Too Much to See… Too Much to Do… Yellowstone Days 5-9 Part 5

Day five was an errand day in Idaho Falls (Ammon), Idaho. I was to get two new tires put on the truck while Ray went to his eye appointment. We had a slow leak in one of the front tires and we were also having that checked. It simply couldn’t be a patched tire. We had cracked a rim on our off-road adventures. So two new tires and a new rim later, we were back on the road. $$$$$ to “Cap the stack,” as my mother says, they didn’t have any chrome rims to fit so we ended up with a charcoal colored one. Three chrome rims and one dark rim made for a stylish ride. We did order a matching chrome rim and had it delivered to Arkansas to be installed when we arrive there a few weeks later. We did see some pronghorns and elk on the errand adventure, which was great.

We spent the last few days exploring more areas in and around Yellowstone. It did not disappoint us. We started every morning around eight AM, packed a good lunch with snacks, and we would get back to the RV around nine PM. Glorious days and we were enjoying more and more sun. One of the days included going back out to Tower Falls Road, where we were blessed to see a Big Horn Sheep with her days old baby. I didn’t know the babies are gray but the are and they are adorable. We watched the two of them walk down the steep rock face, cross the road, and then disappear in the direction of the river below. The lamb did not miss a step on the steep slope. It was impressive! As with the other photos, we used a telephoto lense and stayed a good distance away.

We managed to see a Whistling Swan, Sandhills Cranes, another Moose on the loose, elk and bison. We also visited more geothermal sites and watched a few geysers. Everyone wants to see Old Faithful but there are many more great geysers to see, without the crowds of Old Faithful. All in all I rate Yellowstone National Park a 12 on a 1 to 10 scale. I will return again and again. It’s officially my favorite of the places we visited.

Pronghorn
Pronghorn Herd
Pronghorn Herd

Bison on the Yellowstone River
Bison at River

Eagle Nest
Virginia Cascades
Granite

Moss on Granite

Gibbon River
Virginia Cascades
Gibbon River

Dead Tree Cross
Gibbon River
Fly Fishing the Yellowstone

Fly Fishing the Yellowstone
Fly Fishing the Yellowstone
Fly Fishing the Yellowstone

Whistling Swan
Whistling Swan
Whistling Swan

Firehole Springs
Firehole Springs

Firehole Springs
White Dome Geyser
On Firehole Lake Drive

White Dome Geyser

On Firehole Lake Drive
Kepler Cascades

Kepler Cascades
Kepler Cascades
Wildflowers

Yellowstone Lake North Entrance
Yellowstone Lake North Entrance
Thermal Vent

Bison at Thermal Feature
Thermal Vent
Mud-pots

Mud-pots

Pelicans on the Yellowstone River
Pelicans on the Yellowstone River

Elk on Ridge
Elk on Ridge

It’s a Baby Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep

Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep

Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep

Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep

Elk
Moose on the Loose

Moose on the Loose
Moose on the Loose

Sandhills Cranes
Sandhills Cranes
Sandhills Cranes

Henry Lake
Henry Lake
Henry Lake

I really enjoyed Yellowstone and can’t wait to go back and share it with my family. It is a spellbinding place, full of wonder. Next up: Cody, Wyoming! Thanks for reading.

Over the River and Through the Woods, to the Grand Tetons We Go. Day 4 Part 4

We started our day around eight AM. It was a beautiful but chilly morning. Eagles and pelicans were out at our campsite, which started the day wonderfully. We packed our lunch and headed out to Jackson Hole and The Grand Tetons National Park. The sights were beautiful and peaceful, making for a great day.

A little about Jackson Hole: It is named after a beaver trapper, David Edward (Davy) Jackson, who trapped there starting in 1820. He was the first European to stay an entire winter in the area. Although Native Americans hunted the area and used it for religious ceremonies, the valley wasn’t inhabited year round until 1870. The valley lies between the Teton Range and the Gros Ventre Range.

