Wyoming Archives - Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com

Day 8 – Idaho 2025 // Grand Teton National Park, Shoshone Falls

Isaac Church — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 03:30:00 +0000

Today, we finished up the Tetons and then headed west into Idaho. We did more moose watching, rode a gondola to the top of the Tetons, ate some sky-high waffles, and then saw an incredible sunset on the Snake River.

Schwabacher Landing

As usual, we started our day long before sunrise, and headed into Grand Teton National Park to look for wildlife.

Sunrise - Grand Teton National Park

Elk - Grand Teton National Park

Once again, we had no luck on Moose Wilson Road, so we rejoined US-89 and headed to Schwabacher Landing to check for moose at this popular Snake River overlook. No ungulates in sight, but we did catch the sunrise there – one of best I’ve ever seen, despite a large crowd at the trailhead.

Schwabacher Landing - Grand Teton National Park

Double Moose

In the shadow of Blacktail Butte, right off the main highway, we saw a bull and cow moose together, eating in the sagebrush. This was not the same pair we saw at Antelope Flats yesterday; you can see the antlers are significantly larger on this bull. I don’t believe it’s the bull we saw by the river, either. Many cars were driving right by the pair, because it was difficult to see them in the dim lighting where they were standing. We managed to get a few decent pictures, and then headed on to check the river area for others.

Moose - Grand Teton National Park

Single Moose

Driving over to the Gros Ventre River area again, we hoped to see another moose by the water. At one overlook, we ran into a clearly [semi-]professional photographer walking back to his car. I asked him if he had seen anything, and he replied that there was a very large cow moose that had headed upstream on the opposite side of the river, but we could probably walk 4-5 minutes and catch up with her.

Of course, Dad and I jumped on the opportunity to see another moose, so we started heading downstream, looking across the water for any signs of her. A few minutes later, I heard a loud twig snap, and thought something might be nearby. Dad said, “I think I see something moving behind that bush.” Still peering over to the other side of the river, I decided to investigate. I rounded the bush, and was greeted with the hindquarters of an extremely large cow moose, not but a couple feet in front of me. I came running out from behind the bush, saying, “Way too close! Way too close!”. We backed a safe distance away, and found a better vantage point. The moose stared us down for what seemed like forever, but then apparently decided we weren’t a threat and went right back to eating her way through the foliage.

Cow Moose - Grand Teton National Park

Soon, she was on the move again, and we tracked her down the river. Then suddenly…she vanished. It’s amazing how a creature that big can disappear behind a tree or in a field of sagebrush. It took us a minute to spot her again; she had bedded down in some grass. She was nearing 7 feet tall at the shoulder, and all you could see was her head above the grass. Her breath steamed and glistened around her in the frigid morning air.

Cow Moose - Grand Teton National Park

Persephone Westbank

More than satisfied with our moose-seeking success, we drove back to Wilson to Persephone Westbank, a bakery we have visited during all of our trips to Jackson Hole. If your memory is decent, you’ll remember we went to the downtown Jackson location yesterday. For breakfast, we ordered a piece of pumpkin bread (it was so good we went back to the counter and waited in line for a second piece), two cortados, and two ham and cheese croissant sandwiches (with Dijon mustard aioli). We also grabbed a few more pastries to go. All was excellent, and we will keep coming back when we’re in the area.

Persephone Westbank

Wilson, Wy

A very good bakery with a good variety, and more to eat than just pastries. We have been multiple times, and will continue to visit on future trips.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Jackson Hole Aerial Tram

On somewhat of a whim, Dad and I decided to ride the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram to the top of the Tetons. The idea sparked because we were looking at the top activities in Jackson Hole, trying to find something we hadn’t done before to cap off our time there. Both my guidebooks and every website said the Tram was one of the best things to do, so we decided to give it a shot.

During ski season, the Tram serves as a lift for skiers looking to take on the highest and most challenging runs at the famous Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, but in the off season, it’s a popular sightseeing excursion. We rode the tram up to the top of the mountains, beholding spectacular views in every direction.

Jackson Hole Aerial Tram

Rendezvous Mountain Trail

Jackson Hole Aerial Tram

Rendezvous Mountain Trail

We braved the Grand Teton Skywalk (see the metal overlook pictured down below), and walked around to the other viewing platforms, learning more about the history of the tram and the ski resort.

Hot Air Balloon - Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole Aerial Tram

Rendezvous Mountain Trail

After reviewing our options, we selected a trail route to hike, mostly on the Rendezvous Mountain Trail. We took it slowly, since we were at such a high altitude (many people around us were gasping for breath), and enjoyed the views towards the west side of the Tetons, something you can’t see from anywhere down in the Jackson Hole Valley. We even saw a handful of paragliders sailing down the mountain and into the valley below. The hike really gave us a good perspective of the enormity of the Teton Range and the “hole”.

Rendezvous Mountain Trail

Paraglider

Rendezvous Mountain Trail

Top of the World Waffles

Done with our hike, and now back near the tram station, we visited the other big attraction (other than the views): Corbet’s Cabin. This establishment is named after Corbet’s Couloir (pronounced coo-laar), widely considered one of the most challenging and dangerous ski runs in the lower 48 states. I’ll post a video from the resort below showing some of the drops.

Corbet’s Cabin serves made-to-order waffles, and they really crank them out. The line was long, but moved very quickly. I was in line next to a family from Romania, and we became temporary friends. They had actually visited the Blue Ridge Parkway in Blowing Rock before, and also loved looking for moose and grizzlies in Yellowstone and the Beartooths. Dad and I ordered Corbet’s signature (brown sugar and butter), and “The Cobbler” (berry compote and whipped cream. We ate at a picnic table, sitting with some other App State fans and the Romanian family. The waffles were great, but made even better by the view and unexpected camaraderie.

Corbet's Cabin Top of the World Waffles

Corbet's Cabin

Jackson HOle, WY

The waffles are great, but it’s the overall experience that really makes this special. If you are in the area, the view and the waffles make riding the tram up the mountain worth it.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Descent and Drop-Off

Soon we made our way back down on the tram, enjoying views of the aspens on the way down. The tram operator told an interesting story… In the winters, they use explosives to cause controlled avalanches, preventing dangerous slides from happening. They occasionally toss these off the trams. One time, an explosive went off too close to the tram, and shattered all the windows from the shockwave of the blast. Not an encouraging story if you’re riding the tram, but it happened back in the “Wild West” days of skiing safety.

Jackson Hole Aerial Tram

Rendezvous Mountain Trail

Back down in the Jackson Hole village, we located a hotel that had a drop-off counter for the bear spray rentals we had picked up in Big Sky several days earlier. We also learned that because our Jeep was apparently a hybrid (with a very lousy battery life, might I add), we could park and charge in the EV spots, right up front. A handy thing to learn for the parking convenience, but it didn’t accomplish much in the way of gas mileage for the vehicle. I wouldn’t trust the battery to get us from one end of the parking lot to the other.

To the Teton Pass...and Beyond!

Leaving Jackson Hole, we drove back across the Teton Pass and eventually joined I-15, heading west across the bottom of Idaho. We followed the Snake River most of the way.

Teton Pass

Snake River

Idaho Falls

Soon we arrived in Idaho Falls, and decided to stop briefly to see the “falls”. Turns out, they dammed up the Snake River over the top of the falls, so there was no water flow during the dry season. Despite this disappointment, we enjoyed a blueberry muffin, ham and cheese croissant, and another sea salt chocolate chip walnut cookie from Persephone for our “lunch”.

Idaho Falls, ID

Blueberry Muffin in Idaho Falls

Persephone Westbank Pastries

Pocatello

Continuing down the interstate, we turned off in Pocatello to drive through the town. The NCAA I-AA football championship game used to be played here, so we were curious what the town was like. By the time App State played in our three national championships, the game had been moved to Chattanooga.

Pocatello, ID

ICCU Dome - Idaho State University

Idaho State University

After a drive through Idaho State University’s campus, we were back on the interstate again.

Twin Falls

Finally, we reached Twin Falls about 45 minutes before sunset, and checked into our rental home. For the final leg of the trip, Cody and Morgan McKinney will be joining us. If you’re a blog-reading regular around here, you probably remember them from our trips to West Virginia, Colonial VA, Texas, etc. I found this National Parks-themed rental house online, and we got a fantastic deal on it. It’ll be home base for the remainder of the trip.

Rental House - Twin Falls, ID

Cody and Morgan were driving up from the SLC airport, and we’d arranged to meet at a park to see the sunset, and then would grab some dinner afterwards. Dad and I unloaded some of our luggage and then started driving to the rendezvous point.

Shoshone Falls

Arriving just in time for the sunset, we met up with Cody and Morgan at Shoshone Falls Park. These falls were also slightly dry, but still an amazing sight to behold. Faith’s mother grew up in Twin Falls, and she had told us that we needed to make time to come by even if the water level was low; she was right.

Shoshone Falls

We saw an amazing sunset, hung around until it seemed to be getting dark, decided on a spot for dinner in Twin Falls, and left the park.

Shoshone Falls

Sunset and Dinner

Little did we realize, one of the strangest sunset phenomenons I’ve ever seen was about to happen. Even though it was well past sunset (at least according to my phone), and seemed to be getting dark, the sky was lit on fire as we were leaving the park. We didn’t turn around to go back to the falls, but I wish I’d been able to get a picture with my camera from down there. It was an incredible sunset. Almost everyone was pulling off the side of the road to take pictures. I couldn’t get to my camera, so here are a few phone pictures that don’t really do it justice.

Sunset - Twin Falls, ID

The Smokey Bone BBQ

In downtown Twin Falls, we went to 2nd South Market, a food hall with a variety of options. All of us opted for The Smokey Bone BBQ, mostly because it smelled good. It was indeed very good. Dad and I split a platter, as did the McKinneys. We got smoked turkey, pulled pork, and pulled chicken, with macaroni and cheese, bacon braised cabbage, and a yeast roll. It was definitely not a contender for being one of the top 10 barbecue meals I’ve ever had, but it was very good and filling, and reasonably priced.

After dinner, we drove back to the rental house and headed to bed. We were all fairly exhausted from being in cars and planes, so we decided to get a little later start in the morning.

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the sunset at and around Shoshone Falls”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the pumpkin bread at Persephone“.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “a tie between Isaac running from the north end of a south-bound moose, and the views from the tram and the top of the Tetons”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the pumpkin bread at Persephone“.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to email notifications.

Tomorrow, we’ll head to an “other-worldly” National Monument in Idaho, possibly go see Sun Valley and the Sawtooths, and explore more of southern Idaho.

– Isaac & Jerry

The post Day 8 – Idaho 2025 // Grand Teton National Park, Shoshone Falls appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 7 – Idaho 2025 // Grand Teton National Park

Isaac Church — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 03:55:14 +0000

Today was a grand day to be outside. The weather was marvelous for a fall day in the Tetons, and the sunlight illuminated the golden sagebrush and aspens perfectly from dawn till dusk.

Morning Moose

We started our morning very early by leaving our condo in Wilson and driving north on Moose Wilson Road, typically a good place to see wildlife. We didn’t have much luck on that drive, though we could hear the elk bugling in the distance, and caught a few glimpses of them in the darkness. At the town of Moose, we cut over onto US-89, and backtracked south, then turned east on Gros Ventre Road (pronounced “groh-vahnt“, thanks to the nonsensical language that is French), which follows the Gros Ventre River northeast away from the Teton mountains.

Teton Sunrise

As the road drew closer to the river’s edge, we saw a small crowd gathered at one of the pullouts – a good sign. Sure enough, there was a massive bull moose eating his way up the river weaving in and out of the small streams of water at the Gros Ventre’s shallow edges.

Moose Watching - Gros Ventre River

We followed the bull upstream for quite some time, walking along the ridge on the riverbank opposite him. It was a bit like hunting – we were weaving in and out of the thick sagebrush, trying to keep up with his long stride, and trying to get a clear view for pictures.

