Leaving Yellowstone

October 5, 2010: Today we leave Yellowstone and start the 3,000 mile trek home. We said our farewells to co-workers, checked out of personnel and headed back to the RV park to finish packing. The dealership in Billings, MT is about 175 miles away so we figured they would get to us around noon giving us plenty of time to complete our packing. Wrong! On the answering machine there was a message saying that they should be getting to us within the hour! This was 10:00am. Panic sets in as we still have a lot of stuff, and I mean stuff, to pack into the car and our cargo trailer. Now we are starting to look like Sanford and Son! Everything gets piled up outside of the trailer and a rush to get the inside cleaned begins. Did we finish in time? No way. The guy who was to pick up our trailer showed up but was in no hurry, so we were able to get everything out of our beautiful summer home and packed for our departure. We left around 12:30PM with tears in our eyes as we watched them take our fifth-wheel Montana trailer away. We hitched up the cargo trailer, loaded the dogs, and headed home.

Our first night was spent in Pinedale, WY. where we enjoyed a 1920's cabin in town. It was very cozy. The next morning our breakfast was in a small cowboy diner just outside of town. Southern Wyoming was very open and we saw many pronghorn antelope roaming the plains. We headed into Denver to spend two nights with Claire's brother John. The time we spent together with him and Ramona was wonderful as he was a most gracious host! Soon we were off on the road again. Our destination this night was Amarillo, TX. Why Amarillo you might ask? Well, at one point in time a wealthy farmer lived there. Big deal you might say! This wealthy farmer had an affection for Cadillacs. Every year he would buy a new car and plant his used car in his fields. When he died he had planted ten cars, nose down into the ground! Needless to say he never did harvest a crop of new Cadillacs, but this was was something every tourist should see! It was disappointing to see graffiti all over the cars.

Onward we go to Lawton, OK., about 80 miles off of our main route. We wanted to see Ft. Sill, the home of Geronimo. He is also buried there, along with many other Apache Indians. The fort is still an active military base. Many old buildings from yesteryear are still standing as well as the prison cell where Geronimo spent many drunken nights. We have heard that Oklahoma has the largest concentration of American Indians and this was pretty obvious as we passed through many Indian Reservations.

Now for the fun part of the trip! We are heading into Memphis, TN. where I will get to see Graceland. Now understand, Elvis was big when I was a teen. I had always wanted to see Graceland, but it was always out of the way from our normal routes of travel. Claire somehow just wasn't sharing my initial excitement. I guess she just wasn't a big fan of the king! However, we both ended up being very happy to have had the opportunity to see his house and the many gold records that were on display. I'm pleased to report that Claire has a new respect for Elvis the Pelvis!

Our last night was just outside of Montgomery, AL., about 700 miles from home. I just knew that once we got to Fl. there was no stopping me. With the cargo trailer in tow I preferred to do all the driving, which I did. Claire was a great navigator. We got home around 9:30pm with the mileage reading "3,000" miles.

Our adventure in Yellowstone is one that we will talk about for many years to come. We met so many wonderful people who we will miss dearly. They have become like family to us. You can never know the feeling of living and working in Yellowstone unless you experience it for yourselves. Thank you God for this awesome time in our lives, the experience of being in the "Stone".

Upper Geyser Basin Hike

Friday, Sept. 24, 2010. Our day off, yahoo. We had been planning for sometime now to go to Old Faithful and see the new Visitor Center that opened at the end of August. It is of utmost importance that Claire visit every Visitor Center in the USA. As a good husband I thought it best to comply so off we went. Most people go to Old Faithful to see it erupt every 90 minutes which is an awesome sight. Old Faithful is also the home of the Upper Geyser Basin. The loop through the basin is about 3 - 4 miles round trip and is the home for many thermal features and geysers. The Park Service has done a wonderful job of providing safe boardwalks in and around these beautiful but deadly thermal pools. It is amazing to see the beauty and hear the sounds coming from the ground and the geysers. To think that we are standing and walking on an active volcano is amazing! Our goal was to see the Morning Glory Pool which happened to be the furthest away. The colors are so vivid and a sight to behold! This area is a must see, as is the entire park, but be prepared to leave your car and walk. I would guess that we have walked and hiked over 100 miles this summer. The most challenging hike was climbing Mt. Washburn (see my previous blog) which was a 3 mile hike, up hill, only to return another 3 miles downhill. As with every hike the end results are breathtaking. Thank you God for allowing Claire and I to witness your creation. The old saying goes, "All good things must come to an end". Yes, our time here in Yellowstone will come to an end on Sept. 28th. when we will head home to Florida. I hope that whomever has been following my blog has enjoyed reading it and seeing my photos. I have had so much fun doing this. We have two more days off and most likely we will be packing and preparing for our departure. Will there be more blogs? The final chapter will be written I'm sure. However, today was a beautiful day.

