50 MILES AND MORE

At the beginning of the summer we joined the 100-mile club and if you combine both of us, we made it.   Dave’s goal was to complete 50 mile by September 06, so Labor Day weekend we hiked over 11 miles in two days so that goal plus was completed.  On Saturday we hiked Monument Trail, which was only two miles roundtrip, however, it had an elevation change of about 700 feet in six tenths of a mile.  It was much more than climbing steps.  Below are some pictures.

Dave on Monument Trail

View from the top

Momma Moose on the way to Mystic Falls

Our goal for the day was to hike five miles and we had only completed two, two very hard and exhausting miles.  We drove about 10 miles down the road to our second hike that we thought we could do before stopping to eat.  This time we were hiking to Mystic Falls, which we had been told was a beautiful site.  In order to reach the trailhead we had to walk the boardwalk at Biscuit Basin.  Sometimes you have to hunt to find the trailhead; luckily Biscuit Basin had a good map.  This hike was fairly level with minimal elevation change and was only about 3 miles roundtrip.  Below is a picture of us at the base of the falls that we got someone to take of us.

Mystic Falls

Us in front of Mystic Falls

 

 

 

It’s now Sunday and another hike, this time 6 miles roundtrip to Shoshone Lake by way of DeLacy Creek Trail.  Three of the Taiwanese girls wanted to go, so five of us, backpacks and all climbed into the jeep and off we went.  We had to drive about 28 miles to this trailhead, which was very easy.  All we had to do was park and walk across the road.  Shoshone Lake is Yellowstone’s largest backcountry lake and has attracted backcountry travelers and explores for hundreds of years.  The pictures don’t do it justice, this was one of the nicest hikes and we would do it again.  We all had our picnic lunches in our packs to eat at the lake while we rested.  We were there almost an hour when I finally took off my boots and walked in the water, boy was it cold. 

Shoshone Lake from the trail

Me, Celeste, Rene and Doris standing in cold water

One of girls took our pictur

We are having such a great time and have met some awesome people,  hope all is well with all of you

WE’VE DECIDED TO STAY

Last weekend after doing our usual shopping in Cody, on Sunday we decided to take a short hike.  After going through our hiking book we decided on Lone Star Geyser Trail.  This was 5 miles round trip to a geyser that only goes off every 2 to 3 hours.  You don’t know when it last erupted until you get there and check the log.  According to the log book it had a major eruption at around 10:00 am and then a small one at 1:00 pm, it was now 1:30 and we weren’t sure if it was going to go off or not.  We waited around for about 30 minutes to see if anything was going to happen, it’s now about 2:00 pm so we decided to call it quits and go back down the trail.  The geyser is about 100 yards from the trailhead and we were almost there when Dave heard something and turned around.  He saw that it was erupting and was about 5 feet in the air.  Now we both turned around and headed back to the geyser to get pictures.  What an awesome site, the erupting went on for about 20 minutes and probably reached heights of about 70 feet or better.  You can’t believe what a site this was, there were about 15 people watching the erupting versus 1500 watching Old Faithful.  It’s special and not something that everyone gets to see when coming to Yellowstone.  The pictures just don’t do it justice.  

Me in front of Lone Star Geyser

Geyser erupting

Trail out

 

I have included some bison jam pictures that I though you might enjoy.

Right in front of the Jeep

Calf licking car

they like to block the road

Business has been slow this week, so we were asked if we wanted an additional day off.  That day ended up being Wednesday, August 24.  It just so happens that this is the day of our Christmas Party, and you know who is the chairperson.  You wonder why Christmas if August, well this is a tradition in Yellowstone since about 1925.  The story goes that there was a snow storm that stranded guest, so the employee’s decided to throw a party since it looked like Christmas outside with the snow and all.  The saying goes Christmas comes but twice a year, once at home and once up here. 

We had a party on the evening of the 24^th, we decorated they store, had entertainment from the store employees and Dave played Santa Clause. We had a flute player; a bison rap and the Taiwanese kids sang jingle bells in English and Mandarin.  We all had a great time and Dave really enjoyed being Santa.

Reindeer,

Santa Dave and Elf Jim

Celeste and Elsie

 

We have really enjoyed our time here in Yellowstone, this is just a beautiful place and tons cooler than Texas.  On Thursday, we found out that they wanted us to stay until the store closes on September 26, so, since it’s still so hot in Texas and we couldn’t make it back in time for the Labor Day campout, we’ve decided to stay.  Now our departure day is September 27, which should put us, home around 5 days later.

This weekend we didn’t do much of anything, I wanted to go up to the Yellowstone Association archive and read some information about the Lake area building.  We drove all the way to Gardiner and then found out they are only opened Tuesday thru Friday.  We decided to look around a bit, had lunch and did some shopping, then headed back.  On the way up we saw either coyotes or wolfs, from the distance I’m taking pictures I can’t tell.  You be the judge.  

We were a long way away

 

This morning (Sunday) we heard there was a fresh kill up in Hayden Valley, so we loaded up the scope, cameras and headed out.  What a site to see the cycle of life in the wilderness.  The area was packed with tourist wanting to view the same thing.  We saw about 3 or 4 wolfs feeding as well as a lot of ravens.  We waited around for about an hour and a half, hoping that a bear would appear, no such luck. I guess it just wasn’t our day to see a bear.  But one did walk past the front door of the store this morning.  We’re never in the right place at the right time to see them.  Don’t know if this is good or bad.

Wolf's feasting on a bison, ravens waiting there turn

 

This afternoon we drove down to West Thumb Geyser Basin.  The basin overlooks Yellowstone Lake and it is a caldera within a larger caldera.  It has active hydrothermal features that exist on the lake bottom here in this area and elsewhere in the lake.  Take a look at some of the pictures.

