Adventure is Out There - A Salute to All Nations, but Mostly America

[HouCuseChickie]

On the way out, we also stopped by one section that I tried to photograph last trip, but the lighting was awful. This time, I had MUCH better light.

Although, I think this feature has changed a bit too. Mind you, my best 2005 picture (below) was from the other side, but I could see more green in the colors last time we went. Not sure if it's changes in the overall mineral streams, if time of year plays a role, or if it's seismic activity. This would come up later in the trip, but a woman was saying that rangers suspect seismic activity changes as the culprit for some of the major changes up at Mammoth.

Oh, and if I sounded too hard on foreign tourists above, I saw an idiot American tourist being dumb at this point too. He came flying through, took up 3 parking spots, and when he gets out...he puts his hands in the mineral stream. It's no wonder rangers have been spending more time having to play police. We even saw that Mammoth now has a justice center.

At this point, we're hungry and it was time to make our return to the Mammoth Dining Room. This was one of our favorite places last trip...and it wouldn't disappoint this time either...for the most part.

We also got lucky...we must have been just a smidge ahead of the lunch rush, because it was only a 10-15 min wait. (no reservations at lunch). So, it wasn't long before we were seated. We saw a number of empty tables, but we saw a lot of American based tour groups that take up good chunks of these dining rooms during the lunch hours.

Seated

I'd been avoiding all bread, but I decided to give gluten free a try. Why? because they had this amazing wild smoked salmon club on their menu and they had gluten free bread as an add on. IT WAS DIVINE!!! And it didn't seem to upset my stomach.

David had a parmesan crusted turkey sandwich.

Kendall had their Cuban.

And Sam had their burger...with the tiniest piece of onion ever to be served on its own. Oh...and she found out the hard way that they put sweet pickles on their burgers. YUCK! But...easily removed.

What's funny, this lunch was priced pretty close to what we paid at the Lake Lodge Cafeteria.

Afterwards, we headed over to the hotel. I was getting a good signal and I wanted to touch base with my parents. Then we walked over to the Mammoth Visitor Center.

(Still hadn't seen any up here)

This was the only pic I took...I was very interested in all of the NPS parks and sites across the country.

When we headed back to the car, we saw the LONG line outside of the other Mammoth eatery. Good thing we ate when we did!

We headed out and decided to drive back to the Canyon area. We decided to take the part of the figure 8 on the grand loop that goes up through the Dunraven Pass area. This was closed the last time we were in the park, so I was seeing some of this for the first time. We got out at one overlook and decided to hike down the hill a bit. What goes down, must come up...so I didn't want to go too far...but I was at least in my hiking boots (same with the kids).

Not much to be seen, but neat seeing how the grasshoppers sort of blend with the rocks.

I know this is so silly, but I actually took a pic of my boots because I was excited that they were finally getting some dirt on them. LOL

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Before pulling out...we also saw a bird fly up. It's not clear enough to be certain, but it's either a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker or a Hairy Woodpecker. Thinking it's more likely a Hairy Woodpecker. It's faint, but you can see a hint of red on the back of it's head.

I believe this is Mount Washburn. It sometimes has an active web cam up there. This was as far as we could get on this pass in 2005.

It's also a pretty winding steep place to drive. Much of it is 25mph and we almost got into a head on collision because some idiot was driving on the wrong side of the road so she wouldn't get too close to the edge. What's crazy...it was just after passing another head on accident...looked like a similar situation and we saw some pretty shaken up people from it.

It was still pretty early and the girls didn't really understand why the area we were staying in was called Canyon (and they didn't look out to see the hints of the Canyon from the area coming down on the pass), so we thought it was time to show them. We started out in an area by the upper falls. I don't remember all of the specific spots because there is a lot of construction up at Canyon and a number of spots were closed. It definitely wasn't Artist Point, so it must have been one of the upper sections associated with the brink.

The canyon part was cool to them, but they wanted a better view of the falls...so we moved on to the next open viewing spot. Now we're looking out on the brink of the lower falls. Last trip, we made it down to that little lookout you can see, but we'd have to see if there was time.

The kids still wanted to see more, so we decided to head a little farther down. Well, not before getting scolded by a raven. Some guy passing by even asked me "raven or crow" and I'm like...raven.

