Over Look
by Terry Brinkman

 

 

Just got back from a trip to Yellowstone and Tetons National Park (I was just there for Mothers-day with my wife, we go three or four times a year it’s a short drive). My youngest son’s wife’s family were making their first trip there, and invited my family to go with them. My youngest daughter in-law’s family flew into Jackson Hole Wyoming just outside Teton National Park; I drove in one car my middle son and his wife. My wife drove in a second car (a seven passenger car I got for the trip) with my eldest son, his wife and my two twin eight year old granddaughters. My daughter was in Austral and could not make the trip.

The first night was in Tetons for mine and my wife’s groups; my youngest son and daughter in-law’s group first night was in Yellowstone. As usual someone’s plane was late, my daughter in-law’s brother’s plane from California was canceled  and after a few changes he would make it to Jackson Hole’s Airport around Eight P.M. not the planed two P.M.. So that gave us the entire day to hang around in Jackson Hole with my youngest son.

The next day we were all together in Yellowstone (well kinda) with a large diverse group we would meet with different groups to do different things. All of us (or most of us) meet up for dinner or drinks or breakfast. At the Old Faithful Inn there is a second story over the front door and the cars drive-up to check-in and drop off your bags; my middle son mentioned that they were there over eight hours, with almost everyone.

At one of the meet-up times, I met with my eldest son and his wife my two grand-daughters, after a short walk one of my grand-daughters, Tess, and her mother went back to the lodge to find whether someone, anyone, was doing something different. My son and I talked my other grand-daughter Emmy in to going with us to Solitary Geyser. It used to erupt every five minutes (after hiking to it it’s more like every ten or fifteen). After a short walk - twenty minutes - we got to Solitary Geyser, found a place to sit and hang out. Emmy brought her painting supplies; “sure there’s time for you to paint". After Emmy finished painting and I and my son hanging around Solitary Geyser had erupted three or four times. Should we go back to the lodge or take the trail to the over-look?

Over-look here we come! The path from Solitary Geyser to the over-look is a little longer but less steep than the direct path; it’s almost a mile, the direct path is a half mile but a rise of over two hundred feet. It's been about twenty years since the last time I was on this hike, we needed to coach Emmy a few time on the trail. Twenty five or so minutes later we reached the Over-Look; Emmy was amazed we were so high over Old Faithful Geyser, Inn and Lodge, you could see everything. So inspected, then two minutes later "let’s go". My son ”before we go let’s get a three generation selfie”. After a few photos we started back down the direct route - going down it should be okay, quicker and easier as long as we don’t fall and get hurt. Emmy passing the souls headed up to the overlook “who will make it and who won’t?”. 

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