Mike and I on the rim trail
Part of the trail, steps carved out of stone
One the edge– this whole trail wraps around the edge of the rim of the canyon
new
Continue reading about Canyonlands National Park — September 23, 2007
this log cabin is outside of the park on a road that goes East. It was a nice short drive.
Same cabin area — those are the Teton mountains framed in the window.
The old window of a cabin framing the Teton Mountains
An old farm
a small dust storm blew up out of nowhere, it was a chilly day.
A panorama of the Teton mountains (that is why it is curved as it was “stitched” together from a number of photo’s
another part of the mountain ranges by Jenny Lake, it was very windy as you can see there are waves in the water.
We were taking a short walk to a log cabin and general store in the park today away from the busiest of the areas in the Grand Teton Park – Mike was a short way behind me taking pictures like usual when I almost stepped on a moose!!! Well ok, I was on the path and he was in the grass but he was only about 10 feet from me when I saw him. His family the female and baby were a short way away, I alerted Mike who started to take photo’s immediately of course and then we tip-toed off the path further from the moose family as we didn’t want to alarm the male, we walked carefully closer to a building that was near by when we saw a ranger waving to us to come her way carefully. She was very glad to see that we were going away from the moose and not closer to it (like a lot of dumb tourist in the park do) She told us this male moose had already tried to charge someone who had gotten too close to his family and she and another young ranger were standing guard waiting for a supervisor to come and decide what to do. We took more pictures then walked to the general store and then back over to where the rangers were to see if the moose were standing up to take more photo’s but they weren’t they were still laying down, the supervisor had gotten there and was roping the area off with “police yellow tape” and over part of the trail also so no one would get too close. What a day – that is six moose that we saw today — two “families” this is the season I guess.
The female moose who was a short way away from the male — the baby is near by but we couldn’t get a picture of it.
The little general store near by where the moose were at. The inside of the store is kind of neat, a mixture of museum and store in one. The lady working the store was dressed in 1800’s style dress. I bought a cookbook that was put together by a lady who lives in the Jackson area, she got the recipes from local people and also from the local bed and breakfast places and some restarants in the area, her name is Rebecca Woods and the name of her book is Jackson Hole Cooks! It looks like a really good book and I have been looking through it and finding all kinds of good recipes.
Fall in the Tetons the aspen trees are beautiful at this time of year — most a bright yellow
Continue reading about Grand Teton National Park (from September 20th)
Steep mountain road on the way to Jackson Wyoming
At the campground we are right next to the Snake River, this is our first day (yesterday) at the Jackson Wyoming area, these men are fishing below our campsite area.
Visitor Center at Grand Teton National Park — this center is brand new and has been open less than a month — it is really a neat building and blends into the scenery.
The courtyard of the center
Inside the center, I am standing on a video panel, they are throughout the center, one shows a water scene and it changes every couple minutes, another is of fire in the park, and another was something but I have forgotten what!
A display in the center
Jenny Lake — it is so clear you can see all the pebbles at the bottom (it is about 45 degrees)
On a hiking trail it goes to Inspiration Point.
I stood next to this tree so you all could see how big it is
On the way to Inspiration Point you take a very tiny detour and come to Hidden Falls
Mike took a picture of a British couple and they returned the favor and took one of us.
On the trail, had to take off the flannel shirt even though it was only in the high 50’s it felt much warmer when you are steadily climbing UP the trail. From the very beginning of this trail you go up.
Watching people come down the trickiest part of the trail — we had done this trail years ago and knew what to expect — not for those afraid of heights and narrow trails — it is a drop off on the side. A long drop off!
Me — showing how brave I am! Went up with no problem!
Mike posing to show how large this tree trunk is.
The moose we saw yesterday the 19th after we got to Inspiration Point we continued on, knowing we would not get to do the whole Cascade Trail as we aren’t in good enough shape, along the way people returning told us there were 3 moose off the trail a ways ahead so we kept plodding along and finally found them, they were a ways off the trail and laying down so couldn’t see really well but look in the center of the picture and you will see the rack of the male moose.
