The Sottung girls slept in while Kyle and Laura tried again to go run up a mountain. Unfortunately, they found the most exciting trails closed, due to the stubborn snow that refused to melt. They came back from the high altitudes to pick up the girls and take us to Yellowstone Falls. The waterfall itself was gorgeous, but it was the in the canyon when we finally realized why it's called 'Yellowstone'. The walls of the canyon are yellow. Go figure.
We stayed at the tourist viewpoints, noting the exceptional number of Japanese and waiting patiently to squeeze into a spot on the rocks for the obligatory waterfall backdrop photos. As we waited, the grey rainclouds overhead finally cleared a bit. The sunshine poured through and rainbows cut through the canyon. The Japanese cameras went nuts.
On our way back to the campsite, at the Fishing Bridge junction, there was another traffic jam. "Must be the bear jam," Kyle said. "Should we pull off?" We figured the bear would be far off in the field again, scavenging, but decided it was worth a second look. We pulled off to the side, last in line, when we realized that all the people were running towards us. The ranger was shouting, "Get in your cars! Get in your cars, now!"
The Grizzly bear appeared from behind a scanty row of trees, on our side of the road, not 30 yards from us. Oh my God. . . it was huge! Our eyes widened and we all gasped like startled prey. It was intimidating.
It was foraging again, clawing at the ground trying to snag roots. Mary Lou clicked photographs from the passenger seat as it moved closer and closer. When it stopped to look up and assess the massive traffic jam it had caused on the road, Mary Lou whispered loudly in terror, "Kyle! Is your finger on the window button? Kyle! Are you ready to close the window? Kyle!" Kyle assured her that he would close the window if it got any closer, and as it lumbered towards us, flashing its giant white claws, all the windows went up fast.
The Grizzly carried on down the hillside, barely bothered by the Japenese guy that tried to sneak around his car for a better shot or the ranger that shouted at him, "No! No! Are you freaking crazy?" We watched him sniff and pounce and dig for a few more minutes. It took that long for our heartbeats to slow and our blood pressure to drop. To come so close to something so powerful, so wild. . . unforgettable.
In the afternoon, we drove to Old Faithful. There was already quite a crowd when we reached, so we figured it was about time for the never fail 90 minute showtime. We waited patiently, readying our cameras at each teasing breath of steam that rose out of the small cone. Finally, eruption. It was fun. Not as exciting as some of the other things we had already seen, but, you have to see it once, right?
We spent some time in Old Faithful Lodge, admiring the log treehouse-like structure, taking advantage of the mobile and 3G signal that's nowhere else to be found in the park. 90 minutes later, it was time for Old Faithful to erupt again, and this time, it was much more impressive. Higher and longer than the first eruption, it definitely deserved an applause.
We walked around the rest of the geyser basin, oohing and aching over all the fantastic geysers. The centers of hot water were crystal clear, electric blue, the sides brilliant yellow and orange from the different thermopiles growing in the hot water. We saw lots of elk, bison and a yellow bellied marmot scampering around the valley.
For dinner, Mary Lou cooked up some yummy chicken and we finished off a few bottles of wine while playing pitch, a family favorite game. We taught Laura how to play, and she caught on in no time. She partnered with Mary Lou, so Nicole and Kyle were forced to be partners, a motherly preemptive move to reduce bickering.
Click here for photos!
7.08.2011
7.06.2011
Yellowstone National Park
From the Grand Tetons, we entered Yellowstone National Park through the South Entrance. On the way to our campsite in Fishing Bridge, we came up close and personal with our first park wildlife - elk. They were resting under pine trees, peacefully, and Mary Lou got within a few years of them, before the rangers came to remind everyone of the 25 yard mandatory distance to be kept between all wildlife. Except for bears - 100 yards.
