Day 243 – 28 June (continued)
We left Deadwood, South Dakota and drove over the border to Devils Tower, Wyoming.
Our first view of Devils Tower in the distance, looming over the farm land.
Devils Tower was proclaimed the nation’s first National Monument by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.
Devils Tower rises 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River Valley. Spooky.
We checked into the KOA which had a great grassy open camping area – and a fantastic view of the tower.
Helen & I getting some dinner ready between our trucks
We had a nice picnic tuna salad, then got some exhausted sleep!
Day 244 – June 29
Camping on grass feels like SUCH a luxury – no dirt to get all over your shoes, the truck, etc. – fantastic! And wow – you CANNOT beat that view to wake up to – amazing.
Murray checking his boot for ….
We have MAJOR RV envy – how sweet does this ride look *sigh*
Murray & I about to enter the park – we decided to walk the 3 miles in to the tower. Move it or lose it as they say.....
Me & Helen trying to fit in with the prairie dogs
They were ALL over by the road – black-tailed prairie dogs
Gorgeous flowers as well
It was a gorgeous walk
Helen walking to the tower, with me up ahead
Bumble bee heaven
The most popular Native American legend about how the tower formed is that one day, an Indian tribe was camped beside the river and seven small girls were playing at a distance. The region had a large bear population and a bear began to chase the girls. They ran back toward their village, but the bear was about to catch them. The girls jumped upon a rock about three feet high and began to pray to the rock “Rock, take pity on us; Rock, save us.” The rock heard the pleas of the young girls and began to elongate itself upwards, pushing the, higher and higher out of reach of the bear. The bear clawed and jumped at the sides of the rock, and broke its claws and fell to the ground. The bear continued to jump at the rock until the girls were pushed up into the sky, where to this day in a ground of seven little stars (the Pleiades). The marks of the bear claws are there yet.
When we got to the tower we briefly visited the visitors center, and then we hiked the 1.3 miles Tower Trail around the base of the tower
The stone pillar is about 1,000 feet in diameter at the bottom and 275 feet at the top. It is known as the Bears Lodge by some of the 20-plus Native American tribes who consider it sacred
Here you can see what they call the Tower Air Force. Falcons spend their days patrolling the upper rim of the tower. Just majestic.
Devils Tower is a flat topped volcanic plug. Also, a MAJOR climbing destination. We spotted a few brave souls climbing whilst we hiked the base. You need to be a good crack and chimney climber to attempt this climb. Murray has sworn to return some day and climb it.
We hiked back via the Red Beds Trail – just over 2 miles to get back
A cute little chipmunk we saw on the trail
The tower was featured in the 1977 Steven Spielberg movie ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ which made the tower internationally known, however not so much so that people actually know WHERE it is!
Some sort of insect egg laying we think?? It was everywhere.
Gorgeous patterns in the wood
Looking back towards the campground on the hike back we could see our trucks! Dolph is quite the handsome fella'
Gorgeous panoramic of the Devils Tower and the Belle Fourche River (click for larger view)
Back at camp we made fantastic turkey sandwiches for lunch – yummmm
Then we went across the road to the trading post to have ice cream and use their wifi
Murray and Helen drove out to the western facing side for sunset pics.That evening we went to the free outdoor showing of Close Encounters of the Third Kind at the campground
Unfortunately they shut the power off at 11:30 – just as the movie was about to end!!! DOES HE GET INTO THE UFO AND LEAVE???
Day 245 – June 30
John Dee Dee (another photo for godchild Abby) was happy to see it was another lovely day
This is the comic on the back of our map book – SO SO True!!
In the morning we went over to use the wifi a bit more, and put some hunting stickers on our truck (thanks Kevin) so that it LOOKS like we have a gun – so people won’t bother us – even though we do not have one – a great tip from our Canadian friends we meet in South America, Steve and Anne.
We left Devils Tower at about 10:30 am, and drove to Gillette for cheap gas (thanks for the tip Dad)
And then we stopped in Buffalo for a yummy Pizza Hut lunch, a first for 10 months away!
YUMMY – half Mexican, half supreme
And then we drove on
We drove through the Southern part of the Bighorn Mountains
Gorgeous scenery
We had to take a picture of this store for my Grandma Sally!
A cool looking old collapsed barn
We stopped for shaved ice (snow cones) and WOW did they have a HUGE selection of flavors!!!
Helen & I deciding what kind we wanted at the window
Helen with peach, me with grape – Oh My Gosh they were good – especially in the 95 degree heat!
He he – I thought this sign was hilarious (those of you from non- snowing places – I assume you can guess what yellow snow is……it’s the color snow you were advised NOT to eat as kids!)
