Monuments, Memorials and the Road Home

Yesterday P.Rod posted about a season of spiritual warfare, especially since moving forward on the Helena church plant. Unexplained sicknesses, crazy things going on, etc. he’s been praying the 27th Psalm.
Curious I looked it up.
Good one to pray.

Very loose game plan today.

Regretted not getting mom that coffee cup with her name in Cedar Village at Yellowstone. Finally found something with her name at Mount Rushmore. Well, Casey did, because she rocks.

Mount Rushmore was cool, but not as impressive as the Tetons and Yellowstone. No Nicholas Cage running around.

What they look like

How they planned to carve them

How to carve a mountain

Same with Crazy Horse. I did like the museum. What impressed me is that it’s privately funded.

South Dakota has interesting rolling topography. Almost like a crater at times.

Stopped at a gas station. It was closed. Lady wanted gas. Only had cash and they were closed.
My first instinct was to pay for their gas.
I didn’t and now I wonder if I should have. They weren’t abandoned. The clerks were still there...

If I finish my current book I’ll have read 5 in the last week. Roadtrips allow for lots of reading time.

Staying at a jacked up Super 8. It’s gotten good and bad reviews. Looks beat up. Got stuck in a smoking room (even though Georgia quit). Casey gagged.
Run down car in the back had Dustin pull his pistol out and chamber a round.
I had a hand near my “travel knife” that Bobby gave me. Not my working blade. It’s sinfully dull. This may be an interesting night...

We survived, and made it home the next day. I powered through the final 298 miles back to Arkansas since I was so tired of sitting in a car at that point.

Reflections on the Road to Mount Rushmore.

Up early and on the road to Rushmore. A several hour drive. Eight if I remember right.

Dubois, WY is an old western town that was modernized. I’m liking this state.

Traveling Southeast across Wyoming towards Casper where Lena lives. No trees. Wide open. Really want to look at a starry night in big sky country.

Listening to music and reflecting. The past me and the now me. The amalgamation of people’s influence and experiences on a person. Getting to the bottom of me, becoming me.
The procession of trauma from my godson, Noah’s death. That feels like another lifetime ago almost.

Check engine light popped up on Daniels truck again. OnStar is running diagnostics. Haven’t heard back from them yet. Everything is broken yet the truck runs.
The suspicion is the truck's hard shifting on cruise control while pulling a camper the size of a small mobile home.

We stopped at a peaceful but crowded campground. No idea what we’re doing tomorrow.

The plan is to pack light and leaving after we see Rushmore. Joey will bring the rest to Jacksonville if necessary, if they don’t meet up with us in Oklahoma.

Taking in the stars. Finally getting to see the Milky Way. Looking at it through the binoculars and I can see even more stars. Reminds me of Psalm 147:4, “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.”

If only my camera could catch that beauty.

Invading the Grand Tetons and the Top of the World

Woke up to the kids being awake. Talking about ghosts and hackers. The stories about hackers sound like something conspiracy minded adults would come up with.

Casey’s going with meon the hike. I’m going to stop at the store for grizzly info. May get the spray. Casey said it’s not important.
Considering the size of that bear....

Carrying Daniel’s pistol. The revolver. Haven’t carried a pistol in 6 years. Doesn’t feel to unusual.

Ground squirrels everywhere.

Didn’t get to far and seen a mama moose. She was moving quick, and right behind her were two calves. Couldn’t do a binocular shot.
Got a blurry picture. Started trying to flank her because I dang sure didn’t want to surprise her. Especially with calves

Snake River by Camp

We got called back before we got very far. Less than a mile.
It was slow because it wasn’t like a normal hike. More like a hunt where I would feel better with my .308 than a .45 Long Colt.
Usual where I usually go I’m the apex predator.
Not here. Even the herbivores are very dangerous.
Still very relaxing, either way.

Going into the Grand Tetons around Jenny Lake. On the way a big black bear just went off the road. Neither Joey or I were fast enough to get that picture

Jenny Lake overlook is so peaceful. Lots of normal pictures and through the binoculars. The other shore is a mile across but doesn’t look it.

Grand Tetons

Jenny Lake

Snowmelt Waterfalls

Going on the tram at a Jackson Hole resort called Teton Village.

That was amazing. So many pictures and videos. Insane. 10,450 feet up in the air. Only been that high in a plane. So cold too. When we got to the top we saw other tourists in jackets, shivering. Definitely weren’t prepared for that today.
All of Casey’s pictures have her shivering. You'll see in the video.

