Yellowstone Part 1

Some quick highlights and lowlights...

Tuesday 7/27 
We were first in line to have the inspection, Sid purchases the Yellowstone permits for the "motorized" boat, the sailboat, and for the "unmotorized" boat, the inflatable dinghy, which is still riding around in the bed of the truck having never been inflated or tested. Once inspection is passed, we have to decide on where to store the mast and the mainsail. Sid decides to rig them to the trailer, so this means:

• launch the boat without any sail apparatus
• bring empty trailer back to lot to place and secure the sail apparatus
• park the trailer in an extended use lot and disconnect from truck
• return to boat docked at a 30 minute courtesy dock and navigate it to the assigned slip

Can you imagine this took us into the afternoon? 

The highlight was motoring around Stevenson Island and discovering that I had weak cell service for about 5 minutes on the far side of the island. Otherwise, I am completely off the grid while we are in the marina and nearby environs. 

OK-it IS beautiful out on the lake even if we are traveling at 3-4 mph on a vast natural mountain lake.

Wednesday 7/28
Sid's purpose on vacation is apparently to meet and engage in conversation as many strangers as he can. He spends virtually all of Wednesday morning sitting in front of the general store meeting people. This led to a valuable connection for him with a gent who also loves to play music and has brought along an extra guitar. 

This boat has 250 hp motor,
ours has 5 hp

Meanwhile, my purpose for vacay is primarily solitude and reflection, long walks, reading, etc. Our two purposes don't seem to mesh well. I have been left on the boat to prepare meals, keep things organized as best as possible, which is still a challenge at this point in the trip and sneak off for a hike if I can. There is also the wondering where he is if I can't see him from the boat slip.

The highlights were that Sid got to play music that night with his new friend. The friend, Ed, is rather accomplished so the end result was quite pleasing. And...Jackson Lake (Tetons) called and cancelled out reservations for August. This is a highlight because I really didn't think we would actually get any time on the lake given that it would take us most of the first day to step the mast and launch and we would need to pull out the second afternoon and start unstepping so we could be out of there by 11 am on the 3rd morning. "Is it worth it?" came to mind. Due to low lake levels, the decision was made for us.

Thursday 7/29

I got away for my first hike as Sid thought he would want to go out on the lake about 10:30 am. I almost made it to Natural Bridge, but needed to turn back just before I reached it in order to be back by 10:30am. Silly me--should have remembered Sid Time!

We did go out on the Lake, it was gorgeous in a different way since storm clouds were building. I imagine my photos don't do it justice. My phone simply does not do resplendent! We didn't stay out long due to probable storms, but decided this might be a day to go explore, via truck, a spot 20 miles south called West Thumb Geyser Basin. Of course, there are many thermal locations to hike out and see, but we simply drove around the parking lot looking for a boat ramp. Sid had gotten some intelligence that sailors often launched from there but it was day sail only as there is not a true marina in that location.

We found the ramp in Grant Village, just a bit further south, and the wheels began to turn in Sid's mind on whether or not we could do a day sail. At that point, it seemed completely plausible to him. And there was still no thought of actually viewing the geysers and thermal features.

Dusk at the guest ranch

View from dinner table, after the rain, gorgeous 

This was also a planned hotel night so it was perfect timing as the storms did roll in. We had dinner and (mercifully) showers and a bed at Yellowstone Cutthroat Guest Ranch about 20 miles outside the east park entrance.

You may be old enough to remember David Letterman having a segment on his show called Stupid Pet Tricks. It's self-explanatory. But we topped that with Stupid People Tricks as we pulled away for the brief motoring this morning. A lady was yelling and waving at us as we began to leave the marina. Sid smiled and waved and told me who the lady was; one of the strangers he had met. Then he realized that she was trying to alert him to the fact that he was dragging a 50 ft orange electrical cord behind the boat! We had forgotten to unplug from shore power before motoring out of the harbor. 😂