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| Big horn sheep Ovis canadensis |
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Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Animals of Yellowstone - Big Horn Sheep
One of the animals I have been wanting to see is a big horn sheep. I looked for them in Alaska with no luck. I have been several other places where they are found but have never seen one. I had expected that when I did see one they would be up on a cliffside far in the distance. When we came upon another traffic backup I was expecting it to be for elk or bison. I was pleasantly surprised to see it was for two big horn sheep, not up on a cliff, but instead sitting in a field of grass just along side the road.
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Animals of Yellowstone - Bison
We probably saw more bison in Yellowstone than any other animal. The most impressive view of bison in their natural habitat was in Hayden Valley. We were there toward the end of the day, and the lighting was perfect.
We also drove out to Lamar Valley as this is supposed to be a hot spot for seeing animals. We saw plenty of bison there, but not in the numbers we had been told are possible. They were also further away, so less easy to photograph.
When you see the cars in front of you slow down, it usually means there are animals to be seen. In some cases the bison on the side of the road were so close to my Prius that Betty could have reached out to pet them. I did want some good photos, so I insisted that she roll down her window before taking this picture.
We witnessed one fight between two bison, and the loser ended up crossing the road in front of us. Since I had to stop to let the bison cross, I didn't feel guilty about taking this photo from my car.
We also saw a nice group of bison on the shores of Indian Pond as Betty and I were starting our hike on Storm Point Nature Trail. Whenever there were bison or other animals near the road, there was usually a park ranger at the scene to make sure people kept their distance and also try to keep the cars moving.
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| Bison in Hayden Valley Bison bison |
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| Closer view of bison in Hayden Valley |
We also drove out to Lamar Valley as this is supposed to be a hot spot for seeing animals. We saw plenty of bison there, but not in the numbers we had been told are possible. They were also further away, so less easy to photograph.
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| Bison in Lamar Valley |
When you see the cars in front of you slow down, it usually means there are animals to be seen. In some cases the bison on the side of the road were so close to my Prius that Betty could have reached out to pet them. I did want some good photos, so I insisted that she roll down her window before taking this picture.
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| Bison grazing right next to the road as cars drive by |
We witnessed one fight between two bison, and the loser ended up crossing the road in front of us. Since I had to stop to let the bison cross, I didn't feel guilty about taking this photo from my car.
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| Bison crossing the road |
We also saw a nice group of bison on the shores of Indian Pond as Betty and I were starting our hike on Storm Point Nature Trail. Whenever there were bison or other animals near the road, there was usually a park ranger at the scene to make sure people kept their distance and also try to keep the cars moving.
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| Bison at Indian Pond |
Animals of Yellowstone - Elk
Our first animal sighting in Yellowstone was elk. The place where they are sighted on a regular basis is along the south side of the east entrance road in a field beside the Madison River shortly before you reach the Loop Road. There were elk there almost every day in the morning as we drove in and in the evening as we returned to our cabin. The problem was that cars would slow down or stop in the middle of road to take pictures from their car rather than pulling over. In the evening, this sometimes resulted in long delays up to a half an hour or more to get past the elk.
The elk are totally oblivious to humans. As we drove through Mammoth Springs, there was a small herd of elk sitting in a grassy field right next to buildings and parked cars. As we drove out of Mammoth Springs, there was a male elk with a HUGE rack of antlers that I would have loved to photograph, but I had to keep both hands on the wheel so I missed the shot.
You never knew when an elk was going to cross the road. This one sauntered across knowing he had the right of way.
I had to add this photo of an elk with a 12 point rack.
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| Elk in field by Madison River Cervus canadensis |
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| Typical view of elk with head down in the grass eating |
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| Finally an elk lifts its head out of the grass |
The elk are totally oblivious to humans. As we drove through Mammoth Springs, there was a small herd of elk sitting in a grassy field right next to buildings and parked cars. As we drove out of Mammoth Springs, there was a male elk with a HUGE rack of antlers that I would have loved to photograph, but I had to keep both hands on the wheel so I missed the shot.