Kyle had, much to the appreciation of Mary Lou and Nicole, made all the reservations for this Jackson/Teton/Yellowstone leg of the trip. And what a fantastic job he did. Fishing bridge had full hook-ups, a huge general store, and was in the heart of Grizzly country. We hadn't even reached our campsite before we came upon a traffic jam at the Fishing Bridge junction. Two rangers were trying to keep the traffic moving, but also understanding of all the people that had pulled over. We pulled off the road, and joined the throng to see our first Grizzly Bear. Out in the field, framed by pine trees, the lake, and snow-capped mountains behind, we watched the grizzly forage for roots in the soil. When he exited, stage right, into the woods, everyone jumped in to their cars to see if they could intersect him around the bend, but we carried on to our campsite.
After a quick lunch and map study session at the Lake Lodge, we took a drive around the Eastern side of the park. We saw our first herd of bison, complete with baby bison. We wondered at what baby bison were called (calves), while we watched the massive beasts lumber through the fields. They were far away, but we sat and watched, not knowing that we would be inundated with bison throughout our stay.
Kyle asked, "Anyone interested in seeing the Mud Volcano?" "Hell yeah!" We could smell the mud volcano before we saw it. Before we even got out of the car, the sulfur smell filled our nostrils and made us all say 'ewww'. By the end of our stay, we sought out that sulfur smell, knowing that it would lead us to any number of remarkable geothermal events.
Mud Volcano was exactly that. A steaming cauldron of mud bubbling out from a collapsed hillside. The clay mud edges were dried into artistic cracked tiles, and the deep path of bison tracks showed that, even with the boardwalks to keep the people off, the area was still a favorite for wildlife.
The Mud Volcano area was filled with lots of geothermal events. Walking on the boardwalk over the steaming, hydrogen sulfide rivers felt like walking through the 'bog of eternal stench', from our favorite movie, Labyrinth. We "oohed and ached", but nothing compared to our reaction when we reached "The Dragon's Mouth".
From a small, dark cavern cut into the hillside, a tremendous roar emanated from its bowels and monstrous gusts of steam spewing straight up into the air. You could only imagine what the first intrepid explorers thought when they came upon this cavern. It looked and sounded exactly as if a dragon had been awakened and was growling his dismay at the intrusion. Even now, understanding the science of the cave, you could almost be certain the science was wrong, and that there was a dragon in there. It was too awesome to be of the 'real' world.
If all of Yellowstone was going to be as amazing as this first day, we were in for quite an adventure.
Click here for photos!
Kyle had, much to the appreciation of Mary Lou and Nicole, made all the reservations for this Jackson/Teton/Yellowstone leg of the trip. And what a fantastic job he did. Fishing bridge had full hook-ups, a huge general store, and was in the heart of Grizzly country. We hadn't even reached our campsite before we came upon a traffic jam at the Fishing Bridge junction. Two rangers were trying to keep the traffic moving, but also understanding of all the people that had pulled over. We pulled off the road, and joined the throng to see our first Grizzly Bear. Out in the field, framed by pine trees, the lake, and snow-capped mountains behind, we watched the grizzly forage for roots in the soil. When he exited, stage right, into the woods, everyone jumped in to their cars to see if they could intersect him around the bend, but we carried on to our campsite.
After a quick lunch and map study session at the Lake Lodge, we took a drive around the Eastern side of the park. We saw our first herd of bison, complete with baby bison. We wondered at what baby bison were called (calves), while we watched the massive beasts lumber through the fields. They were far away, but we sat and watched, not knowing that we would be inundated with bison throughout our stay.
Kyle asked, "Anyone interested in seeing the Mud Volcano?" "Hell yeah!" We could smell the mud volcano before we saw it. Before we even got out of the car, the sulfur smell filled our nostrils and made us all say 'ewww'. By the end of our stay, we sought out that sulfur smell, knowing that it would lead us to any number of remarkable geothermal events.
