Day 330
Old Faithful
We rather sadly left the Grand Tetons. As soon as we left the park we were rewarded by the sight of a moose nonchalantly munching away at the side of the road. The cars didn’t faze him but he clearly was a bit puzzled by us two weird beasts on bicycles. We didn’t linger as apparently they like to stomp on anything they’re not keen on! Tom spotted another grizzly with two cubs, the dozen or so parked cars providing a bit of a clue. The good weather had stayed at Signal Mountain and a cold steady drizzle started to fall. We spotted Leslie and Issa-Pierre driving along. It was great to chat, but this really was to be our last goodbye, well until Paris that is!
Now we had a challenge today, we had nowhere booked and the majority of campsites were shut, partly due to the season not getting going until June and the small matter of the grizzlies moving down from the hills, a bit hungry and probably on the look out for a tasty cyclist to munch on.
We had a plan, Joe from Jenny Lake had assured us Brian at Headwaters campsite would look after us. Brian looked a bit doubtful but I explained I was happy to pay to be out of the rain and away from the grizzlies. A short time later, and a few dollars lighter we had a wooden shed for the night. No electricity, so no heating or lights, but a roof over our heads. Brian provided about 20 sleeping bags to keep us warm, and even better the laundry opposite had heating, and a table to work at! Luxury!
Then the day dawned, Yellowstone here we come! The South Access had literally just opened the day before and the snow was piled deep at the roadside, no matter, we were in! We rode beside the Yellowstone River, at 671 miles long, flowing from Yellowstone to join the Missouri River then into the Atlantic it is the last undammed major river in the lower United States. It was simply stunning, with a beautiful forest as a backdrop, the sun dancing on it’s surface, we were enchanted. Naturally we had a pass to ride over, and the chance to cross the Continental Divide again and again! Before we headed up we had a lovely chat with an ex-Brit Richard and his wife Alison. Basking in their praise at how just darn awesome we are, we started the climb. The views helped but boy it was hard work. Feeling hungry we stopped at a handy picnic area, well actually a lay by and cooked up a pot of soup. The packet said it served 8 Americans or in our case, 2 cyclists!
Refuelled we popped our tourist hats on and stopped to enjoy the sights, the Moose Falls were awesome. We saw our first geysers at West Thumb, a wooden walkway keeping us safe, we looked in awe as they bubbled away with a fantastic lake as a backdrop.
Our excitement was growing though, we were almost at the most famous geyser of them all, Old Faithful, and we had thrown caution and credit card to the wind. Not only were we not camping but were actually staying at the legendary Old Faithful Inn. Completed in 1904 and built entirely from wood, it’s design is said to resemble the randomness of nature, it has a 76 foot tall lobby, creating an atrium with seats on each floor providing a fantastic and relaxing place to sit and take in the atmosphere and while away the hours. The foundations and clock were built with rock thrown up in Yellowstone’s volcanic eruptions. So much of the building remains unchanged from when it first opened, even an Earthquake in 1959, which damaged the upper floor where a band would play for the dancers below, now sadly closed simply adds to its charm. We were just 3 months early to celebrate Christmas, yes you read that correctly, the employees and guests celebrate Christmas each year on the 25 August.
The Bear Pit lounge is a new addition, opened in 1936 at the end of prohibition. A major fire in 1988 destroyed many smaller buildings nearby, but due to the heroic efforts of firefighters the Inn survived unscathed. Our room had been built before an ensuite was the norm, but the hotel provides wonderful robes to wander the halls in, it all felt as my dear mum would say, ‘very posh’. Before we settled in for the night we had the small matter of wandering around to see just a few of the geysers and Springs that Yellowstone is famous for. Old Faithful gave a wonderful display, boiling water and steam shooting into the air, but the less well know geysers were as impressive, if not more so. The springs produced a stunning riot of colours for Tom to try and capture. The sun shone, the busy season has yet to arrive and we had time and space to enjoy this awesome place, nature at it’s best, a window into the very beginning of our planet.
We returned to enjoy an evening of old-world grandeur, a fantastic meal, music to relax too, champagne to drink and a rocking chair, I was in heaven! Back in the tent tomorrow, but we’ll always have The Old Faithful Inn!
