7/1/18-7/3/18 - On the Hunt for Beasts

Folks who visit Yellowstone to see animals, go to the east side of the park.  There are 2 valleys, Hayden and Lamar, with Lamar being much larger, but it is at a much higher elevation also.  Besides the large valleys, there are some high mountains also.  We spent 3 days on this side, after we moved camp to Fishing Bridge RV Park.  Campers were parked in like sardines, but each site did have full hookups.

The trailer is almost on the power pole, and that is all the space we have on the "curb" side of the trailer.  As I said, it's tight as sardines here.

But before we left Madison CG, we noticed the right rear tire on the trailer was going flat.  Had a self tapping sheet metal screw in it.  Who knows where that came from.  We got that tire off and replaced it with the spare.

In any case, we were able to get the garage that repairs cars and RV's to fix the flat.  Since it now had a patch, I had the spare tire moved to the rim of the flat tire.  The rims on the ground are aluminum, but the spare is steel.  Cost me $65.  Considering how I was at their mercy, I thought it was reasonable.

This is our look at Jackson Lake.

The wind was very strong, and it was cold.  The lake water was really being pushed. 

This was our third day in the park, but our first looking for beasts.  But before finding beasts, we looked at some geological features.  We went by LeHardy's Rapids, where we hoped to see trout jumping the rapids to find side creeks and streams to spawn, a Mud Volcano, Dragon's Mouth Spring.

The rapids were running very string.  Yellowstone has had way above normal amount of rain so far this year.  Yellowstone River is running out of it's banks.  We saw no fish.  Perhaps the water was flowing too fast?

Info on the Mud Volcano.  It blew itself apart, and is now just a mud pot.

Anyone for a hot mud bath?  Didn't think so.

Apparently, when this "erupts", a lot of noise, a lot of steam, and a lot of hot water comes out.

This is the lower Hayden Valley, and not as large as the Lamar Valley.  It's filled with lots of grazing animals during the winter, and of course carnivores, like coyote, wolf and bear.

The Hayden Valley.

Next we arrived at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Some information about the GCY

Next we have Artist's Point in the Grand Canyon.

Thus ends the geological features for a while.  Now to some animals.

Finally, a herd of bison.

Here are two large bulls.  They are usually away from the main herd of cows and calves.  The water in the foreground normally isn't there, except for the high amounts of rain.

Closeup of a bull bison (buffalo).  This was with a telephoto lens.  I'm not stupid enough to get that close with a regular lens.

Here is an elk herd grazing and chilling in a meadow beside the road.  Just cows and calves.  At this time of the year, bulls tend to stay away.

Mary got this picture of a lone wolf from the truck.  He was on the opposite side of the road from the elk herd.  He had been on the same side moments before.

Beast of a small variety. :)

On the 4th day in the park and 2nd day on the east side, we went to Lamar Valley, the Mammoth Hot Springs area, went out of the park to Gardiner, MT.  To get to Lamar Valley, we had to cross Dunraven Pass, 8,859' high.

Views from Dunraven Pass.

Information on Towers Falls.

Tower Falls.

Lamar Valley

Grizzly Mary captured.  The second pic is cropped.  It was taken at 215 mm which is the equivalent of 1200 mm in a regular SLR camera.  This camera is a Cannon Powershot SX50 HS.  The bear was a long ways away.

We continued on to Mammoth Hot Springs, and then out of the park to Gardiner, MT.  I wanted pizza for lunch.

On the way to Mammoth Hot Springs, is this large valley.  I guess it's a valley.  In any case, it was smoothed out by glaciers from the Northern Range.

 The Lonesome Pine.

  A gnarly root system.

The Northern Range.

In 1886 the US Army was sent in to protect the park.  There was no park ranger system at the time.  So the Army was sent.  They stayed for over 30 years until the Park Service was formed. 

Elk "free grazing" in front of the Mammoth Hot Springs visitor center.  This was the Bacherlor's Officers Quarters when it served as a fort.

The Roosevelt Arch sits astride the first entrance into Yellowstone NP.  This arch is in Gardiner, MT.  This is the only road that remains open all year.

Just inside the park entrance is this marker for the 45th parallel, which makes it half way between the equator and the north pole.

This herd of prong horn (antelope) was waiting for their picture to be taken on the way home.

We also found a mountain named for Mary.

Thus ended another day in Yellowstone.

On the 5th day in Yellowstone and 3 day on the east side, we took a boat ride at Bridge Bay marina, and then went south to West Thumb Geyser Basin.  West thumb is pretty close to the Old Faithful ares, and has geothermal features.

Unfortunately compared to the boat ride at Jenny Lake in Grand Teton NP, this one failed.  Jenny Lake boat was open air so pictures could be taken in any direction.  The boat at Bridge Bay was enclosed.  Pictures could only be taken out one window, if you were lucky enough to to get a window.

The mountain peak in the left side of the picture is Grand Teton peak 50 plus miles south in Grand Teton NP.

There was one redeeming value going to the marina that morning.

There were 2 large bull elk grazing on the grass next to one of the parking lots.  Antlers are impressive, even though they are still in velvet.

Next up was West Thumb Geyser Basin.

 This basin is right by the lake and extends into the lake.

 Bluebell Pool.

 Bluebell Pool.

 Bluebell Pool.

 A hot water pool under the lake water.

 Another underwater hot spring.

 Cone Pool.  It's in the water, but the ring is above the water line.

This is Black Pool, although it looks pretty blue to me.

This ends our sojourn in the great and vast Yellowstone NP.  It's hard to get a grasp of just how large it is until you are there and have to drive around in it.

Later.