Yellowstone National Park - Day 3- Julie Arrives

August 25, 2018

Click here for a map of Yellowstone to see where we were.  This was between Gardiner and Norris Campground. 

I only had to drive less than two hours to the airport in Bozeman to pick up Julie at 1:30 PM in Bozeman.  I left early so I could have an excuse to eat at the Nova Cafe and then drive a few more blocks to one of my favorite libraries. I also had to leave time to pick up the fresh groceries. But all too soon Julie plane's was landing and I was making my way to the arrival gate.

(A word about Julie.  She is the same age as my youngest daughter but feels like my twin. I met her over the phone at Okefeenokee NWR when she called for information on paddling the Swanee River out of the refuge. I got her to write my only guest blog on that trip she did with her father. Then we met in person on a overnight paddling trip she invited me on.  Since then, we have met up a few more times and now I plan for her to meet up with me at least once a year. I've also visited her several times and expect to do so again this winter. She is one of the several wonderful people that live across the country but I consider my very good friends and which I've scored as part of my volunteer life.)

The day started with a smoky sunrise  

We have arrived- at the north entrance gate

Julie was ready to start her adventure immediately, so we had kept our swimsuits and towels at the ready.  We stopped at Boiling River for the hot soak.  Actually, we got a lot of exercise spinning our bodies around as we usually could only have one side hot while the other side froze. And struggling back up through a chute with high current gave us even more exercise. 

The Boiling River soak spot that is hot water coming out of the springs at the right, as well as one higher up

Our first stop after the soak was to photograph some of the Mammoth Elk who give birth right in the grassy areas of Mammoth

The most visible feature of Mammoth

We didn't get to the Mammoth features until the sun was disappearing  

The view seemed entirely different in this light

The golds were more darkly golden

Whites turned silver

I took this picture on the way by in the morning

Getting darker

Closeup of one of the features

I shot this straight down into a pool - aren't these amazing?

Another closeup

One of the Mammoth Elk grazing near the public restroom

We stopped at a pullout to catch the disappearing sun

We ran out of light to see the upper drive area at Mammoth but left that for the following Thursday. 

By the time we got home, it was almost 9:00 PM. Julie got her tent up and started a fire with logs I'd bought and wood she scrounged while I fixed a quick supper. We decided to save our steaks for the following night, when we planned to get back earlier.  I stayed up way past my bedtime enjoying wine and the fire, but still gave out before Julie.

Since Julie and I are both a little ADHD, we egg each other on.  Be warned, we may have to divide our reports of our days, just to not wear YOU out. Please share your memories or other comments. They really are fun for me to go back and read in subsequent years.

I have so many blogs covering our visit, I'm going to put out two during this week.

On the personal front, as I put this blog out, I'm starting my last eight days. It is a bittersweet time as I will probably never see some of my favorite people again as my boss and the maintenance person are retiring this winter.  And I'm getting excited about visiting my next summer home in Colorado and getting to return to Georgia for the winter and meeting back up with lots of friends and colleagues. 

Mammoth in Macro

September 22, 2015

I've been lucky to get to see Yellowstone several times this summer, once by myself, and three times with different friends. So I've also seen a lot of the features several times. But, fortunately for me,  the seasons, the light and our own personal viewpoints have been different and thus each time I saw the features newly.

On this visit, I was with my friend, Laurel, who is looking for artistic pictures, rather than just documenting a visit. On my last visit to Mammoth, I concentrated on landscapes. I just realized I didn't show you any of my pictures. They are the early pictures in this album. (To see it in full screen as a slideshow, click on the first little icon on the top right-hand side.)

This time, Laurel had already visited Mammoth while on the way to meet me so we only did a little at the very top and back of the the main feature.  And I was more interested in the patterns and macro views.  These don't give you much sense of the big picture, but I think the little bits are interesting also.

These are formed by mineral deposits

An even closer look

I'm not sure if these are living organisms or artifacts built from the minerals

But those tendrils were swaying and seemed to be the consistency of raw egg white.

One landscape view

Second Try For Yellowstone

July 13, 2015

After spending most of day trying to get a campsite in Yellowstone, I got up early on Monday and as soon I stopped for a cup of coffee, I was on way.  I got to Norris campground around 7:00 A. M. where several campers were packing up to leave. I filled out an envelope, except for the site number,  and started on the hunt.  I liked number 80 and the tag on the post said the current owner would be leaving.  I asked him if he would mind if I put up my hammock and he said no, so I removed his tag and added mine to the post, then hung my hammock.

Then I had to go get my tire fixed. I thought I could get it fixed in the park, but found I did not have service at Mammoth, so had to go another five miles to Gardner. There I got  two pieces of bad news. My tire was ruined and also, the guy who changed my tired over tightened my lug nuts and stripped two of them. (Note to self: Don't let guys use the new lug nut wrench.)

The repair shop had to order them and then wait for the delivery truck to come bring them. I sat on the outside deck and read a book until the sun started getting bright. Then I asked the guy where I could find a coffee shop and was directed to a lovely, funky, bookshop/coffeeshop/cafe. I got a cup of coffee and read again until I started wanting to take pictures. So I went back to my car to get my camera, only to find the car was ready, at barely noon.  So, with all my problems fixed, I relaxed and looked around Mammoth a little, especially stopping at the Visitor Center and getting information on hiking.

Never got to use my hammock here or on this day at all. 

A pond near Norris Campground

This Entrance Gate road is being redone making the area easier to transverse

View of the Gibbon River

The coyote exhibit - one of several beautiful exhibits of the large mammals -
 at the Mammoth Visitor Center

I loved the bathroom tile 

Mammoth Visitor Center has just been completely renovated and is well worth visiting

The Mammoth elk that were lying around only feet away from the sidewalk

This was the most energetic elk - he was chewing his cud

I saw this couple on a hill overlooking Mammoth Village

I got back to my campsite in the early afternoon, only to find a huge tent on my site and a different tag on the post.  I hunted down the host who only offered me a site between several paths to the bathroom, directly across the street.  I agreed to take it but only for one night and asked him to just save me a site around the edge the next morning so I could leave at 6:00 A and go see some of what I'd come to Yellowstone to see.  Late in the evening I went off to see Yellowstone Canyon, hike down to the brink of the upper falls, and visit Artist Point.

Along the North Rim Trail

I think this is the creek that makes Crystal Falls as it comes out of this chamber

View of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from the Brink of Upper Falls Trail

The brink of upper falls from the platform 

Hikers on Uncle Tom's Trail as seen from the platform over the brink

View of canyon near the beginning of Trail to Artists Point

My version of the most photographed spot in Yellowstone -
View from Artist's Point to Lower Falls

The obligatory bison picture - at the turn to Norris Canyon Road

After this, I came back to camp to eat supper, and edit pictures, before going to bed early.  Then I waited until 2:30 A.M., when the neighbors finally went to bed, to get to sleep.  I was awakened at 4:30 by another obnoxious neighbor illegally  starting up his generator. Not very fun camping.

But I got an early start at Norris Geyser Basin. Check the blog Wednesday for that story.

Tomorrow,  I'll be headed back to Norris campground to reserve a site to share with my best friend, Natalie, and her cousin, Lynn, who will meet me there tomorrow afternoon. I thought I was going to have to go to West Yellowstone today to solve my Internet problems, but I can get on the internet from our office.  I worked thirteen hours yesterday in order to clear today to leave. But I didn't finish my mowing - the mower managed to lose a pin that held the belt to turn the blades.  That job will probably still be waiting when I get back Thursday night.