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Published: July 17th 2014
3 long days later, I've had a chance while battling it out with the winds in Idaho and Utah during today's ride to reflect on the grandeur of Yellowstone National Park, the first designated national park in the USA. Last night, my mind was on overload. The park is a geologic wonderland. The 69 photos we put up in yesterday's blog were all taken within a 17 mile stretch of the Grand Loop Road, a 130 mile figure of eight parkway circumnavigating the park. Some of the geysers and fumaroles are actually adjacent to each other. What must the first explorers have thought about this foreign landscape. I'm not going to attempt to offer any descriptives, I wouldn't do it justice.
We still don't understand why it was so much busier yesterday than Monday. It was as entertaining watching people's behaviour at times as it was observing the landscapes. What the hell happens when you put large crowds together in a confined space? Where do one's manners and courtesies evaporate to? People (not including the two of us) revert back to neanderthal behaviour. Today's examples are numerous, and the highlights include (being gender neutral, naturally): the driver that insists he is more important than everyone else waiting patiently in line to get into the jammed parking lot, and slowly drives past you in the left hand lane, now blocking outgoing traffic so he can get to the front of the line; or the tour bus that offloads 60 foreign tourists who believe they have the right of way across the parking lot and are oblivious to you and the 30 cars behind waiting while they dawdle across to the path; or the car that flat out ignores the one way sign in the loop and whips in the exit to secure that last parking spot that the oncoming driver has patiently driven all the way around to, has had his eye on and now has to get back into the infinite loop to find another; or that the concept of two way foot traffic on a 6 foot wide boardwalk slips one's mind and not only do you have to manoeuvre your way through an oncoming barricade of five people walking abreast with each other, you can't predict whether they will make you a small gap to the left, or right, or middle, or just plain no gap at all and you have to wait while they take a group photo, that isn't quite perfect so they take another one (IT IS ALL ABOUT ME AFTERALL); or when you are all filing along slo mo in the same direction like sheep going in for a feed, trudging one after the other, the lead sheep decides to randomly stop and look for a snack and hold up the rest of the flock (IT IS ALL ABOUT ME AFTERALL).
The kicker though, and the realization that truly, you've had enough of the whole crowd scene, was waiting and waiting and waiting (over 45 minutes) for Old Faithful to erupt at its predicted time of 12:51 pm. Everyone is sitting on the benches, or on the edge of the boardwalk (like us), in our own space, everyone happy, everyone eager for the big moment, everyone with cameras at the ready. Does it stay this way? No, there is always one. Just a couple of minutes before the predicted showtime, some random person pushes through the orderly crowd standing behind us because she decides she wants to sit down as well. Not because there's an empty space that apparently none of the 500 surrounding standing spectators want, but because she wants to make space within my peripheral and my neighbour's peripheral unspoken no man's land that peacefully separates us. "Do you mind if I sit down?" she says. What am I to respond, no? "Of course not, I will move over a little", I say, which prompts my neighbour to also move over a little, and his neighbour to move over a little, and so it goes until we are all settled once again like birds on a wire. But, does she simply sit down quickly and unobtrusively? If you guessed no, well you've been there experienced that. On the way down, she elbows me in the arm, kicks my leg with her foot, and the purse that is slung over her shoulder falls forward and ricochets off my back. "So sorry" she says. "No problem" I say, thankful that Old Faithful is behind schedule and my anticipation for the big moment hasn't gone wasted. But the fiasco continues. You know, the "you are now in my space, lady" game. It starts with a bump on my arm with her elbow as she reaches into her purse for her lipstick. Another bump on my arm as she puts it on. Another bump as she puts it back in her purse. And, yet another bump when she picks up her camera. In my most polite English accent, I say "Would you mind not bumping me so much with your arm?". "So sorry", she says, as she shuffles over a little and her purse falls from her lap onto my leg. In my best bootcamp bicep move, I grab the purse and shove it back onto her lap. When is this "f___g" geyser going to go off? Better be before I do. And with that, I get my wish, Old Faithful gushes and spouts and sprays us all, I get my photos and get the hell out of there.
Fortunately, we managed to laugh all the way back to the bikes, the alternative being grumpy and mad and that simply takes too much effort when you're hot, tired and hungry.
Was it worth it all?
ABSOLUTELY. But, like Disneyland, you go for a couple of days, get your fill, and you're good for a few years. I know I will return to the park in the future, and in May, not July.
And so to today, it was hot and dry, and due to the lead rider (me) not paying attention to the GPS or road signs, we got stuck on Interstate 15 for most of the day, unable to link back up with route 89, the scenic road through the northern part of Utah. We took NO photos due to this little mistake because we couldn't pull over anywhere. It's not like being in a car where you can take as many shots as you like while driving. We really do need to get helmet cams. It was a frenetic ride, forced to ride 80 mph in order to keep up with traffic and stay ahead of the aggressive take no prisoners semi truck drivers. These speeds are just not enjoyable on a little 650 dualsport. Simply put, the vibration is all in the wrong place.
We are in Salt Lake City for two nights, and look forward to checking out the area tomorrow with camera in hand. Dinner tonight was at the Red Rock Brew Pub, and was excellent. What we've seen of the few downtown blocks thus far is promising! More tomorrow.
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Judi Kellow
non-member comment
Hi
In your "most polite English accent".....I just howled when I read this. I hope you meant your British accent....that would send any Yank for a loop. Sounds like you guys are having fun as always. I sure enjoyed the 6 days on the bike with Bob....it was great! Be safe out there.