Yellowstone Blog

Animals in the parks

2006-08-30T15:57:00.000-05:00

I mentioned in the blog some of the places where we had seen animals, but I decided to put pictures of them together in one post. Most of these shots were taken by Gail, who had great success using her new digital camera with the great optical zoom lens!

Bear

This is the infamous bear that we encountered walking down the trail at Jenny Lake. He was closer than the 100 yards that the National Park service recommends! Donna was the only person who had the thought (or perhaps the stupidity!) to try to take a picture. I don't think she paused long enough to zoom in or focus her camera!

Moose

We found this moose munching some lunch on a little side road that we took.

Bison

We ran into a bison traffic jam around the Mud Volcano Trail. There were a few buffalo along the side of the road. As we crept ahead through traffic, we discovered there was an entire herd stretched in the open meadow to our right.

We also ran into lots of bison the evening we went animal watching in the Lamar Valley. They were all around, and when we were leaving at dusk, we had to wait as they all decided to cross the road.

Elk

There were some mama and baby elk that liked to hang out in a little grassy area between the roads at Mammoth.

We also came across three or four elk with huge racks of antlers at night as we headed back to Mammoth from the Lamar Valley. They were still there in the morning when we retraced the road, so we could get good pictures of them. We also saw another group of elk hanging out in the trees near the Firehole River. I think the first one was sticking out his tongue at us!

Coyote

We were looking for wolves in the Lamar Valley, but saw this coyote instead. He had pounced on something, which you can see in his mouth.

Pronghorn Deer

Several of these deer were hanging out near the coyote, and we wondered if he was checking them out for his next meal.

Osprey

We were able to watch this osprey at our first stop at the Yellowstone River Canyon. With our binoculars, we found the nest and the babies.

Butterfly

Ok, not so wild, but such a pretty picture!

Food and Lodging

2006-08-26T10:26:00.000-05:00

For those of you who may be interested in taking such a trip, here is information about where we stayed and ate.

Jackson Hole:

Bubba's barbecue - We ate a late lunch here after we arrived. It's casual dining place with a down home country atmosphere. I had pulled pork which was good, although the sauce was a little more mustardy than I like.

Coutler Bay, Grand Tetons: We stayed two nights at the cabins here. We had a double cabin with a shared bath. They were rustic, but cute and clean. We ate one night at Chuckwagon restaurant. I had a very nice almond trout with some good squash as a side (and I don't really like squash).

Yellowstone:

Mammoth Hot Springs - Again we had a double cabin, but each room had its own bath. Nothing special, but we did thing the bear that they added to the toiletries was a cute touch. No air conditioning in these cabins, which normally isn't an issue, except on this trip with unusual heat. The great feature on these cabins was the front porch. I loved the old cuts that they used to decorate the cabins.

We ate a couple times in the dining room at Mammoth. I had a very good pork chop and Donna and Gail had bison steak. We really like the "caldera cake" which was a yummy chocolate lava cake. We also had the breakfast buffet one morning, which gave us a nutricious start to the day.

Gardinier, Montana - Helen's Coral Cafe - "Home of the Hateful Hamburger" Gail was interested in eating here after I read the description of the juicy burgers from my guidebook. We definitely wouldn't have stopped here based on looks - it looked like a junky greasy dive. But I had a delicious 1 half pound bison burger, and based on the constant stream of people coming in, it appeared to be a popular spot with the locals (not that the town had that many dining options)!

Canyon - Very old small cabins with twin beds. The meal at the dining room was nothing special, although I did have trout again, and we had another caldera cake.

Old Faithful Inn - This was the highlight of the trip, as far as accommodations. (Of course we paid for it, too!) Rick stayed in the old, historic rooms. He had a room in a gable, so he had to watch his head as he went into the corner with the sink. Bathrooms and showers were shared down the hall (dorm style). Rick was able to watch geysers from his bed.

Our room had recently been renovated and was cute! Colorful tile in the bathroom with outlines of animals in the park, nice toiletries, robes. Pretty bedding and decor. No TV, as is typical of the national park inns.