Crazy Women eat here
Eventually we arrived in Greybull and checked into our lovely KOA. It rained horribly and the wind was horrendous, so we took shelter in the campground’s (really fantastic) restaurant – this amazing desert was awesome!!
Day 246 – July 1
The Greybull River was named after an albino buffalo bull that roamed the valley. He was said to have lived a charmed life and was, as all white buffalos, sacred to the Native Americans who lived in the Big Horn Basin. Even the most skilled of hunters was unable to kill the huge ‘grey’ bull, and, according to the stories, the bison died of old age.
In the morning we drove to Bighorn Canyon Visitor’s center and then on to Bighorn Canyon
It was a lovely drive up through the Big Horn National Recreation Area
The 71 mile-long Bighorn Lake was created by the Yellowtail Dam, near Fort Smith, Montana
The Devils Canyon overlook had an amazing view
We even saw a few goats, or is this a female Dall sheep, or a female Big Horn Sheep? So hard to know, they all look very similar.
Situated in the Northern portion of the Big Horn Country, the Bighorn Canyon is between the towering Big Horns to the East and the scenic Pryor Mountains to the North
Unique to Big Horn Country is the first national wild horse refuge. Wild Mustangs roam the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, stretching over 40,000 acres. There are almost 200 wild horses, but we only saw 4!
After viewing the horses we started working our way out of the Canyon
And drove on to the Bighorn National Forest
We took a very bumpy, windy road up to see Five Spring Falls
And wow was it worth it – after a short hike we came across these gorgeous falls
Helen cleaning off her sandals in freezing cold water
Some sort of caterpillar making a HUGE web
It was gorgeous land to drive through
Some sort of huge animal track by our picnic table lunch site!! We're thinking Moose?
A MOOSE! Our first spotting – very exciting! Especially since Murray had created a contest earlier that day - saying the first person to spot a moose got ice cream in Cody!
After a nice picnic lunch we made our way to the Bighorn Visitor’s Center – JUST as it started to pour with rain outside.
Murray the bear
The Bighorn Mountains were named for the bighorn sheep that were once abundant here
Ah – we love Smokey the Bear
Very interesting geology, look at those layers bending!
Back at the campground we laughed as we noticed the owners’ two bull dogs up on the roof!
We used the wifi in the laundry room (the only place indoors with a power outlet) while doing a bit of laundry so I could blog. Then we quickly cooked up some steak for dinner back at our campsite. Just as we were about to finish off cooking, the wind (which is crazy here) whipped up and it started to pour – again. We hadn’t set up the tent (cause of the wind) so I ran to the laundry room with the steaks, Helen took the rest of the sides and condiments, and Murray hurriedly put away the grill. We ate SUPER quickly in the laundry room – bizarre I know – but it was the ONLY place out of the awful weather outside! Eventually the weather calmed down and we went back to camp to finish packing everything away.
Day 247 – July 2
We had a late start today, and drove to Cody, Wyoming.
Our first stop – of course (after checking into the campground) was Walmart – for a restock on supplies (super walmarts have food & drinks too – great value). We LOVE Supercenter Walmarts!
We had subway in the park, and then went to check out the little fair – where Murray was entranced by the deep frying of a ?? gosh remind me someone what there are called!
And the three of us bought Bison bracelets!!
We also went to the visitors center to get some MORE brochures!
Local entertainment was going on in the park as well
G’Day Cowboy – LOTS of REAL cowboys & cowgirls around here!
OH COOOOOOOOOL a cow jeep!
Oh a queen cow jeep – too funny
While I blogged in a café, Helen & Murray went in search of ice cream
And they found the best – Moose Tracks! Vanilla ice cream with caramel, chocolate pieces and mini reeces peanut butter cups - Murray's reward for being the first moose spotter!!!
Afterwards we looked around the shops and Helen & I ran into John Wayne!
Back a the campground we quickly got changed into our jeans for the Rodeo!
We caught the campground shuttle which took us to the Cody Stampede Rodeo on the other side of town. Murray & I enjoyed our pulled pork sandwiches with LOTS of BBQ sauce!
We got there early, but the stands did get packed
There was a grand presentation at the beginning – along with the rodeo princess riding the American flag around the ring. Shame she didn't realize she had the flag backwards.. ;-)
Also – flags relating to the advertisers were paraded around. Here's one of the most important flags....
The first even was the bucking broncos. (the light was not great, and Murray only brought his little point and shoot G9, but you get the idea....)
Pretty amazing to watch!
It’s hard to figure out how they are scored – but I do know they have to keep their ankles above the shoulders of the horse
Gosh these guys are flexible!
This horse could stop on a dime! You can see in the guy's face that the sudden stop went straight to his 'goolies'.....ouch!