Mud Volcano was exactly that. A steaming cauldron of mud bubbling out from a collapsed hillside. The clay mud edges were dried into artistic cracked tiles, and the deep path of bison tracks showed that, even with the boardwalks to keep the people off, the area was still a favorite for wildlife.
The Mud Volcano area was filled with lots of geothermal events. Walking on the boardwalk over the steaming, hydrogen sulfide rivers felt like walking through the 'bog of eternal stench', from our favorite movie, Labyrinth. We "oohed and ached", but nothing compared to our reaction when we reached "The Dragon's Mouth".
From a small, dark cavern cut into the hillside, a tremendous roar emanated from its bowels and monstrous gusts of steam spewing straight up into the air. You could only imagine what the first intrepid explorers thought when they came upon this cavern. It looked and sounded exactly as if a dragon had been awakened and was growling his dismay at the intrusion. Even now, understanding the science of the cave, you could almost be certain the science was wrong, and that there was a dragon in there. It was too awesome to be of the 'real' world.
If all of Yellowstone was going to be as amazing as this first day, we were in for quite an adventure.
Click here for photos!
7.05.2011
Grand Tetons: Canoe Trip to Heaven
Kyle and Laura woke up ridiculously early to go and run up a mountain. Laura has actually been in training for the Half Iron Man. Admirable. Mary Lou and Nicole gladly took the chance to sleep in. But, due to the amount of snow still on the trails throughout the park, most of the best hiking trails were impassable without snowshoes. They came back to the RV with a new plan: a canoe ride around Jackson Lake.
Since the canoe could only take three, Mary Lou volunteered to stay back, but came to the Colter Bay Marina to see 'the kids' off. Kyle was undisputed captain, taking up the stern. Laura opted to row first, and Nicole sat in the middle, navigating from the laminated map, and testing all the ziploc seals on the bags holding phones and cameras. She was also designated photographer and wildlife spotter, since she was getting a free ride.
We paddled South, staying within 200 yards of the coastline, weaving in and out of small bays, looking for moose. As we got farther South, towards Elk Island, the wind died, and Jackson Lake went still. Like glass. Each and every craggy outcropping, loose rock, and snow pile was reflected in the mirrored lake. Everything around was silent. The few clouds draping the highest peaks seemed to slow and hang in place. We were alone in utopia.
The oars made whirpools in the looking glass, but the mountains held still. Solid. When the oars were pulled up, so as not to disturb even the reflection, the water drops made perfect, concentric circles, before finally ceasing. It was like floating through heaven. Heaven above. Heaven below. And we, adrift in the middle.
We pulled up onto Heritage Point beach for a rest, before turning around and rowing back to the marina. It was our last night in Grand Teton, so we decided to watch the sunset from the Grand Teton Lodge. We even put on a little make-up to go sit on the lodge patio, overlooking the full expanse of the Tetons. We sipped local, Wyoming potato vodka martinis and huckleberry margaritas, watching the wildlife in the valley below, and the tourists posing for photographs in front of the panorama. We felt our sunburns from the canoe trip, start to heat up as the sun set lower in the sky. It was a picture prefect ending to a picture perfect day. The Grand Tetons goes on the list of the most magical places that we have been lucky enough to visit. . .
Click here for photos!
Since the canoe could only take three, Mary Lou volunteered to stay back, but came to the Colter Bay Marina to see 'the kids' off. Kyle was undisputed captain, taking up the stern. Laura opted to row first, and Nicole sat in the middle, navigating from the laminated map, and testing all the ziploc seals on the bags holding phones and cameras. She was also designated photographer and wildlife spotter, since she was getting a free ride.
We paddled South, staying within 200 yards of the coastline, weaving in and out of small bays, looking for moose. As we got farther South, towards Elk Island, the wind died, and Jackson Lake went still. Like glass. Each and every craggy outcropping, loose rock, and snow pile was reflected in the mirrored lake. Everything around was silent. The few clouds draping the highest peaks seemed to slow and hang in place. We were alone in utopia.
