ScenicBoys

Bonus Footage!

If you haven't had time to watch any of the other videos from our recent trip... WATCH THIS! 

Dusty put together a fun music video including some of our best and silliest moments from our trip out West. We've gotten a few suggestions that we should include more bloopers and out-takes... you know, the stuff any sane person would edit right out of their memories.  Well here ya go! :)  Haha

ScenicBoys: WILD WEST ADVENTURE! from scenicboys on Vimeo.

Great American West Expedition - Part 4

Well folks, here's the fourth and final installment from our trip through the Great American West.

When we left off, the two of us were basking in a beautiful sunset over the distant Grand Tetons in Wyoming.  The following morning we awoke to some solid grey cloud cover and below freezing temperatures.  BRRR!!!  Just one look at the mountains, or at least where they should have been, had us thinking twice about spending a night or two up there.  I'm confident in our abilities and survival skills, enough to know when we're in real danger.  Perhaps we would have been okay… COLD, but okay.  But perhaps not.  So we moved on to plan B.  Whatever that would turn out to be. :)

Stopped off in Jackson Hole, Wy for some swanky breakfast and discussed what to do next. Our plans for the next two days had been foiled once again!  As we finished our belgium waffles and yummy egg scramble, we noticed the clouds seemed to be breaking up.  Perhaps a hike would be possible after all.

We arrived at Jenny Lake (at the base of the Tetons) around Noon.  Our destination: Inspiration Point.  The hike was very crowded, but surprisingly there were no lack of delicious berries along the trail.  We had the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook handy to identify the new and tasty berries.  Several people saw what were doing and periodically stopped at a new kind of bush to ask us if it's berries were edible.

We made it back down to the car in a few hours.  After consulting the trusty road atlas, we decided to head for Montana.  The drive north, along the west side of the Tetons, is breathtaking.  You can literally see these mighty crags from hundreds of miles away.  

The last noteworthy stop on this expedition was Big Hole Battlefield in Montana.  It's a memorial to the Nez Perce Indians who successfully defended their make-shift camp from an attack by the US Army in 1877.  Nearly 100 Nez Perce were killed as the infantry filled the camp with gunfire in the middle of the night.  Eventually the Indians regrouped and countered the attack, stealing the Army's cannon and ammunition, and sending the soldiers running for their lives.  This was only one of the stops along the Nez Perce Trail from Oregon through Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.  It was heartbreaking to walk through the battle field, reflecting on what it must have felt like for both the fleeing Indians and the encroaching pioneers and military forces.  I think we both have a newfound appreciation for the Indians, their cultures, and respect for the Living Earth.

ScenicBoys: Great American West Expedition - Part 4 from scenicboys on Vimeo.

And with that, we conclude the ScenicBoys' Great American West Expedition!  Putting these stories, pictures and movies together is always a blast.  We love exploring the diversity of this country and adventuring far from home.  Who knows where we'll go next!?  I can guarantee wherever it is, you'll be right there along with us, in high definition, color enhanced, ScenicBoys surround sound. :)

Great American West Expedition - Part 3

Have you heard of Vimeo? It's this fantastic new site we've been using to upload our videos to the net. We love um'. Much better than YouTube, ioho. Only problem (or maybe it's a good thing?) is we can only load one video a week. So enjoy this new episode, and expect to see the fourth installment around the middle of next week! :)


ScenicBoys: Great American West Expedition - Part 3 from scenicboys on Vimeo.

So where did we leave off...

Ah yes, it was getting dark as we made it out of Yellowstone, in the middle of a HUGE mountain squall. We intended to camp all 11 nights of the trip, but as we realized several times throughout the week: Making plans guarantees something will go wrong. :)

After spending the night at the Green Creek Inn, we set off for Cody, WY. First stop was the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Hours and hours of fun - we were like two little school kids exploring this huge, educational museum.

By late afternoon it was time to leave Cody and head back toward the North Entrance of Yellowstone. Coming over the pass, we weren't expecting to run smack into a Blizzard! The first small town we stumbled upon was Cook City, MT. A little town of 140 people in the middle of 'pretty' much nowhere. The first local we saw offered us a place to stay. We gratefully conceded to ride out yet another storm in a hotel. Living in the city has made us soft.

The next morning was cold but bright and sunny. We drove into the park early and saw Tons of animals! Deer, Elk, BUFFALO, Bears, Wolves and more little squeekers than we could count. :) Not many people realize Yellowstone is actually an active volcano. The geysers, bubbling pools, calcium deposits are simply incredible - and dangerous. They say it's about time for it to blow. :{

One of the MUST SEES of Yellowstone is the Old Faithful Inn. Best description I can give you? A Keebler Elf Kingdom! This place was definitely a highlight for me.

With plenty of daylight (learning from previous mistakes!) we drove South out of the park and into Grand Teton National Park. I've seen my share of beautiful ranges and I would still have to give the Grand Tetons the award for "Most Spectacular" mountains. Breathtaking from every angle and even hundreds of miles away. We got pretty lucky with our camping spot (Finally! Sleeping on the Ground!!!) pitching our tent on a nearby ridge with an unobstructed view of  the Sunset. A truly spiritual moment...

Also Bonus: New Banner! Curtesy of The Grand Tetons. WoHoo!