At a mountain valley on the trail, look at those fall colors
We are now in a boat that takes you back to the parking area — we took the boat across Jenny Lake to the trail head to save us 2 and a half miles.
a view from the truck on the way out of the park and going back to the campground
Tower Falls very steep trail, we use to love this trail and thought we would try it again, well we got most of the way down and found they closed part of it due to erosion but hadn’t put a sign up at the beginning of the trail to let you know. Mike did get this picture though from the overlook.
A mountain sheep, she is leaving the road at this point and heading down the cliff side, Mike managed to get this shot of her from the truck.
Another mountain sheep (a young male, the horns aren’t real big yet) with the big curled horns taken at the same place
Someone wisely refrained from going after their cap – outside the barriers, too close to the edge, and on unstable, gravelly soil. Just a short while earlier at a more dangerous point we watched someone climb over the barriers to get his hat, he was on the edge of a cliff side – and that was for a ball cap that probably cost less than $5.00 how some can be so stupid, he really could have fallen, at least he stretched out and was holding on to the barrier with one hand, but could have went over the edge.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
another of that
and another
A very twisted set of roots from a tree if you look closely you will see a rock that had settled in the middle of it.
Waterfall at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
part of the trail we took to go down part of the canyon
another section of the downhill to the canyon this trail didn’t really take us all that long to do and I was surprised by that. I guess all the short walks that we had been doing was getting me back in shape and have been able to start doing more difficult trails.
Continue reading about September 17th, Yellowstone – Day 7 (last day)
Sunrise at the campground at West Yellowstone
Fall colors across the state line in Idaho (campground is 4 miles from the state line)
Very hazy day from the forest fires in Idaho – this is the Grand Teton Mountains in the distance
Lower Mesa Falls in Idaho. Beautiful area, Mike says we saw this area years ago when we lived in Idaho but I didn’t remember it.
Wild flowers
Big Falls Inn – Built around 1915 by Mesa Power, company officers planned to harness the power of the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River and Mesa Falls to produce electricity. A license to produce power from the plant was never obtained and the property was eventually sold to Montana Power in 1936. It may have started as a a combination office and residence for workers, but became a popular spot along the old highway to Yellowstone. With it’s spectacular location, it also became a spot for dances and social gatherings for locals, sportsmen and tourists. After it was sold to Montana Power, it was used as a company resort. Over the years, it was also used as a restaurant and dance hall, boy scout lodge, and retreat/meeting hall. In 1986, the Forest Service acquired the lodge in a land exchange. It has since been renovated.
the inside of the building, it is a small museum now and gift shop
Dried flower at the park, I took some of the seeds to plant so now I need to figure out what it is!
Upper Mesa Falls
We took the walk right to the head of the falls, it was really pretty as you can see
complete with rainbow
Looking down the Firehole River
Buffalo near a trail up to an overlook above Old Faithful we were walking to the observation point above the Old Faithful area and had just gotten on to the less traveled dirt portion of the trail when I happened to glance over and saw this buffalo – he was maybe 100 feet from us — no place to go, had to walk very carefully so as not to startle him and keep going!
Then about 5 minutes later I saw an Elk along trail, she was closer to the trail, about 50 feet maybe and she knew we were there, she just kept staring at us while Mike was snapping pictures, we continued on and didn’t see anymore animals on or near the trail
Old Faithful eruption viewed from about 1/2 mile away.
Solitary Geyser. In 1915, the spring was tapped for hot water to put it to use. The level dropped about 5 feet and what had been a calm spring became a geyser erupting every few minutes. The pipe was removed, but the disruption of the balance caused over 90 years ago continues today.
A raven that visited us at lunch. He wouldn’t leave us alone! He and his buddy would sit on the ground or a tree trunk nearby and kept hoping that we would drop some of our lunch – they were disappointed. Along with the raven’s a clarks nutcracker http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark%27s_Nutcracker and several Least chipmunks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Least_Chipmunk joined in and were hoping for lunch also.