This guys is just lying back and lazing around...come on.......put some effort in!
Clown is currently filling his pants.
When the ride was complete a helper cowboy would ride up to help the rider get off safely
Next up was the steer wrestling......a little love needed from the lonely saddle.
This group of horses were amazing – they could maneuver this cart all over the place – they were HUGE horses as well.
Another event involved one cowboy roping a steer’s horns and the other roping it’s back two legs – I don’t think we saw one team who did it successfully – VERY hard to do! Also incredibly hard to get a picture of the action!
We also loved the one woman's event - barrel racing! We cheered them on as they went around each of the three barrels and then raced back to the starting pointThere was also bull riding which was quite scary to watch. One of the clowns who was trying to distract the bull from goring the cowboy got trampled on by a bull – thankfully he walked off, but it was very scary to watch.
We were SO lucky to be in Cody during the few days a year that they hold the Stampede – where cowboys and cowgirls from around the US & Canada come to compete for money. It was a fantastic night – great fun to watch. Oh and wow did some of them have unusual names…. my personal favorites are Tuf for a cowboy (although Howdy was a close second) and Kappy for a cowgirl. I do HOPE those are nicknames and not real names! We got back to the KOA at 11:15 pm after a GREAT night!
DAY 248 – July 3
We were going to leave Cody early today, but we liked the town SO much that we decided to stay for the parade.
Now THAT is an old tractor!
Uncle Sam saying Hello to the crowd
The princess of the rodeo waves hello
This lady was too cute – in her pink dress, heels (for a parade???) and her pink poodle!
The dancing cowgirls put on a good show on their float
Llamas are used a lot here for back country trekking (apparently they are better tempered than mules and bond easier with humans)
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh corvette
Yumm
And in yellow – I love the stingray body style – so curvy
And a new vette
Oh my GOSH how cute are these ponies??
I killed the sheriff…..but I did not kill the deputy….
This is amazing – a lady riding a bull with gigantic horns!!
Kinda frightening!
And marching bands – of course! (those outfits look stifling)
We enjoyed the parade (especially all the candy that was thrown!!) and afterwards we took a nice leisurely walk around town to check out all of the rest of the shops.
On our way back to the truck we spotted the ghost buster car – sweet! Who ya gonna call???
We had lunch a Bubba’s – which I must say – was just o.k. The ribs were fatty and average – however the salad bar was fantastic (we LOVE broccoli salad)!
After lunch we made one more stop by Walmart for food (yesterday was just supplies we needed), filled up on petrol and more ice for the cooler and then it was on to Yellowstone!
We had amazing views on the drive there – although it did rain a bit. We got to Canyon campground around 5pm, moved both of our trucks onto one campsite, then went to book our excursions for the next day.
Next we went to check out the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. On the way we spotted….
A Grizzly Bear grazing!!
How AMAZING to see a bear in our FIRST FEW HOURS in Yellowstone !!Fantastic!
We finally made it on to the Canyon - this is the view of the falls from Artist Point – the Upper falls are 308 feet tall, to put that in perspective - Niagara is about 170ft.
The turbulent Yellowstone River foams through 20 miles of golden-hued cliffs
The Yellowstone River originates on the slopes of Younts Peak in the Absaroka Mountains, southeast of the park.
A rushing river and waterfall carved this 24-mile-long canyon
Back at camp we just a little bit of cereal after hurriedly setting up the tent to escape the ravenous mosquitoes. It was a fairly early night because it was SO cold!
Day 249 – July 4
Our alarm went off at 5:30, which we slept through. Thank goodness we had set another alarm – which went off at 5:45 and DID wake us up! Murray quickly got up and headed down to join his group for a phototography safari.
The first thing they spotted was this grizzly (although he does look like a brown bear with that long face??)
Some 400 to 600 Grizzly bears live in the Great Yellowstone Ecosystem
Grizzlies weigh up to 700 pounds - ah now HERE he looks like a grizzly with that big hump on his back
They vary from blond to cinnamon to brown
Look at those feet! Cute!
What can he smell?? Us maybe?
Yup it us....gulp....we've been spotted...must hide behind tri-pod.
They just eat and eat and eat to get ready for winter.
Showing off those 6 inch claws!
Ok, that's enough, time to wander off into the sunrise.
They also spotted male mule deer
Bucks drop antlers in winter and re-grow them every spring
Plentiful and graceful, the large-eared Mule Deer roam in small herds throughout the park. Stretch? Mule Der yoga - downward dog position.
He took some gorgeous wildflower shots as well
The beauty after fire...with the light being able to pass through to canopy seeds that have been dormant for years start to work their magic!