The Old Faithful Inn Dining Room - what a disappointment! I made reservations well in advance. It was very busy. Our server and bus person didn't do much - we ending up clearing plates and serving our own water. We opted for the Bison buffet - there were not many choices on the menu. I liked the potato soup and they had another soup too, but then there was an weak salad bar with little to put on the salad. Some green beans and potatoes, and the bison, which was tough and didn't have much flavor. Dessert was institutional apple crisp and bread pudding. For the price, I expected more.

We also ate at the cafeteria and picked up breakfast sandwiches at another place, which both were ok options. The cafeteria has a great view of Old Faithful.

Day Eight - Heading Home

2006-08-02T22:11:00.000-05:00

We had to get up early again, so we could hit the road to get back to Jackson for our flights home around noon. There was a layer of foggy steam from the geyser basins as we left Old Faithful. Our journey was uneventful without any animal traffic jams, and our flights home uneventful (except for Gail who was delayed in Denver and got home late).

So ends our journey! I will be adding postings about our accomodations and the animals that we saw. Thanks for joining our journey!

Day Seven - Off Trail and the Upper Geyser Basin

2006-08-01T20:39:00.000-05:00

This morning we had to set tan alarm so we could get to an 8 am hike. One of Gail's co-workers had recommended to go on a ranger led hike into the back country to see some mud volcanoes, so when we had arrived at the park a few days ago, we signed up for the trip. We had to drive back up to the Firehole River area to meet our ranger guide, Orville Bach. Ranger Bach is a veteran seasonal ranger. (He has written an interesting book Tracking the Spirit of Yellowstone, which Rick purchased, and I am enjoying reading.) He was a wonderful guide, and told lots of information and stories about the park with a charming southern drawl.

The great treat of this four hour hike was that we were taken off trail to areas where people don't typically go. So we didn't see many other tourists other than our group of 15. We got to see many hot springs and bubbling mud pots. He pointed out animal bones in hot springs, and we saw bison hair, tracks, a skull, and a carcass.

Although it was gray and cool when we started hiking, the sun broke through. I got some cool pictures of burnt out trees from the '88 fire with the blue sky and puffy clouds in the background.

We returned to the Old Faithful Inn and watched the geyser erupt again (I think this was time 5) and ate some sandwiches on the porch. Then we hiked up the trail behind Old Faithful up to the Observation Point, where you can see the geyser erupt from 150 feet above the geyser basin, with the Inn in the background. It went off shortly after we arrived, earlier than we expected and for a shorter time, so we were surprised and quickly had to snap some pictures. Then we continued around the trail loop.

Click here to view an interactive map of the Old Faithful area.

It had been beautiful at the top, but as we headed down the hill, it started to sprinkle. Gail and Donna had decided to head back to hit the gift shops, and since Rick didn't have a rain jacket with him, he headed back as well. But I was determined to walk down the boardwalk, because I really wanted to see the Morning Glory pool. (Never say that I am a total wimp, only regarding some things!) There were lots of people in the area, so I figured I was safe from bears and other dangers if I walked alone, so I kept going. It wasn't raining hard, and the boardwalks we easy to walk, and it was maybe two miles or less to get to the pool. There were lots of geysers, pools, and steaming rivers along the way, and I was able to see several geysers go off including part of the Lion Group and the Sawmill Geyser.

As I got near my destination, all of a sudden I start feeling small chunks of ice. It was starting to sleet! I happened to be in the only area with some pine trees, so I huddled under a tree, and watched the Grotto Geyser steam and bubble, waiting for the weather to clear. After about 5 or 10 minutes I walked the rest of the way down the trail.

As a kid I think the name Morning Glory Pool (right) had captured my imagination. It is a perfect name for the deep blue color and shape of the pool. Unfortunately, over time people have thrown coins and other objects into the pool, so the temperature has cooled, and it is losing the deep blue colors along the edge. Even so, it still is beautiful.

