Family Visit and Upcoming Events

Mom, Dad, and Kelly were here two weeks ago for a visit. Events were similar to those of Poo and Bob, minus Antelope Island and Golden Spike Monument. But we did make a trip to Yellowstone. We went up through West Yellowstone, and then down the southwest side of the park and saw Old Faithful and the other geyser type things, along with a herd of elk. We returned to West Yellowstone to spend the night. The next day we went through the central part of the park, seeing several waterfalls and Norris geyser basin. We then spent some time in the canyon area, getting awesome views of both the upper and lower falls, from the brink and from afar. We then traveled southward along the lake area, ate a picnic lunch along the river, saw a lot of bison, and stopped at a few more geological spectacles. We had hoped to go on a little hike, but time was running short. We then exited the park through Grand Teton, stopping at several overlooks of the mountains, lakes, and valleys. By the time we ate dinner, it was 8:30 or later, and we highly doubted we could find a room in Jackson, WY on a Saturday night. So we drove on, hoping to come across a decent motel in some small town. We eventually found the Wyoming Inn in Labarge, WY. It wasn't a dump nor the Hilton, but a nicely kept local motel. Labarge was located in the middle of the desert with a population of 400. There was only one restaurant open for breakfast on Sunday morning (only one other eating establishment in town anyway), but it had good food. However, there were three bars, which seemed to be a common theme in these small towns (we passed lots of places the night before filled with cowboys). Yellowstone is a really neat place, and quite convenient to Salt Lake City (~5 hours), but multiple days are needed to thoroughly enjoy the park since it's so large.

I went on a hike last weekend called the Brighton Traverse, which basically looped along the ridgeline surrounding the Brighton Ski Area. There were seven people who went, and we saw a moose to start our journey. I had a good time, as this hike was more my pace, difficulty level, and duration. All pictures will be posted on Webshots soon.

I'm preparing to leave Monday for my trip to Canada. There are 10 students and four faculty going. We are flying to Seattle (much cheaper than Vancouver) and then driving vans the rest of the way to Whistler (home of the 2010 Winter Games). A road closure may complicate our plans, but that would be OK with me since I love alternate routes. The Mountain Meteorology Workshop is Tuesday to Friday, with the Conference held the following week. I don't have to present, so it will basically be a learning experience/networking opportunity/vacation for me. For the weekend in between, some people are planning a crazy backpacking trip, but I'm sure those of us staying behind will find something fun to do. I'm pretty excited to be leaving the country for the first time, even if it is just over the border. After I return, I only have five days before I leave for Monterey, CA to help with the field program (more details as the time arrives). The summer is really flying by! And it's hard to believe I've been in Utah for one year now!