Morning at Yellowstone.
The lady who checked us into the campground gave us the best route to take around Yellowstone. She told us the first road might lead to some "bear jams." Bear jams = places where traffic stop because people are looking at bears in the wildlife.
She was right.
I was not actually this close to the bears, I just have really good zoom.Bears were not the only animals. There were also more bison
And a place were elks ran free and took over people's yards.
which led to one walking right in front of our car
At one point in the day we did spot an eagle, but that was the one time my zoom failed me, so the picture was no good. :-(After the Bearjam, we went to Mammoth Hot Springs. which had a number of terraces made by thermophiles, (heat loving bacteria) and something that is not calcite, but begins with a T and my geology portion of my brain cannot remember. Thermophiles change the color of rock.
While there were brief spurts of water at Mammoth hot springs it was mostly rock, except for the pool at the top.
We kept driving. I can't even remember where this but I like waterfalls so it doesn't matter.
We then passed the great and lower basin, and noted we would have to stop there after Old faithful.
We got there about an hour before Old faithful was scheduled to go off. We shopped the gift shop, and considered going on a bike ride, but then it started raining. So we went in the Old Faithful Inn, and realized that we could watch the geyser from there.
I took a couple of pictures but this was the tallest. then I remembered I had video on my camera. If you want to watch the video you have to turn your head sideways.It was raining by this point. It hadn't rained the whole time we were at Yellowstone. It rained in spits and spurts while we were waiting for Yellowstone to erupt, and then after it was finished it downpoured, but only for like the few minutes we were running to the car, and the 15 minute or so drive back to the greater or lower basin. Then miraculously the rain lightened and stopped shortly after we got out to take pictures. Again we had some good timing.
I think the Basin shots were some of my favorite from Yellowstone. You crossed a river before getting there.
Then there was this great wash of steam. it didn't smell like before, but you could get lost in the warm mist, and it made things interesting.
There was a great variety there too.Clear blue pools.
Then came the orange lands.
Again the thermophiles had changed the color of things. It would have burned us to the touch, but apparently the bison used it as a sauna. You could see bison footprints all over.And then one last steaming pool.
It was like they were healing pools, because it made Curt's throat feel better, and my allergies felt much better afterwards, and I think all three of us benefited from a little healing magic.Before our picture journey leaves Yellowstone I have to throw in this shot. I wasn't sure where to put this during the day, but I liked it. It's Ria and Curt being paparazzi, only you can just see the tip of Ria's hat, and the leg of her jeans. It's a good Curt shot though.
Now for the departing Yellowstone shot.
Yeah the west entrance gates are not as exciting as all the rest, but that was our last glimpse of Yellowstone.Then at the end of the day we drove to the middle of nowhere Montana. No seriously It was in Beaverhead Deerlodge national forest, and we drove on unpaved roads for far too long. We did however stop and get firewood and S'more makings before we left. By the time we got to the campsite I was almost to tired to stay up for a fire and S'mores, but then Curt said he was going to build a fire anyways. I told him I would be building the fire if there was going to be fire building going on, and I set about that task. The S'mores were happy. They were not the best S'mores I've ever had but they were very happy S'mores, and it was my first fire of the trip. It was a very good evening.
Next up: Montana, Idaho, & Washington.
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