A hike in the Grand Tetons is well… Grand! Cascade Canyon was spectacular.
We traveled yesterday to the Coulter Bay camp grounds in the Grand Tetons about 40 miles north of Jackson Hole and are staying in a tent cabin. It’s got logs on 2 sides and a canvas tent on the other 2 sides and the roof. Better than being on the ground.
The mountains here are like we have never seen before. Colter Bay is on Jackson lake at the lake is right at the foot of the Tetons. The lake is at about 6000 ft and the mountains on the west side of the lake go straight up to 12,000 ft plus. The views are truly breathtaking.
We hiked today around another Lake called String Lake and climbed up into Cascade Canyon for about 9 mile hike out and back. The canyon had a snow melt river coming through it with 5000 ft cliffs on either side going straight up. Snow melt and springs were feeding the river up and down the canyon providing breath taking views and vistas.
The Climb up Mt. Washburn
Friday 6/5 we headed up the Mt. Washburn trail for the 2.5 mile hike that climbed 1500 ft to the top at 10,234 ft. Spectacular views of the Grand Canyon of YS and YS Lake. Storms threatened all around but be we made it up and back without getting to wet. Cold & windy though. The fire tower & station had bathrooms and an observation deck. Washburn is named after Gen. Washburn who was the leader of one of the early expedition to YS that eventually led to the area being designated the first National Park.
Backpacking the backcountry of Yellowstone- a night at 4E1
We made our way out for a 5.6 mile hike and an overnight stay in the backcountry at camp site 4E1 which is situated at the base of Mt. Washburn. Our trail took us out The Glacier Boulder trail to the Seven Mile Hole trail and the the Washburn Mtn trail. A relatively flat hike as we paralleled the North Rim of the YS Grand Canyon. We crossed several creeks along the way and saw numerous meadows with wild flowers in full bloom. Once we entered the Washburn trail we began seeing the Mtn peek and the fire tower atop one of the highest peeks in YS. We crossed a very large meadow just before finding the camp site. The minute we sat our bags down we knew we were in trouble.
It was 530 & we were ready to get out from under our bags & enjoy a cool night by the fire & seeing the stars come out & then the attack…Mosquitos the size of yellow jackets. We had bug spray because we knew we might have some bugs but this storm of vermits we had never seen and they were resistant to any big spray.
We built a fire and we seemed to fight them for awhile but the only solace was in the tent. After a quick sponge bath in the nearby spring it was a dark for the tent & the fight to keep them out.
The next morning they were worse. The decision was to head back due to bugs & bears. Sights had been recorded at the camp headquarters of bears on Mt. Washburn. We thought about shooting some of the Mosquitos, dressing them out & grilling them over the open fire but we decided to rad back to the camp grounds & a less invested area.
On to Old Faithful tomorrow.
Great hike along the South Rim of the Yellowstone Grand Canyon
Yesterday we went to the Upper & Lower Falls of the YS Grand Canyon. The color of the YS River is so striking of a green hue as it contrasts to the sides of the canyon with their white, tans, reds of auburn, black stone that it doesn’t look real. From Artists Point it seems that you are viewing some computer generated image as the water tumbles over the falls & heads toward your vantage point.
We then took the Lilly Pad Lake route and on to Clear Lake past some sulphur smelling thermals and strange moon like terrain & then instantly into a calm grass Kaiden meadow with a large bill bison using the trail as his own private lunch room. Grazing while we tried to distract him & move him away from his lunch sight. Finally after about 20 min of failed attempts to encourage him to graze elsewhere and we got the clue and circled around him through the meadow & back on to the trail.
We can back to the trailhead to find a major traffic jam of on lookers of large elk grazing next to the parking lot. The park ranger was about to fine some folks because they were way to close. I got a shot of him as we walked by.
Today we are on to a much more critical hunt – a new blowup mattress that doesn’t leek. Maybe some geysers later.
School Vouchers In TN-Are we any closer & who can use them?
According to a Commercial Appeal article: http://tinyurl.com/bwcegtb
Gov. Haslam’s Task Force on School Choice will make a long-awaited recommendation on the use of vouchers in Tennessee.
