August
10 – Everyone was up just after 8. I
made a big breakfast of sausage, blueberry muffins, eggs and mixed fruit. I think everyone was stuffed!
Harry
had a phone meeting with his employer at 10 so Bill and I got showered and
packed the cooler while he was “working”.
Bill unloaded the car so the back seat was empty for Harry and the
cooler. There was a line at the entrance
to Yellowstone , but since we were late leaving
we really couldn’t complain. Traffic
moved OK in the beginning but then there was the “wildlife sighting” back
up. There were a couple of female elk
and a baby but luckily there was a ranger to move traffic along.
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| Firehole Falls |
Our first stop was the one way turn off to Firehole Falls
. Fortunately there was a spot in the parking area so we got to stop and get a good look at the falls and some nice photos.
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| Black Sand Geyser Basin |
The
first 2 geyser basins were backed up out in to the road so we just continued
on. The 3rd basin, Black Sand Basin, had parking
and no major traffic so Bill stayed in the car while Harry and I did the
boardwalk. There was the large number of
Asian visitors that we encounter on every visit to the park. We took some nice photos and got in some
exercise along the way.
Traffic
was not as bad as we expected at Old Faithful . I think it was our timing as we were a little
off. We arrived shortly after the last
eruption. We parked and Harry and I took
the cooler and went on up to the Visitor
Center Old Faithful had a couple of false starts but eventually
erupted. It’s always a site to see no
matter how often.
Once
we were ready to disband, Bill took the cooler to the car and was driving
around to the general store while Harry and I walked to Old Faithful Inn so he
could see it. Then we walked next door
to the general store. Once Bill arrived
we got ice cream and sat outside and enjoyed it until it was time to circle
back.
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| Prismatic Spring |
We
headed back to the geyser basins we didn’t get into this morning. Midway was still difficult getting in to but
once we managed that with busses, RV’s and cars vying for entry, we found a
handicapped space and since Bill has a handicapped hanger we snagged it. We all did the walk this time and some of it
was a bit on the stinky, sulfur side.
The mists off the geysers were pretty warm too. Prismatic Spring in the back of the basin is
the most beautiful. That’s where we took
the most pictures.
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| One of the paint pots |
Fountain
Paint Pot was pretty easy getting in and getting parking. Bill sat that one out as it’s a long
boardwalk to the Paint Pot and other geysers.
Harry and I did the whole walk and it’s not the most impressive but each
basin has special characteristics.
We
had planned to go to the Great Fountain Geyser but there was an accident of
sorts and they blocked off the road and it’s one way so no going in from the
other side. We were pretty geysered out
by then anyway.
The
traffic out wasn’t as bad as when we arrived but there was a slow down again
where the elk were. Two were along the
river in high grass just laying. One was
only a few feet down the embankment grazing and a crazy woman was 6-8 feet from
it. Of course this time there was no
ranger around to keep her back or move the cars along. There was a line of them pulled off on the
other side of the road, but at least they were not blocking traffic.
It
was too early for dinner when we hit West Yellowstone
so we headed back down the valley to Big Springs to see if the moose might be
out, but no moose tonight. So we ended
up at Café Sabor and were seated outside and had a view of the river while we ate. The food was good and we left full. It was relaxing watching the kayakers and
rafters drifting back in to shore.
It
was nice not having to cook when we got home, just empty the cooler! Bill opened our mail packet and he read his
magazine while I did email and my journal and Harry talked on the phone and did
work or pleasure on his laptop.
I
helped Bill with his allergy shot and relaxed with a book.
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