Exploring the "Stone"

July 9, 2010. Today Claire and I hopped on the bike and did a 100 mile drive. The weather was great with temps in the 70's. Our first stop was at West Thumb which is located at the southern end of Yellowstone Lake. There is a boardwalk that allows you to walk over the thin crust of the many thermal features in this area. This location is one of my favorite spots to visit. From there we headed to the Tetons which is always a treat. We stopped off at the Teton Lodge and had lunch on the deck which gives you wonderful views of the Teton Mountains. Heading back to the park we saw several Elk grazing on the side of the road. Today was a great day for a bike ride. Tuesday was also a day off for us and we headed to Livingston, Montana to get vittles. The drive to and from Livingston puts you in a valley where there are many ranches. One stop we made was to an old saloon which dates back to 1902. We had a beer and burger and met a couple who had a Montana 5th. wheel trailer like ours. They were staying at a RV site nearby. We understand that this place is a meeting hall for many of the local Wranglers. Well, one old boy came in, wearing a dirty old white cowboy hat, cowboy boots, neckerchief, wranger jeans, vest, etc. He just got back from his job of rounding up cows on a ranch that he works at. He comes up to us and says, "What are two beautiful ladies doing with these two ugly old men?". He was just kidding, and was a hoot to talk to. It was like he just came out of a John Wayne movie. I would love to come back to this place in the evening to meet other characters like him. When we got back into the park which is Mammoth Hot Springs, we were treated to a bunch of Mama Elk and their babies. So you can see when we have a day off we take advantage of it since there is so much to do and see in the "Stone". Tuesday which is our next day off we plan to go with a couple of our friends to find Tomato Soup. This is a thermal pool where the water is as red as tomato soup. This is a hike that requires knowledge of the area as it is not a marked trail and the ground is quite thin. One wrong step could put you into a thermal pool of temps over 100 degrees. We pretty much have to walk where the Bison walk to make sure that we are on solid ground. This hike is unknown to visitors of the park. Looking forward to this exciting and dangerous hike. Tomorrow our retail staff from the Hotel and Lodge will have a pizza party at the employee pub. There is always something to do and it is impossible to get bored. Life is good.