YELL Day 20

Tuesday 07/09/2013 I failed to mention in yesterday's post that we camped in the park at Lewis Lake for the weekend. The day after Shoshone Lake, we visited Biscuit Basin and hiked up to the Mystic Falls Overlook. Oh, my. Did I mention I don't work at the cave anymore? This was a three mile loop with some elevation involved and I am getting wimpy in my old age. However, it was beautiful and we had the place to ourselves. We also visited many other geyser basins and there's just no way for me to capture everything with my little digital (but I persist in trying! oh, I persist). So that was nine miles of hiking for me in less than twenty-four hours. K wanted to hike from Black Sand Basin over to Old Faithful so he could see some cool stuff along the way. I just didn't have another two miles in me, so he hiked and I drove. I immediately purchased a large ice cream cone and sat outside on the porch at Old Faithful while meeting lots of new friends from all over. People are so friendly and chatty and excited to show me their videos and pictures of Yellowstone, Gettysburg, the Statue of Liberty, and everywhere else they've been. One man gave me a hug goodbye as they left the area. Ice cream and technology--brings folks together. K showed up and promptly purchased ice cream for himself.

YELL Day 19

It would seem I keep wearing the same clothes for hiking. In fact, I guess I mostly do. We have been suffering from mosquito bites and yet it's been warm. Putting on sunscreen and bug spray as I step from the shower has become my daily routine. I despise all the chemicals, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I prefer to be comfortable and there are no clothing stores, so my life is very simple and I apologize for the repeated wardrobe on various days. Must work on that!

We hiked to Shoshone Lake, the largest backcountry lake in Yellowstone. It was a beautiful six miles round trip, but you know what? I don't work at the cave anymore and I'm not used to hoofing it six miles in one day. First thing I did when I got there was rip off my Keens and wade into the lake. Ahhhhhh.....!!! Heaven! You should go for the DeLacy Creek Trail! If I can do it, you can do it!

YELL Day 18

K gives boat tours and I bought a ticket for a ride one day. It was great although it did rain and there were a few white caps on the lake. The captain's name was also Ken and the two Kens were quite the little tag team. We slowly made our way out of the marina (leave no wake) and when it was time for K to stop talking and Captain Ken to take it up a few knots, the Cap'n asked, "Ready Freddy?" And the ranger answered, "Let's rock and roll!" I still chuckle about it, the communication between men. It was like Goose and Mav on Top Gun.

A Parade So Unique!

Lake is the only area of the park that puts on a Parade for Independence Day and it is a very long-standing tradition. I'm so glad I got to go--it warmed my heart and gave me those patriotic feelings. The visitors loved it! We were gathered on the front porch of the General Store at 6:00 p.m. Notice the weather in the background--it was raining spit, but no lightning, so the show went on! It is no doubt the shortest parade I've ever witnessed, but it was GRAND! People from the Lake Clinic were there with cardboard "patients" in the wheelchairs, the fire truck was driven by Harlan Kredit, the back country patrol rangers had their horses, the lake patrol was there with a boat, the Xanterra employees had a festive truck, bear management brought their cage, the tow truck was there, and bringing up the rear was the yellow Yellowstone bus from the Lake Hotel which is...you guessed it, painted yellow (the oldest hotel in YNP).

YELL Day 17

Wednesday 07/03/2013

Today I went on K's walk at Mud Volcano. No, I don't go to all of his programs, walks, and talks, but Mud Volcano is a great way for me to get out, get moving, and be relatively safe with all the other people (rather than hiking alone with my can of bear spray).

There were four bison hanging out and chewing their cuds (cud? cuds?). The visitors kept asking K, "Why do they like it here?" K gave the best answer, "I don't know." He also suggested that they seem to like the heat. So the visitors asked, WHY??? Because you know, it's July, and it's plenty hot outside, and still, the bison just seem to be enjoying the heck out of these steamy, close-to-magma, volcanic areas. In fact, they could not be more content.

After the program ended, I gave the ranger my own idea about why the bison love it so: "Back in January, I just kept telling myself I was going to thaw out in July and that's exactly what I'm doing--thawing out!"

I love anthropomorphizing (or whatever it's called when I talk for the animals)!

YELL Day 16

The shower in our nice FREE hotel was amazingly powerful. It created it's own weather system in there! We checked out and went food shopping with our trusty Coleman cooler and our Costco freezer bag. Ice remains, for me, one of the most amazing inventions ever!

While K went to work, I played housewife and then enjoyed reading. I did attend his evening program, Finding Yellowstone. I'm posting yet another picture of a bison (because they are everywhere), this one especially depicting the wrinkled skin on the bison's butt. Reminds me of an elephant. Seriously, I wonder if they think about anything. Sometimes they are just standing in the middle of the road looking all stoned out--like they need their morning coffee or something. Don't get me wrong, they are athletic and can jump six feet, but I wonder what they think..."Gotta get to Lamar Valley, gotta get to Lamar Valley!"

YELL Day 15

Now is that an award-winning picture of an invasive plant species or WHAT?

On Monday 07/01/2013, we did household and financial chores and then left for the North Country once more. On the way, we traveled an Historic Byway in Idaho which led us to Niter Ice Cave, the entrance of which is just sitting underneath that irrigation pipe. We went in a ways, but it was muddy and we didn't have caving helmets, headlamps, and all the other proper gear. Besides, the swallows were throwing a fit as it was.

We stayed in a really nice hotel room in Jackson, Wyoming for FREE and had a really nice dinner at The Gun Barrel.