Finally, a more spectacular view of the lower falls. Not the best light, but a good view. We saw some of the areas where you could climb down. David and I did that last time...to the point that we got pretty soaked with spray, but it was rough on us back then...so didn't feel like tackling it with the kids.

*And that path/walk keeps going down from there. Just not up for that today.

Nice view of the Canyon too.

(loooooooooooooong way down!)

We headed back to the lodge after this.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

1. We needed some souvenirs. (The key chains were actually for my coworkers).

(the backpack's name is BB and David still doesn't understand why she'd buy a backpack that's more like a purse)

2. The kids wanted to ask the ranger about where to see animals. She was kind enough to take the map and break it down by each animal and section.

3. I wanted to ask about viewing areas for the Perseid Meteor Shower. I had overheard another ranger the previous night, but she didn't have a lot of specifics. This one suggested I drive (VERY SLOWLY) to Hayden Valley and aim for 3am. We'll see.

After that, we went into the general store and decided to try the Canyon Soda Fountain...

We had about a 25 minute wait, where we just browsed the shop, but we were eventually seated.

Kendall got grilled cheese, Sam and David got burgers, and I got pulled pork with huckleberry bbq sauce.

I also loved how the papers used to line the trays were Yellowstone maps.

Oh, and kind of a nice view during the meal.

The sun wasn't setting until close to 8:50pm, so we decided to head back out. I didn't want to be up on the Dunraven Pass area in low light, so we headed down to Hayden Valley to see if sunset would bring more animals. This time, we decided to climb the hill (much steeper than it looks) and join the wolf watchers.

I don't have a high power scope or anything like that, nor could I justify buying or renting the high power telephoto lens I would have liked (my luck, I'd lose or break the rented $2k lens I was eyeing...and I don't want to cover those costs), so I probably wasn't going to see a ton. Still, between my telephoto and the binoculars...we weren't up there with nothing either.

Yeah...saw nothing but some holes and a random lone bison.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Ok...not that it's overly important, but I forgot Kendall's grilled cheese picture. She'd be so upset if I left it out. LOL

Back on track...

We made another stop up the road to watch the elk and a few other random bison.

Oh, and I took this PSA picture about why you shouldn't litter. I'm not going to mess with the bird, but obviously, he's picked up trash.

It did also remind me of this Disney clip...



After this, we headed back for the night. Oh...and David got the kids this book today...so they can document each park they visit and get stamps from all of the visitor centers.

Last thought on the day...which technically it was the 12th since it was the middle of the night...I got up just before 3am to see the Perseids. It was pretty chilly when I went outside and I didn't want to go driving by myself. I decided to just try and see what I could see from the drive in front of our cabin. I mean, we had a pretty decent visible swath of sky and it is soooooo ridiculous how crystal clear things are up there. I saw 3 less than impressive streaks in about the span of five minutes...decided I was cold and tired...went back inside and went back to bed. I was also having this crazy fear about cougars/mountain lions after thinking about the stuffed one in the Mammoth visitor center.

Coming up...Lamar Valley, More Canyon, West Thumb Geyser Basin, Gibbon Falls, Roosevelt Arch

 

[Songbird76]

I'm surprised that I'm already posting. Obviously, I am ahead of schedule! House is clean, laundry is done, sleeping stuff is in place, groceries are purchased, and the cake is done. Not sure where Kendall got this idea for a mustache cake, but I rolled with it.

Oh, and apparently me being a kid of the 70s and 80s, I didn't see the mustaches on the cake as upside down. I was seeing Tom Selleck...Kendall had no idea what I was talking about. Plus, I thought it added balance...staches up top on the chocolate covered Oreos face up and ones on the bottom face down.

And in case you're wondering, it's a pink lemonade cake with vanilla buttercream and fresh raspberry filling. If you want to see the cake before decorated...I can...but I'm finding those pics are making me want to be really bad.

OK, back to the report...

Aug 11 Cont-

So, we headed up to the hot springs. We started at the lower portion, which meant A LOT of climbing. I don't have pictures of this lower section from our 2005 trip so I couldn't do a lot of comparision. The only real difference I was noticing so far was that I hadn't seen a single magpie or mountain bluebird...which made me sad. I really wanted a great bluebird pic this trip. Still, it's a beautiful area...so I'm just going to spam you with pictures.