And of course – Bison – but this time – keeping warm by geysers!
Getting rid of that winter coat with a roll in the dirt
Yellowstone’s largest mammal, the bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds – the size of a small truck! Poking his tongue at us? The cheek...
While the bison may look large and lethargic, this shaggy, bearded and horned animal can gallop 32 miles per hour.
Coyote are about half the size of a wolf
they also have a bushier tale and point ears
Hey? are you following me?
This is how they look in early summer, with their winter coats half rubbed off.
oh watch out little Bison, the coyote is stalking....
Protected between giants!
Coyote is fooling himself if he thinks he's getting a look in here....
Rub Rub Rub that hot winter coat off!While Murray was away, Helen and I had a bit of breakfast, and then drove to the Grebe Lake trailhead. We hiked to Grebe Lake through a very burnt out landscape (still recovering from the last forest fire in 1988). The lake was gorgeous but there were TONS of mosquitoes, so we took a look and then hiked right back. The whole hike took about two hours (but the two of us both enjoy walking very fast). We showered back at the main building (for $3.25 each – what a pain that you have to pay) then we went to the main shops. We picked up a few postcards and settled down in the café for tea and hashbrowns (lovely)! A bit more shopping and then we headed back to camp to write postcards. Murray got back at 1pm, we had a bit of lunch, rested and then went to the visitors center. We watched a short film there, asked for itinerary advice and then drove up to the Lamar Valley.
On the way we had a VERY exciting spotting – the first bull moose we have seen up close!
These horse-sized swamp-lovers wallow among willows – its favorite food.
His legs are so thin for that big body! There he goes back into the timber due to some Harley Davidson revving past....WHY would you use a Harley to go wildlife spotting....HELLO??? VERY annoying for people who are actually interested in SEEING animals.
We also spotted a black bear (due to a bear jam – where tons of cars are pulled over to look)
These bears search for food favorites such as insects, rodents, berries and carrion.
The Lamar Valley is really gorgeous and has an abundance of wildlife
Including pronghorns – gosh how wide set are his eyes. Due to the eyes being set out like that even from directly behind like this they can see you! Eyes in the back of your head? Yes.They fluff their bum hair when they feel threatened. How threatening.....ha
He was being followed by this coyote
He was aware he was being followed, we thought we might see a kill
His stealthy pursuer
But then they reversed roles and the pronghorn started following the coyote? Or are they friends? What's the deal here- this is weird......like a Disney cartoon story where all the animals are buddies.....hmmmm
Ahhhh HA! Finally a face off! "Take these horns coyote!! Ooops where ARE my horns? I must have left them back at the den. Damn! First the car keys yesterday, now the horns today...what's next, tomorrow I'll forget to put my hooves on??!!"
A grizzly spotted in the distance!
Gorgeous Canyon view. Look at that odd rock layer??
We dove on and up through Yellowstone's North East sector - it really was SO beautiful
On the way back we spotted a black bear and her cub!!!Awesome spot!
Her older cub (who is now 3) was also hanging around (that's the bear we saw earlier!!)
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh baby bear - sweet
Following mama
The older cub - about 3 years - was climbing up and down trees – really amazing to watch - he's SO agile!
Also we saw a huge male (bull) elk. FINALLY!! OUR FIRST!In winter, as many as 10,000 elk migrate to the National Elk Refuge, located a the park’s southeaster border.
We also saw this massive marmot (woodchucks are one variety of marmot – but this guy is a yellow-bellied marmot) Also, you will notice Murray caught him eating which is hard to do.
That Elk again - we drove back to see him
Raaaaaah
Elk are so gorgeous with the velvet still on their horns
Lovely view near sunset down a burnt out forest – it takes a forest 500 years to regenerate fully after a fire – the fire in Yellowstone was 20 years ago in 1988
Me in the truck cradling the camera and the big lens
We were so tired when we got back from our long day that we just had a small dinner and then went to bed – no fireworks in a National Park for 4th of July – bummer! But it was an AMAZING animal spotting day!
Day 250 – July 5
I was up at 7:45 to head off with Helen to go horse back riding! We went near the Canyon area, through gorgeous wooded land, near a cliff and back through the trees. I had Rocky (who tried to eat the ENTIRE time), and Helen rode Aztec (who was quite slow). We had to walk along nose to bum (the horses that is) because if we happened to come across some Bison – they tend to charge if there is a gap between the horses! We also heard stories about how a bear had charged a group of elk off a cliff, and we saw a large pack of female elk calmly eating away. It was a great one hour ride, shame we didn’t get any photos though (those darn USA scared of being sued rules wouldn’t allow us to bring cameras on the ride)!
