Mountain and River Beauty

THIS.  This (above) is the reason we are loving the RV experience…waking up to incredible beauty. After two very grey, chilly, cloudy days in Jackson, we were thrilled to see blue peeking through the clouds. As I write this blog, the warmth of the Wyoming sun keeps me comfortable while a gentle breeze flutters across my face. This is the first morning we’ve been able to sit outside our rig to enjoy a peaceful morning.

Yesterday was a day of wild adventure…at least wild for us! With our nephew Kal and his lovely wife Beth as our expert guides, we drove a 4×4 ATV through the Greys River corridor of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.  What a ride! Along the way, we encountered two bulls duking it out in the middle of the road. Victory seemed elusive as they continued the stand-off. Nearby cows seemed unimpressed. Quite hilariously, they were still in the same spot butting heads when we came back a few hours later.

We drove to a high point at Blind Bull Summit to enjoy our lunch. It was glorious. “The hills are alive with the sound of music” was echoing in my mind. Near the crest, we encountered a caravan of SUVs and minivans, serving as support vehicles for a dozen or so people who were participating in a two-day 100 mile foot race. Can you imagine? As the runners crossed our trail, they hit mile 64. We cheered them on with shouts of “you’ve got this!” What an incredible example of tenacity we witnessed.

On our way back to the trailhead, Skip took the wheel and had a blast. We stopped along Greys River for a break. I felt as though we’d stepped into a scene from the movie A River Runs Through It.  Water rippling gently over shallow rocks surrounded by forest filled me with immense gratitude for creation and the Creator. Time with Kal and Beth was a true blessing.

As we continued, weather blew in. The rest of the day brought a much needed deluge to the parched land. We finished our ATV’ing day with a late afternoon burger at Mevlin’s Brewery in Alpine; they were another Harvest Host experience. Skip and Kal scouted out a terrific boon docking location on adjacent BLM land. We hunkered down for the evening, listening to pelting rain and hail on the camper. Outside our windows, thunder and lightening added to the experience. As darkness fell, the skies finally settled, affording peaceful rest and restoration.

Tonight’s campground has an entirely different feel. We are surrounded by sagebrush and deep, soul-filling quiet.