1127 September 5, 2024 Another Day In The Life Of A Wanderer

The sign at the bank said that it was 32 degrees as I set out for my morning walk.  I was wearing layers and the sun was bright and warm and it felt good to be moving.  Today, I walked through town.  I passed businesses called Bullwinkle’s and Slippery Otter and Dancing Moose.  There is a nature theme here in West Yellowstone!

I found a hardware store and went in to get a few things.

Tim wanted to take a ride on a nearby scenic highway.  We packed the Jeep and started on Route 191N through Gallatin National Forest and over the Madison River. 

We seldom camp in a town but we really like it here and even tried to stay longer! We like our little corner site.

We turned onto 287 or Hegben Lake Road.  We stopped right at the water’s edge.

We saw a marker for a historical sign and we stopped to read.  We had stumbled upon the Earthquake Lake Geological Area.  On August 17, 1959, a big earthquake, 7.5 on the Richter scale, shook this area.  There was a huge landslide and the landscape was permanently altered as a result.  28 people lost their lives.  Looking around, you would never expect that something so awful could occur here.  The scenery is peaceful and beautiful. 

The landslide that occurred, stopped the flow of the Madison River.  Earthquake Lake began to form as the water backed up to fill the canyon.  The water rose 9 feet each day.  The lake was up to 190 feet deep.  The trees that had been living in the bottom, were flooded.  The ghosts of those trees still stand today.

If you look at the mountainside, you can see where the mountain collapsed.

There was a campground near the river’s edge.  Many people staying there were buried underneath the rocks and mud.

We walked the path to the Memorial Boulder.  This 3,000 ton rock came across the road and stopped to rest at the site of this memorial.  We took some time to be quiet here.  The Earth’s forces are so very powerful

No bears today.

The river beyond Earthquake Lake.

We traveled on and turned onto Route 87.  We saw an antelope cross the road.  A second later, Tim saw a dirt road that looked interesting to him and he made the turn onto what was coincidentally called Antelope Basin Road.  We rode over meadows and streams and among hilltops and mountains.  This is our favorite kind of wandering.  We did not know where we were going and we had no particular destination in mind…just follow the road and see where it leads.  We had a full tank of gas, plenty of water, lunch and nothing but time!  It was kind of nice to be off of the conveyor belt of ants that is the national park road.  For most of the 7 miles, it was just us. 

We found a nice picnic spot and sat in our chairs admiring the stellar vista. The sky was so blue and the air smelled sweet.

We debated whether or not we should continue on our quest to find the other end of the road and we decided to keep going. 

Tim stopped to ask number 748 if she could kindly give us directions.  She stared at us blankly as cows will often do.  She wasn’t very helpful.

We were more than a little disappointed when the road ended abruptly at a gate.

We turned around and went back.  We passed a truck hauling horses in a trailer.  Two cowboys rode in the front and a dog rode in the back of the pickup.

Roadblock.

We passed some guys setting up what looked to be a hunting camp.

Then, we were back on the pavement and on the road to West Yellowstone.  We had the very best day!  As Ollie would say “PopPop has all the best ideas!”

1126 September 4, 2024 Yellowstone Northern Loop

I walked this morning around the perimeter of the town.  It was 40 degrees and crisp and cool and perfect for walking.  While I walked, I talked with my mom, a good friend, and Kyle who had Wade Wednesday today. 

At 9, we drove the Jeep back through the West Entrance to Yellowstone.  Our mission today was to see the Northern Loop.

As we entered the park, the traffic slowed to a crawl.  A traffic jam.  It is ironic that we had to sit in traffic in order to go and see the wilderness and the wildlife.  The slow traffic was caused by a buffalo walking in the middle of the road.  Then, a short distance after, there were a couple of elk on the steep incline along the road. 

There was steam rising everywhere.  The morning air was still chilly and that served to highlight the pockets of steam rising from the earth. 

We saw men erecting long orange snow poles on the shoulders of the road.  Winter is coming!

