Monday, July 13
We rise early and are at the Yellowstone entry by 6:15 - along with five or six others who have the same idea. It is 63 degrees already, so today will probably we warm. Cloudy.
We take a different route than yesterday, which takes us past Mammoth Hot Springs. We've visited here before, so take a quick look at this cone and the travertine terraces and move on.
These lovely elk are not far outside of town. We have often seen them in the green areas right in the middle of Gardiner. Notice the pinkish grass? It is very fine and soft, almost feathery and gives a kind of water-color effect.
Next stop is Golden Gate Canyon which has a lovely waterfall.
A sign explains how difficult it was to create this road which originally had wooden support beams in some areas.
The temperature has actually fallen as we rise in elevation - now 48 degrees and a sporadic light drizzle. We stop next at Obsidian Cliff (that's it in upper left);
and then on to Clearwater Springs.
We take the boardwalk down to the geysers which gurgle and steam amid the soft colorful grasses. Nice morning lighting despite the rain softens things even more.
There are many fumaroles in the landscape, including these(white wisps) at rather stark Roaring Mountain.
You can certainly understand where myths and legends about this land came from when you think of Native Americans and early explorers coming across such sites and trying to understand their origins and meaning.
We take a one-way side road for a look at Virginia Cascades where we are all alone.
Next we decide to visit the brink of the Upper Falls of Yellowstone Canyon. A nice walk (in the rain) to some beautiful overlooks and some not so typical pictures of the Yellowstone River.
Again, the power of the thundering water is awesome.
Around the Hayden Valley, we begin to see crowds at the pull outs. Though we can't see any animals, this area is noted for sightings, so finally we stop and Beth asks what the attraction is. It is three black wolves which have been stalking an elk. Beth grabs the binoculars and has a look. They look like three playful (big) black dogs. The elk has escaped into a watery area and the wolves seem to have found smaller prey, pouncing and hopping - perhaps a rabbit or ground squirrel. A little uncomfortable with the number of people, so we move on. (Hmm...it really doesn't look too bad in this picture!)
We see a few lone bison posing along the way, this one surrounded by flowers and sage.
This route takes us alongside huge Yellowstone Lake for quite a while. A few flocks of geese and one or two kayakers are the only things moving.
Many of the trees in this area are stripped of bark on the lower four or five feet. No doubt food for animals in the winter.
We bypass several "attractions", some because they are crowded and some because we have seen them before, and just enjoy the ride. I think we have been to the park five or six times, including an awesome visit in January. Summer is not the ideal time if you are adverse to crowds, but it provides a handy north-south route on our trip - and I love something about it every time.
We exit the park a little after 10:00 and continue south to Grand Tetons. The rain has stopped but traffic is super heavy and though we love some of the sights here, we opt to just continue on our way. 😪 Nearer Jackson Lake and the junction with Hwy 26, there are temporary signs urging people to drive carefully because of bears on the road. We find out later that a Mama Grizzly with three or four cubs is frequenting this area. In less busy time we would detour to Jenny Lake and Colter Bay and maybe even eat somewhere in Jackson Hole.
Instead, we take Hwy 26 away from the parks, southeast towards Riverton. Note to self: This is still part of the National Forest for several miles and a lot less crowded.
We stop at Togwotee Pass for a look. Signs here also warn about grizzlies. I certainly would have no problem keeping 100 yards away from a grizzly - I pledge! That's what zoom lenses are for!
We see a small sign for Brooks Lake and Brooks Lake Campground and decide to check it out. It is about 5 miles of dirt road to this beautiful place.
There is a lodge (looks kind of primitive) here with lots of horses, and two smallish National Forest campgrounds which seem about 1/2 full. A few boats out on the lake - seems fishing is very popular. Greg liked this guy's outfit.
We see a couple of backpackers setting off down this trail. We make note that this would be a good place to spend some time. Today it is a good place for a late lunch!
The wildflowers are abundant in this area! We stop for a few photos on the way back out. So pretty!
We continue southeast and the landscape changes. These painted hills were near Dubois.
We stop for a shot of these guys tending bee boxes. We have seen bee boxes in many areas of the west. Our poor bees need all the help they can get!
And then we come upon the Wind River and Red Canyon. We've camped in the Wind River Canyon north of here which is a bit more forested, but here we are in rocky red terrain which is becoming more arid. We'll have to get the eye drops out again.
It also becomes extremely windy as the land gets flatter, with Greg having to keep both hands firmly on the steering wheel! My sister-in-law who lived in Laramie, Wyoming for years always commented on the winds, and judging by the miles and miles of snow fences we assume this is a year-round phenomenon. The snow fences don't actually stop the snow - they help control the wind, which influences where the wind deposits the snow.
Not much in the way of camping or boon docking spots across this central part of Wyoming, so we push on to the the western edge of the Snowy Range and Ryan Park Campground. We are back in Medicine Bow National Forest.
While a less than spectacular campground, it has an interesting history. First it was a CCC - Civilian Conservation Corps - camp during the Depression. Then, during World War II it housed up to 300 captured Italian and German Prisoners of War. Few remnants remain amongst today's tents and RVs. Beth takes a short hike on the Moose Trail which circles the campground and offers a nice little stream and some pretty flowers. What a brilliant beautiful blue sky!
