LEAVING WYOMING

MAINLAND ADVENTURE

Leaving Yellowstone

Thurs Sept 5, 2013

            The elk were all gone when we got up to leave Mammoth Hot Springs but they had stayed until just before dawn (outside our bedroom window).  We checked out, anxious to see the last wildlife area, Lamar Valley, before leaving the park.

            Before we even got to the valley, we noticed cars parked and four pronghorns ran across the road stopping traffic.  Gil said “get out!” He dropped me off and went up the road to turn around.  I followed them over the hill to see five down below; the male sentry was half way down.  He stopped to look at me before going on.  I was a good 50 yards from him and twice that from the others.  They meandered together and I returned to the car satisfied that there are indeed still animals in Yellowstone.

American Pronghorn

The sentry was the last to cross and made sure I was not a threat before he joined the females

Two of the five pronghorns the sentry was guarding

We saw at least five herds of buffalo in Lamar Valley and watched cranes flying in patterns at the outer extreme of our binoculars.  We saw an entire herd of buffalo cross the road and go to a small lake to drink.  They were very sweet with each other, taking turns, waiting while one or two at a time carefully went to the edge for long drinks.  We noticed wallows in all the meadows and often saw large solitary males in them.  There were also coots swimming on the water and we saw a large herd of pronghorns on the valley plain.

 Hangin out at the water cooler

 The mellow boys waiting for the herd

This youngster  was oblivious to the string of cars passing within two feet of him

In the forest birders had spotting scopes on an osprey at his nest – he/she had just brought a fish back and was eating it.  It was pretty much out of our binoc range so forget the camera.  We saw a red-tail hawk and a couple other birds we could not identify.

We left the park at the northeast entrance (exit) and took Beartooth scenic highway into Montana; whew! what an incredible drive that was!  We kept thinking we had reached the top when we started heading down and then it went back up again.  The top of the pass was not marked but the maps show it at 10, 947’ well above timberline. The road was a very narrow two lane with white knuckle switchbacks. 

No. 5 above is Beartooth Pass - the entire route is scenic

 One of the panoramic turnouts

We were stuck here about 20 minutes for road construction, oh poor us

 Beartooth Pass, Montana

The surreal bear's tooth

We had a much needed relaxing lunch in the town of  Red Lodge, Montana where I was talked into have a Pig Ass porter beer before heading down to Cody, Wyoming (gotta say it was good but Moose Drool is better).

In Cody our hotel had a warm mineral pool and hot tub next to a utility room with 2 washers and dryers.  Yea!  We soaked and we can pack clean clothes tomorrow.  We played cards, had some nearby Mexican food and called it a day. 

Fri Sept 6

Cody to Casper

            I finally got online and submitted a long overdue post on the blog.  We decided not to go to the Buffalo Bill Museum complex where the ticket is good for two days and includes five museums.  Even though Bill Cody was a distant cousin of my paternal grandmother, we were far more interested in nature than those early settlers and wild men that wreaked havoc on the west. 

On leaving Cody we did get to see a number of water birds in Beck Lake; an unremarkable drive for the most part through the Wyoming plains.

 Wyoming wetland 
(this is for Kim at Hanalei refuge)

 Easy to see why this is Big Sky country

            Our route was through Thermopolis, a hot springs town.  Thermopolis is an oasis in a desert, coming into the green valley was refreshing.  We went to the State Hot Springs and had a choice of the indoor or outdoor pool for 20 minutes free.  We chose the outdoor and met a variety of people – some retired there and go to the pool every day; others were passing through like us – young and old.  You are allowed to come back 4 hours later for another 20 minutes.

A free bath house like in Germany, wow! 

The indoor pool is behind glass, we were in the outdoor pool - in the shade

This is taken from the top of the terrace that provides the silky mineral water

All the water for the hot springs features comes from a terrace like we had seen at Mammoth.  We took the boardwalk from the dry side (they are in the 4^th year of drought) and saw our first killdeer birds playing in the water on the side still running water.  

 Fun to see these Killdeer in person

I had first seen them in the taxidermy displays in Yellowstone

A defunct cone called Teepee in the same lovely park 

Black Bear café was a curious blend of old west grub and modern menu items.  An obligatory black bear skin hung on one wall and the windows were filled with any and every kitchy bear nik-nak.  The black bean green chili was great and Gil topped it off with bread pudding full of apples in whiskey sauce.  Leaving Thermopolis, we entered the Wind River Canyon  that was quite incredible with the Big Horn River flowing through it.  We didn’t see any more critters but we know they roam because the highway has animal overpasses.  

Animal overpass where
"the deer and antelope roam"

We went through Wyoming's capitol, Cheyenne before crossing back into Colorado.  I went there as a kid with my grandmother to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.  I wasn’t too interested in zoo animals at this point. 

Wyoming's capitol building in Cheyenne

My composition isn't too good here with the street light in the way of the cupola but

Gil was getting honked at while I jumped out

Note Wyoming's symbol on the lawn, in this case a bronze buffalo

Crossing back into Colorado, we met up with old friends in Lewisville for a great bbq and on to Denver.  Now we could tick Yellowstone off our bucket list.  Little did we know at the time that this whole area north of Denver would face catastrophic flooding a few days later.

 Christina made a great dinner

all hands helped - Laura and Amy each made a pie, Gil and Zach tackled the large whole salmon

Debbie brought a salad from her garden, I stirred the risotto

Front row L to R:  Gil, Sharon, Amy, the infamous Laura, and Zach

Amy's friend Lynne, Debbie and son Ben, back Ben's dad Jon

Christina took the picture

Good times