The oars made whirpools in the looking glass, but the mountains held still. Solid. When the oars were pulled up, so as not to disturb even the reflection, the water drops made perfect, concentric circles, before finally ceasing. It was like floating through heaven. Heaven above. Heaven below. And we, adrift in the middle.
We pulled up onto Heritage Point beach for a rest, before turning around and rowing back to the marina. It was our last night in Grand Teton, so we decided to watch the sunset from the Grand Teton Lodge. We even put on a little make-up to go sit on the lodge patio, overlooking the full expanse of the Tetons. We sipped local, Wyoming potato vodka martinis and huckleberry margaritas, watching the wildlife in the valley below, and the tourists posing for photographs in front of the panorama. We felt our sunburns from the canoe trip, start to heat up as the sun set lower in the sky. It was a picture prefect ending to a picture perfect day. The Grand Tetons goes on the list of the most magical places that we have been lucky enough to visit. . .
Click here for photos!
Grand Tetons: "Big Breastesses"
We woke up early so that we could catch the morning wildlife on the drive North from Jackson Hole to Grand Teton National Park. The skies were grey, the weather was chill, and the clouds hung low over the mountains, giving us only fleeting glimpses of sunlit glaciers. Once we reached our campsite at Colter Bay, we put on our hiking gear, and headed out to the Heritage Point Trailhead. Kyle told us it was a long hike, but flat, no elevation change. No problem.
Just five minutes into our hike, we spotted our first wildlife. A bald eagle, perched in a dead tree, right next to the lake. We walked slowly on the trail until we were right under it. It didn't seem too bothered, but just kept a keen eye on us. He was a beauty. There was one beautiful large feather sticking out of it's wing, and we waited patiently, hoping that he would pluck it out and drop it down to us. We didn't get the feather, but we considered the eagle our blessing for safe passage into the wilderness.
We walked through the forests, spotting grouse, hearing jackrabbits thump warning on the forest floor, and everyone and a while saying, "I'm a bear! I'm a bear!", so as not to take any bear by surprise. We passed a beaver lodge in a small lake, and watched the beavers frolic about, smacking their thick tails on the surface of the water. The clouds still hung low, and from the open meadows, we could just see the base of the mountains.
Three and a half miles into the hike, we came to a crossroads. We could either walk one and a half more miles to Heritage Point, on the lake, with the supposed most stunning view of the Grand Tetons, or, Nicole could walk Mary Lou back to the trailhead. Nicole wouldn't even take that as an option, and told her mother she would make it to the Point.
After five miles, and a short nap in a suddenly sunny, green meadow, we reached Heritage Point. It was as if the clouds parted just for us. As we walked onto the rocky beach, the whole panoramic of the Grand Tetons stretched before us, snow glowing silver in the sunlight, and reflecting in the lake. Spectacular.
"The majesty of the peaks within the Grand Teton National Park has always left wide-eyed onlookers searching for ways to best describe them. Native tribes had numerous names for the jagged spires, from the The Three Brothers to the evocative Hoary Headed Fathers, the seemingly age-old peaks commonly dusted in silvery snow. The Shoshone knew them as the Teewinot ("many pinnacles"), while the early white explorers called the range The Pilot Knobs, sky-high lighthouses used to navigate the surrounding wilderness. The designation the stuck, Les Trois Tetons (literally "The Three Breasts"), was bestowed in to 1830's by imaginative, if sex-starved, French-Canadian fur-trappers."
They were breathtaking. We sat on the beach, each on our own little rock bed, and watched the clouds pour towards us over the highest peaks. Although the complete range was visible most of the time, the highest peak, Grand Teton was always cloaked in grey clouds. It was as if Grand Teton, at 13,770 ft, created it's own weather for the purpose of remaining shrouded in mystery. Just as we would think it was about to show itself, the clouds would form behind and quickly wrap themselves around the peak.
