Buffalo Sunday
West Yellowstone, Montana: Okay. Let's start out right away
with four things.
1. We know there may be escaped murderous prisoners in this area. We did not
know this until you all told us though. We were in Yellowstone National Park all
day and never heard a thing, did not see a WANTED poster. Nothing. I understand
one of the prisoners was aided in his Arizona prison escape by his fiance, who -
conveniently enough - is also his cousin. I can't make this stuff up. Rest
assured, DT and I will be vigilant. I hope they catch these murders right away,
or I hope they are eaten by bears.
They murdered RVers. Remember Linda & Gary Haas, both 61, of Tecumseh,
Oklahoma in your prayers tonight.
2. I know the animals are bison and not buffalo. Bison Sunday just didn't sound
as cool.
3. We had every sort of weather imaginable today. We used the air conditioner
and the heater in the Honda. We needed only tee-shirts at times or we needed
sweatshirts, rain jackets, hats and sunglasses. It rained. It was 80+degrees.
There wasn't a cloud in the sky. The sky was black. There was no wind and it was
so windy we could barely stand up.
4. It is already very late as I type this column. DT and I did not return from
our drive around the lower loop until nearly dark... so I am just going to post
a few photos and call it a night.
A bubbling pool in the Firehole Lake Drive area.
White Cone Geyser erupts about three times an hour. I did record video
of this geyser and will post it later in the week.
Pretty wildflowers blooming along the Yellowstone River.
These flowers were along the Yellowstone River by
LeHardy's Rapids - where the river begins as it leaves Yellowstone Lake.
We had seen quite a few animals - swans, ravens, eagles,
geese, elk, songbirds and dragonflies - already today, but between
Fishing Bridge and Canyon Village we saw hundreds and hundreds of bison.
They were everywhere.
Causing traffic to come to a halt. Our Honda weighs
about 4 pounds more than this bull. We waited for him to cross the road.
I used by big lens and stayed far away from the bison.
They can run 30 miles per hour. I cannot. This little guy is having a
snack. The males are staying close to the females this time of year -
mating season is coming up soon!
Seriously. One of the lucky bison babes will sleep with
him.
Though there are actually bison in this photo... little
dots on the other side of the river... the vista was just stunning.
Let's call this shot "DT with Bison". I have video of
the bison scratching his head on the nearby rock.
This old guy is done with the ladies. Now he just wants
to wallow in mud holes and dust bowls.
Getting one last meal before sundown.
Yellowstone Falls - as the Yellowstone River leaves
Yellowstone Lake and cascades through the Grand Canyon of the
Yellowstone. The names are not very imaginative here, but at least you
know where you are. We were between 6000-8400 feet elevation all day. We
crossed the continental divide several times. We heard about 20
different languages. We helped a family break into their car. We had a
picnic in front of a geyser. It was a wonderful day.
But never have we been in Yellowstone when it was this crowded.
Actually, we have never been in Yellowstone when it was crowded at all.
We could not find a place to park at Old Faithful. I thought we had made
a wrong turn somewhere and were possibly in Disneyland. Lines and crowds
were shocking. Traffic jams - not helped by road construction. Parts of
the day were not enjoyable.
Until you witness this lovely mother-and-child
encounter. Except it wasn't a mother-and-child encounter. It was a baby
trying to grab a little milk... and she was not his Mom. She booted his
sorry butt out (after giving him this little sniff, just to make sure he
wasn't hers). Then he cried and his Real Momma came running.
Want to know the rest of the story?
All of these people were there to witness the adorable
mother-not-child encounter with us.
Oh, don't you worry your pretty little heads about crowds. We will find
a way to make Yellowstone our own.
Until my next update, I remain, your vigilante correspondent.
RV Park:
Grizzly RV Park. We feel this is the best
big-rig park for a visit to Yellowstone. Just
outside the west gate, the park has 50-amp
pull-through and back-in sites. Wifi, laundry,
bathhouse, playground, dog walk area, store -
everything you will need, plus all the amenities of
West Yellowstone, Montana - post office, shops,
groceries, restaurants, tour companies, museums,
etc. We are paying $48 per night.