Bailee at Yellowstone Lake
Square Ice Cream in Swan Valley
Diana and Bailee at the Square in Jackson
Grand Teton
Bailee cooling off at Yellowstone Lake
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Grizzly Print
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone
We took another road trip this week - this time to Yellowstone Park. After going to Grand Teton (Nat'l Park admission is now $25) we had a week's free pass to other parks. I'm all for saving some bucks, so we were off on Friday morning.
The park was beautiful. It was so green! There were also wildflowers everywhere you looked. We did the full loop - Madison, Old Faithful (it seemed bigger and longer in the past), Grant VIllage, West Thumb, Lake, Fishing Bridge, the Mud Pots, Canyon, Mount Washburn, Dunraven Pass, Tower Falls, Roosevelt, Mammoth, and Norris. We left at 8:00 a.m. and returned home alittle after 11:00 p.m. A LONG day, but really nice.
It was so warm that we saw very few animals until the late afternoon. We ran into what we were sure was a "bear jam" around Madison, but found that it was -- an elk. Those of you who remember Yellowstone from the old days will appreciate my surprise. I'm sorry, an elk is just NOT that exciting. Some things about Yellowstone never do change, and one is how utterly lacking in common sense the "tourons" are (this is my word for tourists/morons). They walk right up to the animals, chase them, and in every way act like idiots. One buffalo was lying down and looking at them as they approached with a look that all but said - "It's just too hot to be bothered with killing you - but then again ..."
We also got to see classic touron behavior at the mud pots ... a scientist from California was guiding a group when several started hiking right across the crust of the feature (right past the signs that say to STAY ON THE WALKWAY). He went ballistic. I loved his tirade - "The crust isn't safe! It might give way ... and then you'll die. Maybe here, maybe at the hospital - but you will die!" You have to love tourons.
We saw lots of buffalo looking fat and happy, but hot. Saw a few shy deer, lots of little critters of course. The best sighting there was a squirrel at Old Faithful. It looked like a stupid dog show - so many people had canines in tow. Well, this squirrel was frisking around a tree when he walked right into a dog. He was up the tree in a flash ... but he was very unhappy about having his frisking activity curtailed. The dog couldn't decide what to do ... his owners were fascinated by this smoking, spurting, burbling thing (which was kind of impressive), but then the squirrel would start scolding and the dog's head would snap back to look at it. I'll tell you, it reminded me of the dog in the movie UP -- "Squirrel!" Too funny.
A grizzly bear had visited the mud pots earlier in the day - leaving footprints all over. The ranger who was stationed there said that it looked like it was chasing something - then gave up the chase. He figured it got close enough to burn the pads on its feet. It jumped the fence and took off across the parking lot. Huge muddy footprints - right through the crosswalk. Even the wildlife are more responsible than the tourons!
We saw a long antelope on the way to Mammoth, but the highlight was of the canine variety. We saw the wolf pack by Mount Washburn (though they looked more like gray specks. I guess it was worth driving up the mountain and over Dunraven Pass (once more I was attacked by an attack of vertigo). My favorite sighting was a fox that crossed the road right in front of us carrying its dinner. I've never seen a fox in the park before. Very cool, very pretty. Bailee was thrilled.
Bailee had a great time shopping at the various gift stores. She ate lots of Wilcoxsin's Ice Cream (it was a hot day after all). That was a real trip down memory lane for Diana and I. We both remember Dad's half gallon of Butter Brickle ice cream that was a fixture in our home freezer. Sure wish they sold it outside of Montana.
We missed a horrible thunder storm in Idaho and one that was hammering Paradise Valley north of Mammoth. I also got 43 miles per gallon - unheard of! I guess the van (which Bailee christened Fudgie likes mountain roads).
Now, on to the crazy night. Last night we got to bed very late. Bailee had a stiff neck and a headache, so we were taking care of her. It was also pretty warm upstairs. Hard to fall asleep. Around 3:00 I heard something and got up to check. The back light was on and mom was taking out her dog. Okay. I turned around to head back upstairs and saw this flash of green light out in the yard. Strange! It flashed again and again and again ... and I called mom over to the window to check it out. I finally grabbed my glasses and turned on the outside light again ... it was the Anti-Barking Birdhouse we got to discourage our vocal American Eskimo, Caribou. A neighbor's dog was throwing a fit down the block and setting it off. Needless to say, it obviously didn't discourage their dog. Very strange.
