Day 10: Animal and Mass Wasting

If from walking and driving around you could not surmise the abundance of wildlife in this area, all you would need to do is look at the ground. Hidden amoung the copious grasses, shrubs, and trees is quite possibly the most ubiquiteous substance in this land: poop. The guidebook that we have for the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone has information on the animals found in the area as well as how to identify their tracks and scat. The first night at the campsite we identified some nearby droppings as either elk or moose, as well as a few bison patties. Around the site the poop was sparse enough that it could be easily avoided, but on out first hike we realized very quickly that there was no point in avoiding animal fecal deposits.

Bones

Our first hike was up a nature trail that was across from the Gros Ventre landslide (or mass wasting area). The slide occured on June 23, 1925 and invovled the movement of nearly 50 million cubic yards of material which fell down the slope and up the other side of the valley, damming the Gros Ventre river and creating a lake upstreeam. Then 2 years later the 225' tall dam ruptured, flooding the town and ranch land below. The mass wasting event left an impressive scar on the side of the mountain.

View of landslide from the end of the hike

What is likely the best view of the slide comes from a hiking trail on the opposite side of the valley. From the base, the hike looked to be a steep short hike to the top of a hill, but when you reach the top of the hill you realize there was another on afterwards and another one after that and so on. Now, when I say this was a steep hike, I do not mean that it was just uncomfortable to walk up. I'm talking 60-75 degree slopes with loose crumbly soil and next to no tree cover on a trail covered with animal feces. This was the point where we stopped caring about stepping in poop, because it would've taken at least twice as long to reach the overlook point if we had avoided them. In fact, I realized it was easier and safer to walk to the side of the trail, following the animal tracks and subsequently walking through greater amounts of poo. But dirty boots* and all, we made it to the top, and though the hike was far more rigorous than was expected, the views were definitely worth it.

Hauntingly Beautiful Dead Tree Atop Steep Hill

Storm's abrewing over the Grand Teton.

After the hike, we had some lunch and went to the Visitor's center. While at the visitors center a storm rolled in canceling our afternoon hike, so instead we went down into Jackson Hole to do some touristy shopping and have dinner at the Snake River Brewery. Overall it was a very enjoyable day.

*We were sure to beat the gross off of our shoes after the hike, so as to not further contaminate and add to the stench of the van.

Cool tree knot

Posted via DraftCraft app

Day 9: On the Road

Today we spent most of the day in the van, traveling from Riverton to DuBoise, and then on to Moose, the home of the Tetons National Park. On the way we made a few stops to look at interesting glacial features, such as terminal moraines, lateral moraines, outwashes, and glacial till deposits. At many points during the first leg of the trip there would be glacial features on one side of the road and and desert vegetation and features on the other with snow capped mountains in the distance on either side.

Cool desert structures

Tetons from afar with a storm

We stopped in DuBoise for lunch as well as to get some coffee and visit a little tourist trap whose main attraction is a giant jackalope. It was a cute little town, but I find myself shying away from tourist traps with their cheap trinkets. I much more enjoy going to park visitor centers and having an educational experience.

Snowscape with Tetons

Snake River Overlook selfie


After lunch we headed over the Wind River mountains to the Tetons and our new camground for the next several days. The beauty of these mountains is so a conundrum of sorts. They are majestic yet harsh, and serene yet rugged. The kind of mountains you cant find in the Appalachians. I am so excited to gt to spend some time here and seensome interesting wildlife, maybe even a grizzly, as long as it is not anywhere near me. The ranger at our campground actually informed us that there have been several bear sightings in the park lately...and that makes me a little nervours, but hopefully I won't end up coming face tonface with one. And nw that I've probably freaked you all out, please feel free to enjoy the photos I've posted.

Close encounters with Buffalo

Camping site with a million dollar view

Posted via DraftCraft app

Day 8: Extremes

Today was a day of mostly driving. We left Buffalo and traveled through the Big Horn Mountains via Tensleep Canyon, to Thermapolis where we relaxed in the natural hot springs, and continued on through the Big Horn basin, past the Owl Creek Uplift to Riverton, where we ate dinner at a local resturaunt. Tonight we get to spend the night in a hotel before we start off on the next leg of our journey into the Tetons. As today was mostly traveling with just quick stops, I will tell the story of the day mainly in pictures.

Overlook of Big Horns

Lunch stop with view of Big Horn Peak and Loaf Mountain

Alpine Flowers

Snowball fight in the Big Horn Mountains

Tensleep Canyon Formations

More Tensleep Canyon Formations

Big Horn Basin

Owl Creek Uplift

Posted via DraftCraft app

Day 7: The Devil Among Us

So today we left Custer State park to head further west into Wyoming. Out of a day of mostly traveling in the van, we made 2 stops.

