time to see the cruel people rope baby cows! Those calfs could not have been happy or felt very good. There was some bronco riding too - but my first asthma attack in years kicked in and mom and I escaped the stands for some fresh air. Back to the hotel for a short sleep.

Morning at Lake Yellowstone

The rains came last night. It was cold but clear when we woke up this morning. I headed out to the Lake to see the sun rising over the distant mountains. What a vista. The steam rising off the lake and the fog clinging in the mountain valleys were both beautiful.

We were packed and ready to get back on the road after a hearty breakfast. Dressed for some cool lake kayaking, we drove around Lake Yellowstone to the West Thumb area of the lake. There we were packed into our boats and sent out on the Lake.

An alpine lake, Lake Yellowstone is the largest high altitude lake in North America. Because of this status the weather changes very often on the lake - when we started it was cool and brezzy, but the sun came out as we skirted the shoreline on our way to a water-view of the geysers.

Mom and I had our own kayaks and we managed quite well - we all traveled 2 miles around the lake to an area of active underwater geysers - we could see the bubbles and smell the sulfur from our boats. Paddling back to our starting point, we made a short detour into a swampy area - no animals, but lots of green plants stuck on my paddle. We did spot one bald eagle in a distant tree, but no other wildlife on the shore - could have been because we were all talking so loud, just an idea.

Lunch was served on the beach when we got back to our launching site. We had turkey sandwiches, leftover asian slaw, and chips and salsa. Packed back in the bus for a long ride south back to the Tetons, we were all tired from the morning paddle.

When we arrived in Jackson we were given the option of biking the 8 miles to the hotel, or riding the bus. I rode the newly paved bike lane from Jackson to Teton Village, which sits at the base of Jackson Hole ski resort. We checked into our hotel rooms at the Snake River Lodge and Spa and went to explore our new surroundings. I made my way to the outdoor hot tub with the cascading waterfall.

Dinner was on our own tonight. Mom and I joined the other mother-daughter group, Rhonda and Frannie, and ate at the Mangy Moose. Bad name, good food. Off to bed early - I was tired from another full day of activities.

The Landscape of Yellowstone

We left the hotel and the crowds of Old Faithful to follow the Firestone River as it wound its way through the geysers and forests of the park. Our first stop was at the Grand Prismatic Spring/Geyser. A geyser in name only, the area was a huge spring that had errupted only a few known times. It looked more like a large steaming lake. There was a boardwalk running through the middle of the area and the colors from the spring ranged from bright orange to dark blue.

Across the rainbow of water we spotted a male elk with a full set of antlers. He ignored us and ate his way along the banks of the murky water. Back to the van, a stop to look at some wildflowers, use the lovely pit toilet in the parking lot and on to the paint and mud pots.

The paint and mud pots are steaming, smelly holes filled with boiling white or brown thick liquid. They are part of the underwater active geyser system that lies under Yellowstone. The smell of sulfur (you know that smell) cut our visit to this part of the park a little short, as we were all excited to get back in the van.

Our final morning walk was to the Upper Yellowstone Falls viewing point. Here the Yellowstone River begins its long decent into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The falls make a few short jumps before a longer plunge at the Upper Falls. The sun was shining on us as storm clouds gathered in the distance. Another short walk up the steps, across a bridge and lunch was served.

For day two we were served tuna sandwiches, asian slaw, soy crisps and oreo cookies for dessert. It was the perfect lunch to power us up for a 6 mile hike to the canyon rim. The huge ravens flew overhead as we enjoyed our lunch - some landing within feet of the table - and they were HUGE!

Our hike began just as the skies began to threaten some real rain. We hiked across a large grassy field where buffalo usually roam. Their deposits were apparent on the sides of the trail. It was kind of them to refrain from leaving their presents directly in the middle of our path. The field soon turned to forest with a few interspersed lakes.

We gathered as a group to play a fun bondng exercise. Lincoln challenged us to find a way to get from one side of a "lava pit" to the other with onyl four touches. Placing two people in the middle of the "lava" we took tunrs stepping across this human foot bridge with the help of the support beams - Johnny and Tom. Everyone was a good sport and we all made it safely across and continued our hike.

As we walked the forests open up into a lunar-type landscape, where there were open mud pits and geysers. The smell was intense! Soon the rain came and we all put on our gear for our approach to the canyon. We reached the canyon rim where we were treated to a view of the yellow cliffs interspersed with bright red and other colors leading straight down to the Yellowstone River a long way down.

Hiking along the rim we soon came upon a vista of the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone. It was an amazing view - the falls plunging hundreds of feet, with spray coating the banks of the canyon, making a mossy blanket. We continued hiking closer to the Falls as the skies opened up - we were soaked. Finally we came to a place of decision, climb the 348 steps to a view of the falls or head up to the comfort of the van. Half of us tackled the slippery steps down to the view of the falls, while others vanned it. The view was pretty amazing, but the walk up was torture on the lungs.

We dried off in the van and headed for our Inn for the night. We made a few unexpected stops as the road came to a complete standstill because of two different buffalo crossings. At one point an entire herd could be seen crossing a river to our left, but one buffalo decided to go his own way and came strolling towards us on the road. Tonight we were staying at the Lake Yellowstone Inn on the banks of its namesake. Dinner in the hotel dining room and bed were on the menu for the night.

Geyser Country, Yellowstone

We spent last night at the Old Faithful Inn, which was built in the mid-1800's and was barely spared by fire in 1988, when 330,000 acres in Yellowstone were burned.

The Inn sits on the cusp of Geyser Country - where a majority of the 10,000 geysers in Yellowstone Park are found. I woke up very early this morning to do a hike around the wooden walkways that cover the boiling ground. It was about 40 degrees as I headed out with my cameras in hand. The steam rising in the distance showed the contrast between then hot ground and the cool air. I made my way out towards Lion Geyser just as it roared to life. It sent water and steam flying into the air, and with the sun rising behind it the colors were vivid.