1. I wasn't kidding about picture spam. I hit areas like this and I just love all of the different angles, colors and movement of these things.
2. Hopefully you can also tell, it was a bit of a climb just to this lower part.

Oh...before I move on...this was the first time we really saw people doing things that could cause harm to themselves/the park. There were a lot of Asian tour groups (was told it was primarily Chinese and some Thai), so it's possible that they didn't understand the signs or have enough resources in their languages to properly educated themselves before travel. Still, I saw so many people in this section chasing after their young children like it was a Disney park. I remember praying that none of them tripped or bolted into a thin crust area. Heck...I was scared my own kids (who were lectured for months about the dangers of Yellowstone) would have issues. I mean, Kendall is clumsy and can trip on thin air. The girls also fight like cats and dogs and I thought David and I might have to take a man-to-man approach to keep them away from each other on narrow boarwalks (especially since some people insist on walking side by side).

Ok...off my soap box. After this, we headed up to the upper portion of the terraces...

Sort of a funny story...as we were pulling into the parking area, an animal crossed the road in front of me and went into the brush. I was able to pull up just enough so we could all see him. Of course, the kids were busy looking and not photographing, but that's fine. Seeing it comes first. We came across a ranger after parking, described the animal and she confirmed what I thought...Yellow Bellied Marmot. Of course, she asked if I saw his belly and I'm thinking, why would I turn him over? LOL

So, we got out and took a ton of pictures from the top. This brought back all kinds of memories because this was part of our 2005 photography tour.

Oh I love the hot springs area, with the Liberty Cap (which I didn't see in your pictures) that and the Yellowstone falls viewing area are my two favorites in Yellowstone. My mom really liked Morning Glory pool. Thank you for the picture overload!! I love it!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Oh I love the hot springs area, with the Liberty Cap (which I didn't see in your pictures) that and the Yellowstone falls viewing area are my two favorites in Yellowstone. My mom really liked Morning Glory pool. Thank you for the picture overload!! I love it!

I don't know why, but I never seem to take pictures of the Liberty Cap. We passed it numerous times, but with this trip and with our last trip...no pictures. I really like the springs as well. It's one of those things that looks cool from afar, but then up close, you get all of these details and colors. I do have Morning Glory pictures coming up...those will be on Aug 13th. Crowds were so heavy that we decided me needed a solid plan for our day around Old Faithful, but Morning Glory was one of my fulfilled goals for that day. And I can assure you, there will be more picture overload to come.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Just a small update tonight. I'm nursing a cold and have a million things going on with work and the kids.


Aug 12-

I was tired from my attempt to view the Perseids, but today was a big morning...an early morning. Yes, today was the day the kids would get their first chance to see Lamar Valley. I remember it being referred to as the Serengeti of Yellowstone and I was hoping it wouldn't disappoint. But...before we could do anything...we had to hit the front office for some housekeeping concerns.

I get that Yellowstone...and really all national and state parks...are heavy on conservation, and I do appreciate that...right down to the trash trays in our room to separate out trash types. HOWEVER, I don't think I'm being demanding when I want toilet paper (one roll...not even brand new at check in...for four people isn't going to last a week), hand soap (never replenished...used shampoo), and a couple of clean towels (bug guts in one...hung back up...guts and all).

OK, enough with the negative...we headed up to the main lodge for a quick breakfast. We were some of the first people in there, but as we started finishing up...the tour groups started to flood in. What's funny...we got a bit of a blast from the past. We saw a Trafalgar Tours bus in the lot, one with the older rainbow logo. Back in 2000, David and I took a 3 week Trafalgar Tour around Europe. We were the youngest ones on the tour, but a really great experience. We hadn't seen one of their buses since that trip. I felt dorky taking a pic of their bus...so I didn't...at least not today. LOL

We headed out and went back up to that winding pass I soooooo love. I saw my first wildlife of the morning just after getting past the stop to get up on that pass. Not 100% on what it was, but it was long and furry, smaller than the animal on day 1, but still a more pointed face and sort of reddish in color. After looking at pictures of rodents and mammals of Yellowstone, I'm pretty sure it was a Pine Marten. Of course, I only saw it, so nbobody else to confirm this. Oh well...had to keep driving and as soon as we hit a certain point, I realized I was without my sunglasses. I'm pretty photophobic, so David had to take over driving. Not sure why I didn't have my camera ready, but when we got down from the pass at the Roosevelt/Tower Junction we encountered a bit of an impasse. (no, not the ever growing bug gut collection that just didn't want to be washed away...and believe me, I tried!)

