We left Malmstrom Air Force Base and Great Falls and headed for Livingston and Yellowstone National Park.
The trip to Livingston was uneventful and short (only 3 hours). We pulled into our RV Park, Osen’s RV Park. It was very pretty and well maintained—lots of green grass and a small dog park. We relaxed that afternoon, knowing tomorrow was going to be a busy day as we decided to take the top loop through the North end of Yellowstone. Curt and I have been to Yellowstone before in 2003 when we drove through in a convertible. I don’t remember too much of the trip except the Bison and Old Faithful. So maybe with this trip will be more memorable with this blog!
It was a beautiful day and we headed out for the 1 hour drive to the park. Again, no dogs allowed on Yellowstone trails, so Daisy stayed back to guard the camper and stay cool. We entered the park through the North Entrance at Gardiner. If we would have had time, this would have been a fun town to walk around in (remember Daisy is in the camper). We headed into the park we saw our first of much wildlife…a pronghorn, or at least from research I did, that is what I surmise they are. If you have a differing opinion, leave us a comment. The pronghorn is not a true antelope which is found in Africa and SE Asia (This is what Lewis and Clark called it on their expedition). It can run at sprints of 45-50 miles/hour and they think there are about ~450 in the park (as of 2015). Today however, it was not running but munching the sage just at the entrance of the Park.
The sign at the park entrance told us that there were openings at some of the parks. I made reservations back at Livingston thinking the park was full due to how being last minute. If we had it to do over, I think I would try to camp in the park. Most of the campgrounds we saw were very nice. Some were a little remote and I heard there were bears in one of the parks over the night.
Just inside we passed this sign:
Just after entering Wyoming, Curt eyed something off to the side of the road (he has good eyes) and sent me out to get a picture. It was about 10 feet from the car and it was huge. I was afraid it would charge so I refused and got back in the car and told him to take a picture of the deer?? Or elk?? As well as the sign that said we were entering Wyoming.
Our first hike was at Mammoth Hot Springs, just past the visitor’s center. This is a hot springs and the ground is very hot and delicate (you could fall through), so they have built a boardwalk so that you can see all angles of the springs. Many, many steps, but, of course, Curt found the way that was more of a ramp than steps—steep ramp, but not steps. The photos of the top of the springs were taken by following the trail up the ramp. This was really cool and still flowing, note the rust colored areas. The white you see is where the water has stopped flowing (turned to a travertine-calcium carbonate). I wonder if they would mind if we put some in the truck to take back for our kitchen floors in Florida. I then took a close up of the water forming these shelves. It was very hot and we left the water in the car, so it was time to get going.
The last time we were here, I told you we were in a rented convertible and I don’t remember these windy roads. We did the lower loop, entering through the West, past Old Faithful, and exiting out the East Entrance near Cody, WY. The roads this time were windy and steep, reminded me of Glacier “Going to the Sun Road”. The views were awesome.
We asked the Ranger in the visitor’s center where we could find a nice fairly easy and short hike (less than an hour—remember Daisy) to take to see someplace off the beaten track. He pointed us to Sheepeater Cliff. We arrived at this picnic area and decided to have lunch. I wasn’t yet hungry, so only ate half of my turkey sandwich, but drank all of my iced tea. It was a little warm, but there was a nice breeze blowing. After lunch we gather our supplies: walking stick (for Curt—I have one too, but I never use it—I think they are for old people!), cameras with 3 lenses, water, bug spray, sunscreen, and bear spray (Curt puts this on his belt). All this goes in a backpack that I carry, I don’t need no stinking walking stick!
The hike was nice, but I’m not sure about “easy”, it took us on a trail that had not been “cleared” in years. The ranger said he took his kids there this weekend, I think he should have been doing his job and had those kids clear the way a little better. Shame we didn’t pack a machete! We went over rocks and downed trees, through a hobbit hole (look at the photo), next to the river and up a steep hill and we finally made it to a waterfall. Well worth the hike and I had to keep yelling at Curt to get back as it was a long drop to the bottom of the waterfall. On the way back we found this skull. It looked pretty well preserved, so thought it might be planted there since the Rangers send folks on the hike. It was hidden in a bush that we found while we were trying to get a picture of some little chipmunk. We replaced it back in the bushes for someone else to find. All in all a nice after lunch activity.
Our next adventure came when we pulled off to see a Clearwater Springs. There was another truck pulled over here, so we pulled in front of him and there right by the barrier for the overlook was a huge bison. So some of you may have seen this pic on Facebook, but I’ll describe the scene. The day before we were coming to Yellowstone, my sister-in-law, Lisa, told us not to get any selfies with the bison. So this was a perfect opportunity to get that selfie, safely! We had been told stories about bison ramming cars and people, so I was going to be safe! As you can see the bison is not facing us directly and munching happily on the grass and distracted from us. So I told Curt to get over here quickly (he just realized the bison was there, it was hidden behind this big truck). We got our Selfie, again safely!, But as we were going to take more pictures, note the man in the red shirt, his sister is on her knees taking very close up pics and the bison slowly moved to face her and then without warning he jumps the fence. We all run behind the big truck, keeping the bison between us and the truck. Check out his butt on the road, I was took surprised to get pictures of the jumping.