Moose Watching - Gros Ventre River

We didn’t quite realize how far we’d gone. At some point, Dad decided he would go back and get the Jeep, and then drive back up the road to come pick me up. It took him 30 minutes to walk on the side of the road back to the pullout where we had parked! In the meantime, I was freezing to death, and wishing I’d walked back with him. To make things worse, I also [apparently] managed to snag my right-hand glove (which was in my jacket pocket) on a bush, and lost it along the way. I did get a few more good pictures of the moose before he disappeared east into the Gros Ventre Wilderness.

Moose Watching - Gros Ventre River

Sagebrush Suspension

We continued north up the road, taking a sharp turn west at the town of Kelly, and taking Antelope Flats Road back towards US-89 and the main part of the park. Even though we were planning to go back into town for breakfast, our plans quickly changed when we saw two more moose eating in the sagebrush in a field beside the road. There was a bull and a cow moose this time. It’s their “courting” season, when males will spend time, at a distance, with a female as part of their courtship ritual.

Moose Watching - Antelope Flats

The sagebrush is incredibly thick, but we tried to navigate it to get a closer look. I went on ahead with my camera and tripod, trying not to get tangled up. At one point, I looked back and didn’t see Dad anymore, so I assumed the brush was too thick for him to navigate, and thus he’d headed back to the car to warm up and wait on me. What I didn’t know was that Dad had gotten tangled up, and had “bit the dust” in the sagebrush. In his words, “I got tangled and didn’t have any option left but to fall down”. Turns out, the sagebrush was so thick that he never even hit the ground, and was “hanging in suspension” on top of a thick bush. Dad said it was actually quite comfortable, and he was quickly back on his feet and retreated to the Jeep relatively unscathed.

After finding a dry creek bed with a little less vegetation, I managed to get a little closer, but no matter where I moved, the moose refused to face me. So, you can enjoy pictures of their sides and backsides.

Restaurant Repetition

Back on the road headed towards Jackson, we were trying to decide where to eat breakfast. We settled on going back to Nora’s Fish Creek Inn, since our dinner there was so wonderful last night. On the way back into Wilson, we saw yet another bull moose at the intersection of Coyote Canyon Road and the Teton Pass Highway, but I wasn’t able to get a picture, and traffic was so bad going the other direction we were not able to backtrack. Honestly, we though it was a sign or statue at first (a lot of people have things like that in their yard), and realized too late that it was indeed another living, breathing bull moose.

At Nora’s, we got a variety of breakfast items and shared. Dad got an order of biscuits and gravy with home fries and a sourdough pancake, and I got the trout and eggs with home fries and a buttermilk pancake. The trout was the star of the show once again, and we decided we liked the buttermilk pancake better than the sourdough one. It was nice to eat and drink coffee by the warm fire, and we thoroughly enjoyed our second meal here.

Nora's Fish Creek Inn

Wilson, WY

An amazing restaurant. Great food, casual, and fun service. We enjoyed the live blues and jazz in the evening.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Back to the bakery

After breakfast, we were thoroughly stuffed, so what better to do than visit a bakery? We’ve been to Persephone Westbank (over in Wilson) multiple times, but this time we decided to go to the original location in downtown Jackson. We purchased several baked goods (all for later), and walked around downtown to stretch our legs, do some unsuccessful early Christmas shopping, and enjoy the crisp morning air.

Persephone Bakery

Jackson, Wy

A very good bakery with a good variety, and more to eat than just pastries. We have been multiple times, and will continue to visit on future trips.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Downtown Donut

Just as we were about to wrap up downtown and head back to the car, I spotted a coffee shop that piqued my interest – Snake River Roasting Company. Both agreeing that we could use a little more caffeine, we dropped in, only to be welcomed by a beautiful case full of baked goods, most notably huckleberry donuts. We ordered two cortados (equal parts espresso and steamed milk) and decided to split a donut, but managed to restrain ourselves from purchasing any other pastries.

Snake River Roasting Company

The donut and coffee were both very good. Wrapping up our downtown visit, we headed north back into the park.

Snake River Roasting Company

Jackson, WY

Good coffee and pastry selection. Pricey, but pretty typical for Jackson Hole.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Leigh Lake

After a quick stop at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center to grab a trail map and some info, we drove up to the String Lake parking lot, and after finally finding a spot, we began our hike to Leigh Lake.

Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center

Jenny Lake Drive

First, the trail passes shallow String Lake, a long, winding C-shaped lake that is fed from discharge from the much larger Leigh Lake. The out-and-back hike from the parking lot to the overlook where we turned around was about 4.2 miles in total, but it was a very easy, shaded, and scenic hike along the lakeshore.

Leigh Lake Trail

Part of the way around Leigh Lake, we found a nicely shaded spot with a couple “sitting rocks”, and stopped to enjoy a couple beef jerky sticks and pack of trail mix. After taking some pictures of the lake’s crystal-clear water, we turned around and headed back to String Lake and the parking lot.

Leigh Lake Trail

After the hike, we refueled in the parking lot with a couple snacks from Persephone: a cranberry maple whole-wheat scone, and a chocolate chip walnut sea salt cookie.

Persephone Bakery

Summit Scenery

Although we had an upcoming early dinner reservation, we calculated we had time for one more quick adventure. We drove up to the summit of Signal Mountain, which has panoramic views of the Jackson Hole valley. Making a very quick stop at the top, we then drove back to downtown Jackson for an early dinner.

Signal Mountain

Delicious Dinner

Back in downtown, we waited outside Gather, where we had a reservation right as they opened at 17:00. While we waited for them to open their doors, we peeked in a few other nearby shops. We started out by splitting a salad, the “Beet & Blue” (arugula, pickled braised beets, crispy fried beet strings, blue cheese crumbles, candied pecans, blue cheese vinaigrette). For our main courses, we split elk Bolognese (elk, bison, wagyu, house made red sauce, vertical harvest tomatoes, house made pasta, grilled baguette, grated Pecorino) and the bison brisket (braised bison brisket, elk chorizo winter hash, smoked tomato bourbon glaze, over easy duck egg, and local microgreens). All the food was very good, but we opted to skip dessert in favor of the remaining pastries from Persephone.

Gather in Jackson Hole for Food & Drink

Jackson, WY

Great food and service. The menu is more on the modern/unusual side, but it’s a good place to have a meal.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Scenic Sunset

Now back in the park, we began to drive around, looking for more wildlife and watching golden hour and the sunset. First, we pulled into a turnout off Teton Park Road to take some pictures of the golden light hitting the mountains.

Grand Teton National Park

Next, we drove back into the Antelope Flats area, this time cutting across to “Mormon Row”, a line of old houses and barns from early settlers to the area.

Mormon Row - Grand Teton National Park

Antelope Flats

Mormon Row - Grand Teton National Park

Rendezvous River

Leaving Mormon Row, we drove towards Wilson and stopped at Emily Stevens Park and Rendezvous Park for a view of the Snake River at sunset, and hopefully a moose sighting. We saw a couple elk, but no other wildlife.

Snake River

Midnight Moose

Back near our condo, we decided to drive around the neighborhood on the off chance we might see some wildlife in the dark. Our efforts were rewarded with a sighting of the local moose pair crossing the road in front of us in the dark.

Moose in Wilson, WY

Condo Confections

Back at the condo, we ate our two remaining pastries for a late-night dessert. We had a cinnamon brioche and a kouign amann; both were fantastic.

Persephone Bakery

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the bull moose at the Gros Ventre River”.

The best thing I ate today was… “trout at breakfast”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the big bull moose walking alongside the river”.

The best thing I ate today was… “a tie between the elk Bolognese and the chocolate chip walnut cookie”.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to email notifications.

Tomorrow we’ll finish up Jackson Hole and the Tetons, and head west into Idaho.

– Isaac & Jerry

Leigh Lake Trail

The post Day 7 – Idaho 2025 // Grand Teton National Park appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 6 – Idaho 2025 // Hayden Valley, Mesa Falls, Bechler Region, Jackson Hole

Isaac Church — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 03:30:22 +0000

Today, we were all over the place. I joked earlier on this trip that we were basically driving the wrong direction all the time, and today was no exception. But, that means we got to see a lot of new things. In short, I hope you like waterfalls, because today is loaded with them!

Hayden Valley Sunrise

Our day started with being uncomfortably close to a wolf. After loading up the car in the dark hours of the morning, I went into the Lake Lodge to drop off the room key and check us out. As I came back outside, I heard a wolf howl. It sounded like it was right on the other side of the Jeep. I’ve never gotten back in a car faster in my entire life! It might’ve been the same pack we saw from Lake Butte overlook; because we heard them in the distance the evening before too.

Early Start

Hayden Valley Sunrise

We drove north from the lake through the Hayden Valley, following the Yellowstone River. We’d hoped to do some wildlife watching, but it was far too foggy to see anything. It was a beautiful sunrise nonetheless, so we enjoyed seeing the frosted landscape. It was absolutely freezing outside, with a wind chill in the single digits, if not negative. After intermittently stopping at overlooks, we finally decided to brave the cold long enough to hike up an ice-covered hill near Trout Creek and Elk Antler Creek. The views were spectacular, although our hands and feet quickly went numb. We both enjoyed the peaceful silence of the morning, then rushed back to the warm car.

Hayden Valley Sunrise

We continued up the Hayden Valley, delayed briefly by a frost-covered bison ambling up the middle of the road.

Bison - Hayden Valley

Canyon

Soon we arrive at the turnoffs for the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Although we already hiked along the north rim earlier this trip, we decided to quickly drive down the south rim to Artist Point to catch one last glimpse of the Lower Falls. Our spontaneity was rewarded with a magnificent glowing view of the falls and the canyon, lit up in a way that was wowing even the clearly seasoned local photographers who were set up for their morning exposures.

Canyon Sunrise

Breakfast

Driving back down to the Lake Hotel, we attempted to get a spot for the breakfast buffet, but after hearing the wait times, we opted to get some solidly average breakfast sandwiches from the Hotel Deli instead. We finished up our breakfast and some coffee in the deli, observed the elk grazing by the front porch of the hotel, and then drove by the lakeshore in front of the hotel to get a view of its iconic white columns.

Lake Yellowstone Hotel Deli

Lake Yellowstone Hotel

On the Road Again

Back on the Grand Loop Road, we circled around the lower part of the “figure 8”, and headed north to Old Faithful, pulling into the Lower Geyser Basin just long enough to realize there weren’t going to be any significant eruptions soon. After a brief detour down Firehole Canyon Road to see the falls and the cascades, we turned west and exited the park via the Madison River Valley, headed towards West Yellowstone. If you’re keeping track, we’re still headed in the wrong direction.

Madison River Valley

WEst Yellowstone

Back in West Yellowstone, we filled up with gas, and started our journey to our next realm of adventure: Yellowstone’s “Cascade Corner”. We didn’t have a solid lunch plan, but we quickly found one on the way out of town when I shouted “turn in!” after seeing the sign for Ernie’s Bakery and Deli, which I recognized from one of my travel guidebooks.

Ernie’s has a great to-go lunch special, which gives you a generously portioned sandwich, an apple, a cookie, a bag of chips, and a bottled drink. We each got a bagged lunch, and after a brief wait, we were back on the road again.

Mesa Falls

At this point, you might be wondering to yourself, “Isaac, why is this trip titled ‘Idaho 2025’ if you haven’t even been in the state of Idaho by Day 6?”. Well, here’s your answer: besides the game being in Boise, we wanted to focus some time on the more remote Idaho side of Yellowstone.

Crossing the border into Idaho and driving through the Henry’s Lake area, we were amazed by how much development had occurred since we were last there. We eventually turned onto Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, and headed to see our first waterfall in this area. First, we stopped at Upper Mesa Falls. The river canyon takes an almost 90-degree turn at the base of the falls, making it a very unique drop.

Upper Mesa Falls

A short drive down the road and a couple missed turns later (it is very poorly labeled), we pulled into the Grandview Campground for a view of Lower Mesa Falls down below. I wish there was a better way to see this one up close, but the view from the canyon rim was magnificent.

Lower Mesa Falls

Bechler Region

The Bechler Region of Yellowstone National Park is rarely visited, mostly because it’s a real pain to access. It’s not connected to the Grand Loop Road; in fact, it’s barely connected to any main road. There’s a ~28 mile drive from the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway (which is already remote), and the trailheads are over 50 miles from the latest semi-major town. Oh, and most of that 28 mile drive is down a washboard gravel road – yay for Jeep suspension and off-road mode! We were glad to finally make it to this remote area of the park – it truly feels like we had a Yellowstone experience that most people don’t even know about.

