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West Thumb & Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming — Chapter 14: The Road to Prudhoe Bay
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posted by Chris Vasquez
Grand Teton → West Thumb: roughly 2 hours before park traffic. That line looks simple on a map, but Chapter 14 is about everything that happens between departure and West Thumb & Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming: changing weather, roadside pullouts, the smell of the FJ60 warming up on a grade and the constant temptation to turn down one more scenic road. We arrive carrying the dust of the previous chapter rather than starting a disconnected vacation.
West Thumb & Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming earns its place in the journal through West Thumb Geyser Basin and Yellowstone Lake. We want enough time to experience it rather than photograph it and leave. Then we change gears completely and aim for Lake Yellowstone Hotel—the kind of stop where boots can dry, shoulders can recover and dinner can last longer than the drive briefing for tomorrow.
The journal doubles as a mechanical log. At this stage we concentrate on fuel level, engine temperature and brakes while respecting slow park speeds. We do not wait for a warning light or roadside failure; every arrival gets a walk-around, a look underneath and a few quiet minutes listening for anything that changed during the day. Travelers following the route should keep food, water, bear spray, binoculars and a full daypack readily accessible. Fuel, weather, park access and road conditions deserve a fresh check each morning, especially once services begin thinning in Canada, Yukon and northern Alaska.
What stays with us about West Thumb & Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming is the contrast: an old Land Cruiser outside a beautiful hotel, trail gear beside clean sheets, and tomorrow's route spread across the table over dinner. We are chasing hard roads without turning the trip into an endurance contest. Good food, sleep and occasional indulgence are part of the preparation—they keep the crew sharp enough to enjoy the difficult days rather than merely survive them. We leave rested, resupplied and a little more aware of how quickly the easy miles are disappearing.
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