Back at camp Murray was busy catching up on photos and keeping an eye on the cute squirrels near our campsite
We drove up to the Mammoth area in the North West of the park and then set off to hike the Beaver Pond Loop which is 5 miles long.
Along the way Murray spotted this - One person 'crap' is another's treasure!
Helen and I hiking away up the path
It was a beautiful hike up through the wildflowers
It’s just a shame that….
We somehow took the wrong trail up and…
Beauty and the Beast!Ended up cutting down across the hill and somehow got back onto the correct path going the other way?
But eventually we were on the right path to the beaver ponds – spotting these Elk on the way
Ohhh a gorgeous wild iris
Wow - gorgeous vibrant color on this bug
Finally – the beaver ponds!
Although we didn’t see any beavers – we did see a lot of pretty butterflies
And those caterpillars again - nesting, spinning silk?
We also met some nice people on the path, and chatted to them for a bit
Murray took some gorgeous flower pics
And butterflies
And the ponds
Helen & I on the trail
Later on……
That group caught up with us and asked if we had seen the bear cubs?
Apparently they had been 40 feet away from Murray, just off the path while he was taking photos
But not one of us saw them!!! Bummer!!
Apparently they didn’t see the mother though, so they got out of there asap!
Pronghorns in the Greater Yellowstone area undergo one of the longest migrations of any land animal in the world – from Grand Teton National Park south to wintering grounds in the Red Desert near Pinedale, Wyoming.
The whole trail took us about 2 ½ hours. Afterwards we had a quick picnic lunch, ending up in our trucks to actually eat our sandwiches out of the rain. Then we explored the visitor center (which had a great display of stuffed park animals).
Then we went to look at the Mammoth Springs
Mineral-laden hot water from deep beneath the Earth’s crust
Finds its way to the surface and builds tier upon tier of cascading, terraced stone
Begun thousands of years ago…
The sculpting of the terraces continues…
As thousands of gallons of water well up and deposit large amounts of travertine daily
It constantly changes as a result of shifts in water flow
There is an elaborate network of boardwalks which give you fabulous views of the springs
How gorgeous is this?
Then we headed back to Canyon for showers and to do laundry.
Just as we were finishing our many loads of laundry, I spoke to my parents and found out they were only hours away from arriving (they had driven straight through from Minnesota – about 16 hour drive). So we finished up, and went to the local café for a fabulous bacon cheeseburger at the 50’s style restaurant. Mom & Dad arrived around 8:30 pm! We chatted for a bit, then all headed to bed early after our long days.
Day 251 - July 6
Murray got up early and went with Helen to catch some early morning animal shots
Some female elk
A lovely view of the Hayden valley
And some lovely pelicans
Apparently they grow that bill hump during mating season....size matters?
And a male (bull) elk!! We like the males because they have those gorgeous racks
Lovely sunrise in Yellowstone. VERY EARLY. FYI this was exactly the color - no photoshop at all.
Helen waiting patiently for the photographer, see the color reflected....amazing!
Some geese in formation....
Windless mornings....
Some early morning geyser activity
We also got up early, had breakfast, packed up the tent and then when Helen & Murray got back we all headed off to Canyon Falls. ON the way we saw a grizzly bear (again – great first wildlife view for my parents too)! We stopped at the Uncle Tom’s viewpoint to see the lower falls, and then went up to artists point to see the upper falls – stunning.
Me & Dad at the lower falls viewpoint
Lovely rainbow at the lower falls
And the upper falls
Stunning, see the colors in the mist?
We kept driving – and saw some more Bison trying to shed that coat!
Dusty business. This guy was in a sneezing fit afterwards.
We got to see the famous Mud Volcano. Early explorers to Yellowstone described this feature as a ‘most repulsive and terrifying site.’ A volcano-like cone, 30 feet high and 30 feet wide with mud erupting to cover tall trees. However when it was visited in 1872, it was a ‘seething, bubbling mass of mud.’ Its likely a violent eruption blew out the cone’s side, leaving the crater you can see here. Rich in iron sulfides and powered by heavy gas discharge, the gray- colored water constantly undercuts the back wall.
This is the Dragon’s Mouth Spring. The water surges in and out. In 1999 the water temperature dropped ten degree and the color changed from green to chalky white.
The whole area is full of cracks in a natural ‘plumbing’ system reaching down several thousand feet to a source of hot water. Steam produced by this boiling rises to the surface and [passes through the mud – heating the water in the process – but not boiling it. The bubbling is caused by carbon dioxide and other gases rising from below.
This Bison is laying by Sour Lake, named for its acidic or ‘sour’ water. It make look like a pleasant swimming hole, but its water would burn your skin like battery acid. Most of its acid comes from microorganisms that create sulfuric acid as they consume sulfur. These microorganisms also give the lake its color.
