Yellowstone - 2: Geysers

After some break I am getting back to Yellowstone trip from August 2012. The Part 1 was here.

Backpacking the Pemi Loop, June 22 - 25

Below there are lots of pictures and quite a lot of text. The pictures don't give any credit to the steepness of terrain and pain in knees, hips and back from walking on it with the backpack. You tread along thinking why the heck are you doing this to yourself, and knowing that for sure you'll do that again, and soon. The pictures also don't give credit to the sweeping expanse of space from the mountaintop, with the mountain range from the horizon to horizon, with the wind in your face and acute feeling of being alive in that very moment. Especially after that terrain. In its turn, the text doesn't give credit to the story behind the journey. But I tried.
The White Mountains National Park, New Hampshire

Life near home

I will get back to the story of the Yellowstone trip of 2012, but somehow I got inspired on yesterday hike through Minnewaska SP ("Stay hungry, stay foolish" SJ). So I weeded through the pictures from the last month or so. All the escapades are in the vicinity of home, with exception of surfing trip to Sea Isle City, NJ. But then the only picture from there is the ocean at dusk. So here is my month (or month and a half) in pictures (in no particular order).

Yellowstone - 1: Teton Mountains, Hot Springs and Yellowstone Canyon

We returned from Padre Island, got our own tent/bags/cooking stove, and after the second Summer semester, in August 2012, set out on a big North-Western Loop (the map is below). The first stop (after the morning in lovely Laramie, WY) is Yellowstone National Park, sitting on top of supervolcano with out-of-this-earth colours, geysers and pools, bisons, wolfs and canyons.

Strange trip to Colorado part 5 - The Highest Highway in US

From the Green Ridge we turned North, to drive on Highway 34 through the Trail Ridge Road - the highest highest continuous paved road in US. It reaches the altitude of 12,183 ft (3,713 m).

Strange trip to Colorado part 4 - Green Ridge

From lush green of Haviland Lake, through mountain passageways, we reached the Grand Lake on the border of Rocky Mountains and Rio Grande National Parks. The mountain (or hill) near the lake bears the name of Green Ridge, shared by the over-family-friendly campground. We were just learning.

Strange trip to Colorado part 3 - Driving through the Rockies

Leaving Haviland Lake behind, we started driving North towards Rocky Mountains National Park, via mountain highways carved in rock. We were up for a treat, and knew nothing about it.

Strange trip to Colorado part 2: Hymn to Spring on Haviland Lake

After barren landscapes around Grand Canyon and Four Corners we came to Haviland Lake near Durango, Colorado. The place was chosen... for I have no idea what particular reason, but after dry deserty Lubbock it was almost like a lush green paradise.

Strange trip to Colorado part 1: Grand Canyon

This was almost the first of our trips, the pre-car one. Almost doesn't take into account various conferences, trip to Palo Duro Canyon, and kayaking on San Marcos river with the TTU OPC club, and random drives to Dallas/Houston on business.

After looking through three-year old pictures, I think I need another visit to Grand Canyon - this time to take some pictures actually.

Texas: Padre Island

Early July 2012 took us to Padre Island National Seashore near Corpus Christi.