It has been about a week since we did a hike because we had to take a break to pick huckleberries. One of our favorite things to do around this time of the summer is to pick huckleberries. The places we go to pick are so peaceful (and of course, top secret), plus we have great views. One of the spots where we pick, we can even take our camp chairs and sit down while we pick. On this particular foray, our sister Teri came with us and, picking for just over an hour, we picked over a gallon. Stay tuned for hike #31 next week.
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30 down, 10 to go!!! Today we headed to Yellowstone National Park to hike Mt. Washburn. It is a hike we had never done, but many people on different websites said it's the best hike in Yellowstone. We would have to agree. The views are amazing!!! You can see the Tetons, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, and we even saw Old Faithful erupt from a distance! We also had some wildlife sightings. Our sister, Teri, and nephew, Tyler, came with us on the 7.2 mile round trip hike (the sign at the bottom said it was only 3.2 miles to the top, but it was 3.6 on Melinda's GPS watch). We got to walk through a herd of bighorn sheep and saw a fox with a meal in his mouth. It is definitely a hike worth doing if you are visiting Yellowstone. Almost to the last 10 hikes! Hike #29 is a nice 8-mile round trip hike. We hiked this one with our nephew, Tyler. The trail follows the Palisades Creek the entire time, so you can hear the water throughout the hike. The trees provide shade as well during the hike. This is a popular trail and we saw many groups (including horses) heading to the lake when we were hiking out. If you have more endurance, you can hike an additional 2.7 miles to Upper Palisades Lake, but we like the view of the lower lake better than the upper lake. You can also get the famous square ice cream at Rainey Creek Service Station, which is close to the trailhead. We even stopped to see a waterfall (Fall Creek Falls) that runs into the Snake River.
Hike #27--Crimson Trail Another hike in Logan Canyon is the Crimson Trail. This hike can be started at two different places. We chose to start at the Spring Hollow Campground, which made the hike 4.1 miles round trip. (The other starting place is the Guinavah Campground. Due to the intersection of the trails, we think starting at Guinavah would make the hike a little longer.) We took the Crimson Trail one way and came back on the River Trail. This hike starts out with a series of switchbacks until you get on top of the ridge. We did this right after the Wind Cave and were kind of tired, plus it was very hot. We did see a baby rattlesnake while we were hiking that we had to encourage to leave the trail.
Hike #23--Creekside Tower Trail
Today we went with our sister, Teri, to the City of Rocks National Reserve. It was a little longer drive than we were expecting, but it was a great adventure. We went through some cities (towns really) that we had never heard of such as Malta, Almo, and Elba. City of Rocks is a haven for rock climbers with over 700 climbing routes. Along with several interesting overlooks, there are also hikes you can do and we decided to do the Creekside Tower Trial. It was 1.2 miles round trip and had some interesting things to see. We did a short 300-yard walk to the Window Arch (too short to count as a hike) and it was a great view of various rock formations. You also get a chance to see a lot of climbers climbing throughout the park. Surprise Lake (Hike #22) We headed to Grand Teton National Park today for the hike to Surprise Lake. The hike is 9.2 miles round trip and mostly uphill. You get some amazing views as you head up the switchbacks. You can see Taggart Lake and Bradley Lake as you go. You can also see Jenny Lake from one place on the trail. The hike got very difficult the last 1/2 of a mile because of snow. Yep, snow! We couldn't even see the trail and were just lucky that two different guys passed us and we could follow them. (There's nothing like relying on the knowledge of random strangers!) There is actually another lake (Amphitheater Lake) that is .2 miles from Surprise Lake. We decided to not go there because of the snow and afternoon thunderstorms that were predicted. In fact, we got a few drops on us as we got in our car to head home. We definitely want to do this hike again, but will go later in the summer, maybe August! Or September!
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Two Trekkers
Elisa Gee and Melinda Gee, just two sisters who love to travel. We both work in schools and have summers to play. Archives
June 2017
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