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July 6, 2005
Big Sky Wedding Part Deux
Our room at the Holiday Inn in West Yellowstone on Thursday night was a honeymoon suite I think. We had a big fat jacuzzi tub right in the middle of the room. Sweet. Yes we used it even though it was late and we were exhausted (no giggling.)
Andy made me get up at 5:15 on Friday morning; he thought we'd stand a better chance at catching a bear early in the morning. I didn't have any coffee before we left, so most of the morning before I got coffee is little snapshots between snoozes (but man they're great snapshots!) No bears. But we did see an osprey and his/her baby at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and bison, and elk and more chipmunks and rabbits. And a few bald eagles - how appropriate for Independence Day weekend! Actually the last (and only other) time we'd seen bald eagles was the same weekend six years ago on our way into British Columbia from Washington. Yay America!
We headed out of the park a little after 10am, and the line of cars coming into the park at the stop sign at one of the major intersections was already impressive. I was really glad Andy'd made me get up and get a move on.
We had lunch at the Timberline Cafe where I ate Montana Camp Stew in a bread bowl, which was a nice change of pace from the road trip food (gummy worms, pringles, ice cream) that I had been eating. Then we headed on out for a beautiful drive to Bozeman, through the Gallatin National Forest and along the Gallatin River. Had we been on the road to almost any other place it might've been a mildly frustrating drive behind the school busses making their way downriver to pick up the rafters we saw floating down the river in their helmets and wet suits.
We met up with the other runner folk at the cabin just outside Bozeman, and spent the rest of the weekend with them, hanging out, attending wedding festivities, and running ... all in beautiful places. On Saturday morning we had a group run on the Hyalite Trail, which actually ended up being a two-group run: the boys and Ruth and the girls and Nelan. Part of me wished I could hang with the boys like I would've been able to if in shape since they went further and had to turn around only because they'd hit serious snow. But as it turned out I probably enjoyed myself more (while still getting a damn good workout) than I would have with them, since even in shape I probably would have been gasping and hanging onto the group for dear life while trying not to trip.
On Sunday night before we all left we made s'mores out in the back patio fireplace under the stars. Monday morning Andy and I had the place to ourselves (again - no giggling) so we sat out in some lawn chairs on the property looking out over the mountains reading for a while in the high-60 degree dry morning. It was some coincidence that I'd picked up Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance from the library before we left: much of what I've read so far takes place right in Bozeman.
It was a truly unforgettable trip, despite a crazy neighbor of the cabin who insisted - frothily - that we were driving too fast and making too many trips down the road, despite driving slower than the allowed - but not posted - speed limit and squashing ten people into two cars on more than one occasion. The memories of this trip - the landscape and the camaraderie - will be ones I'll conjure up whenever I'm in need of a "happy place." Or just whenever I feel like it! Yay Montana!
Posted by jenandmats at July 6, 2005 7:50 PM
Comments
Your trips sounds sooooo beautiful! I visited Jackson Hole for the first time this winter - I fell in love with it. Montana is next on my list of places to see.
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