A Vernon County Excursion

Last Saturday I joined my boyfriend, Tobias*, and his parents, on a day-trip up to a small town in Vernon County, Wisconsin, to visit his grandma. The plans had changed multiple times due to various schedules, and then Tobias was ill on top of it all. Our Friday and Saturday plans ended up as Saturday from 8:30 AM-10:30 PM.

Tobias's grandma Donna lives on a farm in Vernon County, Wisconsin. We live on the southern edge of the state, where the land is not flat, but not hilly either. More rolling swells, covered in fields. Vernon County, however, is full of steep hills topped with sandstone outcroppings, with winding valleys and creeks. I had forgotten that even Wisconsin has beautiful, dramatic landscapes.

The land Grandma Donna lives on has been in the family for the past 160 years, and the original portion of the house was built in the 1920s. The whole house has family photos scattered over it; some of the most recent grandchild graduation, others I'd guess to be left over from the late 1800s. Her basement is like a time capsule. I would have been content with a rainy day, because I would have simply stayed downstairs and poked through all the old books and records and pictures!

 After returning from a quick visit to Grandma Donna's sister, Tobias and I struck out on a hike. I was so excited to get outside and explore in the beautiful 75-degree weather!

I was oblivious to the camera here.

In this one you can get a sense of how far up we were.

 I am not going to lie. Half the point of this post was to give me a chance to show off our adorable pictures!

I am kicking myself for not taking a few shots of the scenery, though. I'll have to get those another time.

"Here, take a picture!" [spits water at me]

They have a spring on the property, diverted into a (rather gross-looking) tub. Quite drinkable, though.

We left with high spirits, a beautiful sunset, and a promise from Tobias to bring me back sometime. Maybe this summer? I'll hold him to it.

Happy Spring!

--Kiwi

*I had only had to think for a minute before I had his "code name." Tobias. Years ago, my close friend Ruthie and I came up with this lovely scheme of how we'd meet our future husbands--who happen to be brothers--and decided their names would be James and Tobias Wayne. Tobias is mine. =)

Twenty Trip~~Hiking Along Jenny Lake

(My apologies for the delay between posts. April was a busy month, but I will try to keep up better. I have friends heading out to Yellowstone and the Tetons at the end of the month, and I'm considering stowing away in their car...)

Sunday, September 9th, 2012

After our lengthy search for a restaurant--which took us to many interesting places we otherwise would never have seen--we drove out to Grand Teton National Park 

and stopped briefly at the welcome center.

My aunt and uncle had suggested we take the ferry across Jenny Lake, then hike up to Inspiration Peak to look down across the lake. 

Unfortunately, the ferry's last run was the day before our arrival!

We drove around to a trailhead by String Lake, which is right below Jackson Lake 

on this handy-dandy map.

The star around the little hiker-dude is where we started out. The trail took us along side Jenny Lake (but on top of a bluff beside it, so no wading!) through some beautiful scenery.

Right at the start we crossed this river (overgrown stream?) on a wide plank bridge. I appreciate the way the bridges were designed to blend in with the outdoors, not just plunked down as something to walk across.

See why I'm longing to return?

I'm not sure when the fire that took these trees out was. It's almost prettier with the dead trees. You can see farther--and it makes for great photos!

Dad + hiking stick + mountains + boulder!

Good picture, eh?

We saw two ospreys on the hike up, then headed back down we could see another in the nest.

Those green-turning-orange bushes in the foreground (of the amazing picture I took) are called "snowbrush" or "sticky laurel" bushes. They smelled amazing! The breeze was warm and brought a lovely, spicy scent down along the hillside. When you crushed the leaves the smell was even stronger, and stayed on your now-sticky fingers. If the scent could be bottled, I'd buy it.

Half-way up the trail.

This is the point where I told Mom
"I think I was supposed to be a mountain goat, not a city girl."

We stopped right on the other side of the rocks to eat our picnic lunch. I was too excited and ready-to-move to eat much, but managed to down the salami, crackers, & cheese, and the
lime-and-chili almonds Mom bought special for the trip.

Oh, I miss snacky picnic lunches on sun-warmed rocks in Grand Teton National Park!

~Kiwi~

Twenty Trip--Uncle Tom's Trail

Saturday, September 8th, 2012

We had the brilliant idea of hiking up and down Specimen Ridge, then turning around and going down and up Uncle Tom's Trail. The day went well, but we were exhausted by the end of the day, and I had shin splints 

something awful that evening.

I should mention at this point that Dad had hurt his knee several weeks prior to our trip, but he still hiked Specimen Ridge and the 656 steps of Uncle Tom's Trail, and half-way up a Teton the next day. 

 

This is just one flight of stairs. There's one flight at a right angle above this, and another at the bottom. Going down is easy, but you don't want to go fast. It would be easy to get going too fast, and tumble right over the rail!

We could see several places where the stairs had been dented from boulders falling down the mountainside. No sir, that wasn't scary at all! 

The more I look at it, the more I realize that this picture is tipped! 

The Yellowstone River!