I walked back on the bike path,which takes a more direct path back to the inn. (I think that when we visited here when I was in junior high that this was the road that we took. My guess is that the main road was moved away to minimize the impact on the thermal features.) As I walked, all of a sudden the sleet returned! Hard! I could see the Inn ahead, but I still had about 15 minutes to walk. It was wild to walk past all the steaming pools through the ice storm. All I could think about was getting a big cup of hot chocolate when I got back to the Inn! When I was almost at the end, the sleet turned into a very cold hard rain. Not fun. If you look below, the small white spots are the sleet pouring down, with the Inn in the distance!

I finally got into the lobby, and headed upstairs to the expresso stand. So had everyone else! Fortunately, this included Donna and Gail, and they were at the front of the line, so they got me the hot chocolate. We sat in the upper levels, watching the crowds as we warmed up.

In the evening we ate at the cafeteria and sat at a window to watch Old Faithful once again. During the evening I watched it two more times for a total of eight times. I thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance of the Inn, and the chance to explore the area, and see Old Faithful over and over again. This was a great spot to end the trip!

Day Six (part 2) - Old Faithful

2006-07-31T18:01:00.000-05:00

We arrived at Old Faithful Inn near the time that Old Faithful was scheduled to erupt. We walked to the edge of the viewing area to watch. It bubbled and teased us into thinking it was going off for 5 or 10 minutes, until finally it blew with a huge plume of water and steam. It really is quite impressive! And of course the crowds of people are all a part of the show!

Click here to see the Old Faithful Web Cam.

After the eruption, we went into the inn to check in. I will tell more about our accomodations in another post. But entering the inn is like entering a different time period. Built in 1903, the inn features a seven story high wooden ceiling in the lobby, held up by layers of rustic logs. The dark lighting adds to the atmosphere. There are seating areas on several levels, and outside porches where you can view Old Faithful and the other nearby steaming features.

After we moved into our rooms, we chilled for a bit before dinner in the dining room. The meal was the one big disappointment of the trip. The food was mediocre, especially for the price, and the service was lacking. We then found a nice covered porch where we sat watching Old Faithful steam as the sun set, and tried to stay warm as we waited it to go off. I warmed up with some hot cider while listening to piano music in the lobby before going to bed.

Day Six - More Geyser Basins

2006-07-31T14:12:00.000-05:00

This morning we traveled west and then south to the part of the figure eight loop that we hadn't covered yet. This area took us into the part of the park that has the highest concentration of thermal features. There was a chill in the air, so the steaming hot springs felt good. We spent the morning and early afternoon stopping at the various geyser basins and attractions that were on our way to Old Faithful. Here are some of the things we enjoyed seeing:

Lower Geyser Basin

We drove through Firehole Canyon and Firehole Lake Drives, and stopped at the Fountain Paint pots (left) that were pretty dried up for this time of year. We walked the boardwalk loop, and saw Clepsydra Geyser (below), which erupts almost constantly.

Midway Geyser Basin

This was my favorite geyser basin of the morning. As you enter the boardwalk area, you cross over a river where steaming hot springs tumble down the banks into the water (right). This area is especially steamy, and the smell of sulfur is strong. The park's largest hot spring, Grand Prismatic Spring, is located here. The water is very colored and textured (below).

Black Sand and Biscuit Basins

These smaller basins which are located just north of Old Faithful have many smaller geysers and pretty springs. I think Rick, Gail, and Donna were geysered out by this point, but I have been fascinated with the thermal features in Yellowstone since junior high, when a book about the park was a favorite book from the Herrick Public Library in Holland. So I had to make sure that I didn't miss seeing anything!

We then headed to the Old Faithful area, to check in to the Inn, and enjoy the sights there, which I shall tell about in my next post.

Day Five - Canyons and Waterfalls

2006-07-30T14:01:00.000-05:00

The weather had cooled overnight, and although the day started sunny, it cleared by noon and we enjoyed perfect weather to explore the canyons and waterfalls of the Yellowstone River. We drove south from Mammoth, stopping at the Petrified Tree, Tower Falls, and the turn outs that overlook the Canyon.

We traveled through more areas that had been burned by the fire of 1988, and could clearly see the regrowth of trees popping up between the bare standing timbers.

