Day 22 - Jackson, WY to Jackson, WY

AUGUST 6

XXX mi to XXX mi

Good morning from Jackson Hole! THIS PLACE! I can’t get over how lucky I am to have the Halls let me vacation with them. In this beautiful home on a hill where early enough in the morning you can see elk and deer in the fields below. We had a late morning and headed outside of town to some “hot springs” Ryan found - and they were adorable! Turns out they’re more like a pool because we were sharing the space with some summer camps and young families. There was an old pup sitting in the ticket window for a while watching over us. But they were pleasantly steamy and we had a good time at how random of a situation it was.

Everyone hopped in and we had a great time! And as we finished up, we split off and went to explore the waterfall we passed on the way in. The drive to the springs was a short distance but a long drive over dirt roads and lots of dust in the car and some mountain goats and mule deer along the way!

The waterfall took some steep climbing up and down the hills and the water was icy but so beautiful. And after heading back we hopped in showers and went to town for a shop around downtown. Before leaving, Erin convinced us all to book tickets for the rodeo tomorrow, so once in town Erin and I booked it to find hats and we kept running out of luck! It’s hard to find that perfect balance of something to find in a Western town with rodeos that you’d also want to wear in normal life outside of said Western town. We kept finding contenders only to not find the right size. But we tried hard and eventually the family headed off to dinner and I stayed around waiting to meet up with my friend from FT Natalie. After talking to family on the phone for a bit longer, I headed to Natalie’s to her empty house to wait around while she finished her run and we had dinner.

She’s working as a program director on a ranch outside of Jackson and I luckily caught her on her day off. It was so refreshing catching up like we were back at FT again, We had only really been friends for a day because we met the last full day in El Capitan but there are some people you can connect with without needing so much buildup - and I’m thankful for that! Another close friend recently said to me that some of her closest people are the ones farthest away geographically and I think it’s usually really true! Something about the special relationship you can develop with people that live far away because it’s based on specific similarities that don’t need close proximity to maintain it. We ate dinner outside on her picnic table watching the sunset and taking portraits because that’s what inevitably happens when I get together with friends from FT. It was hard to leave for the night but we had to part ways after catching up for so long and just talking about life. I’m so happy I was able to see her and will hopefully see her again soon before FT 2020!

Day 23 - Jackson, WY to Jackson, WY

AUGUST 7

XXX mi to XXX mi

This morning we hit it! Hit the trail guidebooks that is. Erin and I spent the first part of the morning picking through the guidebooks in the house to find a trail through Tetons and then headed out for the necessary pre-hike breakfast. Two pastries each and coffee from Persephone in downtown Jackson. We ate out first, drank the coffee, and set out for the XXX trail around Taggart and Bradley lakes. OH MAN. It was beautiful. More description to come! But we started in tshirts and leggings and ended in sports bras and tank tops and then bathing suits and beach towels. Lake day or National Park?

We headed home after pastry number 2 and then were wiped out after a long day, sitting in the car wondering why?? Then realized it was because we had had a long day only to have eaten water, espresso, pastries and a clif bar. So off to leftover Thai food and showers because RODEO.

Of course it starts raining a bit when we’re meant to be sitting outside. We set off in the cars and our first traffic stop was a mother moose and her calf just snacking on the side of the road down from the house. They stopped, look back at us, and went back to their business. Upon arrival, we immediately find lots of cowboys and horses in trailers and plenty of tassels on the backs of shirts.

We sat in the grandstands to watch everything and knew nothing about what was about to happen. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, between being excited about the energy in the arena and watching the poor animals freak out each time they were released. But it was still such a spectacle and everything I imagined and more. We didn’t find our perfect cowboy hats but it was a crazy and good night. And Erin’s got me all set up with a playlist for the road tomorrow!

Day 24 - Jackson, WY to Parker, CO

AUGUST 8

XXX mi to XXX mi

Leaving day. It’s hard!

Even the little gifts I gave the Halls weren’t enough to say thank you for everything I’ve been able to do with them. Erin even helped me organize my car again, even with folded sheets! But I had to say my goodbyes and last hugs and Lauren and Erin came out in cowboy hats to send me off. And even that took about 10 minutes until I had to pull the trigger or I wouldn’t have ever left. I grabbed gas, didn’t make any stops, and headed straight for Parker, CO to see Ruthie and Kaleb! It’s a scenic then quiet ride into and through Denver. I listened to Erin’s entire fire playlist for 5 hours and had some podcasts and about 8 hours later I made it. On the drive in I could see storms around me and double rainbows forming through the landscape. I’m excited to come back to Wyoming again in the future and see more of the state.

It was around 8ish by the time I got in to Parker and their adorable house. Oatmeal and Juno were the most affectionate welcome committee and it was so nice catching up with Ruthie on the couch for a bit before we headed off to bed! Being around friends from home is so, so comforting.

Day 25 - Parker, CO to Parker, CO

AUGUST 9

XXX mi to XXX mi

Next day Ruthie and I got up early and decided to forego a hike in favor of coffee and errands. We went to the cutest Swedish coffee shop in downtown Parker and talked about rowing and rugby and everything and everyone from our old rowing team. We got coffees and two pastries to split. Then errands and home to set up, make food, and figure out a way to kill some bees around the back porch and a snake that kept coming out for a peek!