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| Small herd of elk in town of Mammoth Springs |
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| Elk calf in grass at Mammoth Springs |
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| Male elk with modest rack in Mammoth Springs |
You never knew when an elk was going to cross the road. This one sauntered across knowing he had the right of way.
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| Large male elk crossing the road in front of my car |
I had to add this photo of an elk with a 12 point rack.
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| Male elk with a 12 point rack |
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Exploring Yellowstone - Fires
Rather than doing a day-by-day, chronological blogging of our week at Yellowstone, I am going to make blog entries by topic such as animals, waterfalls, geothermal features, etc.
I will start off talking about the fires.
We were glad to be staying a little south of West Yellowstone as we had smoke free skies at our cabin during our entire visit. There are currently 5 fires burning in Yellowstone. On our first day driving through the town of West Yellowstone and the west park entrance, the air was thick with smoke from the Maples fire. Fortunately, the smoke cleared by the time we reached the Loop Road, so it did not impact our visit. On subsequent days we could see the smoke from the Maples fire in the distance, but the wind was either not blowing or blowing in a different direction, so we were not driving through the smoke. All Yellowstone roads remained open throughout most of our stay.
As we drove into the park each day through West Yellowstone, we passed by the "fire camp".
On the outskirts of town there was a field with many large tents such as the one shown below. I suspect this was a bunk house tent for fire fighers who did not choose to sleep in their own tent among the trees behind the field. The advantage of the bunkhouse tent is there were heating/air conditioning units for the tents.
At many of the roadside pull outs, the park service had posted signs giving the updated status of the active fires in Yellowstone.
One evening as we were driving back to our cabin on the west Yellowstone road, we spotted this line of fire fighters as they were returning to their trucks to drive back to camp for the night. There was a group of elk along the river bank that they spooked as they hiked.
After spending 4 full days in the park, we decided to spend Saturday doing some sightseeing in the town of West Yellowstone. It was a fortuitous decision as the Maples fire seemed to have flared up. The photo below shows the smoke as seen from the town of West Yellowstone. When we headed back into the park the next day, we didn't encounter any smoke except in the distance.
There was also a fire in the north part of Grand Teton National Park. The night before we were to drive from Yellowstone to Grand Teton the winds picked up and caused that fire to flare up. As a result they closed the road that goes from the south entrance of Yellowstone to Grand Teton. We ended up having to drive around the outside of Yellowstone on the west side and enter Grand Teton from the south. It was the less scenic but faster route.
I will start off talking about the fires.
We were glad to be staying a little south of West Yellowstone as we had smoke free skies at our cabin during our entire visit. There are currently 5 fires burning in Yellowstone. On our first day driving through the town of West Yellowstone and the west park entrance, the air was thick with smoke from the Maples fire. Fortunately, the smoke cleared by the time we reached the Loop Road, so it did not impact our visit. On subsequent days we could see the smoke from the Maples fire in the distance, but the wind was either not blowing or blowing in a different direction, so we were not driving through the smoke. All Yellowstone roads remained open throughout most of our stay.
As we drove into the park each day through West Yellowstone, we passed by the "fire camp".
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| Fire Camp sign as you enter West Yellowstone |
On the outskirts of town there was a field with many large tents such as the one shown below. I suspect this was a bunk house tent for fire fighers who did not choose to sleep in their own tent among the trees behind the field. The advantage of the bunkhouse tent is there were heating/air conditioning units for the tents.
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| A bunk house tent for fire fighters? |
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| The fire fighters' personal tents |
At many of the roadside pull outs, the park service had posted signs giving the updated status of the active fires in Yellowstone.