We stopped to reflect on how amazing this visit has been.  The rangers and park employees do an incredible job of making things run smoothly.  Over 4,000,000 people come here every year.  The roads are in great condition.  All of the facilities are clean and well maintained.  There is NO TRASH!  The service is top notch.  The General Store was beautiful and the water is crystal clear.  Americans are lucky to have this place preserved for the generations to come.

We walked a short boardwalk to the Frying Pan Spring.

Roaring Mountain was a sight to behold.  Multiple fumaroles allow the release of gasses from beneath the surface.  It looks like the whole mountain is cooking.

We stopped at a moose exhibit in a moose habitat but there were no moose today.

Sheepeater Cliff is named for the Shoshone Indians whose survival was dependent on bighorn sheep.  The cliff is composed of basalt lava columns.

The Gallatin Range is in the distance and a lake in the foreground.  We saw some grazing bison and a pair of swans.

Such a pretty ride.

Mammoth Springs Terraces are travertine.  This is a type of limestone that builds up and changes shape rapidly.  The sculptured rocks were otherworldly.

Undine Falls were the prettiest we have seen here.

We continue to be amazed by the diversity of the landscape and terrain.

We saw antelope grazing on a high prairie.

We took a gravel road, the Blacktail Plateau Drive.  We found a lunch spot with outstanding scenery.

The aspens are beginning to color at higher elevations.

The fireweed is at the end of its season.

Calcite Springs was another lovely place.  Here, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is visible.  The Yellowstone River carved this path eons ago. 

A cool rock overhang.

Our pictures are just snippets.  This park is unbelievable and our brains and eyes can scarcely take it all in.  I hope that these pictures inspire you to make this trip.  It is well worth seeing!

1125 September 3, 2024 West Yellowstone, Montana

We had some early morning rain. I was brave enough to walk the short distance to the dumpster by myself.

This squirrel kept me company while I washed the RV windshield. He was busy gathering foodstuff. Winter is coming!

We left Threemile CG behind and traveled to the East Entrance of Yellowstone.

We made a stop along Yellowstone Lake.

We stopped again to browse in the Yellowstone General Store. The store was stocked with all kinds of things that Grandma and PopPop could buy for little boys! We had fun shopping.

We stopped again along the Yellowstone River. We ate breakfast here while watching bison out and about and holding up traffic.

We had seen this interesting rock formation yesterday but did not stop. We got out to look today. It looks like a miniature volcano sitting on the riverbank. Water and steam spews from the top. It looks like a kid’s science experiment.

Because we drove this way yesterday, I was able to really enjoy the scenery today without taking quite so many pictures! We sit up higher in the RV and this vantage point gives us better views. through our big picture window.

We took the West Entrance Road and we were treated more beauty.

As we neared the town of West Yellowstone, we entered Montana. There were lots of dark clouds up ahead and we saw flashes of lightning. We stopped in a large public parking lot and unhooked the Jeep. We made our way to Yellowstone Cabins and RV and pulled into our site. There were some plump raindrops for a brief time and then the storm was past. We are looking forward to being here for the next 4 nights.

I worked on the blog much of the afternoon while Tim rode his bike around the town. When he got back, he wanted to go to the store for some fruit and veggies. We got what we needed and then walked through town, wandering into shops.

Tim drove to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. This place is a non-profit wildlife haven for animals that were either injured or habituated to humans. These animals would have been euthanized but for this place. The mission is to care for these wounded animals and animals otherwise not able to return to the wild. They provide education to visitors about bear safety and wildlife conservation. We took in the exhibits and then a short bear film.

These grizzlies are HUGE!

We went outside and Spirit, a 28 year old female grizzly got into trouble near Whitefish, Montana where she got into unsecured food. The rangers tried to relocate her several times but she kept returning to her source of easy food. Neither the bear nor the people in the community changed their behavior enough to allow her to remain free. We watched Spirit forage for hidden food in the enclosure. It was cool to watch her in a habitat the resembled home for her, doing what bears do. It is also sad that she has to be there. We could definitely tell that she was well cared for with great energy and a thick and shiny coat.

