Some legends, some surprises at the Lookout Mountain

So, our last road trip was for 2 weeks and I had soaked up so much nature and spent most part of the personal time I had enough to reflect on, write about and not post (my last post of previous trip just got published now! https://soumya-innervoice.blogspot.com/2019/06/grand-teton-hike.html ).
With so many other things to focus on, we just realized that we had not done any road trips(or even a trip!) this year. An invite from family to visit them in Atlanta and timely availabilioty of leaves, we worked out a road trip to Atlanta and while on our trip back, visited New Orleans!

We started just before the memorial day weekend rush anywhere and were lucky not to hit any traffic except for when we entered Atlanta (the blinkers and speed limit is all just name sake!).
While food was the main highlight of our stay with family (especially the Mangalore cuisine!), we all went out to do some sight seeing on Sunday morning. Our first stop was at Ruby Falls, only to realize that there were more visitors that day and all the tickets were  sold out! So, make sure you buy the cave tour tickets in advance. We will go back some day and do it!

With the summer sun still high and burning at noon, we drove to Look out Mountain. I had just finished reading Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" where there is a lot of reference to this Chattanooga area. The climax is so gripping and describes in great detail which is all centered around Rock City and Lookout Mountain. I loved the climax and so, this place became even more special to see and relive the reading and see if writing really helped with imagining the place and scenarios.

While reading the novel, I googled the Look Out mountain and was fascinated by the beautiful view of the water fall, which carves through the rock, falling down below, where you could enter to see fascinating museum which is beautiful not just for the kids who sing rhymes but also for the adults who love the fairy land. I could not recollect all the rhymes I sang as a kid but the ones I could recollect sure was a close resemblance to how they recreated it in the fairyland caverns
There are many narrow passages through the rocks and you can spend some meditative time in some corner, if you can avoid all the tourist lot!

All of these were in the cavern!

Oh, while you are there, do visit the "Birds of Prey" show, where you can see the falcons, owls,vulture and many other birds of prey and learn a little bit more than what you know. Sure, you can take the kids there, as long as they are not jumping around - or even the adults who would leave the show mid way, which results in cancellation of some display of the birds and their flight within the enclosed area, to keep everyone safe.

A good picnic spot for people living around and a good trip/detour for anyone passing through Atlanta to make some memories. And, don't miss out on the lookout stone which points you to seven states sorrounding the rock city. Too curious, use the telescope provided on the Look out Mountain! 

Was on the gift shop wall atop the mountain. Read up the legend to know what it is :)

Grand Teton Hike

In middle of our trip, after having our mind blown at tge nature's mystery in Yellowstone, I was there looking forward to my tryst with Grand Teton. While I had been looking forward and waiting eagerly for the moment I would be amazed at the erupting geysers for years( Yes, Yellowstone was on my bucket list!), out of nowhere this Grand Teton made an entry to my dream list - Thanks to online posts and blog sites. It all began with a friend painting a picture of her Yellow Stone visit which comprised of a stop at this place. If you google up, you will know what is all this hype about this place.

Anyways, after a goodnight's sleep and a breakfast in our cozy RV, we set off to Jenny Lake which is at the base of Grand Teton mountain range.So, I learned that this mountain range has many lakes in it's landscape and Jenny Lake was one of those which was easily accessible and had Ferry service to the view points which we had in our mind.

Our initial plan had just a small hike to go reach the inspiration point and spend some time. It was roughly around 3 mile round trip from the base. with just some nuts and 2 water bottles in hand the four of us set sail in the ferry, which dropped off us at the base in 5-10 mins. Sitting in the boat which cut through the water causing ripples, I was like a child looking at those big mountains and trying to capture all the rainbows formed in the water droplets splashed across.

Jenny Lake

Mountains seems like they were in their morning bliss after a night of meditation, smiling at us the wanderers, trying to escape the mundane life and find the elixir in places like this.
We avoided the holiday/vacationing days and it worked out well for us with very minimal tourists else which this place can easily get crowded due to the narrow paths.
Those wild paths offered us variety of plants and bright colorful flowers as if they were all celebrating our visit. The gentle and pure streams, creeks - probably trying to wash away the human prints and as they went downstream, probably told the bushes along their path, the day to day happening of what it saw on its path - brightening up the path with its gush and blush :)
The small bridges reminding us of the small steps we need to take to reduce the distance among ourselves, respect boundaries with the nature as well.