Bechler Region

Picnic Lunch

Near Cave Falls (pictures later on) on the Fall River, there are a couple of picnic tables right by the edge of the lower falls, plus no more than two parking spaces for the floods of crowds who bother to come out this far. We enjoyed our sandwiches, and used my guidebook in combination with the park’s rudimentary trail map sign to plan our hike for the afternoon.

Lunch - Ernie's Bakery and Deli

Ernie's Bakery and Deli

West Yellowstone, MT

A great place to get tasty sandwich to take on your adventures.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Bechler River Trail

Our hike of choice was the Bechler River Trail. The trail will eventually take you all the way to Old Faithful, some 30+ miles away, but we decided we’d go as far as the second major waterfall on the river, Bechler Falls. The trail follows the western side of the Fall River, until the river meets its confluence with the Bechler River. The Bechler River (and its trail) fork northwest, and the Fall River goes northeast. By the way, the rivers are 10x wider than they look in the pictures.

Confluence of the Bechler and Fall Rivers

Bechler River Trail

Continuing upstream, we eventually climbed up a clear fall line – a sign that the next major waterfall was near.

Bechler River Trail

Bechler Falls

On our way back down the trail, some kind of very large bird jumped up out of the brush and made us jump out of our shoes – not once, but twice! The solitude was getting to us, I guess…I even got a high heart rate alert on my Apple Watch. Despite the “fowl intervention”, we arrived back at the trailhead safely. The hike was really quite easy for its length, and if we’d planned better, we could’ve continued at that pace and slope for quite some time.

Cave Falls

Back at the main trailhead and [tiny] parking area, we finally took some proper photos of the most easily accessible feature of this region, Cave Falls. The waterfall is over 250 feet wide, and while the main drop is “only” 20 feet tall, there are nearly a dozen drops in just a short section of river that make the totality of the falls much more impressive. It’s one of the more unique waterfalls I’ve seen out west, and definitely worth the miserable drive to see it.

Teton County, Teton Pass

Leaving the Bechler Region, we drove south through Teton County, ID through Tetonia, Driggs, and Victor. The landscape was much different, with rolling farmland, but we enjoyed the semi-smooth asphalt and the views of the western side of the Tetons in the distance.

Teton County, ID

Eventually, we crossed the Teton Pass back into Idaho, and descended the grinding slope down into Jackson Hole.

Teton Pass

Wildlife Watching

We checked into our rental, a small two-bedroom condo in the small town of Wilson, WY – just west of Jackson, nestled up against the eastern slope of the Teton range. Once we’d settled in, we decided to go out to look for wildlife and catch the sunset, waiting to eat until after dark.

First, we actually drove around the condo’s neighborhood, because I knew the development was known for having moose live nearby. Sure enough, after our first turn, we spotted a cow and calf moose eating in someone’s front yard.

Jackson Hole Moose Watching

We watched them for a while, and actually FaceTimed Mom so she could see them (Faith was occupied and couldn’t answer). We continued to drive around the neighborhood, and spotted a frisky red fox trotting down a gravel driveway.

Red Fox

Leaving our neighborhood, we drove to a few other spots to look for wildlife, but besides some bugling elk, didn’t see much of anything. The best scenery was down Fish Creek Road, which follows Fish Creek, winding behind some marshland right at the very foot of the mountains.

Jackson Hole, WY

Nora's Fish Creek Inn

Soon it was dark, and time to eat. We had a reservation at Nora’s Fish Creek Inn, a cozy local restaurant that we’ve been meaning to try since our first trip to the Tetons. We were famished after a long day of hiking and driving on bumpy roads, so we made the most of it.

For an appetizer, we split their pulled pork poutine (hand-cut fries covered in pork, gravy, cheese, poblano sauce, and caramelized onions). For our main courses, we split: Trout Almandine (Idaho rainbow trout, green beans, corn, brown butter almonds, capers, and scallions), and burrata ravioli (roasted corn cream sauce, spinach, and parmesan). For dessert, we split a cookie skillet (at the recommendation of our server), and their signature huckleberry pound cake (huckleberry pound cake, house-made huckleberry sauce, whipped cream, and huckleberry ice cream).

Nora's Fish Creek Inn

The whole meal was phenomenal from start to finish. The trout was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten; the ravioli was perfectly done; and the huckleberry pound cake was the perfect dessert – tart, sweet but not too sweet, and the perfect combo of hot and cold. We liked the meal so much we decided we’d come back again before we left Jackson Hole.

Nora's Fish Creek Inn

Wilson, WY

An amazing restaurant. Great food, casual, and fun service. We enjoyed the live blues and jazz in the evening.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Wrapping Up

Back at the condo, we were able to relax a little more than usual. This is the first place this trip where we get to stay more than one night, so there was no prep work for the next morning. We headed to bed, ready for another big day in Grand Teton National Park tomorrow.

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “sunrise glow at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstonel”.

The best thing I ate today was… “trout and huckleberry pound cake”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the confluence of the Bechler River and Fall River”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the poutine and trout”.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to email notifications.

We’ll spend the next couple of days in the Jackson Hole valley – and we hope to be at a little more relaxed pace. Also, get ready for some moose watching!

– Isaac & Jerry

Hayden Valley Sunrise

The post Day 6 – Idaho 2025 // Hayden Valley, Mesa Falls, Bechler Region, Jackson Hole appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 5 – Idaho 2025 // Yellowstone Lake, Pelican Valley

Isaac Church — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 03:30:45 +0000

Today was a rather wet and dreary day, at least for the morning. We stayed dry in a museum for a while, and then headed back into Yellowstone to explore the Lake area.

Breakfast, Sunrise, Breakfast

We started our day in the Airbnb by waking up early to finish doing the laundry. Then, we split a day-old microwave-warmed orange sticky bun leftover from Cattail Bakery in Red Lodge. After finishing our laundry and loading the Jeep in a sporadically torrential downpour, we headed over to The Station by Cody Coffee. This restaurant is an old filling station now converted into a breakfast and coffee shop. We filled our paper cups and travel mugs with their exceptionally hot coffee, each ordered an egg, cheese, and ham crêpe, and ate our breakfast while the rain pattered down on the building’s metal roof. A hearty pinch of salt made the coffee much better; the crêpes were surprisingly good and very filling. So, I’ll count this place as a pretty good option for the middle of Wyoming on a rainy morning.

Orange roll from Cattail Bakery

Cody, WY Sunrise

The Station by Cody Coffee

Buffalo Bill Center of the West

After breakfast, we were some of the first people in the door of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, a massive complex made up of five museums: Buffalo Bill Museum, Plains Indian Museum, Cody Firearms Museum, Whitney Western Art Museum, and Draper Natural History Museum. After getting our tickets at the front desk, we made our way through each of the museums, trying to squeeze in as much as possible during the morning. This was the only day it really rained on our trip, and the timing couldn’t have been better for an indoor activity.

Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Cody Firearms Museum

Beginning our tour in the firearms wing of the building, we were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of items the museum held. They have over 10,000 artifacts, including some of the rarest firearms in existence. In the basement, there is an archive and research center that authenticates and researches old firearms that people bring in – dating back to the French & Indian War, and even earlier.

Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Plains Indian Museum

Next, after walking by the raptor display (no idea what was there, access would have required walking outside in a downpour), we browsed through the Plains Indian Museum. This was also fascinating. Dad particularly enjoyed seeing the life-sized earth lodge; I was fascinated to see “Lone Dog’s Winter Count”, an animal skin depicting the most significant events from each winter during Lone Dog’s life. This served somewhat like a Rosetta Stone for western history, particularly because it documents the Leonid Meteor Storm in November 1833, “The Night the Stars Fell”. I’ve read about this and seen it in many documentaries, so it was fascinating to see it in person.

Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Draper Natural History Museum

Walking out of the Plain Indian section, we went through the natural history museum, which spiraled down, going through each class of animals. This area was very engaging and had lots of fascinating info, so much so that I was apparently too distracted to take pictures.

Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Buffalo Bill Museum

The central wing of the building houses the Buffalo Bill museum, dedicated to the life of its namesake, William Frederick Cody. This was also fascinating, as I quickly realized I knew some, but really very little about Buffalo Bill. It was interesting to see his touring schedule, which made me exhausted just to read about it. He loved the west, and dedicated his life to sharing it with others through his touring show. There were a lot of archival videos and interactive displays, which we much enjoyed.

Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Whitney Western Art Museum

Finally, while Dad rested, I quickly walked through the art wing. I don’t care much for the abstract stuff, but it was neat to see paintings of historic Yellowstone. Some artist had his studio set up as a museum at the end of the wing, but I was out of energy and decided it was time to wrap things up rather than reading another sign.

We picked up a souvenir from the gift shop, bought a snack or two from the museum’s cafe, drove back across to The Filling Station to get a coffee refill, and hit the road.

No Moose Pond

Leaving Cody, we drove back down Yellowstone’s east entrance road and into the park. Shortly after we passed through the east entrance station and approached Yellowstone Lake, we rounded a steep curve and saw a sizable crowd gathered at an overlook. This could only mean one thing: wildlife! Sure enough, there was a grizzly bear eating an elk carcass by the side of a small pond, which I later learned is called “No Moose Pond” by locals, even though it’s unlabeled on official park maps.

Grizzly Bear - No Moose Pond

The bear put on quite the show. He swiped at a coyote trying to steal a bite of elk, fished with his enormous claws in the edge of the lake, and strutted around showing off his jiggly winter blubber and thick fur coat. We watched him for over 30 minutes, and then decided to move on, after we’d gotten our fill of pictures and videos from our convenient high vantage point.

Grizzly Bear - No Moose Pond

Lake Butte Overlook

After a brief drive that dropped us down to lake-level, we pulled up the short side road to Lake Butte Overlook, which has a rather self-explanatory name, and a great view of Yellowstone Lake. We hiked up a steep hill, and were rewarded with even more stunning views of the lake and surrounding landscape.

Lake Butte Overlook

A very nice man with a very nice spotting scope pointed out to me that there was another grizzly in a distant field some 600 yards away. It soon disappeared into the trees. There was also a wolf pack in the same field, which I was able to capture with my camera – though the wolves are still tiny in the frame. Look just above the treeline in the photos and you might be able to see white, grey, and black dots lying down in the yellow grass.

Wolf Pack - Lake Butte Overlook

We could see a storm rolling in quickly across the lake, and the wind was picking up significantly, so we decided it was time to head back to the Jeep to warm up our frozen fingers and eat our “lunch” that we purchased at the museum. We got a couple mini to-go characterie packs, which turned out to be pretty good other than the exceptionally stale crackers. They had some cheese, some nuts, grapes, and a few other little goodies. It wasn’t a spectacular meal, but we enjoyed a spectacular view from the car while we ate.

Lake Butte Overlook

Lunch at Lake Butte

Pelican Valley Trail

We felt slightly recovered from being on our feet all morning at the museum, so we decided it was time for another hike. Without much distance or destination in mind, we decided to undertake at least part of the Pelican Valley Trail. The full trail is 6.2 miles one-way, but is more of a “journey hike” than a “destination hike”. We started the hike by crossing through some open meadows by the Pelican Creek. The trail was muddy from recent rains, but navigable.

Pelican Valley Trail

Soon we came to a densely wooded area. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw something moving in the trees. Can you spot it too?

Great Horned Owl - Pelican Valley Trail

Sure enough, after an intense game of “I Spy” (except we didn’t know what we were looking for), we spotted a great horned owl perched in a tree. It flew and landed on a different branch, completely silent as it flew – a surreal thing to witness. I didn’t have my wildlife lens to get a close-up photo, and unfortunately by the time I attempted to sneak closer it flew away.

Great Horned Owl - Pelican Valley Trail

Continuing down the trail, we passed through densely wooded areas, with occasional patches of now-wilting wildflowers and grasses. You could tell bison and other animals occasionally used this trail as a cut-through, so we were very intentionally making noise and keeping an eye out for animals.

