Back to Yellowstone!

Midway Geyser Basin

August 17 – Bill wanted to be up and leave at 8 for Yellowstone but it was 9 when we left.  The crowds were not nearly as bad as we’ve seen them in the past.  We saw a number of bison on the way in which is the first time we’ve seen more than one along that section of

One stretch of the basin

road.  We stopped at Midway Geyser Basin and were excited that we got a parking space on the first try.  Normally cars are overflowing along the road sides.  The Grand Prismatic Spring is the major attraction there but the hot spring water flowing over the banks into the Firehole River is really impressive.  There’s a long boardwalk up and around most of the springs and geysers.  There were bison prints in some and even writing done by some jerk tourist. Why would someone want to ruin what has taken nature years to

Grafitti at the basin

create?

Wonderful tour busses!

Again there were many Japanese and several tour buses.  We were definitely in the minority.  Once section of a spring is flowing over long grass and it looks like a tree knot formation.

Along the walk to Fairy Falls

A little further down the road was Fairy Falls.  The parking area is really small but we found a spot along the road.  It was disappointing as we didn’t know to see the falls it was a 2.5 mile hike one way.  We took a couple of photos of some geyser pools and headed down the road to Biscuit Basin.

They call it Biscuit Basin because 4 days after the earthquake in 1959 one of the geysers starting spewing mineral chunks

Cool formation at Biscuit Basin

that landed around the geyser that looked like biscuits.  This area has some very interesting formations and geyser pools.  These are things that can only be formed by nature

Water flow at Biscuit Basin

and we get very upset when we see what some people can do to them.  Unfortunately everything is open 24 hours a day so anyone can come at night.  Also there are numerous hats and visors that get blown off of people at many sites.  The rangers use long grabbers to get some of them but many are too far out.

In front of Old Faithful Inn

Our timing was perfect as we arrived at Old Faithful at bathroom break time and lunchtime.  We parked at the General Store since they have restrooms and picnic tables

Huge geyser cone in Upper Basin

but as our luck would have it after we came back from inside the tables were all taken.  We just sat in the car and had our picnic lunch.  While we sat there we spotted a bison right along the sidewalk to the upper Geyser Basin where we were going after lunch.

By the time we ate and walked out to the geyser basin the

Buff in front of Old Faithful Inn

bison had moved but we still got some photos.  I had forgotten to bring my extra camera battery so didn’t get many photos on it.  I had to use the photo option on the video camera.  It zooms better but the resolution wasn’t set as high.  We did another long walking loop which we both

Castle Geyser

needed.  The basin is up a bit high so we got a beautiful view of the Inn and some shots with the loan bison in front in the field.  Towards the end the skies were turning gray and I was getting a bit uneasy as I DO NOT like lightning and it was cooling down fast also.  We walked faster and got back to the Inn just as the drops started.  Bill headed to the restroom and I waited for Old Faithful

Today's Old Faithful shot

and of course I got to see it but he only caught the tail end. By the time it was over the storm had blown past or around so we walked back to the car and headed back to West Yellowstone.

On the way out we drove the Firehole Lake Drive in hopes of catching Great Fountain Geyser going off.  That’s the one I took great shots of on the wrong setting and they came out white!  Well, we sat for quite a bit and it wasn’t doing anything so we finally left

Great Fountain Geyser Cone

and on the way we saw the elk at their regular spot but nothing else along the way.

Can barely see the mountain for
the haze

In West Yellowstone we parked and got an ice cream.  That local Wilcoxson ice cream is so good.  I love the Cream Coffee flavor!  We need to get out of here as I never eat ice cream except when we travel and coffee ice cream is my downfall and my extra pounds this trip!  We stopped in some shops and got some good deals on gifts for the family and stopped at the grocery and decided on some deli roast beef.  Bill was excited that I was making it with gravy and mashed potatoes for dinner with a side of steamed broccoli.  It’s a 15 minute dinner and I only do it 4-5 times a year! 

The smoke from the Montana and Idaho fires are still bad and people are asking if they are getting close. 

 We watched some TV and chilled.  Tomorrow we are going to Rexburg!