The first was at the iconic Devil's tower, hence the title of this post. We took a short hike around the base of the structure and then had some lunch. I will skip the geology lecture for today and instead will comment on the native american orign story. Legend has it that two children were chased by a great bear and so the children climbed up on a rock and prayed to the gods and the gods raised the rock up out of reach of the bear. But the great bear still tried to claw its way up, leaving behnd the gouges seen along the sides of the tower. So, if the children were saved by the gods then why is it called Devil's tower? Well when Custer's expedition came across it, the translator said that the native american's name for it was "bad god's tower" which was shortened to Devil's tower, but it was likely a mistranslation. So had the name been translated properly, it would likely be called God's tower today. Sadly we did not see any aliens on our stop, but we did see a film crew that was working on a movie.

Devil's Tower during approach

Devil's Tower from the base

Our second stop was the Eagle Butte Coal Mine, where we recieved a driving tour of the grounds and a short lecture about the geology of the area and what geologists do for coal companies.

Part of the open-cut mining area at Eagle Butte

From there we headed to Buffalo, WY where we set up camp for the night at a cute little roadside campground called Deer Park. With laundry facilites and an evening off, spirits were rejuvenated thanks to clean clothes and a delicious meal.

View from tentsite at Deer Park

Note: For those concerned about my shoe situation, through wearing thinner socks, lacing my shoes differently, and only wearing my hiking boots when we are hking, they have become much more comfortable and while I still prefer my Chacos its good to know that my feet will not feel like they are dying when I need to use them.

Posted via DraftCraft app

Day 6: Whining and Gold Mining

Today was a rough day emotionally. As an introvert, I need time by myself to recharge and refresh myself. Now imagine having been in close quarters with 13 people in tents and a 15 passenger van all day for the past 6 days. Needless to say, I reached a pointof being withdrawn and in a generally grumpy mood due to my lack of solitary time. Even being constanly surrounded by people, I found myself feeling really lonely today as well. You see, everybody else on the trip has some kind of cellular connection which allows them to readily stay in touch with their friends and families. I on the other hand have absolutely no cell service, and I will not have it the entirety of the trip. The most interaction I can get with my loved ones back home comes from me stealing WiFi from whatever grocery store or gas station we stop at, just so I cwn quickly update my blog and maybe post something to facebook just to let everyone know I'm doing okay. I feel that my generation as a whole now takes for granted the ability to be able to talk to whoever you want, whenever you want. We forget what it is like to feel detached from our loved ones, until you are in a situation such as I am in, where the cell service has run out and there is hope hope of coming across any for the next 2 weeks. So to all my friends and family back home, this is my update on my life for you, and know that I miss and love you all.

Open cut of the Homestake Gold Mine

Now let us digress and I will tell you about what we actually did today. Today we visited the Homestake Gold Mine in Lead, SD. While the mining operations ceased in 2002, the mine is still the most profitable gold mine in the US to date, having harvested over 40 million ounces of gold. In 2002 the mine was sold to the state of South Dakota, by the Berrick company, with the stipulation that it never be used for mining again. The mine is now being used for scientific research about neutrinos and dark matter, as well as a tourist and education center for the history of the mine and mining on general in South Dakota. After a trolley tour and a talk concerning the geology of the mine with the geologist who is helping with the closing of the mine, we had a lunch of pasties ( think handheld meat and veggie pies) which were the traditional lunch for the miners and headed back towards Stockade Lake for our final night of camping there via the Needles highway.

View point of cathedrals and spires off of Needles Highway

Needles highway is a scenic route through the Black Hills, which showcases the impressive pegmatites in the region. Pegmatites are rock formations bearing very large crystal structures. In the Black Hills, the pegmatites include feldspars, quartz, micas, and occasionally tourmaline. The verticle faulting creates magnificent spires and "catherdral" structures which attract avid rock climbers from all over the world. In fact, while we were at an overlook a couple climbed up and repelled down the famous "Eye of the Needle" that is right off of the highway. It was awe-inspiring to watch, and I feared for their safety until they were back safe on the ground. That is definately one sport that I don't think I could ever get into.

We eventually made our way back to the campsite, where my cooking group made taco salads for dinner. After dinner we spent sometime around the campfire, eating smores and talking about life. I retired to bed early for some much needed alone time, just to read and be with my thoughts, and now as our last day at Custer State Park comes to a close, I will fall asleep listening to the steady, drip drip drip, of rain beginning to fall on the tent fly.