Pelican Creek Hike

This morning I took Claire to work as she had arranged to change shifts with a co-worker. I will work the closing shift so I had time to kill. As we headed to work we spotted three elk on the side of the road and just ahead of us there were several bison to greet us. The sun was beginning to rise from behind the mountains that sit in the background of Yellowstone Lake. I pulled over and walked into the meadow to take a few photos. The temperature was about 48 degrees with a slight breeze coming off the lake. I thought this would be a good morning to take a ride and perhaps do a short hike. One hike that I have enjoyed is Pelican Creek. It is an easy 1 1/2 mile hike that takes you through a wooded area, marsh, and shoreline of the lake. This is also an area where grizzlies have been spotted and several times this year the area had been closed due to bear activity. I was the only one on the trail as it was early in the morning and as I moved deeper into the woods I spotted fresh bear poop. By the way, it is called "scat". At that point I did get a little nervous but decided to keep on walking. The sounds were eerie as the lodge pole pine trees swayed in the breeze and made a crackling sound. All around me the woods were coming alive. Of course, I would look for that bear that was in front of me, or was he next to me, or perhaps coming up from behind? You do get a little nervous but what the heck, it is beautiful. When you come into the marsh lands the woods open up and the grass is golden-yellow. What a grand site it was! Next came the shore line of Yellowstone Lake. The wind was pretty strong at that point and quite cold. There were white caps on the water giving one the feeling of being near the ocean. Towards the end of the hike I approached another marsh land which was muddy so I had to take a detour to get back to my car. On the trail I saw fresh bison poop(scat) with a bear print right in the middle of it! Perhaps this will be the last hike for this season. Our incredible adventure in the "Stone" is quickly coming to an end. We will be leaving the park on Sept 28th. for our home in Florida. As I look back in awe of the beauty we have experienced this summer I could not help but feel sad that our days were numbered in Yellowstone. We will leave, the snow will come, and the animals will have their park back.