A mudpot on the trail
We then continued on to Grant Village campground and got a great spot by the lake that would fit all three of our vehicles.
Lunch at our campsite – Me, Dad, Helen & Mom
Then we got into our cars and headed back up towards the fishing bridge area. On the way we stopped to explore this cute little peninsula where people were fishing.
After checking out the Fishing Bridge visitor center (not much to it) we went on a short hike just east of the center out to lovely views of Yellowstone lake.
Helen & I on the path – just before it become totally flooded over and we had to turn around and go up the other side of the loop
Sometimes the simplest things can just looks so amazing
Murray & Helen
Murray & Me
We then headed to the marina to do another hike – which took about 2 hours
Look at this cheeky sod showing his rump and blowing a raspberry!!
Our hike was to see this feature – a natural bridge
The 50 foot cliff was cut by Bridge Creek
And gorgeous waterfall coming down out of it
Here is a Marmot that Murray followed to the cliff edge
fun to watch them scurry along the rocks
Freaky! This was Murray tripping whilst taking a pic! Oops!
Lovely views across Yellowstone Lake
Then we headed back to the Fishing Bridge area again to go to the Lake Butte overlook - bit of a storm coming in there!
On the way out Murray took this amazing picture of a burnt out forest – they are SO tapered!
But finally – the rain started to pass and a rainbow came out!
There were a lot of geysers close to the West Thumb area in the southeast of the park
That night Murray cooked up some great steaks, onions and asparagus that Mom had brought for dinner
And he tried out our new branding iron for the first time!!! Notice our brand – the MW
Mom, Helen, Dad & Murray around the BBQ
But of course we eat IN the tent porch – WAY too many mosquitoes ready to eat us!
But there are only 4 seats, so one person (me at this meal) has the additional chair which sits a BIT low – but it works just fine:)
Mom & Murray having a Cuban and working on popping some jiffypop popcorn over the grill
Me & Dad finishing them off
Just about to burst! One burnt a bit (cause the bag was torn) but the other one was perfect!
Day 252 - July 7
Mom & Dad drove Murray EARLY in the morning up to Old Faithful in order to catch the sunrise.
Of the approximate 10,000 hydrothermal features in the park, the best known is Old Faithful
Thousands of gallons of steaming water thunder into the sky with each eruption
Old Faithfusl has rarely missed its eruptions during its more than 120 years of observation
The geyser erupts on average every 92 minute
However the eruption intervals have varied between from 40 to 126 minutes
Old Faithful erupting out of Dad's coffee cup
Murray at the continental divide
After watching two eruptions – one around 5ish and one then another one at 6:30ish (because the first one was so cold it was all steam and you couldn’t see much) they came back to camp.
We had a nice breakfast, and then headed back that way together
There was just a FEW more people waiting for Old Faithful to erupt by that time of day (when they went in the morning it was just them & one other guy there!!)
Old Faithful sometimes reaches 180 feet, though it averages 130 feet
Me & Murray- not sure why I have such a weird smile in this pic? hmmm
We then drove on to Biscuit Basin
Gorgeous colors through the formations
And shapes
And DEEP pools
And bubbling crevasses
Amazing the flora this dry land can cultivate
Then we drove up the road a bit to see the Midway Geyser area – great place for fishing in the river!
Murray posing by a stream flowing into a spring
And finally – the very famous Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone’s largest hot spring, at 370 feet in diameter
The deep-blue color of the pool and the rings of yellow and orange colored thermophiles surrounding it combine to produce a beautiful prism effect. It's a shame they didn't have a raised platform to view the 'flaming eye ball' from above.
They were other lovely hot springs there as well
Striking colors
And bursting geysers
We then drove on out of the park to the town of West Yellowstone and we were lucky enough to see this Eagle on the way! Murray didn't have his big lens out - so a snap had to suffice.
Murray got his foot caught beneath the big ice truck they use to drive through Yellowstone in the winter (they don't clear the roads of snow - so only these monsters are allowed in)In West Yellowstone we saw two IMAX movies - Bears & Yellowstone. They were ok - nice to just relax in a theater with ice cream!
On the way back to camp we drove via the Firehole Canyon Drive and had this lovely view
Murray and I at the viewpoint
That evening we had lovely salmon steaks and wild rice. John Dee Dee took a peek at the lake for a nice evening view, and then we all headed to bed because it was FREEZING!Day 253 - July 8
Today we got up early, packed up camp, and went down to the shower block to warm up! $2 for a 6 minute shower - just BARELY enough time to get clean! We stopped off for some hot coffee and hot chocolate, and then drove South to Grand Teton National Park.
