September 2007 We visited Yellowstone again

MT and WY: Since we had had such a great time at the Big Horn Canyon and Mountain area, we returned to take the boat ride that was cancelled and to take one of the passes we had not been able to (Shell Canyon to Greybull, WY). The boat ride was windy and cold, but thoroughly enjoyable...since we had dressed for it! Amazing canyon vistas.

Big Horn Canyon. See August's photos for pictures from the top of the rocks.

Weird caves that earlier indigenous people used for shelter and burials.

We checked on the Pryor Mountain wild horses again (since they are nearby) and found the three we had seen two weeks ago, but also found two new ones in the same area.."Sam" and "Hightail," his mare. The moose had gone down the mountains to warmer places, so we didn't see any of them. The morning brought only fog and very cold temps, so we headed back via the Shell Canyon route which we could see is breathtaking in the right weather...but not that day. With the fog it was all we could do to watch the road, which, since it's open range, can be "surprising" at best....sheep and cattle on the road in places.

Hardin, MT. A cooler day arrived and we visited the Big Horn Battlefield which was much busier than we expected. On a Wednesday and almost all the parking places were filled for cars and all of the ones for RVs were filled. It was windy, but that was a welcome relief from the 90 degree heat. We found the park well planned and much more impressive than we expected. If it hadn't been as hot, and if my knees weren't still pretty new, we would have walked further on the walkways. However, there's a 5-mile loop tour for cars that takes you to all the highlights. The circular Indian Memorial is impressive, as are all the marked spots of where both the Indians and soldiers fell...each defending their individual beliefs of that time.

Looking down the "Last Stand Hill" with the locations of where the soldiers fell marked with marble markers.
General Custer's marker is "flagged" and has the darker letters.

"Last Stand Hill" seen from below.

Yellowstone National Park. In mid-Sept. we traveled (without the rig) into Yellowstone National Park for the second time this year. This was a 3-night trip, staying over in various park lodges so that we could drive less and see more. One thing we noticed is that the burn scars from the fire of 1988 are now much less noticeable than when we visited the park about 5 years ago. The park is growing back nicely from the fires and where you once saw the barren greyness, you now see green. Plants and animals seem to be returning to those areas.

The weekend couldn't have been more "picture perfect" although I tend to like weird weather for my photos. We stayed overnight in Gardner, MT just outside the north entrance Friday night and got an early start the next morning.The mist was almost too much early in the morning to see the various geysers, mudpots, and little hot pools. It was worth it, though, to get up and see Mammoth Hot Springs area in the early morning light (along with hearing a few bugles from the elk.) We found out too late our first day that the hotels will make up box lunches, so this day we "toughed it out" with granola bars and trail mix. (The next two days we made sure to get those box lunches! They made a big diff! The locations to eat are few and far between in this park!) We walked the various geyser basins and looked for wildlife (plenty of bison and elk) and ended with dinner (good pizza) at the Grant Lodge's Lake House (on the lake). Grant Lodge offers basic motel units...poor beds and pillows, but clean and convenient. We were lucky the second day to be at the Upper Geyser Basin to see BOTH Grand Geyser and Riverside Geyser go off within a half hour of each other. Lots of "bison jams" but no bear jams where we were. We did see some Trumpeter Swans (rare) and a darling little fox. That night was at the Lake Hotel overlooking Lake Yellowstone, a lovely, restored hotel from the late 1800's. (Food here was excellent and beds were better...pillows not.) Returning "home", we went over the Beartooth Highway again. No snow on it yet, but soon. Aspen are just turning. Next trip into the park...mid-Oct. Can't wait!

Mammoth Terrace

Thumbnails only, so click if you want to see the fullsize image.

Mammoth Hot Springs Area

Riverside Geyser, Porcelain Basin with men working, Old Faithful, geyser basin, Grotto Geyser, Grand Geyser, geyser basin, lovely colors!

Trumpeter Swans, Hayden Valley Bison, Fox, Bison, Gibbon Falls, Lower Yellowstone Falls