We spent the afternoon stopping along the rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The many stops let us view the Lower and pper falls, progressively getting closer to the falls. The sun broke through the clouds, highlighting the intense colors in the canyon which are caused by the hot spring activity interacting with the iron compounds in the rock.

I skipped going down a couple of the stairways that I thought might challenge my fear of heights, but I did do the steep switchback trail drops 600 feet to the brink of the Lower Falls. What an incredible view, with a rainbow stretching over the bottom of the falls into the canyon! We also saw a glimpse of a double rainbow the the top of the Upper Falls - it was pretty cool!

Here we are at Artist Point.

Here is Rick standing at the Brink of the Lower Falls.

By late afternoon we checked into our small cabins at Canyon. We ate at the dining room at Canyon, wandered the gift shops, and crashed fairly early, as there wasn't much to do around the area at night.

Day Four - Mammoth Hot Springs

2006-07-29T21:24:00.000-05:00

Having a Hot Time at the Hot Springs!

Since our cabin was just a short distance from Mammoth Hot Springs, we were able to get an early start, and walk right over to the boardwalks that covered the terraces of the hot springs. Above is a shot of the hot springs taken from near where we were staying.

We hiked through the Lower Terrace area first, past the inactive Liberty Cap (the mound you can see in the picture above), and then to the Palette Spring/Devil's Thumb (to right). This is one of the prettier springs because it is actively flowing, and it looks like waterfalls pouring down mounds of frosting.

We continued climbing up and down the many levels of stairs that covered the terraces. Some areas no longer had flowing water, so they were chalky and white. We saw a new spring that had recently been discovered by a ranger. The Canary Spring was colorful and steamy. (below)

Some spots looked like they had been covered by snow. But we were not fooled, because the temperature kept climbing during the morning. A steam hot spring is not the place to be on a hot day. We finally gave up on walking, and went and got the nice air conditoned car, and drove through the Upper Terrace Drive, stopping to get out and take pictures.

Since it was so deathly hot, we gave up on the idea of hiking in the afternoon. Instead we drove into Gardiner, Montana for lunch and a bit of shopping. Then we collapsed in our unairconditioned cabins and tried to keep cool. We entertained ourselves with ice cream floats and Donna's travel alarm, which had a thermometer on it. We tested if it was hotter with the curtains open or closed, and discovered that the bathroom kept the coolest of all!

(Note: 117 degrees in the sun!)

We were not much more energetic by evening. We decided to drive to the Lamar Valley to look for animals, because at least that way we were in a cool car! After a harrowing (at least for me) side trip down a narrow twisty high lonely gravel road where we saw no animals, we turned down the road towards the Lamar Valley. There were lots of spots where people were pulled off the road looking with binoculars. We saw many bison, prong horn deer, and even watched a coyote hunting and killing some small animal. The light turned the fields a deeper golden, and we watched until dusk, then drove back under a sliver of a crescent moon setting into the mountains. Yes, I know I am being poetic. Yes, it was beautiful.

Towards the end of the drive we came across several elk with huge antlers. (We saw them again the next morning, so we could take pictures.) When we got back to the cabin, a cooler breeze started to blow, so we were able to sleep soundly.

Day Three - Into Yellowstone

2006-07-28T18:42:00.000-05:00

Mellow Yellowstone

In the morning we left Grand Tetons and drove up to Yellowstone National Park. We traveled up the bottom east side of the "figure eight" that the road in Yellowstone makes, and then crossed over the "eight" to the upper west side, heading up to Mammoth Hot Springs. We made three major stops on our way up.

West Thumb Geyser Basin

This was our first stop at a steaming geothermal feature! So the steaming pools, bubbling pots, and shooting geysers had not started to all look alike yet! This area is unique because it is right on the banks of Yellowstone Lake, and some of the geysers are right in the lake. One of our new vocabulary words on the trip was "thermophiles" - the heat loving organisms that give color to the pools. Usually the darker blues and greens indicate hotter water.

Note Yellowstone Lake in the background of the view on the right.

As we continued traveling up, we stopped for a picnic, a moose, and a buffalo traffic jam. (Animal pictures will be coming on another page.)

Mud Volcano Tail

Our second feature that we checked out was the steamy and smelly Mud Volcanoes.