Pelican Valley Trail

Soon, the trail opened up into a long, fairly narrow valley lined with grass. It seemed to go on forever in both directions.

Pelican Valley Trail

Following the path up the valley, we were eventually rewarded with a wide panoramic view of of the greater Pelican Valley, with bison in the distance and a hawk swooping down over our heads.

Pelican Valley Trail

The trail and its distributaries continued on for many more miles, but we decided to turn around and head back to the parking lot. Retracing our steps, we had a pleasantly uneventful journey back to the car, where we wolfed down a “that hits the spot” bran muffin and blueberry muffin, also leftover from Cattail Bakery in Red Lodge. In total, we hiked about 4 miles on the trail, but it seemed much longer because of the squelchy mud that stuck in our hiking shoes and slowed us down.

Pelican Valley Trail

Muffins from Cattail Bakery

Fishing Bridge

Not more than a couple hundred yards down the road, we stopped in the Fishing Bridge General Store and visitor center, brushed up on our ornithology/strigiformology (you might have to look that one up, I did), and walked down to the beach at the lakeshore for a quick view. Not pictured: we also saw a tremendous amount of the trumpeter swans in a pond just off the lake. I didn’t take any pictures because at the time I didn’t realize it was a bank of rare swans…we both mistakenly thought it was a gaggle of Canadian geese, which are creatures most vile and detestable. Instead, you can enjoy a picture of this massive swan mannequin from the visitor center; I assure you it is significantly bigger than you’d ever imagine.

Fishing Bridge Visitor Center

Yellowstone Lake

Wildlife Spottings

We decided to head over to the Lake Hotel to check into our lodging for the evening. Beside the pullout for the hotel, there was a herd of elk with a rather grand bull leading them.

Elk

At the next turn, I spotted another grey blob high in a tree. This time, instead of a Great Horned Owl, it was an even-larger Great Grey Owl. It was staring down at us from the tree, eyes aglow and rather angry-looking. We watched for a while, managed to gather a very large crowd from other cars that pulled over, and then resumed our mission of finding the night’s lodging.

Great Grey Owl

Lake Lodge-Ing

Dad dropped me off at the Lake Hotel, complete with its iconic pale-yellow paint job, bustling grand lobby, and live music. It’s almost like stepping back in time. However, my visit didn’t last long, because we were staying in one of the Lake Lodge cabins, so we needed to check in a short distance down the drive.

Lake Hotel

Lake Hotel Lounge

The Lake Lodge is just as grand, but in a much more rustic way. We checked into our triplex cabin, which was cozy, simple, and very nice. We FaceTimed home, freshened up a bit, and decided to head back out for the evening and sunset. We had a very late dinner reservation at the Lake Hotel Dining Room – but were lucky to have one at all; it’s a very popular place.

Yellowstone Lake Lodge

Yellowstone Lake Lodge Cabins

Mud Volcano

We decided to follow the Yellowstone River downstream to Mud Volcano, a smelly geothermal basin known for strange water features and boiling mud. We got to see a couple features we missed two trips ago due to boardwalk construction, so it was worth stopping in.

Mud Volcano

Pelican Creek Nature Trail

Backtracking to the Lake, we decided to undertake another hike, this one quite easy and short. The Pelican Creek Nature Trial (not to be confused with the Pelican Valley Trail, which we hiked earlier) is a 0.6 mile loop that winds through a meadow, forest, and down to the lake. It was a very relaxing hike, and the soft, spongy, moss-covered ground was a nice contrast to the thick mud and hard concrete that had defined most of our walking today.

Pelican Creek Nature Trail

Lake Sunset

As the sun began to set, we drove around the Lake, stopping at various overlooks to take pictures as things caught our eye. We were treated to a beautiful sunset over the mountains, as elk grazed along the lake shore and birds fished in the shallows, creeks, and ponds.

Yellowstone Lake

Pelican Creek

Yellowstone Lake

Late Dinner

Back at the cabins, we took a nice hot shower (complete with a heater in the bathroom ceiling to offset the drafty walls), changed clothes, and reorganized our luggage some. Our dinner reservation was not until 20:30, but we went over to the Lake Hotel lobby about an hour early to relax, and to see if there was any chance of us getting a table sooner. There wasn’t.

Our wait and rumbling stomachs were rewarded with a fantastic meal. We started out with their house made bread and butter, and a salad with tomatoes, candied pecans, and a huckleberry vinaigrette. For our main courses, Dad ordered grilled shrimp with cheesy polenta, green beans, and cowboy caviar; I ordered their rabbit ravioli with a browned mushroom sauce. Both were good, but the ravioli was one of the best dishes either one of us have ever eaten. We both said we could’ve just had the sauce in a cup with a straw. For dessert, we split a goblet of huckleberry ice cream and their Basque cake, which was like pound cake, but served warm with a pastry cream filling and a brandied cherry sauce over the top. Once again, both were very good, but the Basque cake stole the show.

Lake Yellowstone Hotel Dining Room

After dinner, we collapsed in bed, our feet and legs aching from close to 10 miles of hiking/walking today. It was worth it though, as was the wait to eat dinner after 21:00.

Yellowstone Lake Hotel

Yellowstone national Park

We honestly had pretty low expectations for this, given how most of the national park food we’ve had has been routinely mediocre. We couldn’t have been more surprised. It was a genuinely amazing meal, and an incredible historic setting to enjoy it in.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the great horned owl flying silently in the Pelican Valley”.

The best thing I ate today was… “rabbit ravioli, with honorable mention to the Basque cake”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the view from Lake Butte Overlook”.

The best thing I ate today was… “rabbit ravioli, with honorable mention to the Basque cake”.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to email notifications.

Tomorrow we’ll continue through the eastern and southern sides of the park, and venture over to a remote corner of Yellowstone that most people never see.

– Isaac & Jerry

The post Day 5 – Idaho 2025 // Yellowstone Lake, Pelican Valley appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 4 – Idaho 2025 // Beartooth Highway, Red Lodge, Cody

Isaac Church — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 03:30:58 +0000

Today, we woke up early in Cooke City, went wildlife watching in the Larmar Valley, and then journeyed over the Beartooth Pass towards Red Lodge, MT and eventually down to Cody, WY.

Wildlife Watching

We woke up well before sunrise, threw on some warm clothes, and drove west into the national park to do some early morning wildlife watching. As we passed through Yellowstone’s not-yet-manned NW entrance booth, we saw a very large black bear scurry across the road in the dark. It scared us half to death, but I think it also scared the bear just as badly. We didn’t have much luck seeing any more wildlife in the Lamar Valley (maybe just another black bear or two and the usual elk and bison), but it was a beautiful sunrise and nice to be out in the crisp morning air. After a final stop at Warm Creek Picnic Area, we decided to head back to the ranch for breakfast.

Lamar Valley Sunrise

Warm Creek

We were almost back to Cooke City, in its tiny sister town called Silver Gate, MT, when I spotted a cow moose eating right by the side of the road in some bushes. We turned the car around, headed back, and were able to find her again, despite being well-camoflauged. Parking by the side of the road, we were able to watch her for almost 20 minutes before she disappeared deeper in the woods. I only managed to get one good photo because she was so deep in the brush, but I’m very pleased we got to have such a great view for so long.

Moose - Silver Gate, WY

Breakfast

Back at Skyline Guest Ranch, we settled in for some breakfast. They make breakfast to order for all their guests (granted, there aren’t very many), and today we enjoyed a goblet of fresh fruit, orange slices, homemade coffee cake, and and egg scramble with cheese and ham, plus orange juice, coffee, and milk. All the food was delicious, and we also grabbed some more of the leftover cookies from the day before.

Skyline Guest Ranch

After breakfast, Dad sat on the porch while I took a shower and called home. While he was sitting out there (without his phone of course), another large moose came trotting through the front yard right in front of him! We loaded up the car, said goodbye to the owners, the horses, and the peaceful setting, and hit the road again.

Skyline Guest Ranch

Cooke City, MT

We loved our time staying at the ranch. The hospitality is great, and the food is amazing. They just published a cookbook, and we ordered a copy as soon as it became available.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Beartooth Highway

Starting the traverse east, we continued on US-212, also known as the Beartooth Highway. In 2021, on our first trip to the Yellowstone area, we drove this highway, but returned back west to the park. This time, we decided we’d continue on east and south to Cody, WY, one of the gateway towns we haven’t visited yet.

Waterfalls

First, before the highway reaches its higher elevations, we stopped at a set of waterfalls and did a couple short hikes to get a closer look. First came Crazy Creek Falls, and then Lake Creek Falls.

Crazy Creek Falls

Lake Creek Falls

Yellowstone Overlook

We stopped at the Yellowstone Overlook, which has a view of (you guessed it!) Yellowstone’s eastern boundary in the distance. The sharp peak you can see is often mistaken for “The Bear’s Tooth”, like the name of the highway, but it is actually called Index Peak.

Yellowstone Overlook

Index Peak

Yellowstone Overlook

Clay Butte Lookout

Next, we turned off the main highway and drove up a 2.6 mile one-way road called Clay Butte Lookout Road. This leads to a fire tower the has panoramic views of the Beartooth Butte, Beartooth Lake, and the Beartooth-Absoroka Wilderness. The lake and butte you see in the pictures below is Beartooth Lake, the same lake that we’ll be at the shoreline of soon. It was a long, bumpy drive up to the stop, but since we had a Jeep and plenty of time, I’m glad we tackled it.

Clay Butte Lookout

Beartooth Falls

The next stop, just to the side of the road, is an overlook for Beartooth Falls. The last time we came through here, they were completely redoing the road, and there were long constructions delays that also prevented you from stopping to see the view or the waterfalls. Thankfully, the road project is now complete, and we got to actually enjoy the sights from a very large roadside pullout.

Beartooth Falls Overlook

Beartooth Lake // Island Lakes

As I mentioned before, we pulled down by the shore of Beartooth Lake, which is framed by the reddish-colored Beartooth Butte.

Beartooth Lake

The next road is for Island Lakes Campground, which was mostly closed for the season. The view from the top is very nice, though. After a quick pull-in at the Top of the World Store, we were back on our way to the top of the plateau.

Island Lakes

Beartooth Plateau

At the top of the pass, we stopped at the vista point and some of the surrounding pullouts to take in the spectacular views. We saw pikas scurrying along the ground, and various raptors circling overhead. The alpine lakes were glistening in the fall sunlight. Can you spot the pika in the photos below?

Beartooth Pass Vista

Pika

Beartooth Pass Vista

Just below the pass, there’s a spot were you have a brief view of the actual “Bear’s Tooth”.

Bear's Tooth

Rock Creek Vista Point

At the east side of the pass, before the road drops sharply down a series of switchbacks, there’s one last vista point that overlooks the Rock Creek Valley. Dad and I walked out to the point, and enjoyed the views of the fall colors lining the mountainsides below. It’s easy to see why this mountain pass was barely used for most of its existence…it’s so rugged and remote, there’s not much of any reason early inhabitants/settlers would have ever thought it was worth the risk to cross.

Rock Creek Vista

Piccola Cucina Ox Pasture

Finally at the bottom of the valley, we continued into Red Lodge, MT, where we eagerly hurried to our lunch reservation at Piccola Cucina Ox Pasture. This is a very intentional repeat from our previous trip, as it is the best Italian meal we’ve ever had in the United States.

This time didn’t disappoint either. We got a variety of things to split: bread service with tomato oil, caesar salad, lasagna Bolognese, and cacio e pepe, which they flambéed tableside in a wheel of Pecorino Romano cheese. Everything was phenomenal, and left us exceptionally full and satisfied. The homemade pasta had the perfect al dente chew, and all the ingredients are simply world-class. It’s not at all what you’d expect in a tiny town in Montana, but we’ll keep coming back every time we’re in the area.

Piccola Cucina Ox Pasture

Picola Cucina Ox Pasture

Red Lodge, MT

Simply put, one of the best Italian meals you’ll ever have.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Downtown Red Lodge

After lunch, we desperately needed to walk around to let our food settle, so we browsed around downtown for a while. We unfortunately hadn’t been able to hold dessert at lunch, but we did eventually pick up a small Wilcoxson’s huckleberry ice cream sandwich to split at Montana Candy Emporium, an old-fashioned candy barrel similar to Mast General Store. We also went in Cattail Bakery to pick up a couple of baked goods for future breakfasts and snacks.