He got out of the way pretty quickly to join his friends off to the right, but it started this whole "Why did the bison cross the road?" series of jokes.

The only real bummer...there was a grizzly sow and her cubs that had been frequenting this area in the early daylight hours. No bears that we could see. And while I would stay prepared all trip with my bear spray, I can tell you now that we didn't see a single bear. Two trips to YNP under my belt and still no bears. I'm not completely upset about that either. I wouldn't mind seeing one from afar, but last trip, our guide scared me a bit with how a grizzly once took her and a tour group by surprise. I'll share the story when we visit that area, but it's made me pretty OK with not seeing bears.

It wasn't long before we were in Lamar Valley and it was bison, bison EVERYWHERE! Seriously.

All that dust is from a male wallowing to impress a lady! Bison rut is definitely different than what we saw with elk behavior during elk rut.

This was only the first herd (or portion of herd) that we spotted, but they were pretty far off, so we decided to walk down a bit for a better look. As David and the kids were heading off to a hill for a better vantage point, I saw a "one of these things is not like the other" among the beasties...

David and the kids didn't see it at first, but it didn't move like the bison and eventually they all saw what I was seeing. At first, I thought it was a fawn or calf of some sort, but this picture would tell a different story.

I had to blow it up to be certain, but no dark nose...no spots...not a deer...not an elk. Nope, after doing some digging and getting some confirmation from some people in the know...it's a baby bighorn sheep! I've read that they leave their moms after about 4-6 months. It still looked pretty young to us, but what do we know?

I joined David and the kids up on the hill and after taking some more bison pictures...

...I started to see more holes around us.

And apparently, the residents weren't too bothered by our presence to come out during our visit.

David thought they were pika, but the ears and size is all wrong. Pretty sure these are ground squirrels. Not the golden-mantled variety...we'll see those later.

We hopped back in the car and started to head further into the valley. And while there were bison everywhere, this portion of the herd was right up near the road.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

In fact, I remembered that I can take video. You can't smell the sweet sage or the earthiness, but you can see all of the movement and grunting.





Cool stuff, but there were literally bison EVERYWHERE! In fact, it was around this time that Sam decided she loved them and wanted to give them a fancy French name. From here on out...these are Bee-sohn. It's too much of a pain to type that out, so I'm going to still call them bison. So, we drove up and found more...in the road.

And along side the road.

Yeah...it's better when I open my window...

In fact, this is when some of them decided to go running from one side of the road to the other.



David found a free pullout and was going to get out, but there were just too many right there and too many running over hills...hills that we couldn't see if there was a bison waiting for us on the other side of the peak. So, we stayed in the car and I got a pic of the love birds.

We drove farther up and found anther treat...pronghorn!

I had a feeling we'd see them here. Last time we were in Yellowstone, this was the only area where we'd seen them.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Aug 12- Continued...

After this point, we just kept driving...and I stopped taking pics for a bit. I was just looking at the scenery and all of the guys and gals fly fishing around Soda Butte Creek. It wasn't until we passed by this area, got back into Montanna and were nearing the NE entrance did I remember that this part of the park is good for mountain goats and possibly even moose. No moose, but we decided to turn around and join a crowd of people we saw over at Barronette Peak.

Most of the people were up at the road with high end scopes and pro camera gear. We decided to get off the road and hike up into the hills for a slightly better vantage point and some peace from the crowds. I remember our 2005 guide telling us to look for white specs up there. What I don't remember is why my brain suddenly shifted and had me thinking bighorn sheep. I took some pics of the cliffs, including one with a waterfall that often appears here from runoff...

...and then David and the kids tell me that they spotted a white spec with obvious legs!!! And it was moving!

OK...you probably can't see them in these pics, so I blew them up the best I could.

*Actually, two different pics...but you don't need to play squinting games with multiple teeny tiny goat pics.

Now two funny things from all of this...
1. We get out of the view of the goat watchers and Samantha is in dire need of a bathroom. This is when we taught our child to go in the woods. Hey...it's better than the alternatives...and also kind of funny that it's never come up before. She also had me stand bear watch. LOL
2. I guess I kept saying bighorn sheep instead of mountain goat. So when we got back down with all of these pro-goat watchers, my kids were LOUDLY gushing about how they can't believe they just saw bighorn sheep. Yeah...we looked like ignornant fools.

