August 24, 2018
I was SHOCKED to find the weatherman was very wrong about Yellowstone weather. And I live less than 100 miles from any part of Yellowstone, as the crow flies, so I thought I had brought enough clothes and bedding. But the forecast changed for the cooler as I got there and we even had a forecast of rain for one day. Julie is from Florida and has a hard time envisioning the summer weather here, which is colder than most of her winter weather in Florida. So I decided I needed to get some more bedding, long underwear, jackets and warm shirts. I forgot the hats I intended to get.
I was fifty miles from home but it was a two hour drive. I got up early with a plan to look for wildlife along the road back to West Yellowstone. I could only see a flock of female elk, some with a baby, from any of the pullouts. So I headed on home where I cooked a late breakfast, gathered up my extra stuff, and put up a quick blog about my wonderful hike along the Yellowstone River that I had done on my first day.
Then I headed back over the dusty dirt road for the first twenty-two miles, and drove into and out of Idaho and Montana, and finally into Wyoming in my two hour drive back. I also crossed the Continental Divide three times, once as I left Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge through Red Rock Pass, and twice as I took the long way back to Norris around the Grand Loop Road. I knew Julie and I would hit all the most important spots, so I just stopped at a few lesser spots, some I didn't remember visiting before and some where I had a very slim chance of seeing eruptions.
If you would like to see where the places I'm talking about are, click here for a map of Yellowstone.
My first stop was to drive the Firehole Lake Drive. It has a couple of geysers that go off on a sort a schedule.
I didn't have wi-fi or phone service so I've built up lots of adventures to share. I plan to spend most of the weekend writing blogs. I did a lot of editing of my pictures while Julie drove after the light was low enough to see.
And I only have thirteen more days to work until I leave for Capital Reef and the Grand Canyon. Then I'll spend some time at my next summer home in Colorado. I'll try to get two or three blogs out each week. Stay tuned.
I was SHOCKED to find the weatherman was very wrong about Yellowstone weather. And I live less than 100 miles from any part of Yellowstone, as the crow flies, so I thought I had brought enough clothes and bedding. But the forecast changed for the cooler as I got there and we even had a forecast of rain for one day. Julie is from Florida and has a hard time envisioning the summer weather here, which is colder than most of her winter weather in Florida. So I decided I needed to get some more bedding, long underwear, jackets and warm shirts. I forgot the hats I intended to get.
I was fifty miles from home but it was a two hour drive. I got up early with a plan to look for wildlife along the road back to West Yellowstone. I could only see a flock of female elk, some with a baby, from any of the pullouts. So I headed on home where I cooked a late breakfast, gathered up my extra stuff, and put up a quick blog about my wonderful hike along the Yellowstone River that I had done on my first day.
Then I headed back over the dusty dirt road for the first twenty-two miles, and drove into and out of Idaho and Montana, and finally into Wyoming in my two hour drive back. I also crossed the Continental Divide three times, once as I left Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge through Red Rock Pass, and twice as I took the long way back to Norris around the Grand Loop Road. I knew Julie and I would hit all the most important spots, so I just stopped at a few lesser spots, some I didn't remember visiting before and some where I had a very slim chance of seeing eruptions.
If you would like to see where the places I'm talking about are, click here for a map of Yellowstone.
My first stop was to drive the Firehole Lake Drive. It has a couple of geysers that go off on a sort a schedule.
 |
| The sign says I could see the Great Fountain Geyser go off between 9:45 PM today and 1:45 AM tomorrow- I didn't wait |
 |
| A view of the structures building up in the field around the Great Fountain Geyser |
 |
| Looking across the Great Fountain Geyser Field to the White Dome Geyser |
 |
| White Dome Geyser still goes off but at long and variable intervals |
 |
| A little geyser along Firehole Lake |
 |
| I stopped at a picnic area and found two bison bulls hanging out in the shade. |
 |
| Kempler Cascades on the Firehole River - I didn't remember stopping here before |
 |
| A shoreline view along Yellowstone Lake |
 |
| This bison must have been caught in the LeHardy Rapids - that is where I found the separated bones of his carcass |
 |
| Some of the LeHardy Rapids - great place to look for Harlequin Ducks in early May |
 |
| A view of the Yellowstone River between Yellowstone Lake and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone |
 |
| Where the Yellowstone makes a wetland |
 |
| I think these bulls have contests to see who can slow the most cars - sometimes there were scores of cars creeping behind a lone bull, often in places where he could not get off the road for a half mile or more. |
 |
| Yellowstone has fewer swans than we do, but they are easy to find along the Yellowstone River as it comes out of the lake |
 |
| A very smoky sunsut |
 |
| One of the few times I made it back to camp before dark |
 |
| Last red reflections from the smoky sunset |
I didn't have wi-fi or phone service so I've built up lots of adventures to share. I plan to spend most of the weekend writing blogs. I did a lot of editing of my pictures while Julie drove after the light was low enough to see.
And I only have thirteen more days to work until I leave for Capital Reef and the Grand Canyon. Then I'll spend some time at my next summer home in Colorado. I'll try to get two or three blogs out each week. Stay tuned.
No comments:
Post a Comment