Road Trip ’23 … Day 4 … Wyoming Wonderment

Day 4 – Just When You Think It Can’t Get Any Better

And the travel days continue. We rise early (but with 2 hours different from normal rising schedule, this wasn’t too bad.) We leave the Stanley, head through Estes Park, skirt around Boulder, head north west towards the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. Ten plus hours to drive.

We stopped for breakfast at an old stagecoach/wagon train stop – The Forks. The Forks goes back over a hundred years, but it lost some mojo when the railroad was put in miles north of their location. So they had to adapt, and adapt they did. This was a little spot in the middle of nowhere, but knowing the history explains the location. 

We continued and stopped at Split Rock. This little respite was not on the map. Well, not on the map we know. Years ago, this spot was well recognized for earlier travels. The Sweetwater Valley contains three distinctive granite landmarks: Independence Rock, Devil’s Gate and Split Rock. The last of these, Split Rock, with its unforgettable gunsight notch, was visible to emigrants for two days or more as they approached and then left it behind them.

A small ranch used to be there. A Pony Express station was there too. Though the creek was down in the valley, it is said the old wagon train wheels have left ruts that still exist in the dirt. My wife continues her adventurous spirit with scaling the rocky side of the hill. This was exciting to see her do the small scrambles. 

Wyoming is so diverse. Rocky Buttes on the right. Grassy plains on the left. Mountains with rocky sides. Mountains all green with evergreens. All this was magnificent but was only getting us ready for The Great Tetons, specifically the Cathedral peaks.

Miles off, these peaks are clearly seen and they rise to 12000 plus feet, majestic and awe inspiring. (Stock photo REI page)

We headed to Mormon Row – a historic area that includes old farms. The barn there is the most photographed barn in the world. And while the barn/farm house/outhouse/second barn/etc are old but living in Evergreen VA – they were pretty common buildings to my everyday viewing. But nothing here, even in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, NOTHING can compare to the backdrop of the Tetons.

We saw a herd of buffalo but they were too far off to truly appreciate.

As we headed north from Mormon Row, we entered the Yellowstone NP.

Though it was late in the afternoon – much remains to talk about in the few hours of our first experience in YNP.  So, we will wait till tomorrow.

Today’s Lesson – You might think the “AWE FACTOR” reaches a peak – a point where nothing next can be greater than what you have just seen. Garden of the Gods – Wow. Glen Eyrie and more – WOW. RMNP – Double WOW. Tetons – NO WAY (jaw drops). YNP … how can this out do what has been experienced? Great question – but, it will.

God has that effect. Thinking He can’t get any better, His love can’t get any deeper, His grace can’t be poured out any more. But that limits God. And my God has no limits. So let’s praise Him.

Just when you think it can’t get any better – He can!