Oh well, it's a lovely area.

We hopped back in the Jeep and started heading back towards Lamar Valley, but I see a restroom at a pullout and decided the rest of us should go. Of course we were there with two smaller tour groups, so there was a bit of a wait, but I got a nice surprise when we got out. There was a couple on the other side of the parking lot with this younger guy. I first thought he was their son, but I think they hired him as a birding guide. I didn't want to intrude, but they were clearly not there for the facilities (which I should note are really just like port a pottie meets outhouse). Turns out they had spotted this guy...

The younger guy chimed in that he's a western tanager...and said he felt it was quite possibly the most beautiful bird in Yellowstone. I was feeling some redemption here. On our way through the valley, I had spotted something that MAY have been a golden eagle, but it was all too fast for me to get anything. This is no golden eagle, but this is a stunning bird.

What's funny is all of those little tour groups were pulling out in their buses at this point, trying to see what we were seeing, and even their guides didn't. The woman turned to me and said they're dorks ... probably the only people out there really interested in the birds. I assured her that was not the case and thanked them because we wouldn't have seen this without them. Their guide joked about a grizzly coming crashing through the brush above and just then, our pretty bird got himself a caterpillar and starting smashing him on the dead tree. Breakfast is served! Or is it early bird catches the worm?

So, we headed back...passing Soda Butte and Soda Butte Creek...

Some pronghorn had also found their way into the creek bed...

We headed back through all of the bison...although for some reason, I just took a pic of this guy.

I tell ya...this sort of golden hue over all of the hills just never gets old...

Back over the Yellowstone River...

Up onto Dunraven Pass...

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Even stopped for a few pics at the lookout ...

Including our bug covered Jeep. Part of me really wanted to find a car wash...even though it was just a rental.

And it was on to the next stop...Canyon...which you can kind of see in one the pics above. With Inspiration Point closed and the Uncle Tom trail closed (I had to explain to David it wasn't just parking for it that was closed...it was a safety reinforcement project)...Artist Point was our go to. It took us two passes through the lot to get a spot and I got a lecture about how we should have done this first. Whatever...we had a spot. We also got to hear a ranger give a lecture on how regular autos can't park in spaces specifically marked for RVs and buses. We were good, but this would come up later in the trip, because apparently spaces that can fit both, but aren't marked specifically either are up for grabs from anyone.

So, we headed in and I just took lots of pics from what I still consider the nicest view of the lower falls. I haven't touched these up yet, but I think the camera (and the novice user) did a decent job of capturing the colors.

OK...just so many little adjustments to frame it a bit differently and get a slightly different feel.

Still marveling at all of the flowers...

Thankfully, we also didn't go over the edge by all of the selfie distracted people. I actually went into mama bear mode at this point...carefully taking my own pictures, but staying close enough to the kids to grab them in case anyone bumped them. The stone railings are pretty high in most places, but I don't want any of us to be that freak accident that makes the news.

On our way out, we saw some guy get a bit too aggressive about parking. I guess a spot opened up and if he cut through the pass in the midway point of the lot, he'd cut the line going all the way down to the end and ultimately get the spot. So he gunned it...almost mowed down a bunch of people. He got his spot but he got chewed out by the people he almost hit.

We were also getting pretty hungry. Based on location, it was either Canyon or Lake. Canyon was closer, but lunch in the Lake Dining Room sounded nice. So, we headed down to the Lake Hotel. (the back)

Blurry...but clearly they don't have elk issues like Mammoth, as they don't need any kind of cage over their flowers.

The Lake Hotel, while not as opulent as Disney hotels like the GF, has an authentic turn of the century elegance. It was built in 1903 and while it's been through a handful of renovations over the years, this is the real deal. On our 2005 visit, I even went out of my way to get a dinner reservation here. Today, we'd be "settling" for lunch and thankfully, there's no wait.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

A bit blurry, but even the flatware tells you this is a nicer spot.

It's stainless, but it reminds me a lot of David's grandmother's sterling pattern. That's a good thing...she turned 101 this past summer and she's a great lady!

The dining room also has a lovely view of the trees and lake...which we might have appreciated more if we had a window seat. Oh well.