Mt. Washburn Hike

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Mt. Washburn Hike

Friday, Sept. 03, 2010. On our days off we like to get out and do something as there is always something to do or see in Yellowstone! We had put the cycle into the cargo trailer as the weather is starting to change and fall is upon us. This morning it was in the high 30's as we enjoyed our coffee and talked about what we might do. Perhaps we could take a hike, or a nice drive somewhere? Should we stay home and do laundry? We decided to consider the hiking option as there was one special hike that we had been avoiding for the past three years. Mt. Washburn is a 6 mile hike that we had wanted to conquer but felt it was out of our range. As you see from the pictures we choose to reach high, push ourselves, put aside our fears and go climb a mountain. Our goal was to reach the summit which is 10,243 feet above sea level. The hike is 3 miles to the top climbing 1500 feet. The 3 mile hike is straight up with hundreds of switch backs. The trail was made back in 1903 and climbs steadily through a sub alpine fir forest, eventually above tree line. At this altitude many Rocky Mountain big horn sheep make their home. We left our comfortable home and headed out. On our drive from Canyon where we had stopped to fill the car with gas to the parking area where we start our hike is about 5 miles all up hill. Immediately we came across a man walking along side of the road with his backpack on. We wondered where he was heading to. It wasn't long before we found out. About 3/4 of the way up the mountain this same man passed us up! Claire had to stop him and talk to him! We were amazed that he could walk uphill for 5 miles and then climb Mt. Washburn! Claire felt a need to take his picture. The hike was extremely challenging. We stopped often to catch our breath, however we were determined not to give up! As we would approach a switchback we would hope that we were almost at the top. It certainly felt as if it should be! Around the bend we would see the Ranger Lookout, our ultimate destination, but it would still be so far away. All we could do is sigh and push on. I have to say that this was one of the most scenic hikes that we have ever taken. The trail was all dirt and rocks. You had to always look down to see where you were stepping as you could easily twist an ankle or mess up a knee. When you get above tree line you are walking along the edge of the mountain. If you fell from the trail, you would be RIP. Finally we reached the summit and all we had to do is get into the Ranger Lookout. This is where Claire could finally use a bathroom! As we sat down in the Lookout we enjoyed our packed lunch. I failed to mention that Claire had gone ahead of me near the summit while I had stopped to take photos. When I continued my walk a man reached out his hand to offer me a bottle of water. I was wondering if I appeared to look as if I was in desperate need of water! Was my mouth open, my tongue hanging out? I told him, "No, thanks! I was fine. I had plenty of water". His response to me was, "A lady up ahead asked me to give you this bottle of water ". We had a good laugh, I took the bottle and continued up the hill. The view from this station was awesome. We were able to see the Tetons which was about 60 miles away. We had a 360 degree panoramic view of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, the Absaroka Range, Hayden Valley, Yellowstone Lake, Mt. Sheridan, Gallatin Range, Upper and Lower Geyser Basin, and all the way to the Tetons. This is a sight I will never forget. Not many people get this opportunity to view this, as the only way is to hike up 3 miles then hike back another 3 miles. You cannot drive up the mountain. As we were heading back down the trail we kept saying, "How in the world did we do this"? It was steep, rocky, hard on the legs, but boy was it worth it. We did see big horn sheep, and my first pine martin (weasel). Fortunately,we didn't see any grizzlies as this is an area where they like to eat berries and nuts. A grizzly bear will stay clear of you as long a you make noise while you walk. They really don't want to engage with people unless they are threatened or protecting their cubs. We have three weeks left and then we start home. Tuesday we are heading into Cody, Wy. for the last of our supplies. We still plan to do a few more hikes but perhaps a little easier than this one. Hope you enjoyed the photos and may it encourage you to visit this great park. Life is short, don't let it get away from you. Just Do It!!

Trip to Bozeman, Montana

Aug. 19, 2010. Today we traded shifts at work so we could leave for Bozeman, Montana by 3:30 p.m. and spend the night. Our purpose was to get our windshield replaced something we need to do every year on our trips out west. The first year at the "Stone" our windshield was attacked by tumbling tumbleweeds in Kansas. Last year and this year we were hit by loose gravel. So far, it's are three for three! Due to a very damaging hail storm in Bozeman, we had to wait for over a month to get this appointment. However, we decided it would be a good opportunity to have the dogs groomed, and actually do some shopping, which we hadn't done in about four months! Wow, we were in hog heaven. Macys' JCPenneys', Michaels, Home Depot, they all made us feel at home! A great day lay ahead of us! Another reason for our overnight trip was to bring a young lady named Dorothy, from Taiwan, to Bozeman so she could begin her long journey home. Her Chinese name is Lin Tsai-I. As you can see by her photo with Claire they really bonded. She wanted to leave Yellowstone early as her grandmother was quite ill. We also feel sure that she was homesick. If we could have adopted her we would have. What a wonderful young women she is. We have found that so many of the Asian young people display much respect for the elderly. They do not discriminate because you are older. They hold you in high regard. Abel, a young man from Singapore whom I worked with also just left. His contract ended and he had to head back home. He also was a wonderful young man. Two years ago it was Ken and Agnes from Malaysia, and last year Dee from Singapore. We certainly have enjoyed working with these young people and I still hear from them on Facebook. Ken and Agnes call me grandpa. What fun! Back to our trip to Bozeman. As we neared Mammoth Hot Springs we saw a young grizzly on the side of the road and had fun watching him. As we left the park we saw a magnificent sunset over the mountain range. We got into Bozeman and into our rooms at the Holiday Inn. Dorothy wanted to head over to Walmart to get a few things to bring home. Back at the motel we said our goodbyes and Claire told her we would go to her wedding in Taiwan! Of course we would go to Singapore to see Dee and Abel, then off to Malaysia to see Agnes and Ken. What a trip that would be! Friday we got the windshield fixed, the dogs groomed, grocery shopping, then back into the park. As we neared Mammoth Hot Springs there were a bunch of young bighorn sheep waiting to greet us. They were about 1 to 1-1/2 years old by the size of their horns. That same young grizzly was still showing off, forcing us to slow down as the Park Ranger was directing traffic. The closer we got to the young grizzly he stuck his head out as though asking for a ride in our car. The end of the day was approaching and we still had to head through Hayden Valley, where all the bison hang out. It's easy to get into a bison jam and spend hours waiting to get past them. Sure enough, they were walking in the road, causing quite a stir but we did manage to get around them. Eventually we arrived back home and settled in for the night. We will be working the next three days before getting another day off. Actually, I get a day off. Claire has to work on her off day as her Manager will be gone for the week. His daughter is visiting and the employees are each working one day to cover for him. I am planning to take Joan, a gal I work with, on a bike ride tomorrow morning but the weather is supposed to be quite cold, in the forties. She in really excited about riding on the back of my Hog! This is the end of our little journey into Bozeman, Montana

