Yellowstone Day #4

On Day #4, the bottom dropped out. Snow. Tons of it.

Considering that we live in Utah, this shouldn't have been a problem.

But... Seeing that it was June and our packing space was limited, we didn't prepare for the coldest of weather. :-(



This was the view from the hallway window. Wow, it was coming in sideways!

Sadly, the weather wasn't the best for little tykes to go out.






But that didn't stop all the adults (except me) from going into the park to take in the winter wonderland.

Check out Old Faithful in the snow!









Yep...Making snowmen in June.
Still think Global Climate Change is a myth? ;-)






I've got to say that our trip to Yellowstone was one of the most unusual and fulfilling experiences of my life. Best of all, I was happy to see my mother take in these natural wonders and enjoy an experience of a lifetime.

I'm really grateful that Mom was able to visit us and see Amy.
We miss you, Mom. Come back soon.

OK, Buffalo. Take us home!

Yellowstone Day #3

On the third day at Yellowstone, we tried exploring the more mountainous part of the park.
Our plan was to check out the Norris Geyser Basin and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Compared to flatter, thermal areas of Old Faithful, it was a real change. (MAP)

Take a look!

This is a shot of Gibbon Falls. It gave us a taste of what to expect in the rocky North.

Beautiful, no?










At Norris, the fam and I took a walk through the Back Basin Trail. Yeah, it was a little tough to push Mom around in the seat. But seeing her enjoy the hike was worth it.







Boy was it cold!!!
We took our breaks in steamy areas to keep warm.
The brimstone made it kinda stinky, though.








The scenery was incredible. I'm worried none of these photos will do it justice.








This is the Veteran Geyser.
It was a perfect place to warm up. There was a bench and a big ol' steam cloud...







That is, until the wind picked up.
Brrrr!!!








After Norris, we took a short trip East to the Canyon Village Visitor Center. Better bundle the girl up!








The visitor center was great.
Vince got a huuuge kick out of the large interactive map.








I have to admit, it was pretty darn cool.









Amy wasn't too jazzed with the map, but she did enjoy getting out of the cold for a while.








After the VC, we walked down to the lodge to enjoy some lunch.
No lines for us. We packed it this time!








Mom really enjoyed stabbing her watermelon to death.
Good for her!








Once we were done with lunch, it was time to take in the upper falls observation area! Unfortunately for Mom, we had to park the wheelchair and she had to walk all those stairs.

We were all a little worried...





But the view was great.

Here's the approach....











...and here's the plunge!











As usual, still pics can't explain it like a video...




There was even a little rainbow at the drop.
Gorgeous.






This was a shot of the observation point across the river.
Remember this place because it's important!









I shot another vid just because.



Lisa took this shot of one of the smaller brooks that flowed into the canyon. She's got quite a camera eye.












And here's another one!












I'm happy to say that Mom made it down and up the stairs without a hitch. She was so happy and we were all proud of her.








On our way back to the car, Amy decided to take a nap.
Lucky me.












Our next stop was the Uncle Tom Trail viewpoint.
Remember that shot I mentioned? This was it.









And while the shot is sideways, I still think it's nice!



The scenery was so strong, it's almost like it imposed itself on Vince and made him pay attention.

He was really into it.
(By the way, that's the Buzz Lightyear we got him at Disneyland last year in his hand!)




Eh, Amy was just cold. But she was very well-behaved.
Lis and I were proud.








More of Lis' nature photos. I would have never seen this cascade had she not shown it to me. Good eye, babe.








And wouldn't you know it? We finally got a great shot of an antlered elk. Hoo-ah!







While the trip was breathtaking, we were glad to get back to the hotel.
Amy was happy to be out of the wind and in a warm tub.
It was a terrific reward for the best little girl in the world!

Yellowstone Day #2

We were a bit more prepared our second day in.

On our first stop, we checked out a place Mom had wanted to see called "Biscuit Basin."





This place was really thermally active!
There were a ton of hot pools and mini-geysers bubbling all over the place.

And while the wind was a little cool...




...we didn't mind too much.

Vince really got a kick out of the boarded walkways. Talk about a spoiled hiker!





As for Mom, I think she was still getting over the shock of finally making it there. She was very excited.