Lake Yellowstone Hotel – a panorama. Click on image to see a larger image (it will open in a new window).
Dining room.
Hotel’s “Sun Room”
View of Lake Yellowstone from the shore in front of the hotel.
Churning Cauldron – The roiling of the water is not boiling; it’s huge bubbles of hot gases from deep within the earth.
Too close. She was an idiot! There were more on the other side of her also.
next to the campground there is a horse ranch were they rent horses we were taking a walk and saw them
Inside Old Faithful Inn – a composite image from 21 photos that Mike took; the beams are straight, not curved. That is an effect resulting from the blending of multiple images taken from one spot. Very different looking building isn’t it.
This is the dining room of Old Faithful Inn, on the second floor there is an over look to the dining room for picture taking — I don’t know if that is why it was originally put there of course, but that is what everyone does!
Before supper it was raining a little. We had planned on walking over to see the eruption again to pass a little time until our reservation at 6 but as it was raining we went upstairs to the balcony, part of it is covered so you don’t get wet and it has a perfect view of the geyser - it was a long and loud eruption.
After supper, a very short eruption. This geyser goes off about every 90 minutes so you see it often if you are anywhere near the building.
Camping in this day’s world is certainly different from the camping that we did with a tent 20 years ago — or maybe that was 25 years ago 
A lot of campgrounds have wireless internet connections which make it possible for me to be writing this — as of last week we have our own internet satellite dish which is a secure service. We each have our own lap top computers. I have a sewing machine along which I have been using off and on this trip. We have two TV’s and a Dish Network satellite dish, a stereo and a microwave. Now is this camping or what! I remember cooking over a fire or a camp stove, eating outside or huddled in the tent while it was raining outside. We would be fighting off the bugs – now if the bugs are to bothersome we go back into the camper and watch TV or work on the computer, sew or whatever. I know we are not roughing it – but – sorry been there and done that! As you wander through the campgrounds you will see people in tents, pop ups, small trailers, 5th wheels smaller than ours or larger and the big very expensive “buses” complete with a pull behind garage for their car. One thing we have noticed is that more and more people are bringing satellite dishes with them for computer use or for the TV. We all want to stay connected in this day and age. AND — of course almost everyone has a cell phone and you see people wander through campgrounds searching for that perfect spot to make a phone call where their signal comes in the best!
These pictures were taken the day before yesterday but didn’t have time to get them on here before now.
A Raven — you see these birds out and about all the time — much larger than the crow that we have in Arkansas
A very clear thermal water pool — very hot!
Old Faithful
The crowd at Old Faithful watching and taking pictures — for the middle of September we were very surprised at how large the crowd was, we have been here before in Septmember and there weren’t as many people here.
West Thumb – part of Yellowstone Lake, this is just a small portion of the lake, up near the shore some of the hot thermal waters run into the lake and you will see steam raising on the edges. We are going back over to this area today (Saturday) and will see more.
Early this morning at about 7:30 AM with temperatures at freezing this photo is at the Madison River about 5 miles into the park.
A really good picture of an elk with a big rack. This elk was about 3 miles after the first picture. Good sighting early in the morning — sometimes it is the best time to see the animals.
It was about 40 degrees this morning when we ventured out on a trail, I’m so glad I picked up a pair of gloves as I had forgotten mine at home. It was a really pretty trail by some of the boiling mud pools and steaming water areas.
A large buffalo — I don’t think the people in this car were used to buffalo, most people realize that if you keep moving your car slowly the buffalo will move away from you and go off the road or you just wait it out and it will eventually get off of the road — of course if you move your car you have to do this very carefully – these people thought it was going to attack their car and started to back up and kept on doing so even after we went by in the other lane.
a deer relaxing under a trampoline in the small town of Gardiner at the north entrance to the park — there were about 4 deer in this yard. Later we saw two groupings of elk in the town by a park of some sort.
A “wandering garter snake” I spotted this one while Mike was taking pictures and called him over, I got out my wildlife book to figure out what kind he was. He was very skinny and actually smaller than the picture looks.
Another coyote we saw today
