YELL Day 23

Friday 07/12/2013

Today was another field trip day for me! I left early to drive over Dunraven Pass to see Tower Falls and met up with a couple of deer. Then I hiked to Wraith Falls. When I parked, there was a van there so I thought, "Oh good! A family to help scare bears away!" Just as I started hiking, here they came all finished with their hike. I ended up having the place to myself and obviously made enough racket to scare all of the animals away. As I proceeded to Mammoth from Wraith Falls, I met up with a coyote. That guy was so focused on something that he didn't care that I was there. I stopped the car and he just kept walking down the middle of the road. I tried to get a second picture, but as it turns out, you can just barely see the tips of his ears and a bit of his bum as he walked past my driver's side mirror. Oh well, at least I got one decent photo. And then I arrived in Mammoth near Historic Fort Yellowstone. There were a TON of elk making statues of themselves on the nicely manicured lawns. I don't mean to offend anyone, but every time I see the face of a cow elk, I think of Audrey Hepburn. They are so elegant and beautiful with dark features, long eyelashes, and slender neck lines. Do you see the resemblance? And then did you see that cow elk completely sacked out on the grass? She's asking in a sleepy voice, "Predator? What's a predator?"

After the fort, I headed over to the terraces. There was a bird hiking up Minerva Terrace. Honestly, I watched this bird hiking for a really long time--up, up, and up! The stamina! After the terraces, I drove into Gardiner to get fuel. Thought I should snap one of the famous Roosevelt Arch at the north entrance. I stopped at Sheepeater Cliff for lunch--lava basalt, the perfect playground. I think my mother-in-law will really enjoy this site. On the way back, I got stuck in another bison jam but it gave me the chance to catch a red dog nursing.

K's supervisor has seen some of my photos and she said, "I don't know if it's you or your car, but one of you is a wildlife magnet."

In the evening, we met up with a ranger friend from Golden Spike, John (and his grandson). John made dinner reservations at the Lake Hotel back in April for the four of us and we were treated to a wonderful evening with great conversation and laughter. I had the fetuccini with salmon and K had the pork schnitzel. It was a great dinner date and so good to see friends!