We started off with a lobster dip with toast points. I didn't eat the toast, but the lobster was good...as was the little sunchoke salad.

Sam got grilled cheese and while I don't think it came with it, they also gave her chips and salsa when they heard she was hoping for some on the side.

Of course, she knocked one of those red chips on the floor, which David later stepped on and crushed. You just can't take us anywhere!

I got the trout and a salad. It was OK.

Kendall got the burger...butter onions that Sam's from the previous day...and her pickles were dills.

I have no idea what David ordered. LOL, but all in all, it was a nice meal. It was kind of funny...our server called me out on my bear spray. I travel with a camping/hiking day pack and was keeping a can of bear spray holstered on each side, ready to go. He told us he'd been in Yellowstone for a couple of years and Alaska for several before that, and never been in a situation where he'd need it. And I agreed that would probably be the case for us as well, but that I'd rather have it and never need it vs. the alternatives. He agreed.

I spent a moment in the sunroom, wondering what it must have been like in the early days, just sitting here and watching the lake while reading or having tea.

Funny though...I'm still not fond of their fireplace.

Not sure why, but the clock also stood out to me.

We headed outside and I snapped some pics of flowers...

And then, the beautiful hotel...

We decided to check out the lake from the deck...

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I can't remember if it was from this point, but I do remember from our 2005 trip that sometimes you can see Grand Teton on a really clear day. Unfortunately, all of the haze from the fires would make that impossible.

David wanted to head up to the Lake area's general store...which is up the road...so I ran back through the hotel to get the car. They wanted to walk.

Yes, even the Lake Hotel's cabins are yellow.

I think it was a longer walk than David remembered. I was pulling in when they got there.

We weren't heading back to the room any time soon and my eyes weren't happy, so I decided to buy some cheap sunglasses.

What's really funny, the woman working at the counter didn't realize they weren't already mine. She thought I was just standing there to chat. I could have walked out with those glasses. I could have...but obviously, I didn't. And I say cheap, but from afar, they look like a $200 pair of Rayban Wayfarers. And after seeing an expose on the eyewear industry and how many of the cheap glasses are the same as the name brand ones...just without the branding...maybe they're not so cheap. I mean they did the job, and I actually think I like them better than my Ray Ban Aviators...and they were only $15+tax!

We waved good-bye to the Lake Lodge while leaving the Lake area...

Still lots of motorcycles too. The Sturgis rally was over at this point, so some people I guess head this way for a visit afterwards.

We decided to move on to the West Thumb Geyser Basin...something we didn't see in 2005. We did pass a bit of an elk jam...and a bunch of people being held back by a ranger so they could keep a safe distance.

Do you see him? Look for antlers in the branches.

Didn't see too much more with the wall of people...

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We were shocked to find parking when we got to West Thumb, but glad we did. I will point out now that I am not the greatest at taking pics of the signs. My eye is drawn to certain things, but I often don't photograph the sign...even if I've read it. So, in most cases, you're just going to see what caught my eye. It also wouldn't occur to me on this day (or enough on the next day either) that seeing the movement in some of these pools is key. What may photograph like a puddle is usually a spring that is bubbling to a certain degree. Every now and then, I'll get the ripples in the pictures to convey that...but ultimately, I really need to get more in the habit of taking videos.

Beyond that...I took a TON of pictures at West Thumb...

Yes, those are little fish swimming in there!

I could never get a good angle on them, but a small group of Common Loons right off the shore.

And more walking and taking pics in West Thumb...

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Funny, so many people look at these pools and think they look so refreshing. Yet they are bubbling and steaming. Pretty, but pretty deadly.

I almost felt bad for pointing out to people that there was an elk cow over there, since all kinds of people rushed the boardwalk after I pointed it out to Sam.

*And I wasn't paying attention to the camera focus.

Although, it helped reduce crowds around us, so we kept moving...

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Funny, we went by Artist Paint Pots last trip and they didn't look very paint-like...but these look a lot like paint.

And starting to head out. Well...of course, taking more pics on the way.

All in all, really happy we stopped here and sad we missed it last time. We also had all kinds of people waiting for our spot when we pulled out.

Bad shot, but love the bison crossing signs.

We passed some more elk on our way. We're going about 45mph (max speed in the park), so not the best pics.

