Grand Teton National Park – Big Honking Mountains and Yellowstone Surprise

Grand Teton National Park – Big Honking Mountains

September 17, 2013

Due to overnight heavy thunderstorms followed by heavy rain we slept in until 0900. What the hay? We headed south anyway hoping for breaks. We got them as the storms were scattered with nice breaks in between. We got lots of pictures of the mountains in Grand Teton NP. What we did not see were Moose. Bah Humbug! We did see a deer and a small herd of Prong Horns, horses, and many Aspen and Birch tree turning yellow to orange. All in all we had a good final day of touring on this trip. We start our journey eastward tomorrow with a long drive to Medora, ND. Maybe good internet and I can catch up some on these back-logged blogs. What’s TV or televis—or something like that? I also have this strange sensation dates and days of the week have meaning or importance.

Jackson Lake - normal lens

 

 



 

Jackson Lake - Wide Angle camera

Jenny Lake View

 

 

Yellowstone National Park to Medora, ND – Two Final Surprises from YNP

September 18, 2013

So we hit the road after a night of heavy rain and gaze off to the east and the mountains…well I’ll be, THAT is snow atop them mountains. We missed out at 7800’, but at 9000’ or so all the mountain tops were white with the first snow of the Fall Season. It is time to head to lower elevations. Our second surprise was passed on by a truck driver…bear ahead on the right. You know if you try hard enough and don’t worry about the slope, you can get a motorhome and car off the road. OK the outer dual on the roadside was a bit off the ground. But I got my pictures of bear number 6, another grizzly.

Da Bear

 

Da Snow

We drove through Cody, WY and we will have to get back to visit Shane and Robin. It is a beautiful area that needs some exploring.

Nearing Cody, Buffalo Bill Reservoir - looking back west towards Yellowstone



Driving north towards Montana

 

Yellowstone National Park – Grand Loop and Old Faithful

Yellowstone National Park – Grand Loop and Old Faithful

September 16, 2013

Day 3 dawned with clear blue skies. Our plan was the Grand Loop with first stop at Old Faithful. We had time to spare so I could read email (cell service there) and even take some pictures with my phone and post them to Facebook! Old Faithful let loose at the right time with a nice display. The best pictures are here, not FB. We decided to head to our northernmost point, Artists Paint Pots and work our way back south. From there it was Monument Geyser Basin and Beryl Spring, then Gibbon Falls.

Old Faithful

Firehole River

Artists Paintpots

Artists Paintpots

Artists Paintpots

Artists Paintpots

Artists Paintpots

Gibbon Falls

Monument Geyser Basin

The WATCHERS

Fountain Paint Pot Area

 

After some more driving we arrived at the Lower Geyser Basin with several geysers and pools. We walked the plank there…oh boardwalk. While trying to take a picture my hat fell in the water, but I got it back. Our next stop was Firehole Lake Drive and especially the Great Fountain Geyser. It was due to erupt so I forced myself and the family to sit in the warm sunshine for an hour while we waited. We certainly were not disappointed. While we were waiting, White Dome also went off twice, so it was a relaxing hour well spent. During our chatting with others we were told this am the buffalo kill area up in the Lamar Valley, was sporting the big male grizzly, the big mama grizzly and her 2 cubs, and 5 wolves vying for the remains. Ah well, can’t be everywhere. Our last real stop was the Black Sand Basin for some great pictures.

Great Fountain Geyser

Great Fountain Geyser

Great Fountain Geyser



White Dome Geyser

 Below are from the Black Sand Basin

Yellowstone's Version of the Jammer

 

On our drive back up along Yellowstone Lake another bear made an appearance. Some folks were out taking pictures along the road. As I drove slowly past the bear (looked like a grizzly to me) was about 10 yards away from the picture takers in the woods. If it was a grizzly they were OUT OF THEIR FLAMING MINDS, since they were in a chase postion!!!

 

Yellowstone National Park – North Loop

Yellowstone National Park – North Loop

September 15, 2013

Day 2 was much nicer weather with some blue skies and clouds that was a lot better for panoramic view pictures. So we got lots of those. Our route took us north to Canyon Village, west to Norris, north to Mammoth Hot springs and the North Entrance, east to Tower-Roosevelt and south to base at Fishing Bridge. While driving north along the Yellowstone River, we spotted 2 Trumpeter Swans and got a good picture of those. We stopped and walked the Norris Geyser Basin to see the geysers and many different colored pools.  We had to go up to the North Entrance to see the Teddy Roosevelt Arch and saw some Big Horn Sheep resting atop a rock outcropping. On the way we stopped at Mammoth Hot Springs.

Hayden Valley and Yellowstone River

 

Buffalo in the Hayden Valley

Trumpeter Swans on the Yellowstone River

 

Yeah it sits there, boils and stew and bubbles steam, stinky hot air, but does absolutely nothing worthwhile!!!

 

Norris Geyser Basin - Porcelain Basin

 

Norris Geyser Basin - Porcelain Basin

 

Pinwheel Geyser

Run-off stream showing varied colors of algae

Emerald Spring

 

On the Road to Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hots Springs - Upper Terrace formation

Mammoth Hot Springs

The pictures below are all Donna's from her and Katherine stroll down the path below the Upper Terrace Road.

Yellowstone Big Horns

Of course a drive through Gardiner, MT meant a stop for ice cream cones. The drive back south to Mammoth Hot Springs the Elk made the grand appearance along the Gardiner River Valley. There was a large herd including 2 very nice Bull Elk. I got some pictures of both. On the dive up the mountain toward the Mammoth Campground I heard Elk bugling real close (open window) and spotted another Bull Elk coming up a draw. A quick U-turn and a spot to just big enough to pull off gave me some great shots of this Bull including one I’m naming “The Bugling Bull”.

The Teddy Roosevelt Arch at the North Entrance

Herd of cow Elk with young

Thank you Lord for letting me see him.

"The Bugling Elk"



"The Bugling Elk"

Black Bear and Rose Hips

On the drive home we stopped at the Petrified Tree and through an area full of rose hips (just west of Tower). Oh my, lots of parked cars and people on the roadway…a bear! This one was a Black Bear. We stopped too. It was just down off the road happily chowing down voraciously on rose hips and paying no attention to us humans 25 FEET away snapping pictures. He was deep in the bush and hard to see except when his head popped up to get at the higher branches. Thank goodness no rangers yet as everyone was way too close. THEY insist on 100 yards which everyone ignores!