Memorial Day

Deb and Raven came to visit last weekend. Deb and I worked on binding a quilt while Raven discovered that Josh was just one year younger than her. Not only that, he was funny and fun to hang out with.

Deb said that she had never been to Yellowstone, and it was on her bucket list. Maybe if we worked hard on the quilt and got it done enough, we could go to Yellowstone on Monday.

I had been thinking about Yellowstone, but had never been without Craig. I wasn't sure, but when Deb said it, we decided to go.

We had to leave early to get there to see anything. I thought Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs. And the North Gate is really cool with the Roosevelt Arch - or at least that is what I call it.

I was anxious to leave. I got up just after 6 and we ended up leaving around 7. Not too bad. I had made chicken salad the night before and I packed all the snackies we had. We loaded up the new, red car and got on the road. I was a bit onery until we were actually going. But I settled down on the road.

We got to the West Entrance just before 10 am and stopped to potty. The gas station guy was nice and we chatted a bit and then he said that the day before the line had been all the way around the corner. With that knowledge, I gathered everybody up and got back in the car and we were off.

We headed South to Old Faithful first. We stopped at the Celestine Pools, the bacteria pools that are clear blue. Boaz hates the smell, but they were pretty. Deb and Raven were impressed.

We had an hour to wait until Old Faithful was due to blow, so we played in the gift shop.

Here is Raven in the old lodge looking up at the huge clock.

We saw buffalo first.

The cinnamon colored babies were out and frolicking.

A  rather large herd grazing by the road.

The trees of Yellowstone. I remember when the fires were so bad, back when my Dad was alive. He was so mad that they let it burn, but the Park has recovered nicely.

We love to watch water. Yellowstone has lovely rivers. I think this is Firehole river.

Very rugged country.

A geyser basin just north of Old Faithful.

Boiling mud pots.

Old Faithful an hour before he was to blow the benches are empty and whispy steam blows from the mouth of the geyser.

Josh rocking the new sunglasses he talked me into. They are running glasses, that makes me happy. He is a runner after all.

Deb and Raven on the bench waiting for the show. I didn't get a picture of all the people. Crazy thing, I saw somebody I knew.

Every other time I have been, I took a video of the eruprion. I wanted to actually see it this time, so I just took a snapshot. The day was cool and the steam was billowing. It obscured the hight of the water a lot. I didn't really get a good picture of the water. Old Faithful is not the biggest geyser, Steamboat is bigger, but not predictable. Old Faithful is still very impressive.

Ticking off a bucket list item.

Hiding behind the sign.

I didn't ask somebody to take a picture of all of us. Deb asked several times, and I let the moment pass. Shame on me.

I was disappointed at Mammoth Hot Springs. It was almost dry. Not very impressive. I didn't take any pictures. I thought I took a picture of the North Entrance, but I don't have one on my phone. 

An odd note. I have never been in Yellowstone without Craig before. He has always driven and I have  been able to just look out the window. It was a bit of a different experience this time. 

Oh good. Deb got a picture and just sent it to me. "For the benefit and enjoyment of the people." I call this the Roosevelt Arch - no idea if that is really the name. Teddy Roosevelt designated this the first National Park because it is in more than one state. This road leads to Helena, MT. We took this route the first time I visited and headed north and back to Oregon.

I will miss being so close to the Park. It is a beautiful place.

 

Brenda, Tim and Yellowstone

I used to live a block and a half away from my sister. We used to do Sunday dinners together. We would see each other at Church. We would go to the store together. We would just hang out.

Then I moved away. I don't get to see her very often anymore.

This past weekend, she was going to be in Yellowstone. Yellowstone is about 2 hours away from where we live now. So we loaded up the boys, Brittney, and what ever else we thought we might need and headed to see Brenda and Tim.

We met up just after 8 and headed to Old Faithful. Brenda had never been to Yellowstone, and she wanted to see the most famous geyser ever.

I snapped a picture at the beginning, but then I switched to video mode. But still, you can see the beautiful day and Old Faithful is looking good.

We stopped at a little geyser basin and got out and walked a bit.

A few pictures, these include the people.

The morning was still cold, so the steam obscured the great colors. This geyser looked to have a beautiful blue color with a nice yellow frame. The yellow indicates sulfur, so imagine the smell of eggs.

I'm going to have to teach Josh about baseball caps, in that they protect the eyes. Less squinting that way. This is a good picture to see that he is clearly taller than me. He loves that. Boaz is still stretching, but he will get there soon.

Brenda and Tim. I love these two people.

She is smiling in this one.