We were thinking of hitting up Grand Prismatic, Artist Paint Pots, or Norris...but Grand Prismatic and Norris were in major overflow parking mode and I couldn't find parking at Artist Paint Pots after 3 passes. We decided to hit up Gibbon Falls. Last time we saw this...it was snowing, but not today. Today...we had flowers!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Funny, last trip we hunted down a number of waterfalls, but it just wasn't our thing this time. I'd heard several saying the smaller ones weren't very dramatic this year because of how dry it had been. Not sure.

We also passed Roaring Mountain, which is much more impressive in the morning when you can see steam venting from the entire thing. Now, you can only see a couple of pockets.

Time to drive into Mammoth. Steep, but beautiful.

Later on in the trip, we saw a few people trying to walk along here. Not the brightest idea IMO. In fact, we saw a lot of people trying to bike (cyclists) these areas too and it just seemed ridiculously dangerous. Look, I know cycling trips are huge. I have a friend from FL who is a pro guide for Backroads, so I get it. I just see so many areas in the park that aren't really safe for cyclists and autos to share the same lane, yet they try...some even while hauling their kids. It just feels too risky for me in some parts.

Time to drive through the hoodoos.

Almost to Mammoth...

You can even kind of see the Liberty Cap in this pic...

As well as an old portion of the terraces...

Speaking of terraces, we'd be eating at the Terrace Grill tonight...

We even got a spot right across the street from the grill...which would have been great had we also been planning on a walk around the lower portions of Mammoth. The kids were still disappointed that the herd hadn't come in, so they weren't really up for walking.

We headed into the hotel lobby (since it was a smidge early) and actually had some nice entertainment in the sitting/map room while we played games...

Here's my game buddy!

And my name for the night...JACOB!

Time to head in for dinner. I got the Alaskan Whitefish burger, but forgot to ask for a gluten free bun. So, I just ate the burger.

Tasty- but I took off the bun...so not overly filling.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

It looks like everyone else got some Ham and Swiss + fries.

Not the most exciting meal, but it did the trick. And it has a nice view...not that I took a pic of it, but you can see the terraces from here and back in 2005, this was where we watched the bull elk battle it out.

After that, we decided to head up to Roosevelt Arch at the north entrance. Passed the post office...grown since our last visit.

And look...an elk cow! Proof (beyond poop) that they are up here.

But it was time to head north.

There's Gardiner.

And there's the arch!

We got to go inside this time...the lights go on when you step in.

Pretty sunset on the way.

I was also shocked how few people realized that all of the dedication stones and inscriptions were on the north side of the arch. We were some of the only people we saw come over to this side.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

The official dedication corner stone.

I guess everyone just wanted a pic with the sign.

Took a few more Gardiner pics...

And one last one of the arch before heading back to the Jeep.

Improtant signs...and me in the mirror.

We had a nice chat with the ranger at the entrance since there was no line and she wanted to talk to our 4th grader. The kids had just spotted some pronghorn in the hills which made her happy. She told us she grew up in South Dakota and always marveled at how fast they were.

Too bad this isn't a better pic...can't read the sign.

So, we drove back into the park.

And now there are a couple of elk.

*She was closer.

I wanted to drive back the way we came...David did not agree. So, we passed over the Yellowstone river and headed to that pass that I hate.

Saw some cowboys and cowgirls in Roosevelt before heading up.

I personally felt David was driving too fast. I got on his case a few times, but didn't want to distract him and cause a real problem. So, I tried to focus my nerves into sunset pictures.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Surprisingly, this isn't even all of them. Hey...the things I do when I'm freaked out!

Hey, it was kind of productive. And at the end, Steve Miller came on. We heard a lot of music repeat on satellite radio, but this became one of the kids' faves. We got extra cool points since we've seen them in concert.

We weren't ready to go back to the cabin just yet, so we stopped up at the lodge for treats.

I'm not sure why I bought it, but the huckleberry candy bars and cordials were screaming at me.

I ended up not loving it, which is a good thing. It goes against my no sugar issues. Oh well...we played some cards...

And it was back to the cabin for bed time. We still didn't have any hand soap, but we now had towels and one new roll of toilet paper. We were heading to the Old Faithful area first thing in the morning in hopes of getting there before it's all out chaos. So, we went to bed.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I'm just loving your Yellowstone pictures. They bring back so many good memories of my trip. You did an excellent job capturing the beauty of the park with your pictures.