The vouchers would allow students to attend private schools using public school funds to pay for their tuition. It appears that the task force may recommend that the vouchers be for low-income students only and that the amount the state provides be the only tuition that a private school can charge. Stay tuned. Report should come out this week.
Why was I in China? I think there are several reasons but there is one significant one – here it is:
After leaving Nanjing we went to our second “smaller city” Suzhou (only 6 million) and visited Suzhou High School-SIP a very prestigious 9-12 program. It has a boarding school but only during the week. We were presented a lecture on the educational system in China and it became even more clear why the Hanban Institute wanted relations with US schools. They stated that 20 years ago the government wanted to change their system to a “market related educational system” meaning that students should learn how to function in a economic driven society and be able to conduct business in a global setting. They understand that English is the language of business and so they are eager to learn and teach Chinese to as many as will learn.
After this introductory meeting with many schools from the Suzhou we had lunch and then broke up in to random groups in the SIP library. There was no control over who met who they just put us in this room and said introduce yourselves and meet. I just “randomly” sat down with another US private educator and a man and lady Chinese educators from No. 5 Middle School (thats their name for high school) and the first question out of their mouth was “can you help us find the Presbyterian Church and the family of the first American Missionary Headmaster Dr. R.N. Hayes who founded the school in 1892?” Right then I knew why I was in China.
Back in USA but only for a short time. Sorry for the lack of posts but internet was not very reliable while in China & would not post from blogs or Facebook. More to come.
Watch for more posts about my trip to China. You will not believe the school we are considering partnering with. More to come.
In Nanjing and doing well. Visited primary school yesterday and toured the city.
Internet is rare and not very stable so the posts are slow and spotty. We visited the largest primary school (2000+) in Nanjing yesterday. It was a beautiful school with very bright students. Certainly the showcase school in the area. Played a little volleyball in the gym with the students and the hoops broke out. Couldn’t resist. We made paper flowers n the traditional Chinese style and met the principal of the school.
There are 43 in our group here in Nanjing which is only 10% of the entire delegation. Maggie our tour guide and Master Wei our bus driver have done a wonderful job hosting us in one of the “smaller” cities, Nanjing has only 8.3 million people (that’s bigger than New York City) but is rich in history. Our hosts The Hanban organization treated us to a formal dinner last night that was quite the spread..
Today we visited the burial grounds of the ancient Ming dynasty and walked up the 392 steps of Dr. Sun Yay Sam’s mausoleum who was the first President of China and had overthrown the Ming dynasty. We also toured the Nanjing city wall which once fortified the entire city 1000 Yeats ago and took 200,000 workers to construct.
We had dinner near the local market and did a little shopping later. Everyone is quite tired but certainly a great group. For some this is their first trip out of the country and certainly their first experience with an eastern toilet. Fun and games! More later.
They say we are leaving.
After de icing about 3 times. It looks like we are leaving.
40 mins late and the snow is getting heavier.
We are sitting on the runway with engines running but the snow is coming down harder. Not looking good. If they send us back to the terminal it’s going to get ugly.
About
Headmaster, Franklin Christian Academy. 1978 Baylor Univ. BBA, 08 M.Ed TSU
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Recent
- FCA training for Music City 1/2 Marathon Begins!
- On the train headed to Zurich from Salzburg.
- “The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Music.”
- Dachau-a visit to horror past. Moving experience & prompting questions.
- Tour of Disney inspired castle, Mad King Ludwig of Bavaria & other sites of Munich
- We made it to Munich & Pension Lindner
- Can you sleep on an international overnight flight? Here’s what I do.
- A long walk home as a 3rd grader in Waco, TX. 50 yrs ago today.
- On our way! Early flight to NY & then on to Munich, Germany
- AdvancED (SACS) Accreditation Conference
- A hike in the Grand Tetons is well… Grand! Cascade Canyon was spectacular.
- 9 Mile Hike to Fairy Falls and a visit to the Grand Prismatic Spring. It was HOT!
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HughHarris 