Back at camp and packing for the ride to Mount Rushmore tomorrow. Today was definitely my favorite.

So Many Animals! So Fluffy!

Finally had a brief moment of cell service. FitBit was running again and I was reaching out to mom and RussKee to let them know we’re safe.

Today’s was full. A animal bonanza. First was West Thumb, with a sign about bears and a great view.
Followed by a stop at Yellowstone River. Still not used to a river running “backwards”.

More Geyser stuff like the Dragon’s Mouth and Mud Volcano. The Mouth has a rumble to it.

Rolling through Hayden Valley. Bison everywhere. A small dot moving but we can’t stop. I glass it and it appears to be a bear. Black I think.
We finally stop and glass the whole valley. Surprising amount of life.

We make it to Artist’s Point on the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. 

It’s impossibly deep. John says it’s hard to imagine the Grand Canyon is deeper.
Right. Got a lot of pictures, and had to endure a lot of Casey’s pictures. 

Trails were closed so we couldn’t go to the lower falls.

Finally figured out these black birds that are hanging around are not crows but ravens. I thought they were to big to be a crow. 

We stopped at Canyon Village.
While at its gas station, we saw a couple of ambulances drive in. Then leave. No idea what happened there. Down the road a lot of people were out looking at something.
Joey, me and Dustin walked down there. Not smart if it’s a bear.
Bull elk.

Passing beautiful country on the way to Mammoth Springs. Stopped at one canyon with a layered rock that was interesting. It was straight with grooves that looked like it had been scooped out. 

I forgot who saw them first but there were mountain goats walking on the incredibly steep sides.
I used my binoculars as a zoom lens.

We’re passing one area with people hiking when Daniel and me notice a grizzly in the middle of them running away.
They’re within 10 feet, taking pictures.
Daniel yelled Bear and a few ran. I got one blurry picture from the truck.

Mammoth Springs was interesting. It’s in beautiful country.

Seen so many elk and bison it’s actually getting boring.

Black bear has traffic stopped. Me and Dustin contribute to the jam by jumping out and getting pictures.

Coyote or fox (I think fox) darts across the road with a rodent in its jaws. I try to get a picture but it’s blurry.

Another traffic jam. I’m trying to find what everyone is looking at before we arrive. It’s not till we get there I see a small grizzly in the woods. I know there are some big ones here but I’m not seeing any in Yellowstone.

Dustin took this one

Almost to camp, I’m looking in the burned out forest, thinking about making the same loop Joey, Lillian and Miranda and John hiked that morning.
That’s when I spot a huge grizzly.
Bear! Bear! Big Bear!

I grab and drop my binoculars because this foolishness will have to happen fast. I bolt from the truck, leaving the door open in case I have to run back.
Silently running to where Dustin and Georgia are. We’re shooting pictures, video, Casey runs up, I do shots with her better camera. 

Dustin took this and the middle one. His Samsung camera is better than my iPhone 7's

Then I watch the beast tear open logs for grubs as more people stop to get pictures.
Daniel is freaking out, telling us to come back.
Then the bear turns towards the road.
We beat feet back to the vehicles.
I’m at the truck watching through binoculars.
Can’t wait to tell John about this.

Show John the video. He gasps.
I grin, saying, "You walked through there this morning."
It did change my plans a bit. I’m not going through that area. I’ll stick to the river. Where Bears also hang out...

A recurring thought today was God’s an artist

Elk, Bison and Geysers

We saw elk on the way to Old Faithful. While I was taping, one walked across the road. It headed to where Casey was throwing up in the trees. She was carsick. It was sorta funny that she had no clue an elk was 20 feet away from her.

The geysers were all you can imagine. Saw some type of varmints. Maybe prairie dogs. 

We tried to see as much as possible but still probably only saw half of it.

Group separated. One hiking. One looking for critters. I was in the critter bunch. Saw a bison. We got too close for my father-in-law's comfort to it.

My father-in-law hurt himself. I broke out my medical kit to patch up the gouge in his leg. His blood thinners made him bleed a lot.

Thought about a hike. Except I’d be alone and Bears. Not the best practices. Because bears. 

Joey took the kids to the river. Dustin and me tagged along. Saw ground squirrels and a mule deer. Which is surprising considering how loud the kids were. 

Though making a lot of noise is a bear safety tip. It warns them that you're coming so they leave...you hope.

Got a bit windburnt in the mountains today.

It’s nice to have no interruptions from the phone but my pessimism was wondering if something is wrong and I can’t be reached.