Below is the Dragon's Mouth Spring, which steams and roars like a dragon is inside.

Norris Geyser Basin

We hiked the boardwalks on two loops in this thermal area. The Porcelain Basin (on right) was hot, bare, and beautiful. The contrast between the light colored hard baked ground and the aqua pools was striking, especially as the clouds reflected in the pools.

The second loop covered over a mile of the Back Basin. I was so excited to see several geysers erupting - the small bubbling Pearl Geyser, Echinus Geyser, and a minor eruption of Steamboat Geyser. (It is the world's tallest geyser during a major eruption.) This picture is of Steamboat Geyser.

Another beautiful blue thermal pool.

By late afternoon we checked into our cabin up at Mammoth Hot Springs. After a nice meal at the dining room, we wandered a bit, shopped the general store, and relaxed on our nice rustic front porch until it got dark.

Day Two - Grand Tetons National Park

2006-07-27T19:06:00.000-05:00

A Close Encounter of the Bear Kind

Rick had suggested that we take a day hike in the Grand Tetons which he had taken before. It was about a seven mile trail around Jenny Lake, with a loop up at about the midway point to see Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point.

We stopped at several scenic spots along the drive to the beginning of the trail - Rick was very kind to allow us to take lots of pictures at almost every turnout that we came across.

We started hiking around Jenny Lake about 10:30 and it was hot. And it got hotter. And there wasn't much shade in many spots because the trees had been burnt by forest fires. And it soon became obvious that we did not have enough water for this long of a hike on a hot day, so we were having to watch how much we drank.

About a third of the way around we took the trail up to Hidden Falls, and started up Inspiration Point. When we got part way up, we stopped to eat, and since we realized we had quite a ways to go and were using up our water fast, we decided not to climb up the rest of the way.

Now there had been a lot of people around the Hidden Falls area, because there was a boat that ferried people across the lake and dropped them off for short hikes. But once we got away from Hidden Falls, we did not run into that many people, although we did tend to see the same people over and over.

The hike really was beautiful You could see both the lake and the mountains. There were wild flowers everywhere. The sky was pure cloudless blue. (Note picture of beautiful inspiring landscape to the right.)

At one point we had to turn away from the lake for quite a ways to get to a bridge that crossed over a river. It was hot and discouraging because we were going away from the direction that we wanted to head. When we finally got to the bridge, it allowed for a refreshing break to cool off in the water (see Gail at right) and sit in the shade for a bit. Then we headed back down the trail.

We finally got back to the lake, and started hiking in some forested shade again. We knew we were on the last stretch. We had to keep looking down, as there were lots of rocks and roots on the path, so we really couldn't walk and enjoy the scenery much. So Gail's focus as the leader was more on the path below than the path ahead. Fortunately Donna behind her was looking up as we rounded a bend, and prevented Gail from walking headlong into a bear coming right down the path at us, at a much closer distance than anyone cared to be. Donna yelled, "Bear!" One glimpse of brown fur was enough.

Now the National Park Service gives this advice if you come across a bear: Don't panic. Back slowly away from the bear until you are about 100 yards away, talking in a gentle voice.

What we did: Ran like crazy terrified creatures. Yelled and screamed hoping to scare the bear. Ran some more.

After we had ran a distance, we stopped to regroup, recover, and think through our options (and listen to Gail tell us 3 times how she had thought about running down to the water to get away from the bear.) After a bit, we cautiously, noisily, headed back down the trail, until Donna saw that the bear was still coming. So we ran some more. Only Donna stopped long enough to take a picture, a somewhat blurry picture. (I wonder why?) We tried proceed back several times, but the bear was still there. (Probably the bear wanted to walk on the cool shaded path on such a hot day.) We came across another hiker heading the same directon, and after more discussion, tried going forward one last time. The bear was still strolling down the path.

Here we are, caught between a bear and a hard hike back. The thought of going back the opposite direction, even to get back to the boat, was not a good option, as we didn't have enough water. We started to hike back to the bridge, but finally got to a spot where we could see the road, so we crossed to there. Donna was able to flag down a van, and a kind but somewhat confused family took Rick back to the Jenny Lake parking lot, while we waited in the shade. We were near the Jenny Lake Inn, so we were able to get into their bathroom and replenish our water.

