Yellowstone

Thursday, June 16, 2011 – Last night our trailer happened to be level where we stopped and we did not have to unhitch the trailer from Moose, so some steps could be eliminated in getting ready to go today.  Good thing, as there was frost on the windshield this morning.

A few miles down the road, we came upon a cattle drive, right down US Highway 89.  The cows and the cowboys were all laid back, so no stampeding took place while we were there.  We did have to bring Moose in for a car wash at the next town, however – think about what a street in your town looks like after just a few animals go by in a parade.

From Livingston, MT, the road follows the Yellowstone River, flowing very fast and close to flood stage, or so it seemed to us.  Some campgrounds are closed due to flooding, but we found a BLM site twelve miles before Gardiner, MT (next to the Montana Yellowstone National Park entrance), close to the river but reasonably higher for the night’s stop. 

After setting up the trailer, we took a hike into the Gallatin Petrified forest, up the Tom Miner Road.  The entire Yellowstone area is active geologically, and this section had layers of ash, conglomerate, and rock, with petrified wood showing through in spots.  In the middle of the hike it started snowing but we persevered to get a few pictures in the snow today, five days before summer.



Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone



Friday, June 17, 2011 – The drive to Yellowstone National Park, like this whole part of the country, is very scenic and varied – going along the Yellowstone River, amidst hills and valleys, with snow-capped giant peaks beyond.  We had planned to just drive through the park, as we had been there before.  Once inside, however, we could not resist looking at paint pots, geysers, waterfalls and the omnipresent buffalo, some just outside our car window but with a few hikes thrown in. 

The famous Yellowstone Falls drew us in as well.

Then we drove out the northeast park entrance/exit, the Beartooth highway (which was closed due to snow past our turn) and Chief Joseph highway toward Cody, Wyoming.  A large herd of buffalo dotted the valley. 

We found a National Forest campground unfortunately named “Dead Indian”, set up the trailer, and then took Moose on an unfruitful rockhounding trip down Sunlight Road .  We found none of the expected agate, but the valley was very pretty.  This area is the site where Chief Joseph led the Nez Perce Indian tribe over a pass, and by covering his trail with many hoofprints escaped the US Army into Yellowstone.  We'll have more pictures of this area tomorrow.