The shadows of passing clouds animated the peaks, showing the glaciers flowing and avalanches racing down. We sat in awe for quite some time, until we got up to take the obligatory family photos. We made sure everyone was rested, and ready to embark on the 5 miles back. Mary Lou was already complaining, but we were encouraging, telling her to 'suck it up and enjoy it'. Kyle tried to keep her entertained by playing hide and go seek behind very skinny trees.
Kyle and Laura also did a great job 'herding' Mary Lou and Nicole to maintain a good pace. Nicole would wait for Mary Lou to catch a breath, and they would lag behind. So, Laura would stride along ahead, while Kyle came around to bring up the rear and keep the train moving along. By mile 8, though, we were all pretty tired, and sat on some logs to drink water, eat trail mix and peel off some layers. We kept looking back at Grand Teton, but never got a clear view, even as we reached back to the trailhead.
We found the eagle still perched in the dead tree, five hours later, keeping guard over the path, ensuring that we had made it out. We gave him a wave as we walked our sore feet back to the campsite.
Just five minutes into our hike, we spotted our first wildlife. A bald eagle, perched in a dead tree, right next to the lake. We walked slowly on the trail until we were right under it. It didn't seem too bothered, but just kept a keen eye on us. He was a beauty. There was one beautiful large feather sticking out of it's wing, and we waited patiently, hoping that he would pluck it out and drop it down to us. We didn't get the feather, but we considered the eagle our blessing for safe passage into the wilderness.
We walked through the forests, spotting grouse, hearing jackrabbits thump warning on the forest floor, and everyone and a while saying, "I'm a bear! I'm a bear!", so as not to take any bear by surprise. We passed a beaver lodge in a small lake, and watched the beavers frolic about, smacking their thick tails on the surface of the water. The clouds still hung low, and from the open meadows, we could just see the base of the mountains.
Three and a half miles into the hike, we came to a crossroads. We could either walk one and a half more miles to Heritage Point, on the lake, with the supposed most stunning view of the Grand Tetons, or, Nicole could walk Mary Lou back to the trailhead. Nicole wouldn't even take that as an option, and told her mother she would make it to the Point.
After five miles, and a short nap in a suddenly sunny, green meadow, we reached Heritage Point. It was as if the clouds parted just for us. As we walked onto the rocky beach, the whole panoramic of the Grand Tetons stretched before us, snow glowing silver in the sunlight, and reflecting in the lake. Spectacular.
"The majesty of the peaks within the Grand Teton National Park has always left wide-eyed onlookers searching for ways to best describe them. Native tribes had numerous names for the jagged spires, from the The Three Brothers to the evocative Hoary Headed Fathers, the seemingly age-old peaks commonly dusted in silvery snow. The Shoshone knew them as the Teewinot ("many pinnacles"), while the early white explorers called the range The Pilot Knobs, sky-high lighthouses used to navigate the surrounding wilderness. The designation the stuck, Les Trois Tetons (literally "The Three Breasts"), was bestowed in to 1830's by imaginative, if sex-starved, French-Canadian fur-trappers."
They were breathtaking. We sat on the beach, each on our own little rock bed, and watched the clouds pour towards us over the highest peaks. Although the complete range was visible most of the time, the highest peak, Grand Teton was always cloaked in grey clouds. It was as if Grand Teton, at 13,770 ft, created it's own weather for the purpose of remaining shrouded in mystery. Just as we would think it was about to show itself, the clouds would form behind and quickly wrap themselves around the peak.
The shadows of passing clouds animated the peaks, showing the glaciers flowing and avalanches racing down. We sat in awe for quite some time, until we got up to take the obligatory family photos. We made sure everyone was rested, and ready to embark on the 5 miles back. Mary Lou was already complaining, but we were encouraging, telling her to 'suck it up and enjoy it'. Kyle tried to keep her entertained by playing hide and go seek behind very skinny trees.
