Theodore Roosevelt National Park

The second national park of my summer, was a bit unexpected. Unexpected in the sense that I didn't originially have a plan to visit it. When mom and I found ourselves with a few extra days on the leaving side of our trip we decided we might as well head on out early. But where to? A look at the map and mom mentioned that there was one more national park in North Dakota we hadn't hit that wouldn't add too much (what is too much on a road trip that logged over 5,000 miles of driving?) to our trip. And so we headed off, with a plan to hit Devil's Tower National Monument which we hadn't gotten to the last time we were in Wyoming and then head through South Dakota and into North Dakota to spend a day or two around Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Never mind that it was going to be around the 4th of July. An hour of throwing hotel numbers at my mom to call, found us rooms to ensure we wouldn't have to keep driving forever on the holiday.

Usually I have a pretty good idea of what the options are for random stops on our trips, having outsourced much of my exploring to Roadside America, this time we took off before I had any ideas. I found myself scrambling every night to see if there was anything around for us to see. Which is probably why we ended up at the Geographical Center of the US in Belle Fourche, South Dakota as well as the Termesphere Gallery in Spearfish, SD. Devil's Tower was well worth the detail and the hour of two we spend walking around the base of the volcanic rock structure, constantly turning our heads up to glance towards the sky and the top of the monument. I have to admit though, there really isn't a lot when you drive through western South and North Dakota. Perhaps that is why we kept changing our plans as we drove.

Originally we had only planned to visit the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt Park. But when we realized it would be less than a 100 miles out of the way, and it wasn't even noon yet, we altered our mental map and kept heading north to the North Unit. A more remote, and quiet section of the park. We saw perhaps 5 people during the 4 hours we spent in that section. Our attention directed to the natural landscape instead. Cannonball excretions forming in the side of a hill, the rattlesnake that made both of us jump before quickly hurrying away at its warning shake, the endless landscape and bright yellow clover against a brilliant blue sky. The chance to get out, hike a bit (okay, maybe that was a bad idea as mom ended up with a fractured ankle on our first day out rather than just a bad sprain as we had expected), and enjoy clean air. Always one of the goals of my summer vacations.

The next day we headed into the South Unit of the park. A few more people, although still not enough to interrupt our enjoyment of the landscape. I took a 3.5 mile hike through the interior of the park, while mom continued along the road to the viewpoints. We saw a few wild horses and a herd of bison grazing in the clover. A hot, dusty day which made the idea of driving for another 3 days to Glacier National Park just bearable.

Summer escape

Summer is so often an escape for me. One in which I try to get as surrounded by nature as possible, as a way to recover from 10 months in one of the biggest cities in the world. Over the past several years I've been doing that by heading into the US's National Parks. This summer was no different. The main destination this year was Glacier National Park in Montana, where there was no shortage of trails to allow me brief forays away from just about anything that reminded me of civilization (well if you could ignore the bear bells ringing from other hiker's packs). As always it was the little moments that really made the week special, and allowed my spirit to recover. Finding a perfect reflection of the mountains in the lake. Noticing that the sun hit my favorite flower, the bear paw, in just the right manner in that field. Reaching Apikuni falls to find no one else there, making the .8 miles up hill well worth the hard breathing. The marmot that just made me smile. That plant, whose inner growth spoke to the part of me that loves symmetrical, mathematical beauty. The different shades of blue that together form one peaceful landscape. Reaching the third waterfall in one day, and finding I only had to share it with 6 other people. Splurging on high tea at the Prince of Wales hotel across the Canadian border in Waterton Lakes National Park. Just the overall peacefulness of mountains, greenery and water helped me to feel renewed.  

American snapshot: Arches National Park

I walk down the middle of a canyon. On one side the rock glows in a reddish orange, highlighting spectacular rock formations. On the other side the stone faces rests in darkness waiting its time to shine, when the sun will highlight its fins and spires. Even without the arches that make this National Park unique it is a landscape which encourages wonder, awe and appreciation...and I've only made it a couple of miles into the park; stopping to walk Park Avenue in the early morning when it is still cool thanks to the overnight rain which left puddles along my way to reflect the clear blue sky and the tops of the rock formation. Mom is waiting for me at the end of my stroll ready to drive on to the next major rock formation after happily pointing out the sheep rock formation and the three gossips to me.

Balanced rock holds its own mystery. How long will that rock remain perched on top of its pillar? Just what geological phenomenon is responsible for this precarious formation? As I walk around the base gazing up at the top it becomes even more incomprehensible that this heavy stone remains on its stand. How much longer can it possibly remain Balanced Rock instead of tumbled rock?

Most of the rest of the park is dedicated to the arches which earned it it's name. There are the two windows, visible together only from select points, double arch which unfolds its unique form from a collapsed vault as you get closer. Delicate arch sits high up and far away on a hill yet is still able to personify the contrast of delicate strength. Landscape Arch lost much of its thickness in 1995 when a chunk fell down, causing everyone to wonder as they walk by if today might be the day that it ceases to be an arch. Sand dune arch is nearly impossible to view as the wind whips up the sand that gives its name, causing me to steal a glimpse and a photo before turning to walk back with my eyes closed most of the way; all so that I won't feel like I missed something when we leave.

