Computer issues

This is just a short entry to let everyone know that I have more pictures to post.  I had several issues with my laptop while on our trip and could not use it to write my blog.  We have been so busy since getting back to Indiana that I have not had time to load the rest of my pictures, edit them and get them into a blog entry.  I will try to work on that soon.

Yellowstone 2

We moved from West Yellowstone to the north end of the park at the Mammoth headquarters area.  Again we stayed just outside the park in a private campground at Gardiner, Montana.  We celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary by going to Rosie's.  It was a unique restaurant in the old section of Gardiner recommended to us by the people in the campground office.  They certainly steered us to the right place.  The meal was excellent and we could look out onto the Rockies across the valley.

We encountered buffalo almost everywhere we went.  These decided to set up a road block.

Once we got through the road block we headed on to Tower Falls.

Looking downstream from the falls.

Another view downstream.

On the way to the falls we saw these two bruins resting in the shade.

Another group of elk.  These are bulls with their antlers still in velvet.

Here are some angry clouds over the peaks.

We had gone clear to the northeast entrance to the park travelling through the Lamar Valley and then turned around and started back as it was getting late in the day.  We stopped at a pullout and this gentleman told us  he was watching a grizzly bear stalk some buffalo calves.  There was a herd of maybe 300 or 400 cows and calves in the valley and clear at the back was this grizzly crowding up to the herd.  The cows and calves started off across the valley towards us but a small bunch of bulls stayed behind and discouraged the grizzly.   Since the grizzly could not get past the bulls he crossed the river and headed back into the hills.  He was about a half mile away but with binoculars he was quite visible.  I took this picture with my lens extended as far as possible but he is still just a small object in the middle of the picture as he retreats up the hillside.  

Heading on back we saw more buffalo and these two bull elk which Marcia was able to photograph up close.

We had a great time in Yellowstone.  The scenery with the snow gave a totally different perspective.  It added another dimension to our Yellowstone experience. 

Yellowstone

We drove into Yellowstone's east gate to see a sign that said: Chains or snowtires required.  I asked the lady at the gatehouse how bad it was and she said they were not recommending anyone towing a unit(like the Dancer)  to continue into the park.  Well gee we drove all this way to see the park, how bad could it be?  

We drove all the way through the park to West Yellowstone because it is at a lower elevation.  We visited the Grizzly Discovery Center which is a home for bears, wolves and eagles that have to be confined because of injury or threats to humans.  Here are two of the grizzlies in their enclosure.

This is one of several of the wolves.

We stayed in a beautiful Forest Service campground just outside of West Yellowstone.  It was a beautiful campground and unlike most Forest Service campgrounds this one had electric hookups at some of the sites.  The Madison River which is the major drainage flowing west from the Park flowed right through the campground.  Here is a picture looking across the river to the mountains in the background.

Since I enjoy cooking Marcia thought I should include a picture of yours truly using my cast iron skillets I got for Christmas.  I usually cook breakfast and the skillets are working quite well.

We had snow about every day we were at Yellowstone.  Here is the view out our dining room window while enjoying a delicious breakfast the second morning we were there.

The Gibbon River flows into the Madison but before it does it has some beautiful falls.

Here are the vagabonds taken by the falls.

Continuing our trek through the park in the snow we caught these elk cows grazing.

I saw these two swans coming down to the rive and was able to catch them as they were landing.

The elk were just beginning to drop their calves.  They tend to go off by themselves to calve which accounts for a high mortality rate for calves lost to wolves.  This cow decided to have her calf in the riverbed.  This is the Yellowstone River which flows north from Yellowstone Lake.

The lower falls of the Yellowstone located in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone are stunning.

This is downstream from the falls showing the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

We had a great time and took a lot more pictures than this but this post is getting long so I will add another post about the second half of our stay in Yellowstone.  It is very difficult to capture the grandeur of such an amazing place.