Twenty Years in Yellowstone (Switchbacks)

Today is our second 20th wedding anniversary and also our last official day in Yellowstone. I am saddened by those words. Never have I felt more at home in a place than I do here, and I never feel like I have enough time to really explore it. We have covered more territory this time than we did last time, but I still feel like we haven’t really scratched the surface of it. I’d really love to hike it more and just be in the moment without feeling like we have to race through to the next attraction. Which is what prompted the plan for today.

I wanted a more laidback day today. And considering my wife now feels like she’s coming down with a cold and is absolutely miserable, I think she’d appreciate it too. So, we decided to do the southern loop over to Canyon Village and down to Grant Village before looping back past Old Faithful. This route took us along the Yellowstone River to the picturesque views of the Yellowstone Lake. We didn’t come this way last time, and it was the only part of the “8” loop that we had left to traverse.

Shortly after the turn-off from Canyon Village, we came to the Upper and Lower Falls near Inspiration Point. My wife stayed in the car to rest while Troy and I braved the Lower Falls trail. It’s a steep switchback trail that zigzags down the mountain to the Lower Falls. With no rails or fences along the trail, it’s a pretty terrifying experience for a person with a fear of heights like me. With a mountain on one side and a sheer drop off on the other, the trail is just wide enough for two people to pass side by side. Troy had no issues with any of this, but I still made him hold my hand and walk next to the mountain side.

The Lower Falls and river valley are amazingly beautiful. From the lookout, you can see the Yellowstone River as it curves its way to the falls before plunging deep into the valley below and snaking it’s way through the canyon and out of sight. Troy enjoyed the view for all of thirty seconds before he was ready to move on. He took two steps back up the trail, and then he started complaining that his legs hurt. So, I threw him on my back like a backpack and started the arduous climb back up.

I’m not going to lie, it was rough going. The climb on its own would have taxed my muscles. Adding another 45 pounds to my back nearly killed me. Not to mention the thinner mountain air which had me gasping for breath and taking breaks along the way. Several people gave me sympathetic looks. One woman even joked with Troy that that was the way to travel. The day was cool, but I was sweating profusely by the time we finally made it to the top. After gulping down half a bottle of water, we checked out the overlooks at the top before heading on.

From here, we meandered through Hayden Valley, which wasn't as spectacular as Lamar Valley. It didn't have the mountain heights of Lamar, so it was more hilly with large areas of grasslands. The Yellowstone River cut through the grass like a blue-black snake, and their were some scenic views of the river along the way. But there was also a distinct lack of animals here, which gave the place a feeling of loneliness and solitude.

Before getting to Grant Village, we stopped at the Mud Volcano. Honestly, none of us were enthusiastic about this stop. We'd seen bubbling mud before, and it was getting hot and miserable outside. But tempers were high in the car, and I think we stopped more to get away from each other than anything else. The Mud Volcano was less than spectacular, so we didn't spend much time there. The Dragon's Mouth was much cooler though. It was a little cave at the base of a cliff where steam was perpetually coming out of. The hot water came splashing out in waves, and the exploding gas bubbles inside the cave made noises that sounded like growling, giving the entire scene the feeling of looking into a dragon's mouth. Definitely worth the stop.

My wife started feeling worse after this, so we jetted through the rest of the drive without seeing much else and headed back to the hotel. She decided to take some medicine and sleep, so I took Troy back over to the playground in town to play. We weren't there long before a little girl named Emily came up with her grandparents, and she and Troy immediately hit it off. While they played together, I talked to the grandparents. It was a nice way to spend the evening.