We admired the views and decided to take what looked like a relatively flat 3.5 mile hike up to the summit. We quickly realized how wrong we are, as we went downhill for the first 500 feet or so and then snaked uphill for the remaining 1000 feet. Throughout the hike, it seemed impossible to finish, especially as we dealt with the effects of the altitude. We also noticed many people hiking the other direction, which was likely easier, though it hadn’t been recommended to us. We tried to take an offshoot that would have taken longer but given a more scenic and potentially flatter route, but within about ten minutes, returned to where we had started, which suggested that we should rejoin the main path. Though this was easily the hardest hike we’ve early done, likely because of the altitude and not the length, the images we were able to see and try to capture were breathtaking.
Arriving at the top, we marveled at everything below and our 360-degree view of the mountains around us, some of which still had snow on them. We stepped inside to the restaurant at the top to try the legendary “Top of the World Waffle” (also recommended by Josh). While it may not have been worth the $7.75 plus tax, the fresh-made brown sugar butter waffle was perfectly satisfying, especially since it was almost 3:30pm and we hadn’t eaten lunch. What we did not know is that there was no running water at the top of the mountain, and therefore we probably should have brought more water, since we were not willing to pay $5 for a small bottle of water.
We got on the tram going all the way back down, at which point we celebrated our accomplishments - and exhaustion - by refilling our water bottles. We drove the twenty minutes back into Jackson Hole, found a parking spot downtown, and went to try The Merry Piglets, a Mexican restaurant connected to Liberty Burger that we had wanted to dine at the night before only to be told there was too long a wait. Arriving at 4:15pm meant that we beat the dinner rush, allowing us to have a pretty quick and delicious meal. Arielle ordered the small (but huge) cheese crisp, which was a fried tortilla with refried beans, cheddar cheese, and salsa, and her $4 addition of mahi-mahi was quite plentiful. Abe started with some decent guacamole to go with the complimentary chips, and ordered two tacos: grilled mahi-mahi (with nothing on it) and the veggie, with sweet potato, black beans, corn, cilantro, and avocado, queso fresco on the side, of course.
We left Jackson Hole to head towards Rock Springs, WY. This was by far our most boring drive of the last three days, staying literally on the same road the Motel 6 was on for 170 miles. We were treated to forests of completely bare trees (surprisingly beautiful), cows, horses, and deer on the side of the road, and a gorgeous sunset to enliven an otherwise bland nearly three-hour drive. We arrived at That Yogurt Place in Rock Springs, WY fifteen minutes before they closed, and though they didn’t have the Passion Orange Guava Sorbet advertised online, it was a decent stop, and the total cost for both of us was only $4.40.
We drove the six minutes back to the Best Western Outlaw Inn, a really nice hotel that Arielle immediately rated #2 of the trip so far (behind the Sheraton Sioux Falls). There are rooms that open to the outside, but also a bunch that face inside. We got one that was right through the open air meeting space and up four steps. We walked down those same steps to dip in the pool for a few minutes before turning in for the night in anticipation of our last big drive for a few days.
Approximate number of miles covered: 199
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