Tetons at Wilson WY
Tetons at Driggs ID west side of mtns.
What is it? It smelled wonderful!
Henry's Fork of the Snake River Canyon
Lower Mesa FallsIt is the higher one I think - 315' or so
Us, hot sweaty and panting
Rock Formation and RiverBelow Upper Mesa Falls
Big Falls Visitor CenterNational Register of Historic Places 1918
Puff Ball - Several people say its salsify, a bad invasive weed.
Click to enlarge for reading
Big Falls Visitor Center
Brink of Upper Mesa Falls
Upper Mesa Falls
The Walkway
Upper Mesa Falls
Wall showing misty microclimate
Bev and Mom 
CranesbillIt’s Pioneer Day, a big LDS history celebration. It’s a beautiful sunny morning and probably will be in the 70s again.
WE’RE OFF!! We got up before 6 and all four of us trying to use one bathroom to shower and get ready. We were able to load up Beverly’s rental car and be gone by 8. It’s a Ford Taurus SUV and should get a little better gas mileage than mine. By looking at the cargo space you wouldn’t know we’re only going for two nights. Joe rode along with us because the body shop in Pinedale had called a couple of days ago and said his truck is finally ready. So that was our first stop. Boy is it shiny and red! They painted the whole thing except for the roof. So Joe has his truck back. He’s disgusted that I’m leaving home again, and thought it would only be for overnight, but we’re going for three days / two nights.
Next stop was Ridley’s and we got some lunch stuff and ice for the cooler. We’ll picnic for part of our meals. We’re heading back to Jackson and will go over Teton Pass to Driggs, then toward Rexburg and Mesa Falls. Tonight we have a reservation at a Comfort Inn at West Yellowstone. And Friday at another Comfort Inn at Gardiner – near the north entrance.
We stopped in Wilson for gas at Pass Gas. Driving over Teton Pass was beautiful with the wildflowers. I’ve seen good wildflower years, but this has to be one of the best. In one place the Indian paintbrush was 3 feet high! Victor, Driggs and all the country around there has had massive development since I’ve last been there. Homes everywhere. Huge new buildings in the towns - which used to be small and unique. On past there we drove a long distance through the beautiful rolling farmlands with the back side of the Tetons to the east. It’s quite a spectacular view and would have been better if it hadn’t been so hazy.
Soon we came to Ashton where we turned onto the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway. We drove along a VERY steep canyon on my side of the car for a ways. I just looked the other way until we got by there. We came to the Lower Mesa Falls which is the higher one – think I've read it's over 300’ high, but that may be wrong. It was a short walk to the falls on an asphalt path just off the road. We were some distance from this waterfall, but it was still quite a sight. After that we took our cooler to a picnic area and had lunch. It was a fitting repast for a queen.
Next it was on to the Upper Mesa Falls 3 or 4 more miles up the road. This one is further off the road, but it had a very nice wooden walkway with MENNNNY stairs, up and down, perhaps half a mile walk or so with a big change in elevation. And I did it. This fall is very close to the walkway. It’s just beautiful. Perhaps one notch lower on the “spectacular” chart than Yellowstone Falls. Both of the Mesa Falls flow through a lava formation with cliffs on each side. I took a lot of photos of both the falls. I had a smile on my face the whole time.
The strange thing is we came in from the farmlands and hardly gained any altitude, but the canyons cut down into the plateau. Perhaps this is why it’s called “Mesa” Falls. It looks like you are in the mountains where there were none to see from - say Ashton - as far as you can see to the horizon. We were on the west edge of Yellowstone, and the river heads at Shoshone Lake near Old Faithful.
Next we stopped at Island Lake Reservoir. It wasn’t that easy to find, signage isn’t that great, but we asked and then with directions stood on the shore of the large lake, and checked out a lodge there. We saw Henry’s Lake too. Island Park is beautiful, a large opening in the forests. Beverly drove most of the day, and then Gloria.
We arrived at our motel by 5:30 and got checked in to our room. Tried to find one thing or another to do – maybe even driving to Quake Lake which has a great interpretive center and sometimes there are mountain goats around there, or Old Faithful – both side trips for our route. Went out for dinner. Figured when we got done eating it was too late to drive around any more and actually see anything before dark so cruised the town. We did some shopping and I got two pairs of knit Columbia pants and a hoodie for 50% off. We checked out the movie theatre - Dark Knight – we didn’t want to go back for it at 9 p.m. and anyway neither of them wanted to see it. They have an IMAX movie about Yellowstone and we didn’t do that either - $10 apiece. So our next choice was Turner Classic Movies with an Edward G Robinson movie. Tomorrow morning we’ll head toward Gardiner and make a figure 8.
One thing I meant to say on Monday’s blog regarding the doctor’s report is that although the scan and tests sounded very good, he said again, I might have a week or a month, or a few months, or a few years. I wasn’t surprised at all, as he has told me that from the beginning. I wish I had asked what might happen in the short term scenario, since I’m feeling relatively good. Must be the possibility of some fast organ failure.
