Wyoming II

Another fun filled day spent in Wyoming was when my family and I went white water rafting on the Snake River. When we first arrived, we had to put on wet suits because the water was forty degrees. The water was this cold because the snow was melting from the snow caps and was flowing into the river. It had also snowed the week before even though it was the middle of June. Our tour guide, Owen, went over all of the safety rules and he also included the scenarios that could happen and what to do if someone got thrown out of the raft. A thrown passenger would be pulled back into the raft by his life vest. If a passenger was far from the raft he or she would float on his or her back, and the members in the raft would throw a rope. After all of the safety tips were reviewed, we entered the raft. All of the women ran and tried to get in the raft first so they wouldn't get wet in the front. My mom didn't know why everyone was running so she got stuck being in the front row seat. My brother and I were squashed between two paddlers behind my mom.This was my first time white water rafting and I was excited. As soon as we got our raft in the water, the raging water took us quickly down the river. All of a sudden huge waves started crashing into our raft. Our two lead paddlers were no longer paddling but shielding themselves from the icy cold water or trying to hold onto the raft frantically. Our guide was getting angry because the two front row paddlers weren't rowing which could cause the whole raft to flip. The water was so cold that it took my breath away. Along the way everyone got so excited to see a male moose drinking alongside the river. This was a highlight of our trip because the guide said this was the second moose he had ever seen there. White water rafting is something everyone should do at least once in their lives because it is thrilling and a lot of fun.

wyoming

I spent two weeks of my summer vacation enjoying the wonderful sights of Wyoming. My family and I went to Yellowstone and The Grand Tetons. The scenery, wildlife, and nature were breathtaking. The mountains and lakes were like nothing I have ever seen before and the animals were

all unique in there own way. As we got off the plane there were mountains surrounding us to our left and our right. Our first day was spent hiking up to Jenny Lake. This was an exhausting five mile hike up the mountain. What kept us going was one beautiful scenery after another. On our way up to the Lake we encountered a heard of elk. There were about thirty elk scattered around the path lying down in a field of daisies. (Above are only a few of the elk that surrounded my family on the hike). Each time we got closer to the elk the mother would stand up, signaling us that we shouldn't get to close to her. As we slowly backed away and started to leave, another hiker came along and slowly moved through the herd while taking pictures. Once my dad saw that nothing happened to him my dad and brother both wanted to continue the hike. My dad said if the other hiker could get across the heard then we could too. As I kept walking along the path I was thinking of all of the signs posted everywhere saying do not approach animals they can be wild and unpredictsble. We walked very quietly and slowly along the path, trying very hard not to make any loud sudden movements. It was eerie to have 30 pairs of eyes glaring at us as we walked. As we reached the end of our hike we found ourselves at an attitude of over 7,000 feet. What a breath taking view! It was called Inspiration Pointe. We overlooked Jenny Lake and miles and miles of beutiful country with mountains as a backdrop. We all sat and had our lunch enjoying the magnificent view. We truely enjoyed this hike and we didn't want to leave. This is a hike that everyone should take at least once in their lifetime!