Montana Candy Emporium

Wapiti + Pahaska Tepee

We continued south into Wyoming, arriving in Cody and heading to their Walmart to pick up a few more supplies we were lacking, namely laundry detergent. After checking into our Airbnb, we decided to drive part of the way in the east entrance road to Yellowstone (unexplored territory for us) to get the lay of the land before we re-entered the park that way tomorrow. A series of tunnels brings the road alongside the Buffalo Bill Reservoir, with ragged cliffs and gulches on all sides.

Cody, WY

About 20-30 minutes down the road, we came across a small crowd watching something up on the hillside. It turned out to be a huge, blubbery grizzly bear. He was a giant. He was sitting down eating berries or something up on the hillside. I never managed to get a clear view, and as soon as he got into the open, he started lumbering down the hillside towards us, so we all had to scramble for the safety of our vehicles. So, enjoy some blurry pictures of the biggest bear we saw the whole trip.

Grizzly Bear - Pahaska Tepee, WY

Less than a mile up the road, we saw another smaller female grizzly on the opposite side of the road, right on the edge of the North Fork of the Shoshone River. We parked, and from behind the guardrail on the bridge above, watched her swim across the river and eventually disappear into the woods.

Grizzly Bear - North Fork Shoshone River

Bigg Chill + Wind Chill

Back in downtown Cody, we walked the streets for a while, going into various stores, and the famous Irma Hotel. Most restaurants are closed on Sunday, so we struggled to find a place to eat that didn’t have a preposterous wait time. So, we ended up just getting a couple cups of ice cream at Bigg Chill for our “dinner”. We both got white chocolate huckleberry and “Choco Noir”; both were very good.

After dinner, we drove down by the river to the Paul Stock Nature Trail in hopes of getting a quick sunset hike. However, the wind had picked up so much that we couldn’t even hold onto our hats. Plus, it had become cold exceptionally fast, and we were very underdressed for it. So, we snapped a quick picture, and headed back to our Airbnb to do a load of laundry and then head to bed.

Bigg Chill

Paul Stock Nature Trail

Bigg Chill

Cody, WY

Good rotating ice cream flavors. Homemade quality and friendly service.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Wrapping Up

Back at the Airbnb, we reworked our itinerary (due to the museum timetable change), and after making our final time calculations and solidifying a breakfast plan, we headed off to bed.

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “a tie between the moose in Silver Gate and the grizzly crossing the river”.

The best thing I ate today was… “cacio e pepe”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the moose running across the front yard at Skyline Guest Ranch”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the Italian meal and coffee cake for breakfast”.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to email notifications.

Tomorrow we’ll head back into Yellowstone via the east entrance road, rejoining the Grand Loop Road by Yellowstone Lake and Fishing Bridge.

– Isaac & Jerry

The post Day 4 – Idaho 2025 // Beartooth Highway, Red Lodge, Cody appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 3 – Idaho 2025 // Blacktail Plateau, Canyon, Lamar Valley

Isaac Church — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 03:30:21 +0000

Today, we got up and moving over an hour before sunrise. We headed across the river and up the hill to “downtown” Gardiner, where we stopped at Bears Brew, a coffee food truck conveniently open before the crack of dawn. We filled up our mugs, and then headed into the park, still via the old service road because of the 2022 floods.

Grand Loop Road Sunrise

Blacktail Plateau Sunrise

The sunrise was just starting to show some color as we headed east on the Grand Loop Road towards Blacktail Plateau, a one-way gravel loop that climbs the plateau and offers some true solitude. Our plan was to drive to the top and find a spot to watch the sunrise, and then enjoy some leftover pastries for breakfast.

Grand Loop Road Sunrise

Blacktail Plateau

As we climbed, we were greeted by a couple of lone bison, but otherwise had the entire plateau all to ourselves. We didn’t see any other wildlife, but did enjoy one of the most peaceful (and one of the most beautiful) sunrises I’ve ever seen. It was dead quiet, and you couldn’t hear anything but the wind.

Blacktail Plateau

We stopped near the crest of the plateau and enjoyed some pastries for breakfast. Climbing up a sizable hill, we were able to see even more of the surrounding landscape as the sun covered the hills in golden light.

Blacktail Plateau

We continued down the backside of the plateau, stopping once again to split the pimento cheese and bacon scone from Wild Crumb Bakery.

Blacktail Plateau

During our descent, we spotted a black bear digging for food on the hillside, and watched her for a while.

Blacktail Plateau

Black Bear Spotting

Soon, we rejoined the main loop road, and headed back west to see a few more sights we’d never visited on prior trips. We hadn’t been back on the pavement long at all, when we saw another black bear in the middle of the road!

Black Bear near Blacktail Deer Creek

He started coming down the hillside right towards us, forcing us to scurry back to the Jeep to stay a safe distance away. It was a pretty amazing site to see one walk right by our car!

Wraith Falls

After a quick pit stop at the Lava Creek Picnic Area, we decided it was time to go for a short hike to Wraith Falls. The trail is a little less than a mile round trip, and leads to a 79-foot waterfall. It was a nice, easy hike, and definitely worth the quick side trip.

Lava Creek Trail

Wraith Falls

Calcite Springs Overlook

Backtracking east again, we turned at Tower-Roosevelt junction and headed south towards the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. At Calcite Springs Overlook (a repeat from our last trip), we saw yet another black bear by the side of the road, along with some bighorn sheep. While we were stopped, we walked up to the overlook platform to see the springs and the lower end of the Grand Canyon.

Bighorn Sheep at Calcite Springs Overlook

Black Bear at Calcite Springs Overlook

Calcite Springs Overlook

Yellowstone National Park

Dunraven Pass

Climbing up the Dunraven Pass towards Mount Washburn, we stopped to take in the view of the valley below. We could hear a wolf pack howling, but couldn’t see any of them; we only saw some bison in the valley below.

Dunraven Pass

Silver Cord Cascade

Now at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, we decided to do yet another hike we’d never done before, but first we saw a quick view of the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Near Inspiration Point, we parked along the side of the road at the Glacial Boulder Trailhead and joined the Seven Mile Hole Trail. It is indeed close to a seven mile trail that descends over 1,000′ to the Yellowstone River, but we had no intent of going that far. We simply wanted to go to the overlook for Silver Cord Cascade, a waterfall that leaves the Ribbon Lake area and then cascades down the side of the canyon into the Yellowstone River.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Silver Cord Cascade - Seven Mile Hole Trail

The overlook for the cascade was about 1.5 miles down the trail, which was “no elevation gain”, but turned out to have quite a lot of up-and-down for a trail that simply followed the rim of the canyon. We actually initially missed the overlook for the cascade, walking right past it since it’s so slender and has low water flow this time of year. Since we had radios, I went up the trail a ways to make sure there wasn’t a more obvious overlook, and then we soon realized our mistake.

Silver Cord Cascade - Seven Mile Hole Trail

By this time, we were tired, thirsty, and hungry, especially after hiking around 4 rather hilly miles. Back at the car, we refilled our waters, and headed straight for Canyon Village to seek out some lunch. We grabbed a burger and a grilled chicken sandwich at the lunch counter, and ate outside on a picnic table.

Lunch at Canyon Village

Lamar Valley

We headed north back across the Dunraven Pass, and turned east at the junction headed towards the Lamar Valley. Out in the valley, we enjoyed the sweeping views of the river winding through the valley, and got to witness several bison rutting by the side of the road.

Construction over the Yellowstone River

Lamar Valley

At the eastern end of the valley near Warm Creek, we saw yet another black bear by the water, and also saw an osprey in its nest. Somewhere in the photo of the mountainside below, there are also some mountain goats that are really difficult to spot.

Osprey

Lamar Valley

Barronette Peak Overlook

Skyline Guest Ranch

Arriving in Cooke City just outside the northwest entrance station, we headed to our lodging for the night, Skyline Guest Ranch. I found this little bed and breakfast online, and thought it looked like an amazing place to stay. They offered guided horseback tours, and operate a fully functioning ranch and snowmobile tour business in this tiny corner of Montana. As we checked in, we were greeted by warm chocolate chip sea salt cookies, and very friendly staff.

Skyline Guest Ranch

We settled into our room in the lodge, FaceTimed home, grabbed another couple cookies (since none of the other guests were eating them), and headed back out.

Cooke City

Back in “downtown” Cooke City, we needed to kill some time before our dinner restaurant of choice opened, so we headed in Yellowstone Trading Post, which has a small wildlife museum in half of the store, and a very nice gift shop in the other half.

Yellowstone Trading Post

Soon it was time for dinner, and we headed into the Beartooth Cafe for a much-needed meal and time off our feet. We split a bison ribeye, Idaho Red Trout, a salad with huckleberry vinaigrette, and a cup of chili. The ribeye was a little disappointing (under-seasoned and a little overcooked), but the trout made up for it.

Beartooth Cafe

Cooke City, MT

This place really gets a star because it’s one of the only truly good restaurants a very long distance in any direction. Also, the trout is incredible.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Lamar Valley - Slough Creek

After dinner, we drove back into the Lamar Valley, where we saw a ton of wildlife, including black and grizzly bears, pronghorn, elk, bison, coyotes, and more. It was an amazing sight. We spent most of our time wildlife watching at Slough Creek, where we saw several bears on the hillside, in the meadows, and drinking out of the river.

Lamar Valley

Bedtime

Once it was finally dark, we drove back to Cooke City to the guest ranch, watched some football in the lobby with a older couple visiting from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and then headed to bed.

Cooke City, MT

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “sunrise on Blacktail Plateau”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the pimento cheese bacon scone and the Idaho Red Trout”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the bear running down the road towards us”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the sea salt chocolate chip cookie and the trout”.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to email notifications.

Tomorrow, we’ll head further east into the Beartooth-Absaroka Range, and then south to Cody, WY. I’m hoping for some good Italian food along the way.

– Isaac & Jerry

The post Day 3 – Idaho 2025 // Blacktail Plateau, Canyon, Lamar Valley appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 2 – Idaho 2025 // Big Sky, West Yellowstone

Isaac Church — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 03:30:10 +0000

Today, we departed Bozeman and took a roundabout route south into Yellowstone National Park.

Coffee

Starting early as promised, we left our hotel around 06:00, and drove over to Treeline Coffee Roasters for some caffeine and a raspberry scone. The coffee was fantastic, and we actually picked up two bags to either brew on this trip or take back home with us. We each ate about a quarter of the scone, saving room for better things to come.

Treeline Coffee Roasters

Bozeman, MT

Quality, well-crafted coffee and a fun place to hang out. The pastries are good, but Wild Crumb next door is the real star.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Pastries

Conveniently, the bakery we’d planned to try was right next door, and opened 30 minutes later than the coffee shop. It’s amazing how well Dad and I can coordinate logistics when baked goods are involved. Wild Crumb Bakery has been on my list since our first trip out to Bozeman, and I’m glad we finally got to visit this round. As you might expect (unless you’re a new-timer to the blog), we got a variety box to go, and had to restrain ourselves from buying one of everything. I’ll go through the specifics later when we get around to actually eating some.

Wild Crumb Bakery

wild Crumb Bakery

Bozeman, MT

This might be the new reigning bakery champion from all the ones we’ve visited. At worst, it’s in our top 3. You absolutely must try their huckleberry and pimento cheese scones (along with almost everything else on the menu).

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Donuts

Next, we drove to Granny’s Gourmet Donuts near Montana State’s Campus. It’s a cash-only establishment that is a favorite with locals and students. It was decorated in a vintage style that reminded me of a Daylight Donuts crossed with an old Pizza Hut or Village Inn (with the glass chandeliers and checkered tablecloths). The staff asked us what we were doing today once we left Bozeman, and I tried to explain the roundabout path we were going to take into Yellowstone, telling them we expected to head to Big Sky and then Gardiner. “But those are the opposite direction!”, they cried. “Yes, that’s how we roll,” we responded.