It was back to bed - but then we were all jolted awake by one of the smoke alarms blaring at 6:00. Shoot! It only went off a second or two, but we trooped around the house from top to bottom looking for trouble. We didn't find any. Needless to say, today we are all tired and thinking of naps.
The park was beautiful. It was so green! There were also wildflowers everywhere you looked. We did the full loop - Madison, Old Faithful (it seemed bigger and longer in the past), Grant VIllage, West Thumb, Lake, Fishing Bridge, the Mud Pots, Canyon, Mount Washburn, Dunraven Pass, Tower Falls, Roosevelt, Mammoth, and Norris. We left at 8:00 a.m. and returned home alittle after 11:00 p.m. A LONG day, but really nice.
It was so warm that we saw very few animals until the late afternoon. We ran into what we were sure was a "bear jam" around Madison, but found that it was -- an elk. Those of you who remember Yellowstone from the old days will appreciate my surprise. I'm sorry, an elk is just NOT that exciting. Some things about Yellowstone never do change, and one is how utterly lacking in common sense the "tourons" are (this is my word for tourists/morons). They walk right up to the animals, chase them, and in every way act like idiots. One buffalo was lying down and looking at them as they approached with a look that all but said - "It's just too hot to be bothered with killing you - but then again ..."
We also got to see classic touron behavior at the mud pots ... a scientist from California was guiding a group when several started hiking right across the crust of the feature (right past the signs that say to STAY ON THE WALKWAY). He went ballistic. I loved his tirade - "The crust isn't safe! It might give way ... and then you'll die. Maybe here, maybe at the hospital - but you will die!" You have to love tourons.
We saw lots of buffalo looking fat and happy, but hot. Saw a few shy deer, lots of little critters of course. The best sighting there was a squirrel at Old Faithful. It looked like a stupid dog show - so many people had canines in tow. Well, this squirrel was frisking around a tree when he walked right into a dog. He was up the tree in a flash ... but he was very unhappy about having his frisking activity curtailed. The dog couldn't decide what to do ... his owners were fascinated by this smoking, spurting, burbling thing (which was kind of impressive), but then the squirrel would start scolding and the dog's head would snap back to look at it. I'll tell you, it reminded me of the dog in the movie UP -- "Squirrel!" Too funny.
A grizzly bear had visited the mud pots earlier in the day - leaving footprints all over. The ranger who was stationed there said that it looked like it was chasing something - then gave up the chase. He figured it got close enough to burn the pads on its feet. It jumped the fence and took off across the parking lot. Huge muddy footprints - right through the crosswalk. Even the wildlife are more responsible than the tourons!
We saw a long antelope on the way to Mammoth, but the highlight was of the canine variety. We saw the wolf pack by Mount Washburn (though they looked more like gray specks. I guess it was worth driving up the mountain and over Dunraven Pass (once more I was attacked by an attack of vertigo). My favorite sighting was a fox that crossed the road right in front of us carrying its dinner. I've never seen a fox in the park before. Very cool, very pretty. Bailee was thrilled.
Bailee had a great time shopping at the various gift stores. She ate lots of Wilcoxsin's Ice Cream (it was a hot day after all). That was a real trip down memory lane for Diana and I. We both remember Dad's half gallon of Butter Brickle ice cream that was a fixture in our home freezer. Sure wish they sold it outside of Montana.
We missed a horrible thunder storm in Idaho and one that was hammering Paradise Valley north of Mammoth. I also got 43 miles per gallon - unheard of! I guess the van (which Bailee christened Fudgie likes mountain roads).
Now, on to the crazy night. Last night we got to bed very late. Bailee had a stiff neck and a headache, so we were taking care of her. It was also pretty warm upstairs. Hard to fall asleep. Around 3:00 I heard something and got up to check. The back light was on and mom was taking out her dog. Okay. I turned around to head back upstairs and saw this flash of green light out in the yard. Strange! It flashed again and again and again ... and I called mom over to the window to check it out. I finally grabbed my glasses and turned on the outside light again ... it was the Anti-Barking Birdhouse we got to discourage our vocal American Eskimo, Caribou. A neighbor's dog was throwing a fit down the block and setting it off. Needless to say, it obviously didn't discourage their dog. Very strange.
It was back to bed - but then we were all jolted awake by one of the smoke alarms blaring at 6:00. Shoot! It only went off a second or two, but we trooped around the house from top to bottom looking for trouble. We didn't find any. Needless to say, today we are all tired and thinking of naps.
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