wayfaringwordhack | From the gorgeous skies of Yellowstone to the rain clouds of the Grand Tetons

The weather forecast promised rain for our last day in Yellowstone, and the skies certainly looked threatening, but the showers didn't happen upon us until we reached the Grand Tetons.

What would be a visit to Yellowstone without touring the geysers and hot springs in the Old Faithful area? Non-touristy, for one thing, and seeing as how we are tourists and you are touring through us, after leaving our backcountry campsite in Sentinel Meadows, we headed for the geyser basins...

White Dome Geyser. Apparently, despite the large cone, this geyser is only a thin spray. I didn't see the spray--or care much to--I was just thrilled with those menacing clouds of doom looming over the dramatically-colored cone.

This tiny fellow--Pink Cone Geyser--was one of my favorites, again because of the warm colors under those lowering clouds.

Opal Pool. Look, there is some blue sky under all that black and gray.

After oggling all that geothermal beauty, we decided to drive through the dark down to the Grand Tetons. We slept in the car in the parking lot of the Chapel of the Sacred Heart and woke to the Tetons looming over Jackson Lake just on the other side of our windshield.

Those dratted clouds, so lovely in photos, started pouring down on us, and we only had time for a quick breakfast by String Lake before we had to seek shelter in the car.

We decided to head to Jackson to spend the night in a hotel in hopes that the weather would clear up the next day. Alas, aside from a few, very brief, rays, the day remained gloomy. Julien did spy two moose--a cow and her large calf--moseying through the sagebrush flats on our way to Jackson, so, score for the wildlife count. The moose were, sadly, too far to photograph.

The weather looks to remain glum until Thursday or Friday, so we're packing it in for the Big Nipples and heading for Kemmerer to chisel for fossils.

If you want to see more (and different) photos* of the trip from Buffalo, WY to Yellowstone, check out

mana_trini's blog.

*Keep in mind that the pics we share here aren't our best photos. We're hoping (fingers crossed, everyone) to make a book out of our trip and needs must keep some good goodies up our sleeves.