'cause sometimes you just feel tired, you feel weak
And when you feel weak, you feel like you just want to give up
But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength
And just pull that s$#@ out of you and get that motivation to not give up
And not be a quitter, no matter how bad you want to fall flat on your face and collapse
Eminen, Til I Collapse
U-turns Allowed
My journey needed a shot in the arm. After 9 weeks on the road, I had had all the conversations I ever needed or wanted with myself. I caught myself saying, “you told that to me already!“ (Not really. Really?) One guiding principle of the journey about which I remained dogmatic, was not running to a set schedule. Where I could, I reached out to old friends. If the suggested something I had not considered, I considered it and often did it. While I did a lot of fun and interesting things between Los Angeles and southern Utah, I could have done more, especially in the realm of physical exertion. I thought my last blog entry lacked piazzas. and certainly not well proofed before publishing. (Subsequently has been corrected.) I recognized I had to shake things up or I would quickly loose interest and your devotion, support and interest. So I asked, what would shake it up? I concluded I needed someone to share the experience and knew exactly who that should be. Nathan. My cousin’s son. He had expressed an interest in the journey when I was last with them. I called and extended the invitation.
Nathan was excited. I was relieved. Nathan had just graduated from high school and would be taking a gap year. The timing could not have been better. He had just returned from a whirlwind tour of England and France so he had the travel bug. He’s bright and a natural athlete so the next leg, the Rockies, would be a breeze. Most important, we enjoy one another’s company. So, this was a u-turn, as I had set out to do this journey solo. But what the hell, this was an unscripted trip. Mix it up. Totally appropriate.
Salt Lake City
Before Nathan arrived, I had some time to myself in Salt Lake City. Looking to step out and do something different I went to the Leonardo Museum. It provides an interactive experience for the visitor linking all exhibits with Leonardo DaVinci designs and inventions. I was given a private tour by Ales, the program director and Max, the content director. Thinking initially the Leonard was going to be a bust, instead, half way through the tour, a penny dropped and our conversation went into overdrive. You may be aware that I chair a water research center of which I was also a co-founder. Water is not necessarily exciting, but nothing is more important to life than clean water. I have been vexed, wondering how we create a culture in New York State that values water. By comparison, in Israel the average citizen can recite the national water goals and see themselves as pivotal players in helping Israel achieve or exceed the national goals consistently. For example, most Israelis know that for every 1% of water waste eliminated will translate into the necessary money to build one desalinization plant or $440 million. So the idea that the tour inspired involves a multi-faceted approach to the use of interactive technology with citizen engagement so as to nurture a water appreciation culture. Can’t wait to discuss with the research team when I get back to Long Island.
As an interesting aside, Max, Leonardo Museum’s content director is a 30 something mountain climber and skier. He selected Salt Lake City for his home so that he could avail himself of the mountains enabling him to pursue his passions. Such an alien concept to me who went where my superiors wanted me to go. Unlike me, he did not let a job dictate where he lived. This is not news to me. Clearly millennials are younger have flipped the employer/employee equation. My observation is Max and his generation bring a more creative and less regimented orientation to work. Considering that they will have 3 to 4 times as many jobs in their lifetime that baby boomers will have had, it probably will help them stay employed by having honed a set of adaptability skills that were clearly surfaced as the US economy changed over the last 4 decades leaving many without good paying jobs.
Nathan arriving completely changed the rhythm of my journey. Prior to his arrival, the tempo was akin to John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High. If the first full day with Nathan was any indication, the new tempo rivaled Eminem’s Til I Collapse. Our first day kicked off at Temple Square, the epicenter of the Mormon religion. Our guides, Sister (from the) Philippines and Sister (from) Charlotte (North Carolina) were in their early 20’s. Both were well versed in the history and construction of the buildings that comprised the square. But when quizzed on more esoteric matters, we could sense we were being perceived as critics rather than proponents. Clearly, to the Sisters, I was out of bounds with my line of inquiry. Probably a good idea I didn’t ask their thoughts on the Broadway play, Book of Mormon. While I loved the parodies on the gold plates, they may not have.
Let me be clear at the outset, I have the utmost regard for Mormons. They have built a social fabric that connects and cares for one another. They are civically active, membership ranks are on the increase. Children learn early the importance of service. And no choir sings America the Beautiful better than the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. That said, it was a mystery to me why in the older and smaller temple and the original tabernacle there were no pictures, statues, stained glass portrayals or any other medium depicting Christ. The only thing I could relate the experience to was Unitarianism.