The last day we meet a ranger for our guided walk into the Fiery Furnace, thankful by the end that we managed to get the last two tickets available during the time we are visiting. After walking through the cracks that cause the formation of fins, taking breaks in spots where a glimpse over your shoulder reveals a surprise arch, and learning about the fragile biological soil crust which allows plants to eeck out a living it is hard to imagine coming into the park without experiencing this introduction to the fascinating stone world of Arches, although I must admit that even a drive through the main road of the park would expose you to the exceptional scenery which made Arches National Park my favorite park of the summer.

American snapshot: Grand Teton National Park

If you head out of Yellowstone Park to the south you can't help but drive through Grand Teton National Park, the second national park of our summer trip. You can tell that this park is used to people just driving through and wanting to see a bit of what is on offer. When we stopped to get a bit of information the volunteer was able to give us a driving route, with recommended stops, that would take us a few hours to get through with enough time to actually get out of the car and walk for a bit. The entire time you are in the park the view is dominated by the Teton mountains towering over the landscape. I consistently found myself looking west unable to draw my eyes away from the majestic mountains. We stopped for a picnic lunch along the river where we could soak in their towering heights reflected back by the water. Father along we stopped for a short walk near some of the recreational areas (in some ways the park reminded me of a state park in terms of its recreational usage than a national park, although there is no denying that its natural landscape deserves national protection) where the obvious views were still enchanting but I also was absorbed by the northern version of bluebonnets and paintbrushes with their taller growth. A later stop took us to the chapel of transfiguration where the view was the entire focal point of the chapel. Why put in stain glass when a clear window will reveal one of God's masterpieces behind the altar? A turn and a head back into the park by a different road led us to Snake River Overlook, a spot where Ansel Adams took a few of his stunning photographs. You know I had to do my best to capture a piece of that in black and white. On our way out of the park we took a small detour along a dirt road where we happily stopped to watch the buffalo cross, taking their time, rubbing their heads against posts, bending down to nibble a bit of grass and keeping the calves moving. This park definitely has its own unique draw; even if it is often overshadowed by its larger more well-known northern neighbor.

American snapshot: Yellowstone National Park

I've done so much traveling outside the United States and yet there is so much in the US that I have yet to see that I sometimes feel guilty. That feeling, combined with a need to get some of that fresh air that is sadly lacking in Delhi sent me on a two and a half week road trip this summer that encompassed four national parks. A week after leaving Austin mom and I made it to Yellowstone where we ended up spending three nights in the park (pretty good for only one night reserved ahead of time). I'm not really sure what I expected from the park. I finally decided that all of my preconceptions came from when I used to watch Yogi Bear cartoons as a child. Needless to say that is not exactly a realistic view of the park, although the pine trees were definitely out in abundance!

My Yellowstone experience can be divided into three main parts in my mind: the animals, geothermal activity and beautiful scenery. I have to admit that I probably got most excited about the first. Just the potential to see bears carries a sense of anticipation, regardless of the fact that we didn't see any. Bison were difficult to miss, wandering across the road at times, grazing in fields along the way and becoming the point of much traffic congestion in the evenings. One of them even decided to stroll by our cabin the last night. Driving around one of the hotel we came across a here of female elk. They don't seem quite so exciting as they are without antlers of any type. A day later there was some traffic congestion so I jumped out of the car to see what had everyone's attention. Down by the stream resting under a tree were two male elk sporting quite the racks. The last day a single male decided to stroll across the road in front of our car providing us with an up
close and personal look at one of these beasts simply stepping over the wooden fence I had been leaning against earlier. That was about it for the big animals we saw in the park, a deer, rabbits, birds, and some lizards rounding out the count.

Who doesn't think of Old Faithful when they hear the name Yellowstone? I certainly do! So of course a stop to see the most reliable geyser in the park was in the plans. We had to wait around an hour for the next anticipated eruption; which just gave us plenty of time to stake out a good seat along the edge of the geyser field. While the geyser itself was pretty impressive I might have had more fun watching the reaction of the kids that were sitting around us. The ohs and ahhs were a good reminder that I needed to appreciate the magical experience this really was. So I settled I to shoot photos of the initial steam stream, the spurts of water, the arch of the eruption and the gradual subsidence back to a bubbling water pot. Afterwards we had to stroll through the geyser basin and take in some of the other spouts. Old Faithful is just one of the many locations where you can appreciate the beauty of geothermal activity. My other favorites included the spitting mud pots at the Artist's Paintpots and my sunrise trip out to the Norris Geyser Basin where I was
overwhelmed by the steamy/smoky landscape which made me feel as if I had emerged onto a set for some otherworldly fantasy until the time that the sun began to highlight steam trails as it peaked over the mountains (totally worth dealing with the 40 degree temperatures). There were also the colored terraces by Mammoth Hot Springs (bringing to mind the white travertines of Pamukale inTurkey). I can't help but imagine what it would have been like to be an early explorer venturing through this mystical, unexpected and dangerous landscape.

As for the landscape...well there were sections of towering pine trees. Views over a few powerful waterfalls, my favorite being a smaller one that I passed on a slight hike between the upper and lower falls. Also tower falls was a simple meander off the road. The northern section had more open and sweeping vistas, sprinkled with the random glacier boulders that had tumbled to a final stop. There were, of course mountain fields, ravines with rapids and steam capped views. The two images that stand out the most in my mind though are the moment of watching a bison carefully pick a path through a geothermal area and later the white crusted, dead wood image of a land that has been rendered lifeless by the heat and minerals of the underlying geothermal activity. Both highlighted the very delicate balance that exists in this unusual place.