Walking the wooden planks that were slick with morning dew, I found myself next to Aurum Geyser as it launched its contents into the hazy mist. There were no other people around as I tried to capture the images on film. Off in the distance I could see Castle Geyser with its line of steam rising into the now light sky and the reforested hillside behind it shined yellow as the sun rose above the mountains.

My fingers were getting cold, along with my ears, and my stomach was getting hungry, so I made my way back towards the Inn just as Old Faithful came to life. The tourists who usually line the benches around the well-known geyser were no where to be found, so I enjoyed the view with a few large ravens.

Breakfast was served in the large Inn dining room and then on to the bus for a day in Yellowstone.

Austin Lehman Adventure Begins

At 8:45am, Lincoln and Kevin showed up in the Austin Lehman van and trailer to pick mom and I up to start our adventure. We were the last participants to be picked up, already in the van were 10 other people. Lincoln and Kevin were to be our fearless leaders for the trip.

We drove north out of Jackson. Appearing to our west were the Tetons, an amazing sight as we pulled over in the van at a picnic area. There we jumped out, got a brief introduction to our traveling partners and were given our bikes.

Our fellow travelers were: Johnny and Carla, a married couple from NYC; Carrie and Paul, a married couple from Long Island; Steve and Rosemary, a married couple from outside Chicago; Tom and Christine, a couple from Long Island; and Rhonda and Frannie, a mother and daughter duo from Long Island and NYC.

The bikes were unracked, the helmets were strapped on, the water bottles were filled and the directions were given, so we got on our bikes and with the Tetons to our left we headed out on the road.

The road was a rolling two lane highway with a few passing vehicles. The air was thin, we were at 6000 feet or so. It was easy riding and the scenery was magnificent. The van woul dpass us and stop ahead to make sure we knew the route. We were told to keep our eyes open for buffalo and other animals. At one point we did spot a buffalo in the distance. It made its way towards the river and disappeared.

We took a break about ten miles into the ride and played some frisbee. Back on the bikes, we hit the only major hill of the ride. Out of breath we pushed on and came to a herd of buffalo. They kept moving closer to our bikes, so we said our goodbyes and turned west towards the mountains. We stopped the ride at Mormon Row and the bikes and equipment were reloaded for our ride to Yellowstone.

Our lunch break was along the shores of Lewis Lake. We walked to the waters edge and watched a group of pelicans swim in sync as they dove for fish. Lunch for us was chicken salad, cheese breadsticks, salad with raspberries and Sun Chips. Yum!

Back on the van for our drive to Geyser Country in Yellowstone National Park. Along the way we passed through the John Rockfeller Memorial Highway and the southern part of Yellowstone Park.

Heading North

We hopped in the rental car this morning for our five hour drive to Jackson, WY. We began the drive on I-15, which heads north out of Salt Lake and goes right along the Great Salt Lake - which is remarkably large. I have seen it from the air, but riding next to it, it just looks like a large body of water. From the air you can see the white of the salt sediment.

We got off the Interstate and headed northeast through Logan on Route 89. This road took us by Bear Lake, which splits to border of Idaho and Utah. We then crossed in to Wyoming and continuted north through the Wyoming Range into Jackson Hole and the town of Jackson.

We checked into our little motel, the Miller Park Motor Inn and walked around town. It is a small town with lots of tourist shops, a town square with large arches of elk antlers welcoming visitors, and additional shops.

Dinner that night was at the Gun Barrel Steak House - we shared a rack of ribs, yum.

Salt Lake City

Mom and I arrived within 8 minutes of eachother at Salt Lake City airport - I love it when travel plans work. And our bags showed up too, double bonus. We rented our car and drove to Little America, supposedly a drive-up motor lodge in downtown SLC, but the absolute nicest motel we have ever stayed in. The sheets were pure white and soft and the towels were fluffy and new. Impressive. There are Little America's in a few cities - Sun Valley, ID, Little America, WY, and SLC. It was a great was to start off our vacation - oh and the Coffee Shop at the hotel is rated in the top five restaurants in the state - and it was damn good.

Heading West (for vacation)

Mom and I are heading out on a hiking, biking, kayaking and white water rafting expedition - 9 days out of the DC humidity. Will post news and photos when I can.

Happy Birthday Amanda!

Happy birthday to my Iowa, now DC buddy Amanda.

Happy Birthday Sybil

Happy Birthday Sybil - my co-worker for today. Sybil is off to Tennessee to attend law school. Best of luck!

From LV to SF

Left the heat of the Las Vegas desert for the cool fog of San Francisco. After a weekend of work I headed to SF to see friends and do work. The cool fog of a San Francisco summer was refreshing and beautiful.

Happy Birthday Jean

Happy Birthday to my friend Jean!
I have yet to make it to one of Jean's B'day celebrations...and this year is the same. Sorry Jean, one of these years.

Vegas...

Got to Vegas on Thursday. It was a cool 103! Yes, that is cool compared to the 117 it was a few weeks ago when I was there. A productive few days. Staying at Paris. Got upgraded to a suite, thanks dad. It had two huge marble bathrooms, nice!

Team Iowa in DC

Team Iowa in DC got together tonight at The Front Page. I have not been there in years - still the same, but no free happy hour nibbles. Matt, Stephanie, Jeff, Amanda, Aaron and Katie were all in attendance. Good to see everyone - employed and all. Katie, send along some photos and let me know your blog address.

Dave's Photos

Dave sent along the following photos from his time in Devil's Postpile National Monument in the Eastern Sierra mountain range in California. He is working there for two weeks. (Rough life.)