We got our variety box of donuts (lemon creme, Bavarian cream, glazed cake, glazed yeast, raspberry filled, and a maple log), wrapped up our rather hilarious conversation with the operator, and headed on our way in the wrong direction.

Granny's Gourmet Donuts

At this point, you might be asking yourself, “Isaac/Jerry, why on earth are you buying enough pastries to feed an army?”. Or, you might not be asking that, and you may have just resigned yourself to the fact that we just do things like that sometimes. There is a good answer, though: we are stocking up on breakfast and snacks for several days, because we expect there to be almost no quick breakfast food available in the part of Wyoming we will be in.

Granny's Gourmet Donuts

Bozeman, MT

Good donuts, great atmosphere. We would definitely come back if we’re in the area.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Big Sky

Cutting southwest from Bozeman, we began down US-191 towards Big Sky, MT. We had no great reason for coming this way, other than we’ve never been through here and have heard it’s very pretty. After a quick bathroom break and less than an hour on the road, we rolled into town and once again had a few errands to run before seeing any sights.

Outside Bozeman, MT

First, we stopped at a bear spray vending machine at the Chamber of Commerce and picked up our reserved bear spray canisters (we could return these later at a different location, thanks to the convenient rental network). Then, we popped in Caliber Coffee Roasters to refill our mugs before starting our first outdoor adventure of the trip.

Ousel Falls

Driving to the outskirts of town, we started a hike to Ousel Falls, a 1.7 mile round trip trail that descends into a canyon, follows the river, overlooks a beautiful waterfall and then returns.

Ousel Falls Trail

While this hike had some moderate elevation change both directions, it was a brisk morning, and really perfect weather for a chilly morning hike. We didn’t see many people at all, and both agreed it was worth the effort.

Ousel Falls Trail

Back at the car, we dug into our pastries and donuts…so I guess it’s time for me to give the rundown. We got a huckleberry scone, a pimento cheese bacon scone, a ham and Gruyère croissant, a pistachio plum danish, a coconut macaroon, and a morning bun. If memory serves me right, we ate the huckleberry scone, the pistachio plum danish, and the macaroon at this stop, plus a few donuts. We were famished from the hike, but regardless all the pastries and donuts were incredible…especially the huckleberry scone.

Wild Crumb Bakery

While in the parking lot, we overheard a rather humorous encounter with a lady whose dog refused to “guard the door” while she used the public restroom…and then she publicly shamed the dog for running off and trying to mooch pastries off of us instead.

Earthquake Lake

We continued south towards the west entrance of Yellowstone, but turned west on US-287 towards Hebgen Lake and “Quake Lake”, once again going the opposite direction of the day’s final destination. Several people have recommended to me that we visit Earthquake Lake, the site of a 1959 7.2 magnitude earthquake that killed 28 and formed a brand new lake. The disaster required the US Army Corps of Engineers to intervene to prevent further flooding catastrophe, as the ensuing landslides completely backed up the Madison River.

Gallatin Valley

Earthquake Lake

Unfortunately, the visitor center was closed for the season, even though we checked their website before venturing this far out of the way. We did get a great view of the landslide, the dead trees sticking up out of the lake, and the destroyed homes still visible some six decades later. I’ve included a USDA video below if you’d like to learn more about the disaster.

West Yellowstone

By this time, we’d been on the road a while and were craving some real (non-sweet) food, so we headed back to a Mexican school bus restaurant, Las Palmitas, that we visited on our first trip to Yellowstone in 2021. We split a carnitas quesadilla with some sides, which was just enough to tide us over. After a quick pit stop for gas, we were on our way.

Las Palmitas

Las Palmitas/La Jungla

West Yellowstone, MT

Great, non-fussy Mexican food served from an old school bus…what more could you want?

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Artists' Paintpots

After waiting in the short line at the entrance station, and placing our bets of when we’d see our first bison (spoiler: it wasn’t long) we followed the Madison River until we hit the Grand Loop Road, turning north. We soon stopped at Artists’ Paintpots, mostly to stretch our legs, and because Dad didn’t think he had seen them before (we think Faith and I did the hike on our own).

Bison in the road

Artist Paintpots

View from Artist Paintpots

The trail is a “lollipop” loop that climbs a 100’+ hill, providing a sweeping view of the geyser basin and the surrounding mountains. It was a nice hike, and satisfied any geothermal itch we might have had for Yellowstone.

Sheepeater Cliffs

Continuing north, we pulled into another roadside stop we’d previously missed. Sheepeater Cliffs is a rock formation that runs along the Gardiner River. We walked up the river and saw the columnar basalt, which went back farther than the eye could see. Then, it was back on the road again.

Sheepeater Cliffs

Rustic Falls

We made a quick roadside stop at the Golden Gate to see Rustic Falls.

Rustic Falls

Mammoth Hot Springs

Soon we arrived at Mammoth Hot Springs, which we’ve visited several time before. We intended to skip it, but then saw that a herd of elk was positioned on the terraces of the springs, so we decided to stop and take a quick picture. Since we hadn’t been before, we also dropped in the Mammoth visitor center. As we descended out of the park to Gardiner, we also saw a pronghorn perched on a hilltop by the side of the road.

Elk at Mammoth Hot Springs

Liberty Cap

Pronghorn

Wonderland Cafe

We decided to check into our motel and then eat an early dinner. After a delayed check-in at our lodging, we headed to Wonderland Cafe & Lodge for dinner, and were one of their first customers when they opened their doors for the evening.

Chili

Bison ravioli

We split a bowl of their wild game chili (locally sourced bison and elk, jalepeño cornbread, maple-infused mascarpone, roasted jalepeños, and a dash of powdered sugar), and an order of the bison ravioli (Pappardelle Pasta Company bison-filled ravioli, roasted red & yellow tomatoes, red onion, light cream sauce, and shaved parmesan). Both were outstanding, and they were kind enough to split the portions into multiple plates for us.

Wonderland Cafe & Lodge

Gardiner, MT

A great place to visit, proven by the fact that we’ve probably been 4-5 times in 3 trips to Gardiner. Their breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all delicious. It’s definitely the best restaurant in Gardiner.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Paradise Valley

After dinner, we decided to drive north up the Paradise Valley to enjoy the stunning scenery, and kill time before out next planned activity, which was a bit time-sensitive. We drove north up the East River Road beside the Yellowstone River, crossed back over near Pray, MT, and headed back south down US-89 after stopping to top off the tank.

Paradise Valley

Bear Watching

Ok, before I start this section, let me provide a little disclaimer/explanation. Several years ago, thanks to the insight of some locals and frequent visitors, I learned about a “semi-secret” grizzly bear watching spot outside Yellowstone’s park boundaries that is still on public land. Due to the sensitive nature of the area, and because we wouldn’t want just anyone barging into this spot hoping for a selfie, I won’t be sharing the location…just that it’s outside the park boundaries and we did not break any laws/rules by going there.

That said…we headed to a very off-the-beaten-path spot with the hopes of seeing a grizzly bear or two. I mean, it was the type of road where you thought the wheels might fall off the car before you actually made it. We really didn’t know what to expect, other than that we knew there was a type of root in the ground out there that bears would come dig up around sunset almost every day.

Turns out, “grizzly bear or two” was a major understatement. We saw NINETEEN grizzly bears, most of them all at the same time. It was one of the most incredible sights I’d ever seen. At least 5-7 were cubs, and the rest were adults. The craziest part is that there were also elk and cows, some of them very close to the bears, and none of them seemed to mind (there’s a photo somewhere below with all three animals in frame).

Ok, I’ll stop yapping now and actually post some pictures…

Bears

An elk, a cow, and a grizzly bear

Bears

A Mother Grizzly with Her Three Cubs

While out surrounded by bears, we also saw a gorgeous sunset.

Paradise Valley

Sunset

On our way back to Gardiner, we also saw another handful of bears I wasn’t able to photograph because it was far too dark. We got back to the hotel, showered, and headed to bed, ready for another very early start tomorrow.

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “all the grizzly bears outside Yellowstone”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the huckleberry scone”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “a cow, and elk, and a grizzly standing right next to each other”.

The best thing I ate today was… “bison ravioli and the huckleberry scone”.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to email notifications.

Tomorrow, we will explore the north side of Yellowstone, including the Lamar Valley and the Cooke City-Silver Gate area. If time allows, we might venture down to the Canyon area.

– Isaac & Jerry

Ousel Falls Trail

The post Day 2 – Idaho 2025 // Big Sky, West Yellowstone appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 14 – Church Trip 2023 // Bozeman, Travel Home

Isaac Church — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 02:00:00 +0000

It’s finally time to head home. At last, after two weeks on the road, we’re driving to the airport in Bozeman, MT to fly back to North Carolina.

This morning, we woke up long before sunrise, packed up all our belongings at our cabins in Mammoth, and started the drive north towards Bozeman, bidding farewell to Yellowstone. It was another cold, frosty morning, so at least we didn’t get too hot while loading the car. We were treated by hearing one last round of elk bugles as we put our bags in the car.

Mammoth Cabins

Gardiner, MT

One More Moose

I didn’t really plan for much excitement on our drive north. In fact, I’d already packed up all my camera gear and hiking equipment, including most of my warm clothes, as I figured I wouldn’t need any of those things on the flights home. As we drove north on US-89 through Emigrant, MT, I spotted a large animal grazing in the marshes right off the side of the road. It was another bull moose!

Moose

Moose - Emigrant, MT

After watching him for a while, I decided to quickly unpack my camera gear, which was thoroughly buried in my carry-on, wrapped up in clothes for padding. If I didn’t, I knew I would regret it later. The moose ate his breakfast for a while, and after taking some photos, we decided to move on so we wouldn’t be late for our flight.

Moose - Emigrant, MT

We ran into a local photographer who had been following that particular moose for a while. He had been there about 30 minutes before us, and said there were two moose then – the bull and a cow. He showed us a great shot he’d taken of then two of them frolicking in the water.

Moose - Photo by Yellowstone Wild

Driving

The drive north through the Paradise Valley was gorgeous. With the Absoroka Range to the east, the Gallatin Rangeto the west, and the Yellowstone River in the valley, it’s about as picturesque of a drive as one could imagine. The sun reflected on the mountaintops, and sent rays shining through the cloud cover. I wish I’d been able to capture the beauty of the drive, but it was difficult from the back of a moving car.

Paradise Valley

Livingston Community Bakery

Soon, we arrived in Livingston, MT, a small town that was originally a hub for the Northern Pacific Railway. It has a classic western downtown, and is quite larger than I expected. The town has seen some revitalization recently, and has lots of interesting dining and shopping options. I’d love to visit again sometime.

We stopped at Livingston Community Bakery to get some pastries for breakfast. Between all of us, we got a couple of donuts (sugar and maple), an orange cinnamon roll, a chocolate croissant, and a ham and cheese croissant. All were very good, but we didn’t have much time to enjoy them because we were in a hurry to get to the airport.

Livingston Community Bakery

Livingston, MT

A small bakery with a surprising selection of baked goods. Worth a visit!

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Ghost Town Coffee Roasters

Now on I-90, we drove east through the Bozeman Pass towards Bozeman, MT. This was another gorgoeus stretch of road that I wasn’t able to document well. We stopped at Ghost Town Coffee Roasters for one final caffeine boost before we got on our flight. I was very impressed with the coffee shop – and once again I wish we could’ve spent more time here.

Ghost Town Coffee Roasters

Bozeman, MT

A quality coffee shop with well-curated menu items.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport

We arrived at the airport, where Dad dropped everyone and all the luggage off at the front door, and then returned the rental car while I wrangled everyone and everything else inside. The BZN airport was very crowded, but we managed to get through security on time. I still maintain that it’s one of the nicest airports I’ve ever been in.

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport

I would’ve loved to have spent some time in downtown Bozeman, but American had changed our flight’s departure from ~14:00 to ~10:30, so we had to forego revisiting. After a short, but smooth flight, we landed at DFW for a layover before our final leg home.