The pikas with their shriek voices can easily scare you off guard  (at least it scared me!) but are cute little creatures which you can find in many numbers on this rocky mountains.The chipmunks here also seem like they are not afraid of reaching out to their human friends and one came up to me and searched my hand for nuts:)

Hidden Falls

Hidden Falls is a gem hidden for sure, which shows herself up after a good climb and the sight itself is enough to quench any thirst you might have! Once we had her enough of her beauty captured, we decided to head back to the base with some plans in forming stage to head for a bigger hike to Solitude Lake. Did I already tell you we just had some water and nuts and no lunch and very light breakfast?

Like a new found love, long lost kiss, I craved to spend more time here. With barely any food and water with us, we split into 2 groups as only 2 of us decided to go hike higher up - a journey, a hike I have never taken in my life in such a place, and one which was of 10+ miles at an altitude reaching up at 7k to 8k ft(This is upto Cascade Canyons. Lake solitude is higher up)

This was a long awaited chance for me to be in the nature - not having to converse/entertain anyone but myself, no gadget usage, no banter but an uninterrupted silent streak - a silence nobody forced nor could I break!
The destination was not what I was after, but the journey within, with every step higher up.With the creeks and streams chatting all through, we reached  Cascade Canyons and found out that we would be risking our chance to get back to the last ferry for the day, if we continued towards Lake Solitude.
Lake solitude was another 4.5 mile round trip from where we were and with no way to communicate with others waiting for us, we half willingly had to stop right there.
With some tips from fellow hikers to go further up for another mile for a beautiful opening, before we headed back, we continued.It was not easy to convince the mind which was looking forward to Lake solitude, yet had to. But the mountains made sure we had some complimentary return gift.

We had no bear spray or  bells with us and when some hikers who were heading back told us to  be careful and watch out for bear, instead of being scared, we got all excited (Priorities misaligned? I don't think so ;) )The excitement has taken over the fear as we kept climbing up and found a group of 4- 5 hikers standing silently clicking some pictures pointing to right side of the path. We knew what it was. We silently moved closer to the group and started watching the happily munching bear on the slopes roughly around 40-45ft from us. It only occured to us later that it was just the two of us there, when at one point the bear stopped eating and stared at us!Ever seen any wild animal in it's own habitat all by yourself??? When you come across something like that, do let me know cos, we just froze for the moment. No, there was no thougt to run as fast as we could! But yeah after those moments of locking eyes and gazing away, we slowly moved away from there with no noise and then just kept running until we felt we were at safe distance!!
When we realized, we were standing at the beautiful opening of the mountains into something like valley!I have captured my feelings in another post, if you would like to take a look :)
What I felt there in every pulse is something, which is hard to explain in words, but ecstasy probably means that!

While nature is beautiful and serene, it can turn dangerous within minutes. Grand Teton is infamous for the hidden storms and we could see the giant, thick dark clouds brewing and closing in on the mountains. It was a signal for us to turn around and return to the base. Thanking everything and everyone for those moments and with a grateful feeling, we made it our ferry still wondering if it was possible to go further up .
I spent some moments at Jenny Lake to recollect and rejoice all that happened around and within in all those hours in that magical place!

There are so many trails here and I wish to come back sometime again to continue our conversation :)
http://www.tetonhikingtrails.com/

Whispering wind and the wandering mind - drive from Cody to Yellow Stone National Park

I was too occupied earlier in the year and didn't get an opportunity to type in everything I had thought of sharing soon after my grand trip spanning 5-6 states early September. 
You can check out other blogs here: 


Penning down the thoughts which swayed on the curvy road from Cody to Yellowstone National Park:

"As I travel through these prairies - the grassland, my heart sways along with it, which sits atop the painted rocks, spreading wings in the cool breeze. My heart..... - it is too busy capturing the moments, yet some voice calls from a distance  like an invisible hand that is holding the string to a kite's flight.Why is it that I don't want to turn around and see, yet why do I still slow down, change course and stay alert to hear those calls?Why do the hills start bleeding colors while I try to close my eyes to return it back to it's original state? Why am I sweating though I am surrounded by the cool breeze from around the swaying trees? Why is my hair not set free to it yet?What is this voice which has such power to keep me in a vacuum while everything around me is calling to embrace in glee?Where else does my heart long to be or bring that source which is pulling me away from myself?Is it the spirit I  left behind which is calling me back or is it someone else's convincing it to be mine - gliding and sliding through those mist clad mountains.... Are those mist clad just like my senses?Are those the real voices or the ghostly whispers begging you to look back, although you fight with your might to traverse through those rocky mountains? Would it be better if embrace it all, wear those as my badges on my shoulder as I make way into the wilderness??"

Somethings are better left for perceptions and this is one such place, I would love to learn of various interpretations/situations you can play with.

