North East Side of the Park

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This morning came real early. We needed to leave by 6:30 am in order to make the travel to Gardiner, MT (North Yellowstone) for our White Water Rafting Trip. A Section of the top loop is under construction and we were warned it may add a half hour to our travels. After we got through the construction it was time for another Potty stop. As we turned down a picnic loop we saw our first Grizzly and Cub. The cub ran across the road about 25 feet in front of us and momma stopped and watched. On our morning travels we also saw two wolves playing about 100’ from us. We had already seen elk, buffalo, deer, and prong horn. It sounds like we were lucky to have seen the wolves.



We were one of 5 families to brave the cool morning air – just shy of 60 degrees at launch. Rafting here was nothing like the Poconos. Everything gear wise was included, the bus ride was short, our guide (Calvin) joined us in the raft, and the river had rapids. Calvin was a funny guy who bantered well with Grace. He even tried to recruit her for employment. The water had spots to rest, but when it was time to work, we did and got very wet. At one point he let Grace and Alex jump in to swim, but for less than 30 seconds. The water had a very strong current.



Knowing we were so far away from Home base we had decided to pack food and provisions for a long day. After rafting we found a great picnic area with an awesome view and one lone shade tree over the picnic table. It was close to the river, so we put our feet in after eating. Again timing was great. By the time we came up from the river, the lot was full and all the tables taken. I’m starting to think people are seeing us as trend setters.



The north and east side of the park had a couple tourist stops we wanted to see, so that was next. We walked the Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs and took selfies with Wraith Falls. While we were at Mammoth Hot Springs a storm was approaching. This provided for some well appreciated cloud cover. We even made back to Sid before any major rain.



As we traveled past Tower-Roosevelt and into Lamar Valley, we continued to see lots of wildlife. Jody had eavesdropped well and heard Lamar Valley has been a productive area lately for animal sightings. It sure was and it brought the “car on the road parking” people out in full force. We did manage to see a couple more bear, a heard of buffalo, and a few other natural inhabitants.



At the recommendation of a local, we heard Lamar Valley had some very nice trails for riding. We found an appealing trail head and quickly stopped to pull the bikes off for a nice ride in Yellowstone. Once we crossed the first knoll it all went downhill or should I say uphill. The flies started to get bad and the elevations went up. Grace and Jody made it part way up followed by Jordan a little further. Alex and Alexis tried, but had to turn around when the climb got steep. No amount of gearing was going to help us up the last leg. The trip back down was great and about the only relief to the flies.



It seemed we were about done for the day so we decided to head towards the campground. As we followed the loop Alex found a gravel road and had to take it. It was the road to the top of Mount Washburn – about 10K feet above sea level. The view was awesome and breath taking, literally. Alex may have found his highlight of the day as he made a snowman from some of the remaining snow caps.



We returned to the campground but not before Jordan and Alexis stopped for some more 50 cent Huckleberry cones. The end of the day was a nice dinner on the grill followed by showers and a game of skip-o. We are tired and ready for bed. Thanks for reading. Tomorrow is more adventuring in Yellowstone. Maybe we will find a better place to ride and some great hiking trails. The tourist locations are off the list.

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Comments

[Marian]

Happy trails!
I Love seeing all your pictures! Praying for a safe journey as you move on.