Kyle and Laura also did a great job 'herding' Mary Lou and Nicole to maintain a good pace. Nicole would wait for Mary Lou to catch a breath, and they would lag behind. So, Laura would stride along ahead, while Kyle came around to bring up the rear and keep the train moving along. By mile 8, though, we were all pretty tired, and sat on some logs to drink water, eat trail mix and peel off some layers. We kept looking back at Grand Teton, but never got a clear view, even as we reached back to the trailhead.
We found the eagle still perched in the dead tree, five hours later, keeping guard over the path, ensuring that we had made it out. We gave him a wave as we walked our sore feet back to the campsite.
7.01.2011
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
We reached Jackson Hole one day early, so we could give the RV a major spring cleaning. Not just to impress Kyle at how well we were keeping up, living in style, but he was also bringing a guest. Laura is a friend of Kyle's back from his working days in Glens Falls, NY, and his long-time hiking and rock climbing buddy. Our spare beds had been used as storage space for these many months, so we had to reorganize our whole storage system: in the cupboards, under the bed, under the RV. . . We put our tools away in the actual toolbox, sorted all the receipts that were floating around in different drawers, stacked our museum catalogues neatly in the bookshelf, and figured out how to turn the lounge chairs around to give everyone some more leg room. We drank creative cocktails mixed of whatever small amounts of liquor was left, in preparations for a re-stock, while Mary Lou rearranged the food cupboards and Nicole finally fixed the broken window shades.
When Kyle and Laura reached, we spent a few minutes catching up, but headed right out to town. This was a much needed, and too short, vacation for them, and they weren't going to waste any minute of it. We walked through the elk antler arches in the main square, past the Million Dollar Cowboy bar, and to the Snake River Brewery. A few hamburgers and pints later and we were at the Jackson Hole Rodeo.
None of us had been to a rodeo before! Kyle had bought us all tickets, saying that this was a real rodeo. Sometimes, people die.
It started with a parade of the Rodeo Princesses, adorable little cowgirls riding huge horses around the ring and waving to the crowd. The current Rodeo Queen carried the flag for the national anthem. And then, the first round of bull riding. The gates burst open, the first bull came out kicking and threw the cowboy down in less than a second. The next riders did better.
Next came the bareback broncos. No saddles, cowboys hanging on by just a rope, laying across the bucking horse and trying to stay on for seven seconds. The main rodeo clown huddled in a barrel until he was needed to save a cowboy from being trampled. Next came the steer catching, then the partner roping. One more round of bull riding, and then. . . our favorite event of the evening: Mutton Bustin'.
Oh my gosh. . . these little kids, helmets on, bursting out of the gates on bucking sheep, holding on for dear life, and picking themselves up proud after getting thrown to the ground. They were awesome! The smallest ones, I swear, three years old, would be snatched by the belt buckle, by the rodeo clowns, before they got too far out of the gate, but, they did it! No fear.
There was a round of catch-the-flag off the goats for the kids, before the final rounds of bull riding. There really weren't too many riders that were able to stay on for the full seven seconds. The bulls must have been in a really feisty mood. There was no injuries, no one gored, but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
The next morning, we woke up early for the drive North into the Grand Tetons. Bring on the mountains!
Click here for the photos!
When Kyle and Laura reached, we spent a few minutes catching up, but headed right out to town. This was a much needed, and too short, vacation for them, and they weren't going to waste any minute of it. We walked through the elk antler arches in the main square, past the Million Dollar Cowboy bar, and to the Snake River Brewery. A few hamburgers and pints later and we were at the Jackson Hole Rodeo.
None of us had been to a rodeo before! Kyle had bought us all tickets, saying that this was a real rodeo. Sometimes, people die.
It started with a parade of the Rodeo Princesses, adorable little cowgirls riding huge horses around the ring and waving to the crowd. The current Rodeo Queen carried the flag for the national anthem. And then, the first round of bull riding. The gates burst open, the first bull came out kicking and threw the cowboy down in less than a second. The next riders did better.