In all its grandeur - Grand Teton

When we began the trip, though Yellowstone seemed like the highlight, it was Grand Teton which blew my mind with it's strength, beauty, might and serenity.... words fail to explain the bliss I enjoyed being there.

I was bursting with such ecstasy, may be because this was my first ever real hiking in the wild with no big groups to chat with but just be one with nature (my highest climb so far!)
We set off to reach Solitude lake but the timing of this unplanned hike didn't let us reach there but we did cross the Cascade Canyons and a bit higher up from there.

When I stood there, in a feeling of "oneness" :

"That moment when you are one with nature, you are in awe about the mountains surrounding you....

When you realize it is no one else but you, surrounded by mountains, with those gracefully falling  shimmering water falls - like a bride's veil in it's purest white form....

That moment when words fail and soul bows in gratitude .... and when your eyes try to reflect the inner happiness, trying to capture every possible view of the valley, the chit chatty stream, those hustling leaves as if in a symphony.....

And, and those dark clouds hovering from behind  those huge guarding, dignified mountains , as if watching over  you in their fortress, waiting for you to make one wrong move  - to just burst over you and wash your existence off......"

Since we camped looking over these mountains, I had an opportunity to see the change at dusk:

"Summer grass,

with a touch of gold -

from the setting sun.....

borrowed swag from the cool breeze...

trying to entice those meditative peak,

the moon rises, blushing from behind the dusky clouds"

The Good views of the bad lands, the devil and the rush!

We flew down to Denver and rented an RV from Cruise America. Due to lack of sufficient communications, we had to wait till the evening for our RV and so, had to make adjustment to our last destination where we would camp for the night. We wanted to get out of the city as soon as possible and as we drove through Nebraska, we stopped briefly to checkout the Chimney Rock, just because it was not a detour.

It was going to be our first night in RV and we spent it closer to some remote community, right next to a corn crop field, eating whatever leftovers we had from the afternoon (bit of miscalculation about our noon hunger!)

With a briefing from our chotu on our next destination, we got excited. There was this small place called Car Henge(yes, similar to Stone Henge), which was a pretty small museum and a good place for some photography. Learned that people take some of the cars from here to the Burning Man  Festival

We then headed to the bluffs and the badlands, which spread over a wide area. When I was taking a look at these places, I was wondering why anyone would call this place as "Badlands" (unless the human greed to occupy the place was not achieved, as the story goes!)

Many of the ranges had deposits of multiple colors and did remind me of the painted hills, which was on our list to visit during our last year's travel to Oregon, which we could not make it to. There are many small trails to take the view and I would say, pick anything!

We loved this one place, for when I saw it from an angle, it looked like pyramids stacked! Here is a pic I took!

We briefly stopped for the mandatory lovely chai which was needed and why not have a tea with a view!

With the tea session complete and invigorated with new found energy, we set off to Mount Rushmore. Our hope was to reach in time to see the sculpture just in time to park in a campground and then start to next location the next morning. The back up plan was to wake up and see this first thing in the morning - we did not need the backup plan as our driver made sure we were just in time for the viewing and then the show at 8:30. I was amazed at the vision of the artist to have thought about having sculptures in these Black Hills. I mean, who would have the conviction of something like this in the mountains, confidence to ask for funds and to deliver such an amazing end result!

What was more amazing to me was to know about the history of how these 4 Presidents were chosen. At the end of the show, all of the veterans were invited over to the stage and thanked, which filled my heart  and what an amazing way to recognize and thank - not just on the Veteran's Day or the Memorial Day! Every soldier deserves that respect from their fellow citizens!

It was full moon and was brimming with the blood red color as we hurried in search of our camp ground and we were pleased at the location, the calmness. Moon was our only source of light for a while when we decided to take in the beauty of that night, before we slid into the comfort of sleep. Woke up to see that a small stream was peacefully flowing right next to our RV while two deers were crossing over!

Our list had this place called Devil's Tower, which was also the picture on the back of our RV and we went up that place for a hike around this rock tower, which had nice myth about how it grew so big. Except for this huge tower and our chit chats on the rocks, coming up with our own versions of story on the rock as we hiked, there was not too much to take in as a view. However, what was interesting is that, the Native Americans held a spiritual value to this place and was sacred to them. We could see some ceremonial threads and clothes tied around some of the trees, closer to the stone. When I read a bit more about this, learned that a kid as yound as 6 years and grand pas as old as 87 years have made a climb to the top of the tower!!

If you are one of those rock/cliff climbers, make sure to check out on the festival dates as you won't be let near the sacred rock for ceremonial purposes.

Read all about our Cowboy Country Trip