Seismograph and bluebell pools

Fishing Cone

Black Pool, but its not black

Abyss Pool

 Last, here is a picture of the moon one night.  Good bye and have fun

ANSWER: A CHUCKWAGON DINNER, A BEARTOOTH, A MUSIC REVUE

QUESTION:  WHAT ARE THREE FUN THINGS TO DO IN THE ROCKIE MOUNTAINS?

Over the last 8 days was have done three different adventures.  Our first was going to Roosevelt Lodge and doing the Chuck wagon dinner with Jim and Charlene.  We had a great time riding in the wagon and having steak and cowboy beans while waiting for the storm to hit.  The ride through Paradise Valley was beautiful.

Morgan our entertainment for the night

Cowboy Coffee, mmm good

Cookout kitchen, (all the steak you can eat)

Dave and Jim patiently waiting for the dinner bell. (anyone in Texas thinking of jackets)

Our transportation through Paradise Valley

Today we decided to drive the Beartooth Scenic Highway.  Everyone told us it was one of the most beautiful drives in America.   It took us almost 3 hours to get out of the park because of so many bison jams.  It appears to be the start of mating season, the males are selecting their female but the females were not all cooperative, thus blocking the road. 

On this highway the pass is 10, 974 feet high with the Beartooth Mountain range overlooking us as we went over.  At the top is a US Olympic Ski training site, it has the only ski lift we know of that you ski down first and use the lift to come back up.  It is straight down.  The trip included 50 miles of switchbacks and awesome vista's.  The pictures do not do it justice but I hope you enjoy them.

The point in the middle is Bear Tooth

Switchbacks

More switchbacks

and more

Dave at the top

Me at the top

Red Lodge, Mt (we ate at an English Pub, Dave had Scottish Eggs and I had Cornish Classic Pasty)

Later we decided to stay in Cody for the night.  We went downtown and sat at an outdoor restaurant eating chips and salsa while drinking margaritas.  You would not believe the number of Harleys rooming the streets.  They almost out number the cars.  At 8:00 we went to the Cowboy Music Revue, it is a Branson style show that was very good for $15.00.  It included a 13-year-old female fiddle player that was very entertaining.  To top off the night we went to Albertsons for German chocolate cake and milk.  What a way to top off the evening.  Tomorrow it is back to park, enjoy the pictures.

Nine to Five

Sorry we haven’t posted lately, the Internet at the motor home is not very good and as of today they want to charge, so I am in the car in front of the dorm for our store. 

I have included a picture of my view of the lake when I am working and a picture of our store.  Just so you can see what I look at every day that I am working,  Life is tough isn’t it, ha ha ha.

My every day view

Lake General Store

Schedules have been changing; Dave actually got a promotion this time.  He is now the grocery lead and responsible for ordering all the groceries for the store.  Now we work Monday thru Friday, Dave has normal business hours but I will still have the early\late shifts on alternating weeks. 

We have been on several hikes since our last post, so far for the summers we have hike over 35 miles.  A couple of weeks ago we hike to Riddle Lake trail which I have included some pictures.  We heard sounds in the forest so Dave took out his bear spray to have it ready but it was only the wind blowing the trees.  On the way back home we thought we’d do another trail, this one is named Natural Bridge.  That’s because at the end of the trail is a natural bridge that was used in the early 1900’s when visitor's came to the park.

Us at Riddle Lake

Chipmunk on the Natural Bridge Trail

Natural Bridge

Bull Elk we saw along our drive 

 

We finally hiked Elephant Back trail, this is a trail that has an 800 ft change in elevation two miles.  We had to stop several times on the way up but boy was the view worth it.  The view from the top was awesome; please check out the pictures.  This is the biggest lake I have ever seen, some days when the wind is blowing there are white caps and you would think you're looking at the ocean.

The little pointed roof on the right is our store 

This is the historic Yellowstone Hotel and the lake

 

The next day we hike Fairy Falls trail, which was 5 miles with minimal elevation change, like nothing at all.  A half-mile into the hike there was a trail on the left that would take you up a hill where you can get a great picture of the Grand Prismatic Pool.  The smoke or steam coming off this pool is blue and a beautiful site.

Grand Prismatic Pool

Dave at the trail head which is 1 mile from the car

Margie at Fairy Falls which is 182 drop

 Have to sign off for now, Dave has already gone back to work and I need to get back and change.  We are having a great time and hope you all enjoy the photos.  Take care

RIBBON LAKE TRAIL (classified as easy, ha ha ha)

Well, the day started out a little slow, Dave got up at 8:15 and didn’t wake me until 9:00, 4^th of July festivities must have taken its toll on us.  It must have been too many hot dogs and ice cream.  We finally got ourselves going and decided to go on a 4 mile hike, in the end it was about 4.5 miles through forest and up and down numerous inclines with a total elevation change of 500 feet.  At times we were hiking at an altitude over 8000 feet.  Parts of the trail appeared to be an obstacle course, which I tried to capture in the pictures below.  The name of trail was Ribbon Lake trail; which took up past Lilly Pond Lake and on to Ribbon Lake.  We also hiked up to Silver Cord Cascade, which we could hear it but were unable to capture a picture because we could barely see it. 

On our way home we ran into a bison jam and it turned out to be 3 bison swimming across the Yellowstone River, what a site.

Lilly Pond Lake

Ribbon Lake

Obstacle Course Trail

More log obstacles

Dave contemplating the trail

Bison crossing the Yellowstone River