When Rick picked up our the van, he stopped in the Ranger station to report the bear. They did not seem too concerned. "Oh, it's a male brown colored black bear, who lives up that way. Sometimes he lets people by on the trail, and sometimes he doesn't." We were touched by their compassion. The other 99 people who we shared the story with seemed more interested.

So that was our only view of a bear on the entire trip. Rick returned with the air conditioned van, brought us a bottle of cold water each, and drove us back to Coulter Bay where we had food, ice cream, and a nice shower before bedtime, where we dreamed all night of being chased by bears.

Day One - Jackson Hole

2006-07-26T21:40:00.000-05:00

It was an early morning for Donna and me, who left for the airport at 4:30 am. We connected with Rick in Dallas, and flew into Jackson Hole about 11:30 am.

A Runway with a View

Jackson Hole airport has one of the most stunning runway views around. You land in a valley along side of the Grand Tetons, and deplane onto a stairway that lets you take in the vista. Since Gail was delayed arriving on a different plane via Denver, we had fun playing message tag with her. Then we drove into Jackson Hole downtown to check things out a bit, returning to pick her up a few hours later.

Since Gail was with us now, our first travel priority was going back to Jackson to find food - Bubba's barbeque. (I will make a separate entry detailing our culinary and lodging adventures.) Here you can see part of the downtown area.

Jackson Hole probably was the busiest place of the entire trip. Traffic was crazy. Tons of shops (everything from t-shirts to stuffed animals - both fake and real- to every imaginable product made from huckleberries) and restaurants (from cowboy bar to gourmet). We girls used up some serious shopping points here! The square in the center of town has an arch in each corner made of antlers. Very western cool. More upscale than your typical tourist town.

After we were done shopping, we hit the local grocery store. We stocked up on fruit, breakfast food, bread, snacks, and cookies for the trip.

Then we headed out to our rustic log cabin in Coulter Bay in Grand Tetons National Park. We were just a short walk from the water on the bay, where we watched the sunset over the boats in the marina. Had an early night to recover from jet lag and prepare for hiking tomorrow.

Sunset at Coulter Bay
KLB

Two Days til we Leave (emails part 2)

2006-07-24T15:52:00.000-05:00

Karen,

First of all, after knowing me for almost 50 years, you ought to know I get
into trouble whenever you stop watching... If I don't hear your teacher
voice at least once on the trip I will be really disappointed.

Second: The blog looks good.

Third: Believe it or not, your brother who normally waits until the last
minute is already packed. I must be excited.

Fourth: Unless there is one really well hidden somewhere, there are no
McDonalds in Yellowstone or Grand Tetons. So no McElks, McBison, or
McGrizzlies, unlike the McLobsters we had in Maine.

Fifth: Most of your indoor dining views will be pretty much limited to
your brother and friends. Hopefully the outdoor views will be much better.

Sixth: Gail will have the chance to visit one museum. There is a really
cool Native American Museum in the Colter Bay area that I would like to
visit. If I remember correctly, it was good for about 30 minutes, so Gail
should be able to handle it without any problems.

Seventh: That's it - back to writing reports.

RJB
-------------------

Well, I'm a little behind in my responses here. I actually have been
kind of busy shuffling paperwork before vacation (it's a better choice
than carrying the 24x7 pager!).

I am very relieved on the culture content of our trip. I am
disappointed that there is no baseball stadium to visit though, since
that has become a theme lately ;)

In regards to that rope you are contemplating bringing for emergencies.
Since 85% of my injuries are involved with a game using a ball and a
bat, we probably will be pretty safe; although I do have a game tonight
that I will attempt to remain injury free. The rope could come in handy
with that elk or deer we might hit! I'll be sure to have my camera
ready!

GMH
----------------

It's time for my ten cents - I've decided that I'm worth more than 2
cents! Karen and Rick will have to keep the rope away from me, or I
might be tempted to use it in a means that would get me into long-term
trouble (when I use it to choke Gail during our 1 permitted bickering
session).

