The Oregon Trail - Day 20

So far, this is the coldest place we have been - Missoula, Montana - 25 degrees at 8:30 a.m. and a beautiful day. 

Montana is just full of huge cattle and sheep ranches and you can see for miles and miles in all directions with mountains way off in the distance.  I actually saw my first moose of the trip.  It was laying in the shade of a sign near some horses in a pasture.  Not exactly a Kodak moment, but at least I saw one.  They are large ugly animals only a mother could love. 

We actually arrived at Yellowstone National Park right after noon, but had to drive for several more hours before getting to West Yellowstone near the main entrance to the actual geyser park.  We ate lunch at the Gusher Restaurant and Pizza Cafe.  Most everything in the town was closed down for the winter.  This was the only eatery open at all.  I would say this is the very best time of year to be sightseeing in this area - no crowds, lines and the prices are excellent.  We went on and got a room at the Hibernation Station.  It is a cute little mom & pop type place with individual cabins with a fireplace and front porch.  After unpacking the car we decided we would spend the rest of the afternoon in Yellowstone driving around the upper/small loop.  There are two driving loops, one small and one large, where you can basically see the entire park.  The small loop is in the northern part and immediately upon entering the park we saw a buffalo and then two elk.  I was thrilled and just clicked away with my camera.  The whole park was just beautiful.

 I spotted a large plume of smoke through the trees and I thought it might be Old Faithful.  Johnny promptly informed me it was a cloud.  Well, it turned out to be one of the many geyser basins that just dots the whole middle of the park.  Most interesting.  The water is actually boiling in some of the pools and holes in the earth.  Steam is escaping from others.  Some pools are sending spurts of hot water into the air for several feet.  Seems like everyone of them is a bit different.  We wanted to see it all and just couldn't pass up anything.  We saw hundreds of elk, many of them right down in the middle of the little resort area of Mammoth.  We saw buffalo everywhere and in no hurry to move out of the middle of the highway.  The buffalo seem to be able to walk in the geysers without the boiling acid water causing them any harm.  I was very careful to keep my feet on the path like they advised.  Don't need to eat the bottom off my tennis shoes for no reason except curiosity.

We stopped at Norris Geyser Basin to see the geysers and got robbed!

We were walking back to the car and noticed two large ravens near our car.  Johnny just casually stated that he hoped those birds had not gotten in our car.  He had left the sun roof open - my perch for taking pictures of the buffalo and elk.  We got in and checked and everything was fine.  When we got to the next scenic stop, we decided that we would get a snack.  Seven individual sized bags of potato chips were missing and one in the car had beak holes all in it.  Those rascals had robbed us!  I bet some of the other tourists had seen them and thought it was funny.  We were just so glad the birds didn't get all excited and pooh all over the car.  Maybe they will have a cholesterol attack after eating all those greasy chips.

We stopped to view the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone about sundown and got some beautiful pictures.  Just up the road was Roosevelt Lodge and then the "Road Closed" sign!!!!   Uh, oh!!!!

Now what?  We were almost 80 miles into the park and there was only one way out - back track!!!!  What if the other gate was also closed at dark?  We were resigned that we might have to rough it in the park in the car.  I certainly was not about to pitch the tent where the deer and the antelope roam - and bears!!!!  Our other problem was the number of huge animals roaming very slowly around every bend in the road.  So the trip to back track out of the park took about two and a half hours.  We were some kind of relieved when we finally made it to the west entrance and the gate was still open and we had not run down a strolling buffalo or elk.  Home sweet cabin!  After it was all over and we were free, we just laughed and laughed and wondered what would have been so bad about spending the night out there.  We surely did enjoy that sandwich in our cabin about 10:00 p.m.  We'll try the big loop tomorrow bright and early.


Marmalade's Side of the Story

Well, today was really, really good and really, really scary.  Now I know what Nonnie was talking about seeing a yellow stone.  That is the name of the big, big park where you ride and ride and look at cool stuff.     I am just glad I did not have to sleep in the car.

I did see lots of BIG animals.  I got to sit on yet another buffalo. It was not real.   I feel like a cowboy.  The real ones were walking very slow and had big mean looking eyes.  I think they were looking at Nonnie sticking out the top of the car.  It was kind of funny. 




It was pretty funny when the birds ate our snacks.  They were bigger than me.  I thought they looked like buzzards. 

Those geysers that spew water and steam up out of the ground were very stinky sometimes.  They smelled like eggs.  Maybe I did finally see why they call the park Yellowstone.  The Yellowstone Grand Canyon mountains look yellow and lots of the other mountains were yellowish in color, too.

Sidney, I am holding on so I won't fall over and get a steam bath.  I am going to go sit by the fireplace before I go to bed. 

Me and the longhorns.  I just might become a cowboy.  Baker, do you have a cowboy hat I can use?