We arrived at our campsite and finally found a spot that would fit all three of our cars and the tent. We set up the tent in a record 14 minutes, and then headed off to explore the park.
Me posing at our firest stop by the Oxbow Bend of the Snake River
Our next stop - Oxbow Bend Turnout - Me, Murray, Dad & Mom
John Dee Dee liked the view as well
Next stop was the Snake River Outlook
We also stopped by the Cunningham Cabin Historic Site, and 1890 homestead that had this fantastic view of the Tetons.
Mom & Murray
Paintbrush Wildflower.
Can you believe this is someone's address??! What a view!
This is what they see when going to collect their mail!
Next stop was the Mormon Row Historic Area.
Settled by homesteaders in 1896-1907, this area received its name because many of them were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, otherwise known as the Mormons.
Mom & I walking out to see the most famous barn
Such lovely old construction to this barn - still in pretty good shape!
And WOW the views of the mountains.... breathtaking. Spot the Bison below!
We then went by the Moose visitors center which was new and Fantastic!! We watched a movie there about the history of the park, and did a bit of gift shop shopping. My favorite part of the visitors center was that they had the fur from nearly every animal in the park there that you could touch - the bear fur felt rough, but the red tailed fox fur was gorgeously soft!
A lovely carved bearWe had a nice picnic lunch, and then headed up to the Jackson lodge area.
On the way we saw this mother moose and her calf hiding out by the river - TOO cute!Jackson lodge was amazing - they had a HUGE lounging area with gigantic windows looking out at the Tetons - and best of all? Free wifi! So Dad and Murray set up their laptops and we all took turns catching up on the real world. We also tried Teton Organic Lager which was lovely! Later that evening we made it back to camp for fantastic tilapia (fish) tacos - with coleslaw, salsa & onions in the tacos - SO nice!
Day 254 - July 9
Murray and I got up at 4:30 am to drive back down to the Mormon Barns so he could get ...
THIS amazing shot
Buffalo were ALL over the road!
Even with their babies!
An early morning scratch!
Also he finally spotted this - a Pika climbing up to warm in the sunrise!
The barns are representative of early homesteading in the West
Stunning
I crawled back into the truck to sleep while Murray got these fantastic shots - it was just SO cold out!! Although he did have one RUDE guy who came and setup his tripod in FRONT of him - even though he was there first! Eventually they made an agreement that the guy would take a few shots then move, how rude!
After a shower and breakfast, we headed to Taggart Lake to do a hike.
Murray & I at the end of the hike - lovely lake. It was a 3.2 mile roundtrip walk (with just 410 feet of elevation) - very nice.
And totally worth the view
Afterwards on our drive we saw this HUGE pack of elk - there were tons of females, and just 2 or 3 males!
Murray & I in a lake photo - pretty
We also drove up Signal Mountain Road to see the view form the top! Lovely
More hiking - Dad, Mom, Helen & Me
Hike, hike, hike!
Can you see any fish? There were LOADS!
Just a peek at a deer through the forest
At the Jenny Lake visitors center Dad & I decided to see what it felt like to have horns
Murray the Moose
And of course, we ended up at Jackson Lake Lodge again in the evening for wifi and cold beer. Back at camp we made some buffalo burgers and then headed exhausted into bed after another long but fun day!Day 255 - July 10
We were up at 5 in order to drive down and catch the sunrise at Oxbow bend - amazing!
An incredible reflection of Mount Moran - this is one of the most famous photography spots in the park
White pelicans stop here on their spring migration (and often stay through summer)
Still stunning once the sun is up
Also spot the reflection of the mountains behind this flower.
We all headed down to South Jenny Lake in the late morning for the 2 mile hike around the lake.
Lovely views as we hiked
Murray on a rock - he loves to climb! 
Dad & I at Hidden Falls - WOW was it gorgeous - totally worth the hike!
We then hiked back down to the lake, so that we could take the shuttle boat back
Dolph resting in the parking lot at Jackson Lake Lodge. We used the wifi (it's a nice way to escape the heat in the afternoon!). When we were finished, we went back to camp to have 'taco in a bag.' You get a smallish bag of doritos - one each, sqash it into pieces before opening it, then scoop in cooked ground beef, onion, salsa, refried beans, lettuce, etc. Mix up and there you go - taco in a bag! And I MUST Say - it was fantastic!
After dinner we went down to the Colter Bay marina and caught our sunset cruise. We had a great commentator and really learned a lot about the area. He said a bear had been spotted in OUR campground just last week - eeeek! It's really a pain to have to pack away every single thing with a scent every time you leave the campground (in your vehicle - you can't leave anything at the site or in your tent) - but I guess I can understand why!