Next came the bareback broncos. No saddles, cowboys hanging on by just a rope, laying across the bucking horse and trying to stay on for seven seconds. The main rodeo clown huddled in a barrel until he was needed to save a cowboy from being trampled. Next came the steer catching, then the partner roping. One more round of bull riding, and then. . . our favorite event of the evening: Mutton Bustin'.
Oh my gosh. . . these little kids, helmets on, bursting out of the gates on bucking sheep, holding on for dear life, and picking themselves up proud after getting thrown to the ground. They were awesome! The smallest ones, I swear, three years old, would be snatched by the belt buckle, by the rodeo clowns, before they got too far out of the gate, but, they did it! No fear.
There was a round of catch-the-flag off the goats for the kids, before the final rounds of bull riding. There really weren't too many riders that were able to stay on for the full seven seconds. The bulls must have been in a really feisty mood. There was no injuries, no one gored, but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
The next morning, we woke up early for the drive North into the Grand Tetons. Bring on the mountains!
Click here for the photos!
6.28.2011
Sometimes, even we can't believe we made it this far!
The RV brought us safely to Jackson Hole for our long anticipated Yellowstone adventure with Kyle! Throughout these past seven months, every time we talked to Kyle, he would say goodbye only after telling us to treat the RV well, so it would last until Yellowstone. I think there were a lot of people back home that probably thought we wouldn't make it this far, or this long. Two women in a machine and all. . .
And so, it's a great time for a shout-out to the Sanefski's, from whom we bought the RV. They treated this baby really well, throughout their time in it, and handed us over a solid, reliable machine. Mary Lou was always trying to avoid driving over the mountainy roads, but Nicole always headed straight into them, and this pink Jayco Eagle soared right over the passes.
The Sanefski's also handed over their compiled user's notes and procedure checklists, along with the user's manual for each and every component of the RV. Without those, we probably would ripped off our door by leaving the stairs down, or blown up the propane tanks by leaving the gas on. So. . .
Dear Sanefski's,
Thank you!
Love,
The Sottung Girls
And so, it's a great time for a shout-out to the Sanefski's, from whom we bought the RV. They treated this baby really well, throughout their time in it, and handed us over a solid, reliable machine. Mary Lou was always trying to avoid driving over the mountainy roads, but Nicole always headed straight into them, and this pink Jayco Eagle soared right over the passes.
The Sanefski's also handed over their compiled user's notes and procedure checklists, along with the user's manual for each and every component of the RV. Without those, we probably would ripped off our door by leaving the stairs down, or blown up the propane tanks by leaving the gas on. So. . .
Dear Sanefski's,
Thank you!
Love,
The Sottung Girls
6.25.2011
EBR-1
EBR-1
On to Jackson Hole to meet Kyle.
But, first, as we were driving through the hours and hours of flat potato fields of Idaho, staring at the big fluffy clouds in the big blue sky, we passed a sign that read: 'EBR-1 Atomic Museum'. We both looked at each other, like, was that a mirage? It was so random. As we were still debating whether we had read it correctly, we passed another sign that read: 'Idaho National Laboratory, Expiremental Breeder Reactor Entrance'. What the. . .
Nicole pulled out her Droid and asked it about EBR-1 Atomic Museum. The first google result was an article from ABC news, published exactly 41 minutes previous. The article said that it was a cool thing to do, to visit EBR-1, the nation's first power plant to generate electricity from nuclear power. Now part of a larger nuclear power research campus set in the middle of barren fields, far away from cities in case of any 'accidents', the EBR-1 was open for us to visit. Hell yeah; we hung a right at the only intersection we had seen for miles, and went in.