Ruthie had some coworkers over to celebrate her last day of work in her old position, and they brought snacks, pizza, a PIE, bloomin’ onions, and wigs for the casual night. We played Spikeball, I caught up with Kaleb, lots of whiteclaw and lots of huskies. We ended the night with good whiskey and more catching up and plans for the morning!

Day 26 - Parker, CO to Parker, CO

AUGUST 10

XXX mi to XXX mi

We set a wake up time for 7:30ish but it was best if we pushed it back, and we ended up leaving at 9 ha. I got ready earlier and came down and Ruthie and I watched the XXX Netflix show and had some leftover salad and blueberry pie for breakfast.

Kaleb and I took off to hike in Roxborough State Park and we talked about traveling in the future and what got us into photography/obsessions with Sony cameras and ambassadors. The hike was near Red Rocks, and there were some residential areas at the base as well as views of downtown Denver in the way distance. It was beautiful and dry and rocky, and the views walking around the edge of the hill were so good. Then we ran some errands and headed back towards the airport to pick up Ben! On the way out we talked about the conspiracies behind some of the odd art inside of Denver airport and the massive blue mustang outside it called Blucifer.

We went for Indian food in downtown Parker tonight with delicious naan and other things and headed home to watch Black Mirror. Excited for tomorrow!

Day 27 - Parker, CO to Parker, CO

AUGUST 11

XXX mi to XXX mi

GOOD MORNING MOUNTAINS. It’s off to Rocky Mountain National Park. We took off super early to make it to the best parking lot, and honestly we barely made it. The drive out is so beautiful, through Estes Park. Of course we picked a rainy day but it kept the crowds low and the fog made everything so calming. We went for the Bear Lake Trail, hitting all 3 lakes and stopping for waterfall slow shutter photos and Ruthie’s bird-watching. They talked about snowshoeing this trail in the winter, and the views were incredible. So different from home, and just as unique.

Then we took the Trail Ridge Rd to the peak, going up to an alpine tundra level altitude. It got colder and rainier at the top, so Ben and I lasted .5 seconds in shorts and wet rain jackets against the wind, but if there wasn’t inclement weather or fog we could have seen mountain goats or marmots. And on the way down we passed by the largest elk any of us had ever seen - massive and just laying with some felled trees, antlers as big as skyscrapers more or less.

We grabbed snacks for the drive back and everyone except Kaleb quietly sunk into the scenery, still foggy which added to the atmosphere. The guys dropped Ruthie and I off at the minute clinic for her to see a doctor and for me to get an inhaler refill. Looooong night there, maybe about 2 hours while the guys got hungrier - and disappointed when the brewery they wanted to hit for dinner was taking a personal day. So we had Torchy’s tacos, went to see the infamous groundhogs all around Ruthie’s work, and had margarita’s. And some Black Mirror to round it out.

Day 28 - Parker, CO to Rapid City, SD

AUGUST 12

XXX mi to XXX mi

Ben and I left quietly in the morning heading towards South Dakota. We had an airbnb booked for Rapid City, SD - a place neither of us had been to before. The goal wads to head to Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse before the night, and we drove for hours through plains and plains. Conveniently, Ben can’t drive my car because the driver’s seat can’t extend far enough back for his legs. Conveniently. So when I need a break, we pull over for a power nap in a pullout off the road.

We start getting closer to town right around dinner time, so the sun is slowly starting to go down. We instead drive through Wind Cave National Park, with the cave’s being shut down for renovations so we drive through the rest of the land. The bison started coming out to feed in the fields and groundhogs were everywhere. And once we lost cell reception and drove the 15 minutes through the park, we decided to turn around and drive back through because our GPS still had those directions downloaded. We drove through again until we saw one of the bison had come up from the field to the parking area around one of the informational signs, scratching his back on the wooden posts! I pulled in at the edge of the lot and Ben begged me to drive away, so we know who is the scaredy-er cat here. Then driving back through town, we drove up as far as the pay stations to Crazy Horse, and you could see just how impressive he is from that far away. We decided not to pay and drive to see him up close because it was closing down within the next 30 minutes. But it’s another thing I’m adding to my future list!

I have been driving in what feels like perpetual dust for weeks now. And zero rain. So Ben and I stopped for gas and i used the windshield cleaner next to the pump and made it even worse, mixing dirty water and dust. So, especially at night, it was a challenge to see clearly through the thousands of layers of dust to say the least.

Then we hit up Mt. Rushmore, and I can only imagine how beautiful the drive up would be during the day because the twists and curves winding up the mountain were surrounded by views over the city below and rock faces among bushy trees. So it’s pitch black when we get up there, and there’s still construction in front of the big heads, but the entrance up to them feels so…palatial.And it’s open late so we missed most of the crowds. But overall, it was a special things just standing still looking at the mountain quietly.

Unfortunately, the hanger set in strong and we left for our airbnb. We had a high quality McDonald’s dinner and went to bed. But I found an unrecognizable dead bug under my pillow so it wasn’t the most restless sleep of my life, but we made it to South Dakota.

WEEK FOUR

AUGUST 6-12