The Grand Teton National Park: It is 310,000 acres just 10 miles from Yellowstone National Park and is part of the Yellowstone Ecosystem. Paleo-Indians hunted in the area 11,000 years ago and were the first known humans in the area. The Grand Teton mountain is 13,775 feet in altitude and rises 7,000 feet above Jackson Hole. The Grand Tetons are the youngest mountain range in the Rocky Mountains, 6 to 9 million years old and were formed by earthquakes on the Teton Fault and continues to shift due to an active fault block. This area is absolutely beautiful.

Osprey
Jared’s Wild Rose RV Park
Osprey

Henry Lake
Pronghorn
Big Fall Inn

Snow Pole
Mesa Falls
Mesa Falls

Mesa Falls
Mesa Falls

Mesa Falls
Jackson Hole

Moi
Pronghorn

Pronghorn
Pronghorn
Jackson Hole/Tetons

Tetons-Cathedral Group
Jenny Lake/Glacier

Jenny Lake
Ray on Trail
Jenny Lake

Elk
Elk
Cathedral Group

Cunningham Cabin
Tetons through window

National Registry of Historic Places
Tetons from Cabin
Glaciers

Jackson Hole/Tetons
Jackson Hole/Tetons

Rafting!
Moose on the Loose

Moose on the Loose
Moose on the Loose

Eagle at camp
Eagle at camp
Eagle at camp

Eagle at camp
Eagle at camp
Eagle at camp

Bald Eagle
Resident pelicans

What a beautiful day. Next up: Day 5-8. Back in Yellowstone and the Henry Lake area. Thanks for reading!

Bison & Pronghorns & Bears…. Oh, My! Yellowstone May 18-30th

We made one stop at Deer Lodge, Montana, Indian Creek Campground at $31.34/night, to break up the distance to Island Park, Idaho. We broke camp early on the 19th and headed to Jared’s Wild Rose Ranch, $45.46/night with Good Sam’s, just 20 minutes from Yellowstone National Park and on Henry Lake. What a beautiful place. The park had full hookups but the spaces were very small. That didn’t matter when you saw the view of the lake and the Mountains. We also had eagles visit us right at our campsite each day. I would definitely stay there again. The staff was also very accommodating and while we didn’t fish, the fishermen (and women) were making many big catches of trout.

View from RV site

We spent several days in Yellowstone and made day trips to the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole. Everything was so picturesque and being spring, the wildlife was in full bloom too. Calves, cubs, fawns, etc. You name it, we saw it. All this means is that the Yellowstone blog will be broken in to several parts. This is Day One – Part One… I must have taken a thousand or so photos. If you are interested in avoiding crowds and seeing a lot of wildlife, I recommend going early in the morning or staying later in the evening. It will make for an amazing visit. We did a little of both and slept well at the end of the day. Please respect the wildlife and stay a respectable distance away and please do not feed them. It causes many of the bears,etc to become dangerous and they sometimes are removed but sometimes they are destroyed. RESPECT! A bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and can run up to 40 miles per hour. Watch for their warning signs and do not get too close. It will keep you safe.

Yellowstone National Park is the first national park in the USA, founded by President Ulysses S Grant on March 1, 1872. It is known for it’s abundant wildlife and it’s geothermal features. It is a hotbed of volcanic activity and is absolutely beautiful. Ancestral Native Americans inhabited the area about 11,000 years ago. The Park is 2,219,789 acres, with 96% in the state of Wyoming, 3% in Montana and 1% in Idaho. The Yellowstone Caldera is known as a “supervolcano” and the largest volcanic system in the USA. It is expected to erupt sometime in the future, which would have devastating effects on the world. Something to look forward to?

The first day we took the route to Madison, Norris, and Canyon Village from the West entrance. It was beautiful. Some of the roads were closed due to late snows but those roads opened in a couple of days. The best way to experience our trip is through pictures, although the pictures cannot capture the beauty. Yellowstone is my very favorite of the national parks that we visited. I want to go again and again. I will!