Lunch // DFW

At the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, we roamed the halls in search of some brisket, but there was a disappointing absence, especially for a major Texas airport. We wound up getting some burgers, fries, and milkshakes from Shake Shack in lieu of barbecue – a tasty substitute, although not very healthy. This was my first time in the Dallas airport; I thought it was fairly easy to navigate, but it seemed in need of renovation in spots.

Sunset at DFW

Home

After about a 3 hour layover, we boarded our flight back to CLT. App was playing football at UL Monroe this evening; the game kicked off just as our flight took off, so I reluctantly paid for in-flight WiFi so I could stream the radio broadcast. We landed in CLT fairly late, rounded up our luggage, took the shuttle to get our car, and started the drive back to Granite Falls. We got settled in the car just in time to hear App kick a game-winning field goal to beat the Warhawks as time expired.

Flying into CLT

Video

Here’s a brief video from today.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the bull moose”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the ham and cheese croissant”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the bull moose”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the chocolate croissant and the burger from Shake Shack”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the bull moose”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the orange cinnamon roll”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “the bull moose”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the burger from Shake Shack”.

Final Thoughts

I thought we’d each share our final impressions from the trip.

Most Surprising

Isaac – “seeing the last moose on the way to the airport; Rocky Mountain exceeded my expectations; Mount Blue Sky; how different the road from Tower-Roosevelt to Canyon was from the rest of Yellowstone”

Faith – “the number of moose we saw over the whole trip”

Jerry – “How good the coffee was at Vail Coffee Roasters (our third choice for the day), seeing all the elk outside the buildings in Mammoth”

Amy – “I ordered my first cup of coffee ever!”

Most Disappointing/Underwhelming

Isaac – “The days we couldn’t find food. Overall, this was not a good food trip, but not being able to find anywhere to eat in some places was shocking.”

Faith – “Not being able to get all the way to the waterfalls at McCullogh Gulch. Our meal at Old Faithful Inn was not nearly as good as you’d think it would be.”

Jerry – “The buffet at Old Faithful Inn was terrible.”

Amy – “I hope I never have to use another pit toilet as long as I live. My worst memory is getting altitude sick.”

Things Worth Doing a Second Time

Isaac – Mount Blue Sky

Faith – Blacktail Plateau Drive, Mount Blue Sky

Jerry – “Summit Lakes and Chicago Lakes are worth going back to.”

Amy – “I’d love to go back to Rocky Mountain National Park. Everything about it was beautiful.”

Things To Do Differently

Isaac – “Overall, I would definitely do Mount Blue Sky over Pike’s Peak. I’d also spend more time in the Snowy Range. I wish we’d picked out more hikes to do in advance.”

Faith – “Plan hiking times better with Walker’s schedule, and pack less stuff.”

Jerry – “Don’t sleep in a full sized bed.”

Amy – “Not eat at the BBQ food truck in Silver Gate.”

Rocky Mountain National Park Favorites

Isaac – sunrise at Sprague Lake, hiking

Faith – Moose in Grand Lake, sunrise at Sprague Lake,

Jerry – seeing the moose cross the road in front of us near Grand Lake

Amy – the elk crossing at night, and hearing the elk bugle

Grand Teton National Park Favorites

Isaac – hiking to Hidden Falls, String Lake

Faith – kayaking on Jenny Lake

Jerry – Jenny Lake Boat Tour, watching Walker while Faith and Isaac hiked

Amy – Jenny Lake Boat Tour, picnic dinner, watching Walker while Faith and Isaac hiked

Yellowstone National Park Favorites

Isaac – “My favorites were the frosty morning in the Hayden Valley, sunset in the Lamar Valley and at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, seeing wolves twice, and Undine Falls.”

Faith – Blacktail Plateau Drive

Jerry – “My favorites were the bison stampede in the Lamar Valley and Blacktail Plateau Drive.”

Amy – “As we drove through the Lamar Valley on the final evening, it was like seeing Yellowstone going down for the winter. There was snow the following week. I loved hearing the live music in the Old Faithful Inn lobby. I’ll never forget the bison galloping towards us in the Lamar Valley, and having to run back to the car as I heard them coming behind me.

Best Food

Faith – “All the good coffee we had, wild game chili at Wonderland Cafe, sorbet at Josh and John’s”

Isaac – [in no particular order] – Bindle Coffee, wild game chili at Wonderland Cafe, Persephone Bakery, Josh & John’s ice cream and ice cream in Breckenridge, breakfast bagel from Yellowstone Perk

Jerry – “Pastries from Bindle Coffee, especially the plum-vanilla thing. Dutch Bros was much better than I expected. Breakfast at Persephone was very good. Josh & John’s ice cream was some of the best I’ve ever had.”

Amy – “the beef stroganoff at Rock Inn Mountain Tavern, coffee from Vail coffee, and maple nut ice cream from Breckenridge”

Best Lodging

Faith – “staying in the cabins in Mammoth”

Isaac – the cabin in Island Park, and townhome by the river in Estes Park

Jerry – “the place by the Big Thompson River in Estes Park”

Amy – “I liked the townhome in Estes Park, but my absolute favorite was the cabin in Mammoth. I loved that.”

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to email notifications.

Stay tuned for a few more trips coming very soon! Thanks for following along with our travels.

– Isaac & Co.

The post Day 14 – Church Trip 2023 // Bozeman, Travel Home appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 13 – Church Trip 2023 // Yellowstone National Park

Isaac Church — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 02:00:00 +0000

Today was our last full day in Yellowstone National Park, and the last full day of our trip out west. It’ll be bittersweet to head home; it’s been a great trip, but we are all very tired.

Breakfast

Early this morning, we woke up in Canyon Village, scraped the frost off our windshield, and drove back to the Canyon Eatery to get some breakfast from the cafeteria. It was pretty typical for a cafeteria breakfast, reminiscent of a camp meal you might’ve had sometime in years past. While not amazing by any means, it was satisfying, and most importantly, convenient.

Breakfast - Canyon Eatery

Hayden Valley

Leaving Canyon Village, we decided we’d try to drive south back to Mud Volcano, where there was an elk carcass across the river – hoping we might spot a bear. As we passed through the Hayden Valley, we were greeted by a stunning sunrise over the frosted landscape.

Sunrise - Hayden Valley

Unfortunately, when we arrived at Mud Volcano, it was so foggy you could barely see you hand in front of your face, let alone across the river. There was a huge crowd waiting, hoping that the fog would lift. Someone mentioned a grizzly had shown up for about 5 minutes the night before, but then disappeared back into the woods.

Bison at Mud Volcano

Mud Volcano

Thinking the fog might break after 30 minutes or so, we opted to kill some time by continuing our drive south, stopping at LeHardy Rapids. The geothermal-heated water offers a refuge for birds to warm themselves in the river. Many waterfowl gather here; this morning it was primarily Canadian Geese.

LeHardy Rapids

Leaving the rapids, we turned around and headed back north, but the fog was still thick at Mud Volcano, so we decided to move on. We continued north into the heart of the Hayden Valley, stopping to enjoy the landscape adorned by the waning fog and morning light.

Hayden Valley

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Backtracking to the day’s starting point, we drove back to the Canyon area. We briefly stopped at Artist Point on the South Rim Drive. The canyon was just as spectacular in the morning light as it was at sunset last night.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Mount Washburn

Continuing north on the Grand Loop Road, we drove the Chittenden Road up Mount Washburn. We’d thought about hiking to the top from the parking area, but it was so windy and cold, we decided it was best to skip it. It was so windy that I could barely stand to be outside of the car to take pictures. The views from the end of the road were magnificent; it was an exceptionally clear day, probably because of the high winds.

Mount Washburn

Dunraven Pass

Mount Washburn

On the other side of Mount Washburn and the Dunraven Pass, we noticed another small crowd looking through spotting scopes. We stopped, and saw they were observing the same wolf pack down in the Antelope Valley. This time, the wolves appeared to be napping in the meadows down below. If you look closely at the pictures, you can see their silhouettes in the grass, far in the valley below.

Dunraven Pass

Wolf pack

Calcite Springs Overlook

Next, we stopped at Calcite Spring Overlook again, because Mom and Dad didn’t get out of the car last time, and Faith and I told them they should definitely go see the view. I meandered down to the lower levels of the overlook to get a slightly different view.

Calcite Springs Overlook

Gardiner

We turned west at Tower Junction, and drove to Gardiner, MT to seek lunch. As we drove into town, we noticed a large elk herd at the Roosevelt Arch, so we stopped to take some pictures of them and drive through the arch one more time.

Elk at the Roosevelt Arch

Lunch

For lunch, we headed to Wonderland Cafe, the source of yesterday’s scones. We’d hoped to eat here for dinner, but realized it wouldn’t work out with our schedule if we wanted to see a final sunset in the park.

To start, Faith got a Caesar salad, Mom got an organic salad with honey-lime cilantro dressing, and I got a bowl of the wild game chili (bison, elk, jalapeño corn bread, maple infused mascarpone, roasted jalapeños, and a dash of powdered sugar). The chili was exceptionally good – maybe the best I’ve ever had, but was quite spicy. My lips were bright red after eating it! Faith and Mom both loved their salads. It was great to have a solid meal after last night’s food fiasco.

Wonderland Cafe

For the main course, we all got burgers. Mom, Faith, and I got “Montana Burgers”, with white cheddar, local bacon, a fried onion ring, and huckleberry barbecue sauce. Dad got a “Wonderland Burger”, with white cheddar, basil aioli, lettuce, tomato, and onion. All were very good.

Wonderland Cafe

We all got some coffees to go from Wonderland. Overall, the meal was excellent, and I would definitely go back.

Wonderland Cafe & Lodge

Gardiner, MT

Excellent restaurant, bakery, and coffee bar with a simple menu. Be sure to try to wild game chili!

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Mammoth Hot Springs

After lunch, we drove up to Mammoth Hot Springs, and drove through the scenic loop around the Upper Terrace. Faith and I took Walker and walked down the boardwalks towards the Mammoth General Store, where we caught up with Mom and Dad.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Angel Terrace

Mammoth Hot Springs

At the bottom of the lower terraces, we saw a large bull elk lounging by the Liberty Cap. See if you can spot him in the photos below.

Elk at Liberty Cap

Mammoth

Down at Mammoth, we got somewhat trapped by an elk herd on the lawn of a house right next to the general store and restrooms. The bull had begun to move his herd to new pasture, which, we learned, was quite the process. He’ll roam around and rally the cows, who will in turn rally the calves, and the whole herd will move on to their next destination. Many of the cows are stubborn and don’t want to go, so it takes a while. The bull will begin by bugling to alert the herd, but if verbal cues don’t work, he’ll begin prodding the stubborn ones until they get up and start moving.

Elk - Mammoth

Mammoth

Elk - Mammoth

Traffic is often held up by elk and bison herds, and there are rangers specifically assigned to the elk herds in Mammoth this time of year, when the elk are close to their rut, and are thus more aggressive than normal. There were three rangers with bullhorns and radios managing the crowd around this particular herd. One of the rangers told us there are almost 400 vehicle/large animal incidents in Yellowstone annually, and that people frequently wind up with antler holes in their vehicles because the elk feel threatened by them.

We tried to check into our cabin at Mammoth, but it wasn’t ready yet because of a shortage in cleaning staff. So, we had to kill some more time and come back later.

Blacktail Plateau Drive

Since we enjoyed the drive so much yesterday, we decided to go back to Blacktail Plateau. Once again, it was a gorgeous drive – the bright yellow aspens dotted the landscape, illuminated by the afternoon sun.

Blacktail Plateau Drive

After completing the loop drive, we headed back to Gardiner.

Ice Cream

Back in Gardiner, we went back to Yellowstone Perk to get some Wilcoxson’s ice cream. Faith got a mixed berry smoothie; I got strawberry cheesecake and “Chocolate Runs Through It”; Mom and Dad both got maple nut.

Ice cream - Yellowstone Perk

Mammoth Cabins

We’d booked a couple of efficiency cabins at Mammoth Hotel. All guests check in at the main hotel building, which boasts a beautiful lobby. The hotel is also famous for its Map Room, which showcases a 17ft map of the United States. Constructed with the hotel in 1936, it is made from 15 different woods from 9 countries around the world.