Some of you know that our family has a bit of experience with nuclear power. Mary Lou's ex-husband, Nicole's father, has had a long career working at the James A. Fitzpatrick nuclear power plant in Oswego, NY. He has been the Electrical Maintenance Chief for quite some time now. When Nicole and Kyle were very small, he used to be able to bring them every once and a while, for "Take Your Kid to Work" day. They don't do that anymore. Also, both Nicole and Kyle have been able to work at the power plant, during their bi-annual refueling shutdowns. Working as Utility Technicians, they received Nuclear Regulatory Clearance for plant access, to be able to go in the reactor building to work. Hanging lead sheets in work areas, wearing contamination suits to clean up stray contamination, or putting on respirator suits to go in and clean the drywall: they both worked 12 hour shifts, 6 days a week during the outage.
So, the museum was of special interest to us, and it was a trip back in time to see the control room as it was in the 1950's. The turbines and the generator were ridiculously small, compared to ones we had worked around. And the electricity from the generator was channeled to light up 5 lightbulbs hanging from a wire. But there were some familiar sights, notably a sign reading: 'Practice Good Housekeeping: A Place for Everything and Everything in Place.'
The most fun, though, were the radiation enclosure boxes. You know, that glass box with the rubber gloves sticking in the sides, where you can reach in and open test tubes. And, using the same joystick/mechanical arm like mechanism that they used to handle radioactive material with, Mary Lou pretended to pick up (her lost) marbles and drop them into a container, and Nicole tried to screw nuts onto bolts.
We took lots of pictures, for all our 'nucular' friends.
Click here for the photos!
On to Jackson Hole to meet Kyle.
But, first, as we were driving through the hours and hours of flat potato fields of Idaho, staring at the big fluffy clouds in the big blue sky, we passed a sign that read: 'EBR-1 Atomic Museum'. We both looked at each other, like, was that a mirage? It was so random. As we were still debating whether we had read it correctly, we passed another sign that read: 'Idaho National Laboratory, Expiremental Breeder Reactor Entrance'. What the. . .
Nicole pulled out her Droid and asked it about EBR-1 Atomic Museum. The first google result was an article from ABC news, published exactly 41 minutes previous. The article said that it was a cool thing to do, to visit EBR-1, the nation's first power plant to generate electricity from nuclear power. Now part of a larger nuclear power research campus set in the middle of barren fields, far away from cities in case of any 'accidents', the EBR-1 was open for us to visit. Hell yeah; we hung a right at the only intersection we had seen for miles, and went in.
Some of you know that our family has a bit of experience with nuclear power. Mary Lou's ex-husband, Nicole's father, has had a long career working at the James A. Fitzpatrick nuclear power plant in Oswego, NY. He has been the Electrical Maintenance Chief for quite some time now. When Nicole and Kyle were very small, he used to be able to bring them every once and a while, for "Take Your Kid to Work" day. They don't do that anymore. Also, both Nicole and Kyle have been able to work at the power plant, during their bi-annual refueling shutdowns. Working as Utility Technicians, they received Nuclear Regulatory Clearance for plant access, to be able to go in the reactor building to work. Hanging lead sheets in work areas, wearing contamination suits to clean up stray contamination, or putting on respirator suits to go in and clean the drywall: they both worked 12 hour shifts, 6 days a week during the outage.
So, the museum was of special interest to us, and it was a trip back in time to see the control room as it was in the 1950's. The turbines and the generator were ridiculously small, compared to ones we had worked around. And the electricity from the generator was channeled to light up 5 lightbulbs hanging from a wire. But there were some familiar sights, notably a sign reading: 'Practice Good Housekeeping: A Place for Everything and Everything in Place.'
The most fun, though, were the radiation enclosure boxes. You know, that glass box with the rubber gloves sticking in the sides, where you can reach in and open test tubes. And, using the same joystick/mechanical arm like mechanism that they used to handle radioactive material with, Mary Lou pretended to pick up (her lost) marbles and drop them into a container, and Nicole tried to screw nuts onto bolts.
We took lots of pictures, for all our 'nucular' friends.
Click here for the photos!
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