We heard the wolves before we saw them. The fire company sirens went off and the wolves all began to howl. They were quiet and lazy for the most part. When they lay down in the tall grass, they are very difficult to find.

The last wild wolf in Yellowstone was killed in 1926. There was a program in 1995 to reintroduce 31 wolves to the park in 3 different locations. Since then, the wolf population has been as high as 174 but lots of factors cause that number to fluctuate.

We walked though the bird sanctuary.

There was a golden eagle, a pair of great horned owls, a pair of bald eagles, a turkey vulture, and a red-tailed hawk. Most of the raptors had mice waiting for their dinner.

Cutthroat trout are an important part of the ecosystem in Yellowstone.

We watched otters cavorting in their “river.”

As we were leaving, a loud bell rang and Spirit returned to the gate that led out of the enclosure.

After the naturalists hid more bear treats, a pair of bears, Bo and Corum, were allowed to come and forage for fish and fruits. These bears were also placed here because they became habituated to human food and were not able to be successfully relocated. If they had not been sheltered here, they would have been put down.

The last display in the center was of these destroyed coolers and trash cans. This facility participates in a program to determine if containers are bear safe. The materials to be tested are put into the enclosure with the bears. The bears have 90 minutes to determine whether or not the product is bear safe…or not.

These wild animals serve as ambassadors to help educate people so that other bears can stay wild. We learned a lot…hopefully others will learn as well…

After watching the bears eat, we were hungry. Tim had found a Mexican food truck on his earlier bike ride. We were able to sit outside and enjoy our meal.

1124 September 2, 2024 Yellowstone National Park

I was awake and dressed early this morning but I was very hesitant to go out for a walk.  This campground is in grizzly country and the idea of walking by myself was very disconcerting!  Only hard sided campers are allowed here to “minimize interactions between bears and people.”  Tim finished his workout and he and I both walked a couple of laps around the campground.

We packed food and set off for Yellowstone National Park.  I was impatient to begin our adventure today.  I was excited to see this great park.

We went back through the East Entrance.  It was 61 degrees with no wind.  The wildfire smoke had dissipated and the sky was blue with wispy clouds.  We saw a mule deer grazing roadside as we traveled.

Yellowstone sits on a 30 by 45 mile caldera or basin that is a collapsed volcano.  All of the hydrothermal activity that occurs here is a result of this supervolcano.  We began at Steamboat Point.  Here steam rises from the ground right at the edge of Yellowstone Lake.  We read that if you took all of the water out of this huge lake, the lake bottom would resemble the rest of this area, with geysers and mudpots.  It was a little creepy to realize that we were standing on an ancient volcano that still produces heat and activity.

We passed a steaming pond. 

We passed a few solitary big boy bison.

We took the Grand Loop Road to the north and stopped at Mud Volcano.  Yesterday was another pretty ride but the Yellowstone we saw today was dramatic and powerful.  You can hear the roiling and boiling and churning beneath the earth’s surface.  You can smell and taste the sulfur.  You can feel the rumbling.

We stopped next at Sulphur Cauldron.

We passed through a wide-open area next to the Yellowstone River.  There were bison grazing and looking like they belonged here.

We went to see Upper Falls.

We took Norris Canyon Road through the forest and toward the mountains.

We took a spur to see Virginia Cascade; another waterfall.

The view at Elk Park and the Gibbon River was stunning.

Beryl Spring.

We found a nice spot for our lunch. 

There was a raven in the tree watching to see if we left any crumbs behind.  He found something else to munch on.

I drove after lunch.  We didn’t stop at the geyser basins.  The parking lots were crowded and there were lots of people.  We have another couple of days to explore the park.  Maybe, we will have an opportunity to come back.

We did stop to see Old Faithful.  This parking lot was packed as well.  We did find a spot.  When we got to the viewing area, there were hundreds of people waiting for an eruption.  I checked the website and Old Faithful was predicted to erupt at 1:42 +/- 10 minutes.  We arrived at 1:30. 