I'm relieved that there aren't any baseball stadiums as I've had my fill
of baseball for a while. I'm not overly cultural but 30 minutes at a
Native American Museum can be tolerated. I hope that we have an
opportunity to see lions, tigers and bears - or at least bear and moose
- up close.

I think that Karen has thrown down the gauntlet to encourage our bad
behavior thus invoking her teacher voice. I haven't ever heard it and
may be amused if transported back to my childhood days. Should one of
our new rules be to hear the teacher voice every-other-day? Karen, I'm
more than happy to allow you to have behavior control responsibilities.
After spending 50 hours a week babysitting and being paid for it, I will
be happy to take a break from it! You are probably in great need of
practicing for gearing up for school starting in the fall.

Til later,
DJP

Yellowstone Here We Come (the emails)

2006-07-23T14:00:00.000-05:00

Howdy,

I double checked our car/hotel reservations and everything looks fine.

July 26, 27: Colter Bay (2 room Cabin)

July 28, 29: Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, 2 Cabins

July 30: Canyon Lodge, 2 rooms

July 31, Aug 1: Old Faithful Inn

Donna and Karen - I'll meet you in Dallas at our departing gate.
Gail - I'll see you in Jackson. Our flight gets in around 11:20 am.

Since theoretically we can't get in to our cabin until 4pm. I suggest we
go to Jackson for lunch and a bit of exploring. Gail will like the
antlers.

I'll bring my small portable cooler (big enough to keep lunch stuff cold
but small enough to fit in my daypack). I'll also bring my IPOD, which
will give us 400+ albums of music to listen to during our travels.

Karen, please bring an extra pair of sunglasses so Gail or I will have some
if (when) we break ours.

I suggest we plan to eat in the main dining room at Old Faithful Inn either
July 31 or Aug 1. They have an evening buffet that features buffalo, which
sounds interesting to me. They take reservations - Karen will you figure
this out for us?

All - bring lots of snacks for Gail - we want to keep her happy.

I've paid a one night deposit on all of our rooms so we'll have to do some
fancy calculating either during or after the trip to figure out who owes
what.

Because of my job, I need to be anal and check voice messages and E mails
daily (assuming I can get coverage with my Blackberry.) Normally I keep everything off and check things at my convenience unless I'm expecting a call/E-mail message.

Anything else?

I'm getting very excited.

RJB
----------------

I can't wait to chew on some buffalo! I've gotten much better with my
sunglasses ordeal. I got a rope to keep them around my neck (now if I
can just find it!)

Are we doing any hiking such that I would need to bring my hiking boots?

Thanks for getting everything reserved, Rick. Hope we see some animals,
besides the ones we're eating for dinner!

Do you have any cowboy songs on that ipod? Rawhide....Ha!

Gail
------------------

I'm not sure I have any cowboy music, but I do have bluegrass and some
country.

The sunglasses are for me also. I can remember having to buy sunglasses at
least twice on trips with Karen.

I have a good pair of New Balance Trainers with good traction that I plan
to bring. My backpacking boots are staying home this trip. The hike
around Jenny Lake (in Grand Teton NP - on the agenda for July 27) has some
up and down but nothing too challenging (of course this was 10 years
ago...)

RJB
------------------

I finally get to weigh in on all the fun emails. With such a busy day
yesterday, I couldn't keep up earlier.

Since I'm a late addition to the trip, I am not sure what is planned. I
know where we are staying each night and I am fine with buffalo at the
Old Faithful Inn but I was wondering if there were any other plans that
I should know about. I guess I'm trying to get an understanding of what
you typically do while you travel and what everyone is thinking about
doing so that I know what to expect.

RJB- I look forward to meeting you in TX. I can tell from the email
below that I like you already! You certainly know Gail well. I've
often been appointed as the one to keep her in line (that includes
keeping her well supplied with snacks after I once took her away from
all access to food for a few HOURS on a trip in Maine). Since then, she
stashes a snickers bar in her baggage as her emergency food stash. I
didn't know about the sunglass problem! Karen & I talked last weekend
and worked out our flights to/from Detroit/Dallas so we are set there.

