Mulvanys on the Road: Day 13 - A Little Work and a Lot of Fun

Another cold night but an electric blanket and furnace helps us stay warm. We have been busy every day but this morning some laundry and general housekeeping needed to be done. We decided that we would spend the morning getting these things done and go into the park this afternoon. After laundry, housekeeping things done, and lunch, we headed into the park.

Our goal was to reach the north entrance of the park because I wanted a picture of the original entrance to the park. The north end is 50 miles from West Yellowstone. We also wanted to stop at the Norris Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hot Springs, and anything else we saw that was worth a stop and look.

The Norris Geyser Basin was nice. There were several geysers in all stages of eruption. We took two different trails and on the trails going up, we discovered how out of shape we are. We had to made frequent stops to catch our breath; but, with much huffing and puffing and taking one step at a time, we made the climbs back to the top. We also stopped at the Gibbon Waterfall. I will post a picture.

When we got to the Mammoth Hot Springs, we first took the motor loop around the top of the springs. Note to self: it was a waste of time and never take that loop again. The majority of the active hot springs were not visible from the car. You have to get out of your car and take a trail! We stopped near the bottom, parked the truck, and took a very nice broadwalk trail to see some of the hot springs. The springs were still pumping hot water down the terraces.

It was getting late and the north entrance was still five miles away. That should have been a short trip but we had to drive through a beautiful canyon with hairpin curves and magnificent views around every curve. By the time we reached the bottom of the canyon and the north entrance of the park, it was getting late so the picture needed more light but I took it anyway.

The best part of this trip to the north entrance was all the animals we saw. There were cars stopped along the road to see the animals and to get pictures and we were just like the rest of them, we stopped when we could. We saw so many elk that we finally kept driving when we came across them. Although twice, an elk walked right in front of the truck and Carol could have hit them if he hadn't been watching.

It was the same with buffalo although we didn't see any herds. We only saw single old male buffaloes. The last time we were at the park, we were told that when the males get old and can no longer defend it's herd of females from younger males, they are forced to leave the herd and wander Yellowstone alone except sometimes they will team up with other old males. We saw several old guys. In fact, two were walking right down the middle of the road causing quite a traffic jam. I am posting a picture of the pair and I want it known that Carol took that picture. It is very good!

We also saw several Bighorn Sheep. We got there just as a fight was going on between two males. The winner stood at the top of a rocky cliff while the loser was sent running down the cliff away from the herd. Again, it was getting dark so the picture isn't the greatest but I'm posting it anyway.

All in all, it was another great day..The only downer is the fact that Carol is getting a cold. He normally gets a bad cold at least twice a year. Why did it have to be now??? It usually takes a week to run its course and there are a couple of days when he can barely function. We are hoping it won't be like that. Only time will tell.

Tomorrow we plan to see Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the upper and lower falls and the paint and mud pots. That may not seem like much but it will involve a lot of driving. You don't get anywhere fast in Yellowstone!