Map Room - Mammoth Hotel

After getting the keys to adjacent cabins, we unloaded our luggage, rested for a while, and prepared to head back out. The cabins are basic, but comfortable and cozy. Most importantly, they are convenient to many locations on the north end of the park.

Mammoth Cabins

Lamar Valley Sunset

For our final evening in Yellowstone, we decided to go out to the Lamar Valley to see the sunset.

Sunset - Lamar Valley

We eventually drove down Slough Creek Campground Road, a dirt road that leads to a trailhead closer to the mountain to the north. It was a gorgeous spot to watch a sunset, and a memorable end to our journeys in Yellowstone. We didn’t see much wildlife other than some bison, but it was a worthwhile journey nonetheless.

Sunset - Lamar Valley

Back at the cabins, we spent the rest of the evening sorting through our belongings and packing up our luggage. The cabins had much nicer beds than Canyon Lodge, but the insulation was very lacking. Faith and I froze all night long, and poor Walker didn’t sleep very well because it was so cold. I guess that’s why they close them down for the winter. Even so, I would stay there again – they are a great value for lodging in/near Yellowstone. I would just make better use of the radiator next time.

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “sunrise in the Hayden Valley and sunset in the Lamar Valley”.

The best thing I ate today was… “wild game chili at Wonderland Cafe”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the elk in Mammoth”.

The best thing I ate today was… “wild game chili at Wonderland Cafe”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “elk herd crossing in Mammoth and Calcite Springs Overlook”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the elk burger”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “Calcite Springs Overlook”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the salad at Wonderland with honey lime cilantro dressing”.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to email notifications.

Tomorrow will be our final day out west. We’ll drive to the airport in the morning and spend most of the day traveling, but we hope to see a few sights along the way.

– Isaac & Co.

Sunrise - Hayden Valley

Hayden Valley

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Mammoth Hot Springs

Sunset - Lamar Valley

The post Day 13 – Church Trip 2023 // Yellowstone National Park appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 12 – Church Trip 2023 // Yellowstone National Park

Isaac Church — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 02:00:00 +0000

Today was our final day staying in Island Park. We spent the day exploring Yellowstone National Park.

Henry's Lake

It was a beautiful morning in Island Park. We left our cabin in the Bootjack neighborhood (“neighborhood” might be a bit of a stretch) and exited the gate at the Henrys Fork River, a tributary of the Snake River.

Henrys Fork

The sunrise over the river was spectacular – one of the best we’d seen on this trip.

Gardiner

From Island Park, we drove east and then north on the Grand Loop Road/US-89, and went straight to Gardiner, MT, the northwest gateway to the park. In 2022, a 500-year flood ravaged this area of the park, as well as the communities of Gardiner and Cook City-Silver Gate, MT. The damage was still very apparent, and probably will be for decades to come. Click here to read a NPS article about the flood.

To get from Mammoth to Gardiner, you must now drive an old service road that has been repaved. It’s quite long and winding compared to the old road, but it’s impressive that the National Park Service was able to get a corridor reopened so quickly. During our descent to Gardiner, we saw a sizable herd of elk, led by a large bull.

Elk

Our first stop for breakfast in Gardiner didn’t work out, so we stopped at Wonderland Cafe and Lodge to get some scones for later, and then landed at Yellowstone Perk, a local shop that had changed owners since our last visit. It turned out to be a great breakfast stop – we all got bagel sandwiches that were absolutely delicious. You had a choice of bacon or sausage, and it came with egg, cheese, and a chipotle mayo – Mom and Dad left off the mayo, and they really missed out!

Scones - Wonderland Cafe and Lodge

Breakfast sandwich - Yellowstone Perk

Yellowstone Perk

Gardiner, MT

A tasty stop for breakfast sandwiches and ice cream.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

After finishing our breakfast sandwiches, we drove up the street to Bears Brew, a local coffee food truck, to grab some significant caffeination for the day. We drove through the Roosevelt arch, dodging elk along the way.

Bears Brew

Yellowstone National Park Sign - Gardiner, MT

Yellowstone National Park - Gardiner, MT

Roosevelt Arch

Undine Falls

From Gardiner, we headed east on the Grand Loop Road, stopping at Undine Falls. Lava Creek drops 60′ over three tiers. I felt like this is a very underrated Yellowstone waterfall – especially for being right by the side of the road.

Undine Falls

Blacktail Plateau Drive

Continuing east on the Grand Loop Road, we turned off onto Blacktail Plateau Drive, a suggestion given by the GPS audio guide we use for most of our National Parks adventures. The six mile, one-way, dirt road winds up on top of Blacktail Plateau, giving stunning views of the fall colors, surrounding mountain ranges, and occasional wildlife. We only managed to see one bison on our visit, but the foliage alone was worth the side trip.

Blacktail Plateau Drive

Bison - Blacktail Plateau Drive - Yellowstone National Park

Blacktail Plateau Drive

We all said this was one of our favorite drives we’d done in Yellowstone, especially in the fall.

Lamar Valley

Back on the main road, we continue east past Tower Junction, and entered the Lamar Valley. Herds of bison dot the hillsides here; some get more up-close-and-personal with your car.

We stopped by the Lamar River Bridge, and soon were rewarded with a variety of wildlife spotting. First, I spotted a coyote on the other side of the bridge – wandering down to get a drink from the river.

Coyote

Thinking we might spot something else, we waiting a while longer, enjoying the scenery as we looked for movement around us.

Lamar Valley

After a short wait, a herd of bison started roaming down the road, attracting a large crowd of onlookers, some of who didn’t have any choice because the animals were holding up traffic. They came trotting across the bridge, and then broke out into a full gallop. The bison headed almost straight at us, and then veered off and over a hill on the other side of the road. We scrambled as fast as we could (which was not very fast, admittedly) back to the car, and got in just in time before they passed by.

Bison

Attempted Lunch

We drove farther east on the NE Entrance Road, and after exiting the park, we entered the sibling towns of Cooke City and Silver Gate (not in that order) with the expectation of finding some lunch. The last time we visited, en route to the Beartooth Highway, Cooke City had a decent selection of restaurants. I wasn’t sure how the flood had affected their food service industry, but online indicators showed that plenty of places were open.

This visit led to two great disappointments. First, I’d read that the Beartooth Highway was already closed for the season, so I hadn’t dedicated a day to driving it. Turns out, it was open after all. Second, pretty much all of the restaurants in Cooke City had closed for the season just the week before. The one restaurant that was open had literally run out of food because they were so busy.

So, that left us very disappointed and very hungry. We calculated our options, and drove back to Silver Gate to stop at a roadside barbecue truck we’d seen on the drive into town. They were also sold out of two-thirds of the menu items, so we just ordered some very expensive (and small) sandwiches and plates. At the recommendation of the cook, we drove about 25 yards to the city park to eat our meal. There was a primitive store selling coffee and ice cream across the road, but upon further investigation I realized it was $10 for coffee and $15 for ice cream, so we quickly moved on.

Silver Gate BBQ

Museum

After finishing our lunch, we dropped a couple postcards off at Cooke City’s post office, and stopped at the Cooke City Montana Museum to view their small but interesting section of exhibits. The museum covered the history of the towns and had many artifacts from life in the old west.

Cooke City Montana Museum

Traffic Delay

Coming back through the Lamar Valley, we were significantly delayed by the construction to repair some of the road damage caused by the flood. After sitting stagnant in two stages for well over an hour and a half, we finally made it back to the Lamar Valley, and headed back towards Tower Junction.

Remember that giant coffee Faith ordered this morning? Apparently she either forgot to order decaf, or [more likely] they forgot to give her decaf, so Walker was wired and had not slept well all day. It was rough going the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Republic Mountain

We now had a decision to make: how should we allot our time for the remainder of the day? After our sad lunch, we’d planned to go back to Gardiner for a meal, but that was now out of the question because of traffic delays. We decided to see as much as we could, and worry about food after dark.

Calcite Springs Overlook

At Tower Junction, we turned South back onto the Grand Loop Road, and started on a section of the road we’d never been on. The road between Tower and Canyon was closed the last time we visited, so we were excited to see the sights on this “new” stretch.

First, we stopped at Calcite Springs Overlook, which sits above the Yellowstone River. Calcite Springs marks the downstream end of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The hydrothermal features in this part of the canyon occasionally cause liquid sulphur and oil to bubble up from underground, leaving black spots on the otherwise yellow canyon.

Calcite Springs Overlook

Calcite Springs

Calcite Springs Overlook

Calcite Springs

Tower Fall

Behind the Tower General Store (which was closed for the season), there’s a 100 yard walking path that leads to a magnificent view of Tower Fall. It’s the second most popular waterfall in the park (behind the Lower Falls in the Canyon), and drops 132 feet. The falls are surrounded by unusual columns, from which it derives its name. The falls were one of the original marketed features of Yellowstone to both legislators (for conservation) and tourists (to entice them to visit).

Tower Fall

Dunraven Pass

The road climbed higher, approaching Mount Washburn, giving us even more spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

Dunraven Pass

At Dunraven Pass, just below Mount Washburn, we noticed a crowd of people gathering around some spotting scopes by the side of the road. Down in Antelope Valley, there was a pack of wolves roaming around, playfully preparing for the night’s hunt. I was able to get a few fuzzy pictures with my telephoto lens, but the waning light made photography difficult. It was amazing to see the wolves in person – they are one of the rarer animals to spot in Yellowstone.

Wolves - Antelope Valley

Washburn Hot Springs Overlook

We made a quick stop at Washburn Hot Springs Overlook to see a view of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from a distance.

Washburn Hot Springs Overlook

Lookout Point

We drove onto North Rim Drive, and parked at Lookout Point, which overlook the “Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River”, if you want to get really technical with names. We got there just in time to witness a picturesque sunset over the falls and the canyon.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Lower Falls

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Lower Falls

Attempted Dinner

Extremely hungry and tired, we pulled into Canyon Village with hopes of finding some food at one of the area’s relatively plentiful selection of eateries. Unfortunately, our fortunes didn’t get any more fortunate. All of the counters were closed, except for one, and the line was at least 100 people long. They had a sign that more or less said they stopped serving in 15 minutes, and if you hadn’t made it through the line, you were out of luck.

Desperate to get some food and get to bed, we scoured the grab-and-go counters for anything that looked filling or appetizing. Mom, Dad, and I each wound up with some cereal and a carton of 2% milk, and Faith got some dry cereal and the last hummus and pretzel container. On the plus side, Faith’s cereal came with a free milk, so using an empty cereal container, we dipped our scones (maple walnut, huckleberry, and strawberry orange) into the milk.

Cereal - Canyon Eatery

Scones

Life lesson: be grateful for the food you have, even if your milk is 2% and your scones are slightly stale from sitting in the car all day. Also on the upside: I got Faith a new hat in the gift shop, which looked like it had more staff than the eatery.

Lodging

It was a short drive from Canyon Eatery over to the lodges. When you book lodging through Yellowstone, you have a reservation for “Canyon Lodge”, but there are in fact seven lodges scattered around. All guests check in at the Washburn Lodge in one slow, grueling line, surrounded by out-of-control children and guests spouting off their daily wildlife sightings like some kind of fisherman’s exaggeration.

We stayed at the Chittenden Lodge, just around the corner from the Washburn. The rooms were nice, but exceptionally tiny (especially the bathrooms). It was next to impossible to find parking, but Dad and I finally managed to secure a space. We had to dodge several bison pies in the parking lot on our way back inside.

Chittenden Lodge - Canyon Village

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “wolves in the Antelope Valley and the sunrise view at Henrys Fork Bridge”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the breakfast bagel sandwich”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the bison running over the bridge, and Blacktail Plateau Drive”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the breakfast bagel sandwich”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “bison coming over the bridge”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the breakfast bagel sandwich”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “bison coming over the bridge”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the breakfast bagel sandwich”.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to email notifications.

Tomorrow will be our last full day in Yellowstone, and the last full day of this trip. We’ll continue exploring the road between Tower and Canyon, and maybe see a few other sights along the way.

– Isaac & Co.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Lower Falls

Henrys Fork

Lower Falls

The post Day 12 – Church Trip 2023 // Yellowstone National Park appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.