I liked the name of this one. But we figured out that Spasm Geyser is the hole in the front. I didn't bother to even remember the name of the pretty one behind.

An advantage of me being the photog, I get to get what ever picture that I want of other people. :) Brenda and Tim are good together.

I am happy to have Boaz follow in the footsteps of his dad and Uncle Tim.

We went into the old lodge at Old Faithful. This clock was about three stories high. I loved it. Brittney took some pictures, but I haven't gotten them from her of the inside of the Lodge. It is an amazing building. We loved it.

In this picture, if you look hard enough, you can see a little black bear wandering through the brush. He is just below the beginning of the mountain in the back ground. I wish I could circle him for you. My tablet does not have a zoom - sorry.

The last bear we saw. A kind lady lent us her binoculars so we could get a up close and personal view. He just ambled away, up the draw.

We saw four bear this trip. All in about 30 minutes. We were very excited. Bear are shy and not always obliging for the tourists.

This little group of about five buffalo decided to take a walk on the road. Cars were piled up on both sides of the road to give them room. They had no worries in the world. In Yellowstone, wild life have the right of way, always.

Just peeking out behind the big one in front you can see the little legs of the calf they were protecting. The calf was herded to the outside always. Kind of like when I am walking with my boys on the road. They are on the outside, and I am on the inside - closest to traffic. Good parents, those buffalo.

Saying goodbye to our little buffalo family -- actually, they are huge animals.

This time we went through the north eastern corner of Yellowstone. Not as much hydrothermic action, but beautiful country.

I am fascinated by Mammoth Hot Springs. They are immense! And they are growing everyday. I like to see the yellow stain of the minerals in the white.

The bright white and rust show the active spring next to the grey of the older run. The stark skeleton trees add drama.

The plants grow verdant green right next to the poisonous flow. The plants thrive until they are engulfed by the encroaching spring.

A little island not ready to submit to the poison of the caustic waters.

The terraces, brilliant white while they live.

My boys named this feature the Fountain of Youth. It looks a bit like a baptismal font -- all white with clear, blue water in the middle.

Two views of the huge terraces, cascading down the mountain. The dark tree skeletons framing the springs.

The steam rising off the almost boiling waters trickling down the steps they have created for themselves.

We rushed through Mammoth Hot Springs just before a summer thunder shower dumped on us. The boys were happy to head back for home.

Craig and I were happy to have seen bear and spend time with the Bayers - Tim and Brenda.

Our off the beaten track moment

Oppsie, I didn't post any pictures of our lovely hike out in the sticks.

We followed a game trail, if that. We got trapped by a marshy area, and had to back track and hike uphill to find a way across the little stream. I'm sure it was all about the melt.

We saw a yellow-bellied marmot down a draw. We all took turns with the binocs. Craig tried to tell me it was a beaver. I didn't buy it.

When we got back to the car, I looked at the map and there were a list of animals at Yellowstone -- hence the yellow-bellied marmont.


Craig's brother said that was just a rock chuck. It's much easier to say.

They were a bit cheeky. They played hide and seek with us for a good thirty mintues.


















I loved the picture of the old burned tree with the fresh new growth. It made me think of my dad who had visited Yellowstone shortly after the fire. He was so angry that the park had been spoiled. But it is growing back, a living thing again.

Old Faithful

We arrived at Old Faithful 10 minutes before she was predicted to blow. We couldn't have timed it better.

The crowd was already starting to gather, but there were still plenty of seats to choose from on the bleachers.

She wasn't that impressive to begin with, and Craig kept teasing the boys that this was all it was.

Then she would bubble and spurt about a foot and the boys would say, "Oh, is that all?"

It seemed a whole lot of fuss over not very much.

And then she took off.

I probably didn't get a picture of the full height of the display.

She kept at it for at least a minute till she started dying down again.


Afterwards, we visited the gift shop like proper tourists. Josh wanted to see what was there. We mingled and mulled and ended up with a pocket knife for Josh and and wolf blanket for Boaz.

They were both happy to be on the way home.

Just outside of Island Park, Id, I saw two moose grazing. Craig pulled over, turned around, and got us to a good viewing spot. We got out the binocs one last time and oogled the two cows.

The only thing we didn't see was a bear. But we did spot the prints. Pretty good for just a day in Yellowstone. And, there is always the next time.

The cow elk

We saw about five cow elk -- right off the road. They were casual about the whole thing. In fact, we had to yeild as they crossed the road.

Their winter coat had not shed all the way yet. It make them look a little ratty, and uncomfortable.

They seemed happy to follow the new grass.

Craig and I were both excited. The boys were a bit tired, but willing to ooh and aah.