Whether we want to admit it or not, our lives have become irrevocably tied to technology. It used to be that the only time we weren’t bound to a device was when we were sleeping. Now, with smartwatches monitoring our every moment, waking or otherwise, there is no time that we are not enveloped with technology.
We awaken checking our algorithms. Then we reach for the cell phone (or just phone, are there any others anymore?). Our morning coffee routine is spent scrolling through news feeds because there are few newspapers.
Work involves staring at a screen; the nights are spent binge-watching our newest fave. We seldom escape our digital ties.
Social media and technology have become so integrated in our daily routine that it’s easy to forget we can actually function without it. I know I’m guilty of it.
There is no denying that technology helps us in our daily lives, but it certainly has altered the way we interact with the world around us. If we actually do interact with it at all.
I’m no different. I’ve found myself reaching for the entrancing screen instead of a book, or a seat outside or, most of all, a conversation with another person.
Recently, I was reminded that there is a blissful life beyond my digital one.
Serendipitous Escape
This past spring, my wife and I drove on a planned trip out West. For the first 800 miles or so, our digital life was fairly normal. Kathy was able to access internet access as she worked away on her laptop, trying to keep ahead of work. Facebook connections, GPS and cell service were all available, and we made use of them.
Into Wyoming’s Backcountry
However, once we left Mount Rushmore behind us and crossed the Wyoming border, things changed. Initially, not for the better. If you’re driving I-90 across South Dakota, the Badlands and Wall Drug make for classic stops along the way.
We were headed for Yellowstone National Park. There are no direct routes to the park, so we had to do some creative road-tripping. Two-lane state and county roads crisscrossing all points of the compass were going to be our conveyance across the state of Wyoming.
Roads nearly empty save for a random rancher’s pick-up or a multi-wheeled, multi-trailered dump truck hauling some load somewhere.
Where the Signal Ends
The first realization that we might be getting far afield was when Kathy’s computer froze, shortly after GPS faltered and, finally, our phones went offline. That’s when we realized that we may be out in the middle of the proverbial nowhere. We would come across the occasional small town with its filling station/convenience store, diner and, maybe, a VFW where, momentarily, we would regain electronic civilization.
However, a mile outside of city limits, the hotspot would disappear and we were left with a countryside bereft of a digital signal.
Enjoying the Peace
I pulled over to review my atlas (which I still carry, thankfully) to confirm our course. In so doing, I discovered a more promising route than the one GPS had planned for us.
Kathy, having put away her now useless laptop, began to enjoy the world around us. Crying out in excitement, she pointed to a herd of pronghorn antelope in the distance. On the horizon, we could see the snow-capped Big Horn Mountains.
Up and Over Powder River Pass
The scenery now became the distraction. As we rose off the valley floor, the mountains were no longer a remote apparition; we were now among them. We climbed ever higher until we crossed Powder River Pass, nearly 10,000’ in elevation. The forests of spruce, fir and so much lodgepole pine reached to a sky that was ever so blue.
Wildlife on the Backroads
Onwards across long, lonely ribbons of asphalt, we made our way, occasionally stopping for a new sight. A golden eagle with its catch of rabbit staring us down from the middle of the road. A coyote pacing us for a quarter mile. A pair of horse riders trotting along the fence line. And no phone calls.
2 Million Acres of Wonderful Silence
Wi-Fi and cell phone connections are famously absent in most of the 2.2 million acres of Yellowstone National Park. Other than spotty coverage at the lodges, digital access is mostly non-existent. Add into that the fact that the rooms do not come equipped with TV or radio and you have all the makings for a serene escape.
Mornings at Old Faithful Inn
Each morning of our stay at Old Faithful Inn, our day began with remnants of a star-lit sky and crisp mountain air. The alarm was the lively sounds of the park. We’d make coffee, grab our hiking shoes, and head out into the wilds.
We’d embark on a daily adventure of wonderful wildlife, great geysers, exhilarating trails and unbelievable scenery. Eventually, we’d return to the grand lobby of the lodge at night. Here, we rediscovered the lost art of conversation.
Stories by the Fireplace
With little to do in the rooms, we gathered with other guests near the massive fireplace or in the Bear Pit Lounge. The lounge offered a pleasant locale for a drink, and fond recollections of the day were easily shared with others.
A California man’s encounter with a bear; an Iowan’s 2-day, 14-mile hike through the backcountry; an Ohio couple we shared photos with from the day on our phones. I realized taking pictures was the only time I’d made use of my phone.
For the first time in a long time, we had broken free of the allure of our devices. And had not missed it.
A Return to a Different Normal
That disconnected week has long since passed, and I wish I could say it had stayed with me completely. Maddeningly, it isn’t easy to revert to a digitally disconnected life.
However, I have read several more books since, left my cell on the table while sitting beneath our tree with a cup of coffee, and written down a few words.
We didn’t know we were going to unplug from the digital umbilical cord, but, surprisingly, it was far easier and far more enjoyable than I expected it could be.
A national treasure reminded me of the thrill of nature.
John Muir once said: “Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.”
It was the cleanest I’ve been in a long time.
For more, read Cody, Wyoming: Where the West Is Still Wild.
If You Go
Where to Stay
Old Faithful Inn sits steps from its namesake geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin. Its soaring log lobby and massive stone fireplace still make it the park’s best gathering spot after a day on the trails. Rooms come without TV or internet, which is exactly the appeal. The inn is open seasonally and books up months ahead, so reserve your room at Old Faithful Inn on Expedia as early as you can.
Getting There
Most visitors fly into Jackson Hole, Bozeman or Cody and drive into the park from there. If you aren’t road tripping from home, reserve a rental car through Discover Cars before you land.
Plan Ahead
Cell service and Wi-Fi are scarce across most of the park, so download offline maps before you go, or pack a paper road atlas. For trail ideas and day plans, Moon Best of Yellowstone & Grand Teton by former park guide Becky Lomax is a reliable companion.
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