A lesser geyser erupted first.

At 1:44, Old Faithful gathered strength and sent plumes of steam high into the air. It lasted for about 4 minutes.  WOW!!!

One last stop along Yellowstone Lake and then we completed the Grand Loop and headed back to the RV. 

We had driven over 100 miles and we saw lots of very cool things!

We had a quiet evening.  We took a short walk after dinner.

Tomorrow, we will move from the campground and drive across Yellowstone Park from the East Entrance to the West Entrance.  We have a site reserved in West Yellowstone had a full hookup campground.  We plan to do more exploring from there.

1123 September 1, 2024 Ever Changing Landscape

It was a cool morning, perfect for walking.

We stopped to fuel the RV and then drove north on 789 out of Lander.  We drove through the Wind River Indian Reservation or the Popo Agie District.  From the highway, the reservation appeared to be wide open and sparsely populated.  We passed the Wind River Casino and then a billboard for the Suicide and Crisis Hotline.

We went through Riverton. There were some hayfields where hay could grow and where it was too rocky, there was cattle. 

Through the town of Shoshoni or the “Crossroads of Wyoming.”

Over Poison Creek and Badwater Creek…YIKES…don’t drink the water here.

We passed through the Owl Creek Mountains.  We passed by Boysen Lake.  There were lots of lovely camping areas but we already had a campsite reserved for tonight. 

The road followed the curves of the Wind River.

We stopped for breakfast at a roadside pullout at the Golden Rule Ranch.

There were signs indicating that the mountains here were formed 500-600 million years ago.  We felt so small and insignificant.

We passed the “Wedding of the Rivers” where the Wind River and the Bighorn River joined.

We drove through Thermopolis, which actually sounds like the name of a comic book town.  This is home to hot springs.

We continued across rolling, rocky plains toward Cody.  The landscape called to mind old western movies.  We could picture John Wayne on a horse with his band of cowboys, preparing to go after the bad guys.  Tim said it looked like Ponderosa.

We stopped at a rest area where there were signs warning visitors about the presence of prairie rattlesnakes.

We passed Alkali Lake.

We traveled on the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway.  There were about a dozen RV’s at the Walmart in Cody when we went by at lunchtime. The western town of Cody looked like it might have been a cool place to spend some time. 

We rode another hour to the Threemile Campground in the Shoshone Forest.  This campground is 3 miles from the East Yellowstone Entrance. 

After a short rest, we packed food and drove into the park. We wanted to get maps and information so that we could plan our visit. 

The initial portion of the drive took us through forest.  There are lots of dead pine trees.  Some were damaged by the pine beetle infestation.  Others were burned by wildfires.  Still others lay in long lines on steep mountainsides, fallen like pickup sticks in winter avalanches.

We had seen some significant haze and I could smell smoke.  We went to the Lake Butte Overlook and we could clearly see wildfire smoke.  We learned from a ranger that there was a fire burning in the Shoshone National Forest.  It was 91% contained and smoldering.  She surmised that a wind shift caused the sudden influx of heavy smoke. Even as we were reassured, it felt a little spooky.  Our RV was camped in that forest!

Yellowstone Lake was gorgeous.  It is the largest high elevation lake in the lower 48.  It has 141 miles of shoreline.  It reached depths of 400 feet.  It is cold.  There were a few people swimming but the average water temperature is only 41 degrees…brrr!

We stopped at the Fishing Bridge Visitor Center and that same ranger helped us to make a plan.

We drove to LeHardys Rapids and had our picnic. 

After dinner, we walked along the Yellowstone River.

We are excited to be here and to explore this huge park.  Yellowstone is 2.2 million acres…that is very big and we plan to see as much as we can while we are here.

We did see two pairs of swans, a mule deer, and a couple of singular bison.  We hope to see much more!

Today was a lot of driving but we got to see so much.  It was an incredible journey and a good day!