Amy didn't complain either. Even with the wind and the cold, she was a perfect little peach. Lis' and I were tickled pink.












Out of all of the basin's thermal features, I was most impressed by the Sapphire Pool. Even though it's only eighteen feet wide, it's over thirty feet deep! (And over 200 degrees....Yikes.)






Before we left the basin, I took this picture of Mom by the Firehole River. While I'm not a photographer by any stretch of the imagination, I am particularly proud of this shot.






After Biscuit Basin, the crew and I took another shot at the Old Faithful area. We stopped at the Old Faithful Lodge for some really good (yet overpriced) cold cut sandwiches.






Then came the wait.
After our meal, we had about a 30-40 minute wait before the next eruption. Hoping to keep Kimosabe busy, I let him play with his camera.









Yeah, he took some nice shots.
(Which he soon after erased because the camera's memory was already choked full of pictures of his feet, the walls, the carpet, his hands and other indiscernible blurs. Ah, Autism.)








But the wait finally paid off and we were treated to one of North America's most beautiful natural wonders.












Want to hear the funny part?
Vince got a bigger kick out of the ruckus we made when the geyser went off!

What a cutie.
I think this picture says it all.



Souvenir shopping abounded after Old Faithful's spurt.
But Vince and I just kicked back outside and tested the rocking chairs.

And at $500 a pop, you too can own one of these lovely pieces of furniture!







OK. After the spree, we toured the world-famous Old Faithful Inn.
Completed in 1904, this building is one of the oldest structures in the park!






Wow, 104 years old and still looking good.
The vaulted ceiling inside the lobby was humongous.
And they even have an observation deck at the very top.
(Sadly, it was closed that day.)








I took this picture for a couple of reasons.
First, I wanted to show off the gigantic fireplace and chimney inside the lobby.
But secondly, I wanted to prove to all the worried parties back in CA that we did get Mom a wheelchair. See?








As a final treat, Grandma Porch treated everyone to a cold beer and some rest at the Bear Pit Tavern. Vince and Amy passed on the brewski in exchange for some ice cream instead!






So we come to the "Honorable Mention" portion of this post.
Amy was extremely well behaved the whole day. Her outcries were minimal and her mood was bright and warm, unlike the weather.
I'm so proud of my little cherry blossom!

With day 2 come and gone, the lot of us returned to West Yellowstone with a happy heart and a head full of wonderful memories.







Day #2 Videos:



Day #3 coming soon!

Yellowstone Day #1

You know, some people would be eager for some rest and maybe some food after a long road trip.







But not us.
As soon as we got to West Yellowstone, MT, we unpacked, washed the dust off and took a drive into the park!






I'm not too sure if you can make it out, but our welcoming committee turned out to be one of the park's more venerable residents, a bald eagle!






But the real locals out in force were these guys.
No foolin', there are always tons of buffalo out on the roads of Yellowstone.






And they've got the run of the place, too.
They had a knack for wandering out into the road and hanging out for a bit. This caused some pretty sick traffic jams!






Eventually, we decided to take a walk along the Fountain Paint Pot hiking trail. It was completely boardwalked for safety. But wow, was it cold!!!






The scenery however, was beautiful!
All over the trail, there were these wispy long plumes of steam that reminded me of "Excalibur."






They bubbled out of these piping hot geysers and pools that were superheated by the Earth's mantle.








The real treat of the trail were the fountain paint pots. These were perpetually boiling pools of mud that blorped and bubbled like some witch's brew. It was wild to see convection at work.






Sadly, Vince wasn't as big a geek about geothermics as I was. He was just cold. But even in the cold, he was a good sport. He didn't mind the walk too much. And I really believe he enjoyed feeling the steam on his face.





Mom was just as freaked out over the cold. I don't think she'd ever experienced anything like it.







The high-point of the trail was the geyser font at the far end.
Hoo-wee! It was windy!







After the hike, we drove around the Old Faithful area.
I always figured that we might see a celebrity!







Finally, it was time for some dinner and a good night's sleep.
On our way out, we were treated to a whole herd of bison.
Calves and everything.






We can't wait till tomorrow!
Be ready for more.






Now enjoy the videos!