Let me share one other observation. When the Mormons were building the tabernacle, they improvised with the building materials as they did not have the financial resources to obtain the optimum building materials. For example, oak would have made for more attractive and sturdy pews. However oak was not readily available and expensive. Instead they built the pews with readily available pine. However, in order to effect the appearance of oak, skilled artisans painted and stained the pine pews giving them an authentic appearance of oak. This speaks to the Mormon’s admirable quality of thriftiness.
Another observation I shared with our guides was the remarkable similarity in design of the tabernacle with 5th Avenue Presbyterian Church. I wondered if God had also sent Joseph Smith architectural plans at the same time as the Book of Mormon was conveyed by God to Smith. This I did not share for fear of permanent banishment. The tabernacle has the 11th largest organ in the world and the 4th largest still in operation. Overall, we found Temple Square to be pristine and visually pleasing. It is landscaped to provide maximum beauty without interfering with the strong gothic like architecture of the buildings.
From Tabernacle Square, we walked to the Family History Research Library to see what we could learn about our ancestry. The Mormons have the largest library on family genealogy. They make it available to visitors with at least 30 terminal stations where you can open an account and chart your family tree. Both Nathan and I opened accounts and began the construction. As we did, I initiated building the tree focusing on my mother’s family. Remembering what she told me, the suggestions made by the Mormon data base were different. Both Nathan and I reached a level of frustration with the tedious nature of genealogy reconstruction. This gave us the perfect excuse to say adieu to our wonderfully warm Mormon hosts and and head to In and Out Burger, Nathan’s favorite hamburger restaurant and the closest thing to Shake Shack for me.
In the afternoon, we drove out to the Great Salt Lake. Thinking we would float in the water having a near Dead Sea experience, once there we quickly changed our minds. The entire lake is surrounded by a 10 foot barrier or swarm of low flying maggots. Really gross. As well, the lake stinks. Not sulfur like exactly, the strong odor is unappetizing making any trip there a short one. The balance of the day was spent at Park City. The contrast could not have been more dramatic. Flat listless Great Salt Lake was replaced by clear fresh air and beautiful alpine dotted mountains. It’s a beautiful drive that takes under an hour. Once there, we shopped for our fly fishing outfits at the local L.L. Bean. We were now set for our next stop, Jackson Hole.
The Tetons, Yellowstone and Wyoming Wilderness
We spent 4 days in Jackson. Our hotel was fantastic. We stayed at the Hotel Jackson: Hip, awesome staff, comfortable, and well located for easy walks too the galleries, and ice cream shops. Jackson sits at 6400 feet above sea level. For clarifications, Jackson Hole comprises the valley that the Snake River winds through. Jackson is a sweet village and commercial center serving the area. It feels like a western town with its wood frame buildings wooden plank sidewalks. I had a routine of going to Cowboy Coffee early in the morning observing the local’s comings and goings. The atmosphere was very similar to that of Hampton Coffee. Just with cowboy boots instead of flip flops.
I am a total control freak. There I said it! No one chauffeurs me in my own car. I am the sole navigator and driver. I get completely stressed with the thought of someone else driving me. The drive to Jackson Hole would take 6 hours. There was no way Nathan would remain content in the passengers seat for the full length of the drive. So with great trepidation, I gave Nathan the keys. Surprise, surprise, he was a very good driver. Consequently, we ended up sharing the driving for the duration of his stay. I learned I was very much mired in a pattern of behavior believing no one else could do it as well as me. A powerful lesson.
Arriving late in the afternoon and just in time for our first booked activity, we raced to the Iron Mill Ranch for our horseback ride. I wondered how Nathan would like riding a horse or for that matter, the other scheduled activities. I was an experienced rider having played polo for nearly 20 years, though I had not been on a horse in 5 years. Nathan easily mounted his steed. He was a natural, he sat squarely with excellent posture. We ascended 2200 feet on a path that at times teetered on a narrow ledge. Our two guides carried a pistol and rifle in the event we were confronted by a bear. There were no rattlesnakes as they don’t inhabit altitudes greater than 4500 feet. We arrived at the top of the mountain without incident and afforded the most spectacular view of the valley.
On the descent, we came across a pesky red fox that delighted in nipping at my horses legs. My horse, BiBi, was as irritated as his namesake was at Obama chiding him. It was a challenge controlling my horse on a steep grade. Eventually our guide chased the fox away. and we were able to settle in for the descent leading to the best 24 oz T-bone steak dinner ever.
