Vignettes of Yellowstone + Grand Tetons

Brushing our teeth and changing in the Albertsons parking lot

Taking a dip in the placid waters of Jenny Lake washing all of our dirt and dust off; a clean slate

Young male deer with peach-soft antlers stumbling towards us as the sun set over the lake; we blinked at each other for a moment in shock, then he proceeds to drink and eat while we quietly observe him in awe

Foraging wild huckleberries at every turn

Taking a detour and coming upon a female moose in the creek

Eating at Flagg Ranch lodge, giddy with everything's deliciousness - trout, elk/bison/beef bolognese, ribeye, oh my!

Rallying through the trees, searching for a campground and finding a perfect spot at the edge of Targhee National Forest, finding five-toe paw prints in the mud (perhaps a weasel or an otter or a skunk?)

Mesmerized by the variety of wildflowers but also the lush trees, bare trees, fallen trees, rolling hills, pastel soil, granite rocks, large boulders, the immense diversity of landscape and wildlife

The "meeps" of the pika, the fatty rump of a marmot and the steady ambling of the giant bisons

The lady living her best life with her mango and salted caramel ice cream scoops - "Trying to see how fat I can get!"

The other Cristina in the bathroom who was also the Christina on the rock next to us

Befriending Katie on the hike and her running into friends from back home

Lucking out with campsites every night

The sweet family at Moo's ice cream, hopefully pointing them in the right direction for a campground

Powering through the switchbacks, scrambling over boulders, climbing the last leg to get to Delta Lake and jumping in the glacial waters with strangers

The encouragement being passed to us from hikers coming back then paying it forward on our return to people struggling on the last leg of the ascent

Turquoise blue lake water and the travel gods consistently honoring us with good weather

The sun coming out over the Tetons and then blessing us with the lightest of sprinkles on our trek back

"Here we goooo" and "oh heeell no"

The sunrise float with Safety Sam (Matt) and his stories of the Rockefellers and the Buckle Barbies of Jackson Hole

Grassy Lake Road and "On the Road Again" on repeat

Bald eagle nests 10 feet wide perched on the trees as we wind down Snake River

Grand Teton peaks smiling down from above always

Stumbling upon the hidden gem of Moose Falls

Admiring the rainbow hues of the Grand Prismatic

Old Faithful just to say we did, putting bets on when she'll blow

Quick hike to Monument Geyser Basin that turned into a beast of a hike that turned into a scene from another planet, fumaroles venting sulfuric gas that could melt your skin of

Smell of eggs, flatulence or Yellowstone, who can tell?

A bear cub's ears peeking up over the bushes, the sound of stomping through the trees a sign to hightail it out of there

An ice scaper for a poop shovel

Sweet mustached park ranger looking out for us in our search for a place to pitch our tents

Meanmugging man at campground turning out to be a very sweet man who let us share his site

Man traveling with his dog, his wife passed away in February

Gummies and salt + vinegar chips and Cucumber Lime Gatorade

Temporary tattoos made from marshmallow bags and bug spray

Learning the art of hiking - core tight, shoulders back, arms swinging

Morning meditation in cozy white sheets

Indian paintbrush and aspens fluttering in the wind

Birds singing their morning songs so loud, almost unreal

Mountain chicken (dusky grouse) taking a nap by the trail

Pizzas in a bowling alley with local town charm

A group of male elk unusually congregated on the rolling hills at dawn