Our Yellowstone Adventure

The weather has been great lately and we decided to take a nice bike ride in the park. We did about 90 miles and did a little hiking. Our first goal was to head to Midway Geyser Basin to see the Grand Prismatic Spring. It is the largest hot spring in the park with a diameter of 370 feet. We hiked a trail a little over a mile to a point where we found animal trails that went up a rather steep hill with lots of tree roots and rocks to climb over. After panting and stopping to catch our breath we made it to the top. What a sight to look down at this beautiful spring. The photos will tell the story. After we left the Grand Prismatic Spring we drove the Firehole Lake Drive which took us to the Great Fountain Geyser and other small hot springs. These hot springs have the deepest blue color and are extremely hot and deadly if you were to fall into them. We left there and headed to Old Faithful. I know everyone has heard of Old Faithful. We went into the Old Faithful Inn, sat on the upper porch with a nice cold beer and watched Old Faithful erupt. Out in the parking lot near where I parked my bike, a bison and her baby were near by. We had the opportunity to watch the baby nurse right there in the parking lot. Lots of cool things happen here in the park. You never know what is around the corner. The other day when I got up in the AM to walk the dogs a large Bull Bison was grazing just outside our door. Yesterday when I walked the dogs there was a large Elk grazing about a hundred feet from our trailer. Today we are off for another 2 mile hike then we have to work the evening shift. Can you believe that I have to work on my birthday? Well at 67 years old I guess I should be happy that I can still walk, talk, and work. I hope you will enjoy the photos.

Living in Yellowstone

Today was our day off and we decided that we would take a drive and look for animals. So far this year I have not seen a black bear, a bull moose, wolf, and big horn sheep. Well, today I got to see a black bear with her two cubs, and a bull moose. We were driving in the northern part of the park where the black bears live. We came across a mother bear and her two cubs. The only problem was that a Park Ranger was there and would not allow us to get to close. The bears were off in the brush and it was difficult to get a good shot. I did get a few of the Mom. The cubs were off playing in the high grass and it was difficult to get a good photo. I did get to watch them and it was exciting . About 2 miles from this point we came across a bull moose in a small lake. This was great as there were no Rangers in sight and I was able to move closer and get off some great shots. This was so much fun . As we got into Mammoth, which is the most northern part of the park we came across two female elks with their babies. It is always exciting to see the baby elk. It was getting near noon so we thought it would be a good time to get something to eat. We headed to Chico, Montana which is a western resort with a real hot spring where you can swim. The resort was built in the late 1800's. I had a bison/elk burger which was great. Our day lasted about 6 hours and every minute was worth it. Of course the bison were out in numbers and they are always fun to watch. Tomorrow it is back to work for two days then we get another day off. Let the adventures begin.

Life in Yellowstone

Well, it has been a while since I have given a report of our life in Yellowstone. I can't say that I have been having a lot of fun as I turned the wrong way and, yes, I pinched a nerve in my back. Now I walk around like an old man, hunched over, walking very slowly. I decided I would see a Chiropractor in West Yellowstone, Montana. I have been to see him 4 times now and I am starting to feel a little better. The good thing about this is the trip to W. Yellowstone brings us though elk, bison, and bald eagle territory. When we approached the area where the Bald Eagle has her nest we saw that she had left the nest to get food for her baby. We watched her grab a fish and bring it back to the nest to feed her baby. I was so excited to see her away from the nest that I sat down on the ground with my 400mm lens to get a shot of her in flight. Oblivious to my surroundings I soon discovered that a colony of large black ants were invading my body. Claire saw me jump up and start to beat my self to death. Fortunately for the folks who stopped to watch, I didn't have to strip off my clothes. Thankfully they were not red ants. As you can see from my photo I did get one shot of her in flight. We also did a mile hike to the Artist Paint Pots which were pretty neat. The bison was near a hot spring that gave off a nice warm mist. The bison was quite content enjoying natures steam bath. Life is good in this beautiful park. We thank God every day for allowing us to live and enjoy his creation. Last night Claire and I had steak on the grill, had our ipod playing, and yes, we even danced under the moon. Wine, steak, and nature at our front door, what else could we ask for. Every day is an adventure and we are so blessed that we have been given the opportunity to be in this beautiful park. Today is July 12 and we will be here until Oct. 6th. What will be around the corner?