This one looks like some of the postcards in the welcome centers.

And I'm quite certain that there is a drawing of this scene somewhere, done back 'round the time of Yellowstone's 

first extensive exploration.

Rainbow!

 And the Lower Falls themselves! Look closely and you can see people just to the right of the Falls.

Proof that we went all the way down! 

Unfortunately, what goes down must come up!

On the way up the stairs, my father challenged me to a race. I, being my father's daughter and highly competitive, took him up on the challenge and beat him soundly! (Or would have, if he hadn't cheated.)

You see, down at the 328th step, Dad said he could beat me back to the parking lot, and took off running. I passed him with little difficulty, and continued on about 25 steps when he stopped for a breather. We continued in that fashion and our odd way of ascending the trail was noted by all around us.

Once we left the stairs and were just jogging up the trail, I almost ran headlong into a tour guide 

and her row of sightseers. 

"I must say, this is the first time I have ever seen anyone running up this trail!"

I was also slowed for several seconds by a German gentleman who grabbed my wrist and gave Dad a 15 second lead. Even that did not deter me, as I sped on and passed him. We then slowed and Dad said he "ceded the race." 

AKA, I give up, you win... right?

I graciously slowed my pace so my *coughagingcough* father could keep up, and before I knew it, he sprinted the last few yards, touched the pavement of the parking lot, and claimed victory!

Now, I don't pretend to be an authority on the subject, but that seems like cheating to me! 

What is your verdict, dear readers?

~Kiwi~

(And no, my father isn't all that old. I just had to say that to get a rise out of him. ;)

Twenty Trip--Specimen Ridge

Saturday, September 8th, 2012

 

(Warning: Lots of pictures!)

 

This day was the beginning of the End. We packed our bags, loaded up the car, and left Gardiner for the last time. The town itself didn't seem all that exciting (at least, in comparison with the park), but I was sorry to leave just the same. Leaving meant that the Tetons were next, then... then home!

Sad as it was to abandon Gardiner, the day was actually pretty amazing.

 

On the way down to Specimen Ridge, we passed a pull off full of people and their binoculars. What do you do when you're in Yellowstone and people are stopped beside the road? Why, you get out and join them, of course! Turns out there was a kill of some sort way up on the hillside, and they were watching that. All that was seen were some large birds, though, no wolves, bears, or coyotes.

 

We continued a mile or two down the road, and pulled off to a closed-down trailhead. Once upon a time, there was a road running off into the hills. We walked on what was left of it for a ways, then turned right after the first large boulder.

 

 

After 20 minutes of walking, we were passed by a young couple from Holland on tour of the US. They had been at the kill-site-pull-off, but left about five minutes after us--and nearly hit a wolf as he sauntered across the road, posed for pictures, then continued merrily on his way! Oh, the injustice of it all! ;)

 

Mom made me walk back down the trail for this picture, so she could show how steep it was. Dad and I were thankful for our homemade walking sticks, but Mom had claimed she didn't need one. Her mind changed not even half-way up the trail.

When we reached the trees, I looked around and found a Handy Stick just waiting to be used. (More on the Handy Stick later.)

 

Lookattheview! In the middle you see the construction crew working on a bridge. To the left of it there is a small parking lot with our car in it. The only reason you can see it that well is because the Holland-couple's huge camper is beside it.

 

A wind-scoured tree about 3/4ths the way up.

 

 

Father

 

 

Mother

 

 

The slowpokes!

 

 

On top of the WORLD!

 

 

 

 

 

That day was almost enough to make me into a hiker. Not quite, but it was simply amazing to be outdoors and all alone and just see everything.

 

 

We even found our own 'specimen;' believed to be the jawbone of a pica or some such rodent. It was in our bag as a souvenir, but disappeared between there and home. =(

 

 

Then we found the real specimens. Can you tell what that is?

 

It's the same as this.

A petrified tree.

Which was just so way totally cool! (Pardon the second-millenium colloquialisms)

 

These things were growing at the time of Noah! And most likely petrified during the Flood! And I got to sit on them! And look and touch and take pictures. (I like to touch everything. Museums are not a good place for me.) This really just amazed me. And look at the size of the thing!

I raved about this all day week year long.

 

The trek back down didn't take too long. Dad offered to make it faster--all it would take is a well-placed shove...

 

We decided it was best to leave our Handy Stick behind, so I composed a Winnie-the-Pooh-ish poem on the walk down the hill, and left it attatched to the Stick.

 

This Handy Stick

Will help you climb

From lowlands flat

To heights sublime

 

And when at last

You come back down,

Please leave it here

Where it was found.

 

(I wanted to sign my first name, but Mum wouldn't let me. Someone was paranoid about the paper being found by a ranger, who tracks me down and fines me for 'littering' or some such charge.)

 

Please note, though, that we left the Stick where people would find it, and the paper was firmly affixed to said Stick. You don't have to worry about it cluttering up the Yellowstone landscape.

 

To anyone headed to Yellowstone, or who was there this past September, let me know if you found my Handy Stick! ;)

 

~Kiwi~