It is rather typical of Joseph & I to plan way too much into our trip itineraries. We often find ourselves waking before the sunrise, hiking & exploring all day, & crashing into our beds (or in this case, sleeping bags) long after the sun has gone down.
Today, we woke up at 5am in the hopes of seeing the sunrise in Hayden Valley. It’s a spot in Yellowstone known for great views of wildlife, & we were eager to visit before the crowds gathered.
We took a little longer than expected to get ready, & we found ourselves racing against the clock to get to Hayden Valley on time. If nothing else, we consented we would still be able to capture some beautiful photos in the early morning light.
On our way, we passed by Yellowstone Lake, & we could not help but stop to take in the view. Separating us from the still, silent water was a picturesque wooden fence. On the other side of the water, silhouettes of dark purple mountains stretched up to the blushing pink sky. We sat for a moment, drinking in the view, & then our jaws dropped in amazement. We had stopped at the perfect time. The sun crested over the mountain peaks, burning so bright we could barely look. It rose into the sky, sending a stream of golden light across the water. Joseph & I watched in awe, no longer concerned about our sunrise views in Hayden Valley. This was the perfect place to be.
When we finally did resume our drive, we found Hayden Valley empty of wildlife, so we continued on to our next stop: the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.
I am probably going to regret writing this, but when I visited the real Grand Canyon, I found it somewhat underwhelming. Perhaps it was because I had been literally running through red, orange & brown canyons for days in the unforgiving summer desert heat, or maybe it was because of where I was in the park (I have learned since visiting that there are better views of the Grand Canyon in certain areas of the park, & I was definitely in one of the less stunning ones), but when I had visited, I was somewhat disappointed by the big hole in the ground. I am not sure what I was expecting – something more grand? But all this aside, I was lowering my expectations as we arrived at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, sure that this view would disappoint when compared to the national treasure it was named for.
So, when I did step up to Artist Point, I audibly gasped in awe. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is stunning. Bathed in the yellow early morning light, the canyon has an ethereal quality that made it feel like something not of this world. In the distance, a large, rushing waterfall gushed into the valley below, forming a winding river that surged through the valley below. Lush green trees grew along the rocks, filling the yellow & white valley with spots of green.
We hiked to Point Sublime, all the while gazing out at the arresting views of the valley beside us. Sublime Point, in my opinion, was not the best view (Artist Point, which is just an easy, quick walk from the parking lot, was more stunning), but the views all along the hike made the trek worth it.
After hiking, we drove along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to see some other views before driving to our next stop: West Thumb.
All during the trip, we have seen geysers & hot springs. However, West Thumb had these natural marvels right on the edge of a lake! It felt strange to see this two very different elements collide. Standing on the boardwalk, we had steam rising from hot geysers to our left & a chill breeze coming off the choppy blue water to our right.
After exploring, we sat at a picnic table nearby to eat our lunch. As we ate, we talked about what to do with the rest of our day as we came face to face with an unprecedented event in our many travels together – a free afternoon.
We thought of finding another hike to do, but we had already explored much of the park, & everything else we still wanted to do we had planned for following day. And so, with no plans & nowhere to go, we stopped by the general store to pick up some s’mores fixings for later & then headed for the lake.
The black pebble beach was nearly empty. We tied up our ENO hammocks & gazed out at the rippling water surrounded by tall pine trees & dark blue mountains. We dozed as we swayed, a gentle breeze caressing us. When we grew cold, we laid out on the hot black beach warmed by the sun & watched the ducks swim.
After a few hours of relaxation, we headed back to our campsite to eat dinner. Not long after, storm clouds rolled in, so we escaped to the safety of our tent. Joseph pulled out a deck of UNO! cards, & we stayed up, laughing & having way too much fun playing such a simple game. When we grew tired, we laid back in our sleeping bags & listened to the patter of rain our tent.
Days like today normally don’t happen when Joseph & I are traveling. There is normally so much packed into our itinerary, we don’t even have a moment to think about relaxing. And we enjoy it that way – there is always something new to do or a new place to explore. But today was a rare treat that we both enjoyed, & it reminded us of something even more beautiful – it is not the adventure that makes our travels special, but the time spent in one another’s company.