The next day we traveled 8 miles down the Snake River fly fishing. I hired a guide/instructor to insure we got the most out of the experience. Matt was an engaging, yet laid back man in his mid 40’s. Married to an architect, they settled in Jackson Hole 20 years earlier initially climbing mountains and providing ski instructions. Nathan connected well with Matt and proved to be a quick study. So well, he snagged a trout with the skill of Zane Gray. The image was reminiscent of a River Runs through it with me filling the Brad Pitt role. ( I wish.) The difference being, I caught nothing. The previous evening we had experienced the river valley from the top of a mountain. Fly fishing, closed the circle, giving us an upfront and personal connection with the river valley. Note, the river is on the one hand quite shallow and on the other has a very strong and fast current. Best to do the river with an experienced guide. All in all, we spent 5 hours on the water.
Nathan and I love to golf. We measure our performance by scoring least golf balls lost! I made the mistake of not asserting seniority for cart driving rights. For all intents purposes, I walked all 18 holes at Teton Pines. Young Jack Nickolas darted across the course in his personal golf cart. When challenged, Young Jack said the walking was good for me. Admittedly he was right. Our 18 holes were relaxed. Not a game for the record books. But, by the third day, a real routine had set in with us. He set the pace. It was my job to keep up.
On our last full day, we drove through both Grand Teton and Yellowstone Parks, making numerous stops along the way, including Old Faithful. Both parks are exquisite. Clearly we did not allocate enough time to do the parks complete justice. Setting 2 or 3 days aside would have allowed us to take in most of the two parks. Yet, with what we did, we hardly felt cheated. Two stops, one in each park are worth highlighting in addition to Old Faithful.
Going to the granddaddy of geysers felt a little like going to a Disney/Epcot show. First a line of families descend in an orderly manner making their way to the observation area shortly before the show. Like clockwork, the show starts and finishes at the designated time. In our case, between 2:45PM and 2:55PM. Upon completion, the attendees depart in an orderly fashion. Hardly a wilderness experience. The geyser shot a 30 foot high column of water. Speaking for myself, I was more fascinated by the thermodynamics of the spout than its manifestation. Truthfully, the fountains at the Bellagio were more thrilling.
A few miscellaneous points: I would not suggest lunch at the Yellowstone Lodge. We experienced slow service and a mediocre meal. Instead, we should have had our hotel pack a lunch for us. We wondered how Yellowstone was named. Apparently, French fur traders early in the 19th century fell upon a creek with a floor comprised of yellow rocks and stones. Thus the name. I grew up along the Maumee River in northwestern Ohio. The floor was soft with layers of silt making it easy to walk on. When we were traveling down the Snake River, we observed the floor was completely comprised of stones which were difficult to navigate with bare feet. The silt floor offered comfort but you wondered what lurked with in it. The rocky floor was uncomfortable but there was no mystery of what was there. I would offer that its a bit of a metaphor in life. The truth might be uncomfortable, but there is no mystery or anxious feeling.
After Old Faithful, we made our way up the road to Grand Prismatic Spring. After parking, we hiked uphill approximately 3 miles to a perch overlooking the spring. I have to admit to being a bit wary of the hike. Not so much for the hike, but more for the reason we were skirting a forest and all I could imagine was a grizzly bear lurching out on to the trail. The bear never materialized enabling us to reach the observation point. Spectacular. Below us were several smaller circular pods surrounding one very large pod. The pods were ringed in orange and grey minerals streaking like wet makeup The hike was well worth the effort (and anxiety.)
The bulk of Grand Teton was once owned by the Rockefeller family. Over the course of fifty years the land was turned over to the US government. One of the jewels is Jenny Lake, a large lake, 250 feet deep, and siting at the base of the majestic Tetons. A boat takes you across the lake where you can hike a mile to an observation point high above the lake. We caught one of the last boats of the day, restricting how much time we could take for a hike and still return in time for the last shuttle back. I opted to stay at the dock while Nathan ran the distance to the observation point. In Nathan’s absence I was entertained by a pair of beavers frolicking in the water. We worked up quite an appetite. Nathan enjoyed his first taste of elk for dinner until I likened eating eating elk to eating Bambi.
News reached me during our stay in Jackson Hole that a good friend, Gerry, had entered Denver Jewish Hospital for an examination to determine the severity of an infection he contracted during valve surgery last winter. The examining doctors concluded an operation was required to extract as much of the infection as possible. Being in the neighborhood so to speak, we made a mid course correction heading to Denver via Cheyenne, Wyoming leaving Mount Rushmore and the Badlands for another time.
Next
Denver and “we’re not in Kansas anymore….”
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