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| Map showing the status of the active Yellowstone fires |
One evening as we were driving back to our cabin on the west Yellowstone road, we spotted this line of fire fighters as they were returning to their trucks to drive back to camp for the night. There was a group of elk along the river bank that they spooked as they hiked.
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| Fire fighters returning after a day working on the Maples fire |
After spending 4 full days in the park, we decided to spend Saturday doing some sightseeing in the town of West Yellowstone. It was a fortuitous decision as the Maples fire seemed to have flared up. The photo below shows the smoke as seen from the town of West Yellowstone. When we headed back into the park the next day, we didn't encounter any smoke except in the distance.
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| Smoke as seen from West Yellowstone on Sept 10th, 2016 |
There was also a fire in the north part of Grand Teton National Park. The night before we were to drive from Yellowstone to Grand Teton the winds picked up and caused that fire to flare up. As a result they closed the road that goes from the south entrance of Yellowstone to Grand Teton. We ended up having to drive around the outside of Yellowstone on the west side and enter Grand Teton from the south. It was the less scenic but faster route.
Monday, September 5, 2016
Arriving at our cabin outside the east entrance to Yellowstone
We arrived at the cabin we rented shortly after 4 pm on Labor Day.
The cabin is located in Island Park, ID, about a 15 minute drive to the western entrance to Yellowstone National Park. We found it by using the Vacation Rentals By Owner (VRBO) web site. Our cabin, plus its "sister" cabin, are run by Two Top Trading, a family run operation. We couldn't have been more pleased. The place was spotless, spacious, and nicely decorated. The owners seemed to have thought of everything. Betty and I enjoyed coming "home" after our very long days exploring Yellowstone. It was also great to have use of a washer and dryer after being on the road for 2 weeks. You can check out the rental listing in VRBO here.
Below are a series of interior photos of the cabin. I should have taken these on our arrival, but failed to do so. Instead these were taken as we were heading out the door. You will see two of the beds unmade since the owners ask you to do this so they know which linens have to be cleaned. Also the laundry basket is there with the other dirty linens from our stay. Otherwise it looks pretty much like we found it.
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| Our home for a week |
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| Sunset view from cabin Henry Lake can be seen in the distance |
The cabin is located in Island Park, ID, about a 15 minute drive to the western entrance to Yellowstone National Park. We found it by using the Vacation Rentals By Owner (VRBO) web site. Our cabin, plus its "sister" cabin, are run by Two Top Trading, a family run operation. We couldn't have been more pleased. The place was spotless, spacious, and nicely decorated. The owners seemed to have thought of everything. Betty and I enjoyed coming "home" after our very long days exploring Yellowstone. It was also great to have use of a washer and dryer after being on the road for 2 weeks. You can check out the rental listing in VRBO here.
Below are a series of interior photos of the cabin. I should have taken these on our arrival, but failed to do so. Instead these were taken as we were heading out the door. You will see two of the beds unmade since the owners ask you to do this so they know which linens have to be cleaned. Also the laundry basket is there with the other dirty linens from our stay. Otherwise it looks pretty much like we found it.
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| Living room with stairs to loft TV had Dish satellite |
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| Kitchen has all full size appliances including a dish washer |
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| Lots of hooks by the front door Towels on shelf for the jacuzzi on the front deck |
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| Betty's bedroom with her own thermostat |
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| The bathroom also had its own thermostat |
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| Looking down at living room from loft That is a bear resting on a log above the TV |
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| Loft has 2 queen beds and a nice sitting area The full size washer & dryer are behind the doors |
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| View of the two queen beds from the loft's sitting area |
Sunday, September 4, 2016
On our way from Glacier to Yellowstone
Our drive down from Glacier to Yellowstone went smoothly. We broke it up into two days, staying one night in Helena, MT. The cost of a room with two beds was the same as a suite, so we opted for a suite. It felt very luxurious to have a small sitting area with a couch, chair, and coffee table.
