Back From Vacation (Updated)

Bah! I accidentally posted this before I was done writing it! How embarrassing. So, for those of you who read my incomplete post, I've edited it and added pictures now ;)

Our vacation in Wyoming was wonderful. It was great to get away. My heart felt lighter. No obsessing over TTC. The sadness went away. Greg and I had a great time together. The weather kind-of sucked - it rained on & off every single day. But that didn't stop us from hiking 35-40 miles. I have a new love for our rain gear!

We flew into Jackson Hole on Friday evening. We stayed at an adorable bed and breakfast and had a great dinner at a local restaurant. The next day we headed up to Yellowstone. Yellowstone is so beautiful, and has so much variety! The thermal areas, the canyons, the waterfalls, the valleys, the mountains, the animals. Two days in Yellowstone was not nearly enough to experience it all.

We spent most of the first day in the Old Faithful area, checking out the hot springs and geysers - SO COOL. Here are a few pictures:

Old Faithful

Morning Glory Hot Spring

After a night of camping, we drove around the park and did lots of little hikes at a pretty darn fast pace. We saw Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Falls, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Hayden Valley, the Mud Volcano/mudpots, and Yellowstone Lake. We hiked over 10 miles that day. Our favorite hike was a little trek up a Elephant Back mountain, where we got great views of Yellowstone Lake and the Tetons.

Mammoth Hot Spring

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Hayden Valley

Mudpot

Yellowstone Lake (OMG! The Sun is Out!)

The next day we headed down to Grand Teton National Park. Unfortunately, most of the park required ice axes and cramp-ons to hike - something Greg and I aren't experienced with - so we hiked throw some meadows around the base of the mountain. We found a beautiful campsite on the lake that evening.

View From Our Campsite

Awesome Sunset

On our fourth day, we hiked Cascade Canyon - it was awesome and the highlight of our trip. I almost walked right into a porcupine at one point! It was in the middle of the trail, right around a bend. I gasped and he fluffed out his quills. Then he turned around and waddled away. Misadventure averted!

Here are a few pictures from the hike:

View From the Floor of Cascade Canyon, Looking Up


Mountain Pond in Cascade Canyon

That evening we stayed and dined at the Jackson Lake Lodge. The lodge was beautiful with an amazing view of the Tetons, and the food was awesome. The perfect anniversary celebration and end to our trip. We were so sad to leave the next day!

Happy Hour on the Deck at Jackson Lake Lodge

Sunset from the Lodge