He told us the story about how in 1951 a plane crashed into the top of Mount Moran, and it is still there today! Terrible.Also - other facts he told us
* Moose and Elk swim well because their hair is hollow and thus buoyant
* There was a story about some people who bought bear spray and used it like insect repellant - putting it ON their skin - Not smart!!
* Some people were camping on a remote part of the lake and left their food out that a bear got into, they (stupidly) then moved their sleeping bags down by the lake - but still brought a few bags of food with them! They got in big trouble, and got banned from all national parks for 5 years. The thing is, once bears become accustomed to human food, they want more and more - and they become aggressive because they loose their natural fear of humans - NOT good!
* Colter Bay in Jackson Lake was created by a dam that was made for Idaho potato farmers. When their water supply goes too low, they are allowed to drain a certain amount from the lake for their crops.
* Up to 13,000 Elk migrate every year down to the National Elk Refuge, which borders the park (because they feed them during the winter).
All in all - a very interesting cruise with great views - I'm really glad we did it!
After the cruise we drove up to Leeks Marina
They are famous for their pizza - but we enjoyed the ice cream and beer instead:)Day 256 - July 11
And AGAIN - we got up today at 5am for Murray's last Mormon Barn shots
The money shot - Bison + Barn - gorgeous. Murray waited forever for this Bison to wander into his shot. The wait in the cold paid off.
Sniffy - that can't be nice "Do I know you?"
the grass is SO deep it nearly hides the Bison!
Checking for a good time to cross the road, "not yet, not yet...damn RV's."
"Oh yeah, that's it, that's it....That's what I'M talking about!"
Did you just sniff my butt?? How rude!! Fight, fight, fight!
Ahhhhh the babies really are cute
Coming mama!
Mamma????
You can see why people settled here - it is so gorgeous
HEY! I'm trying to eat here!
Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roamAnd the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day
Where the air is so pure, the zephyrs so freeThe breezes so balmy and light
That I would not exchange my home on the range
For all of the cities so bright
Home, home on the range
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day
:)
We also stopped by the Snake River Overlook so Murray could recreate the famous Ansel Adams photograph. Very different shot these days due to the trees that are now there.
Dolph wants to know if his butt looks big in this car park?Then we met up with Mom, Dad & Helen in Moose and headed down Moose Wilson Road out of the park towards Teton Village.
Murray & I at the entrance to the cable car in Teton Village. Murray looking a little annoyed at the price to ride up!
Which is located in the Jackson Hole area - this is a famous ski resort
Lovely view down the valley
Helen, Murray & I on the snow!
And hiking back up post photo:)
Me looking at the antiques fairTeton Village was pretty much just places to stay - not a whole lot to see there. I was a bit disappointed, I was expecting it to be more like Whistler, British Columbia - a cute little town with lots of shops, etc. But at least the antiques fair was on, that was fun to browse - not if only we had a house to put antiques IN ha ha! Dolph does not have space for anything else - THAT'S for sure!
Then we drove on to the city of Jackson - they had these amazing antler arches in the center of town. Here is Helen posing under the arch:)
TONS of antlers - I can't even imagine how many!
Gosh this bar looks cuite - the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.
Helen & I in town (check out our new sunglasses - fun!)
Helen HATES cookie ice cream sandiwches - as you can tell!
YummmmmAfter exploring town and doing a bit of shopping, we all met up at the movie theater to see a movie and eat LOTS of popcorn - it was fabulous! Then it was off to Kmart to pick up some drinks (water, juice, pop) then we grabbed subway sandwiches for dinner and drove off towards our campground. I unfortunately took us on the long route, because I thought the short route would be too steep, but oh well - it was a pretty drive. We checked into the Teton Valley Campground, set up the tent, had NICE long hot showers and then went to bed!
Day 257 - July 12
We got up early today and drove back to Jackson to go to Mad River's offices - the company we had booked to go whitewater rafting with.
They fed us breakfast (granted, a cold one of bagels & cereal) and then we headed off in a big bus to the starting point of our rafting. Helen is posing here with the kind of raft we were on.It was a BIG raft - twelve of us plus our guide - so that meant a few of us had to sit in the middle - Mom, Me & two other ladies up front.
Back row left to right - Dad, Mom & MurrayNext row up from the back, I am in the middle and Helen is on the right - check out here hair flying!
It was class 2 and 3 - although we really only had one class 3 - THOSE are the fun ones!
That's when you get WET!
WHOA!
We loved this cartoon - because this part of the trip has been following a lot of the route that Lewis and Clark took:)Next up....... Idaho!
1 comment:
Pictures are gorgeous! Looks like your mom and dad are having a great time with you three! I agree that the elk look fantastic with their Velvet on.
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