Hike to Fairy Falls

Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010. After getting up and having our daily coffee we looked outside to see what the weather would be for this day. We decided to get on the bike and drive over to the Midway Geyser Basin. Our goal was to see the Grand Prismatic which is the largest hot spring in the U.S., the third largest in the world. The spring is 300 ft across and the depth is 160 ft. with a temperature of 188 degrees. So we hopped on the bike and drove about 65 miles to the Fairy Falls Trail. Most people will drive to the basin, park their car, then walk on a boardwalk over to the hot spring. Little do they realize that when you are at ground level all you see is the steam rising from the hot spring. One of the perks of working in the park is that you find out where the best hiking trails are, as well as the best viewing area for most attractions. We parked the bike at Fairy Falls, only a few yards form the Midway Geyser Basin. From there it is about 1-1/2 miles before you come to a very steep hill. Here is where you begin the hike upwards, stepping over rocks, tree roots, fallen trees, etc. After several stops to catch our breath we finally made it to the top! We are above the trees and as we look down on the most beautiful hot spring anyone will ever see, the whole experience becomes spiritual. We are looking down on what can only be Gods' handiwork. Sitting on top of this hill, gazing down into this hot pool with its vivid colors is something one could do all day. We debated whether we wanted to continue down the hill and off to Fairy Falls which was at least another 2 miles away. Claire felt that we had hiked enough. However, I concluded that we may not ever get another chance to view the Fairy. So we both agreed and off we went hiking to Fairy Falls, an additional 2 more miles. This trail traverses behind the midway geyser basin for 1 mile, then cuts upward, between the twin buttes and a spray geyser for 1.5 miles. It wasn't long before we thought we would never get there! We were hot, tired and anxious, not entirely sure we had made the right choice to keep on going. After all, some place with the word Fairy in it probably was rather small and will it really be worth it? Also we knew that there was no magical way back to the bike which was several miles back. Pushing onwards, like the brave hikers we tried to be, an hour later we finally made it to Fairy Falls! What a pleasant surprise it turned out to be! The falls are 197 ft. high coming off the Madison Plateau. The water shoots off the cliff, plunging about one third down until it strikes the rocks, then continues cascading down to the bottom, into a pool of water. Once again, another memorable and spiritual moment. Although the hike was very warm and tiring our final reward was a gentle cool mist mixed with the sound of falling water. For a moment you felt at peace on earth. Yes, God has created a wonderful place that we have been blessed to experience. After resting a bit it was time to head back, oh yes, another 2 - 3 miles. Was I tired? You bet. Did my feet hurt? Absolutely! At this point I wished I had listened to Claire and not pushed on to hike to Fairy Falls. We struggled but we made it back, singing and laughing all the way. Nothing felt better than to put our tired rumps on that hot black leather seat of the bike again! We headed on back to the RV park. When we got to West Thumb, however, we saw a nice bull elk, lying along side of the road. It was as if he was saying, "it's pretty awesome here, eh?". West Thumb is on the southern end of Yellowstone Lake and about 25 miles from our little home in paradise. Once there we settled into our chairs, too tired to eat, too tired to watch TV. Bed sure looked good. Are we glad we did this hike? You betcha. We have about 5 weeks left and the weather will start to change. Fall is around the corner. September could bring snow, the elk will start bugling calling for their mates. Life is an adventure and we are blessed to have had the opportunity to live this adventure for the past three years. Thank you God for your wonderful, amazing creation and for giving us the ability to enjoy a little corner of it. Yellowstone is a Garden of Eden.