We arrived in Helena in time to do a little sight seeing before dinner. Because it was drizzling, we decided against the open air historic train ride and instead visited the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts. The historic 26 acre site located on the outskirts of town was once the Western Clay Manufacturing Company. They have a couple galleries open, and visitors also can walk the grounds and see some very old beehive kilns used when it was a brickyard.
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| Suite at Comfort Inn Suites Airport in Helena |
We arrived in Helena in time to do a little sight seeing before dinner. Because it was drizzling, we decided against the open air historic train ride and instead visited the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts. The historic 26 acre site located on the outskirts of town was once the Western Clay Manufacturing Company. They have a couple galleries open, and visitors also can walk the grounds and see some very old beehive kilns used when it was a brickyard.
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| The Pottery Museum |
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| Betty at one of many outdoor art pieces |
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| A covered picnic table Pieces of pottery are found throughout the grounds |
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| Entrance to beehive kiln being restored |
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| Exterior of beehive kiln |
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| Interior of beehive kiln |
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Glacier National Park on the Canadian side
On Saturday we drove north to see the Canadian version of Glacier National Park. Shortly before crossing the border one gets a nice view of Chief Mountain which is on the very eastern edge of the park.
The border crossing went smoothly, and they let us go across with the fruit we had packed for snacks.
The waiter who served us was wearing a kilt. His co-worker, the doorman, also wore a kilt. I suspect he was a bit cold as even I wore long pants that day.
After lunch we took a hike in an attempt to get to Chutes Bertha Falls. We had seen Cameron Falls which was just a few steps off the road, but we wanted to take a short hike. We saw a doe and her fawns near the trail head, and then proceeded up the trail. After hiking for about an hour, we had still not reached the falls, so we had to head back as our permit for Waterton Lakes National Park was only until 4 pm.
Returning across the border back into the States was a breeze, although we found the Canadian border guard to be more friendly.
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| Chief Mountain |
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| Betty at the Canada border |
One of the attractions we wanted to see was the Prince of Wales chalet. We learned about this serendipitously over dinner one night in East Glacier Park. The restaurant Serrano's had a very long wait list, and the kitchen was backed up. Betty had struck up a conversation with another couple from Denver, and when they were seated at a table for 4, they invited us to join them rather than continue waiting for our own table. As it was getting very late, we accepted. Even the waitress was happy for us be seated together, and said there was no problem doing separate checks. The couple showed us a picture of the chalet indicating they planned to visit it the next day. It was a great suggestion. Betty and I arrived at the Prince of Wales just as the dining area started serving lunch, so we managed to get a table right in front of a window overlooking the lake.
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| Prince of Wales chalet |
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| Our table overlooking Waterton Lake |
Not only was the view tremendous, but the food was delicious. For my foodie friends, I thought I would include a couple pictures from our meal. In addition to the salad shown below, I had a bowl of butternut squash soup which is one of the best I have ever had. Betty thoroughly enjoyed her shepards pie.
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| Spinach & berry salad at Prince of Wales restaurant |
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| Shepards pie at Prince of Wales restaurant |
The waiter who served us was wearing a kilt. His co-worker, the doorman, also wore a kilt. I suspect he was a bit cold as even I wore long pants that day.
After lunch we took a hike in an attempt to get to Chutes Bertha Falls. We had seen Cameron Falls which was just a few steps off the road, but we wanted to take a short hike. We saw a doe and her fawns near the trail head, and then proceeded up the trail. After hiking for about an hour, we had still not reached the falls, so we had to head back as our permit for Waterton Lakes National Park was only until 4 pm.
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| Cameron Falls in Waterton Lakes National Park |
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| Fawn at Chutes Bertha Falls trail head |
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| Glimpse of Waterton Lake from the trail |
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| Betty on Chutes Bertha Falls trail Note the bear bell on her pack Joe carried the bear spray |
Returning across the border back into the States was a breeze, although we found the Canadian border guard to be more friendly.
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