Posted via DraftCraft app

Day 5: Jagged Caves and Smooth Remains

Last night I slept like a baby. The nighttime temperature was the warmest we have had all trip, which meant that I didn't need to bundle up in multiple layers within my sleeping bag to stay warm. In fact, it was so warm that I was able to sleep without socks! For those of you who don't know my normal "feet habits" this may seem like an odd thing to be excited about, so I'll give a brief overview: I do not like having my feet enclosed, be it by socks or closed-toe shoes or even blankets. When I sleep I am even more sensitive to things being on my feet and usually I sleep with my feet completly outside of the sheets and blankets. So being able to sleep with naked feet last night greatly improved my quality of sleep. For those interested, my new sleeping bag gets two thumbs up. It is spacious AND warm which are two qualities that are difficult to find in a relatively cheap bag. The only downside is that it is a bit bulky, which may cause issues later on with getting it back home. But I'll worry about that when the time comes and will just enjoy it for now.

In other news, today we visited Wind Caves which, at 121.5 miles, is the 6th largest cave system ine world. The cave was given its name due to the "wind" that is blown out of or sucked into the cave at its natural entrance. The direction and intensity of the wind at the entrance is regulated by barametric pressure, and in the late 19th and early 20th century the direction and power of the "wind" from the cave was used to predict the weather. The interior of the caves are nothing like the other caves I've been in. Wind Caves have not been active in a very long time and most of the caves were not carved out directly by water (unlike the caves I have been to) and instead were the by product of the regional uplift associatd with the building of the Rockies and the Black Hills. Wind Caves is known worldwide for its impressive examples of boxworking, cave popcorn, and frostwork. In terms of exploration, it is thought that as little as 10% to as much as 50% of the cave has currently been discovered.

Example of Boxwork found in Wind Cave

After doing an above ground and an underground tour of the caves, we headed to Hot Springs to the Mammoth Site. The Mammoth site is an active paleontological dig site, were 61 individual mammoths have been discovered. The site has a very interesting geological history that explains the presence of the large number of mammoth skeletons. The area was once a sink hole that stayed warm in the winter and hungry mammoths would brave the slippery ledge in hopes of getting some food. However, there were many mammoths that would slip down into the sinkhole and not be able to get back out, and so they would die, leaving ther skeletons preserved in the sediments along the (at that time) bottom of the sinkhole. Over time sediment accumulated within the hole, and the shale surrounding the sedimentary formation eroded away. If it had't been for a housing development project in 1970's, this incredible collection of mammoth skeletons would have not been discovered. The excavation of the site is ongoing, and South Dakota Geologic Survey drillings suggests that there are still fossils and bones present down to at least 65 feet below the top of the dig site. Only 22 ft have been excavated so far, so there are still plenty of mammoths and other remains, such as the Great Short-Faced bear, to be unearthed.

The mammoth site dig in Hot Springs, SD

My favorite fact about the mammoth site is that all of the skeletons found thus far have been adolescent males. It is believed that like the modern elephant, mammoths had matriarchial societies amd that at a certain age, the young males either left voluntarily or were forced to leave by the matriarch. The current theory is that the young, imbicilic males, no longer within the care of their mothers and grandmothers were less cautious and more desperate for food and water, they would approach the sinkhole, slip in and then get stuck and starve. Poor dumb male mammoths...

Extra-ordinary Observations
1. It's nice to know that homo saipens are not the only species with idiotic adolescent males.
2. Buffalo are pretty spectacular, even when they block the roadway and you fear for the life of the motorcyclist in front of you.
3. There are few things more satisfying than capturing a decent image of a beautiful sunset.

First sighting of Elk on the trip

Roadside Buffalo with Calves

Sunset over the Black Hills

Posted via DraftCraft app

Day 4: Heads and Tails

Today life was fairly simple. In the morning we met up with Dr. Alvis Lisenbee of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. He gave us a quick lecture regarding the history and formation of the Black Hills and some information about the presence of gold and other mineral resources within the region. Dr. Alvis then led us on a 5ish mile hike up a canyon in the Black Hills to show us the layering of different rock types and how they related to the orogeny (mountain building) of the American central northwest. The hike we took is also a popular dog-walking path so we got to see some adorable puppies :) Half way through our hike we got a chance to rest on Precambrian rocks that are 2.5 billion years old. For comparison, the oldest formations within the Appalachian mountains date to between 1.1 and 1.6 billion years old. The unconformities I mentioned last post were present again today, however in this case the amount of time missing is 1.5 billion years old, or incomparison to the book analogy earlier the equivalent of 1/4 of the book missing.

My "Tom Sawyer" moment on the Precambrian gneiss

After our lovely hike, we went to Mount Rushmore to see "the heads". There was a storm approaching and it was later in the day, so there weren't many people at the monument. Overall, it was a very pleasant day :)

Mount Rushmore National Monument

Extra-ordinary Observation
1. Sometimes the simplest days are the most refreshing

Silly face with the heads

Really cool globular cloud formations

Posted via DraftCraft app