By the way, Curt and I each have a real camera, and we each have cell phones. Each night we go back and download our pics and then I have to scroll to these pictures that are not collated together to find that picture that I think is the best. It is very time consuming, so I hope you appreciate these great pictures (just kidding), that is the best part—deciding who got the best picture to post on the blog. You know there are probably 5-20 pics for each of the pics seen on the blog!
We hung with this bison for a while, because we came to see the Springs, darn it that bison was not going to keep us from our goal. So we waited until he moseyed down the hill a bit and Curt and I made our way down the boardwalk to the Springs. Then as we were headed back to the truck, here comes the bison again. I slowly walked by him, I thought I had my camera on video, but evidently, my hands were still shaking from before, that maybe I didn’t push the play button hard enough. But I think the Bison saw Curt in his green shirt as food, because he started coming back toward Curt who was still back at the Springs, and I start yelling at him to come along. Back in the truck and onward. WE still hadn’t made it to the first of 3 more visitor center areas we needed to get through.
We finally arrived at Norris and the Norris Geyser Basin. Here we hiked back to Steamboat Geyser, a short 0.6 mi hike past Emerald Spring. This one was hot and stinky, sulfur stinky. But walking by you could get a facial when the wind blew your way. We headed along the trail back to Steamboat Geyser. As the sign says it is the world’s tallest active geyser. It has major eruptions every 5-10 minutes. I took a video of the eruptions; they maybe got about 10-15 feet high, but unfortunately it was too large to load on the website.
Next stop was Canyon Village for ice cream and shopping. We also posted our Bison pictures on Facebook here as it was the only place in the park with internet service. It was a quick break; this is where everyone had their dogs out as you were only allowed to have them in the parking lot. Glad Daisy was cool and relaxing back home and not cooped up in the car not able to get out, but we needed to get back to the camper before too long and still had ½ the route to get through.
We were now headed to Tower-Roosevelt area named for Tower Falls and Roosevelt Lodge. We just drove with our eyes peeled for bear as the ranger told us that the best place to see bear was near Roosevelt Lodge area. No bears, but several bison sightings. After our close encounter, I was going to stay in the car until we came upon this herd. Check out the baby suckling at her momma’s breast. Had to get out for this one. I was between two trucks taking the picture and the Ranger came along and told me I was too close until she saw a Chinese gentleman moving down the slope toward them. I took my two pictures and we were on our way. Further down the road, another bison—quick picture and off again.
We got out and did the trail for Tower Falls. This was a crazy place. There were signs telling people to stay off the rocks and where were they on the rocks. They sell books in the gift store about people who die in this park and I know you can google it too, but most likely it is because people are stupid!! Even Curt got a little close to take a picture of a fall, but in front of him was a 3 year old child that was climbing rocks while her mom was trying to take pictures with her cell phone. We went further down and this trail was the most crowded, I think and people are rude–walking right down the middle of the trail 2 and three across with no regard for others. We were forced to dodge people right and left and walked single file. Maybe I was just getting tired, but I was done with these rude people. But we hurried down to the fall, which was impressive and of course there was one prime spot that everyone wanted to get that perfect picture. We waited our turn and were ready to take our picture when others just pushed right in…crazy!!! I got my selfie and got out of there.
Check out this pano I did later on and a locust or something landed on my phone. I didn’t know it until I was done.
Finally we headed back toward the entrance and Albright Visitor’s Center, right where we started and as we are driving through town. More wildlife, not bison this time, but Elk just hanging out in the town area. Snapped a few good pics and off we went.
We still had an hour ride to get home and there was a storm rolling in. We actually drove through rain the whole way back and it was getting dark. There was construction on the road and about half way in we came upon an accident. A jeep had rolled over and as we passed we say them loading a young man into the ambulance. We were about 30 miles from the hospital. I said some prayers for his safe recovery. Curt dropped me off at the camper and headed into town to gas up for our next leg of the trip. While there he heard that the young man in the accident lives in town and works at Yellowstone and was on the way home from work. The man told Curt he was talking and doing fine when he left him…thank God!
Yellowstone wasn’t on our initial itinerary, but so glad we made the detour. It was a great day and just so you know, when I got home it was raining and Daisy refused to go out in the rain to pee. We had to wait until it stopped. We then headed down to the dog park for a few minutes and she was happy. Looking forward to our next adventure as we continue to Ellsworth AFB.