GMH-You HAVE to bring your boots. One never knows where happy feet may
lead you and may regret it if you don't have them. Yellowstone has lots
of places to explore - especially those off the edge. That reminds me,
who is going to bring the tether for Gail to make sure she doesn't fall
down a cliff trying too get the right angle for her picture?

KB-I feel handicapped since I don't know your middle initial. Any update
on rides to the airport at 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday? Is there anything I
need to know about traveling with your brother & Gail?

DJP

---------------

DJP, (and GMH and KLB),

I'm working on technical reports today so I'm looking for excuses to do
other things besides writing. Vacation planning (and writing notes like
this one) fills this need very well.

I checked and now there are no groups of three seats together on our
flights. I'll look again later.

We really don't have any firm plans on what to do during the trip. This is
my fifth trip to the area so I have lots of ideas, however I don't want to
dominate things too much before getting input from others. Overall I want
to relax and have fun. With Karen along I know I will eat well and with
Gail along I know I will eat often.

I would like to take some hikes plus see the various sights. My thoughts
are to visit the sights (geysers, mud volcanos, waterfalls, etc.) while we
drive from one hotel to the next and then take hikes on our non-travel
days. The Jenny Lake trail is neat and also there are several fun trails
in the Old Faithful area around the geysers and up into the woods.

I've never spent much time in the Mammoth area so having an extra day to
explore up there is something I've always wanted to do. Also, many of the
wolf packs are up in the northern part of the park, so we may want to go
wolf watching one morning or evening, depending on when/where the packs are
active.

I think KLB mentioned that you have also been to Yellowstone/Grand Tetons.
Any thoughts and ideas you have are more than welcome.

I don't plan on taking anything fancier than black jeans and a (Hawaiian)
golf shirt. I'm into casual this trip.

The weather will likely be cold (40s) in the morning and then get and stay
warm (80s) until sunset. I've encountered snow but never rain up there,
but who knows.

Just so you know I have a few rules when I travel.

1. The word "whatever" is banned from everybody's vocabulary.

2. No second guessing decisions. If you say you don't care after options
have been presented, suddenly "caring" after the decision has been made is
not allowed. Punishment is severe. Also, when asked to make a decision,
make it without hesitation and with pride.

3. The person who is giving me driving directions has to make them simple
and clear. It's ok if they are wrong. Since I'm a left handed right
brained male I don't multitask very well, especially when I'm trying to
avoid big animals, not run into geysers, or drive off cliffs.

4. Big trees take precedent over (almost) everything else. (Lucky for
all,) there are no live big trees in Yellowstone or Grand Tetons. However,
there are some big petrified ones that we definitely will need to visit.

I'll take a rope for emergency purposes. It could either serve as a GMH
tether or a GMH rescue line. She did well in Alaska climbing on glaciers
and not falling off boats or dog sleds. However her sister did break her
leg on an ATV on that trip, so I guess you never know for sure.

Happy Friday
(and back to work for me ).
RJB

--------------

RJB, GMH and KLB:
Thanks for providing the much needed laugh in the midst of my day where
I'm ready to strangle the next person who comes into my office and wants
something from me. There was a line outside my door all morning where
people took a number (not literally) and I think we got up to 100 in a
4-hour time period. The afternoon has been somewhat quieter because of
an annual golf outing which causes the office to shut down at noon and
everyone but the dedicated (or stupid) remain behind. However, that
means that as usual, the IT staff shirk their duties and I end up
covering their tails (can you tell I'm livid?)

I too have a few rules for vacation. Hopefully, they will mesh well
with the rest of you, since I invited myself along on the trip.

1. Have at least one bickering session with Gail.
2. Say "whatever" whenever I get the chance.
3. Stop and watch the wildlife. But try hard not to be the wildlife
that everyone else stops to watch!
4. Get away from the crowds as much as possible.
5. Have fun and some sort of adventure to make everyone jealous back at
home.
6. Laugh as much as possible.
7. Shop until you drop, every day....just kidding, I'm not really a big
shopper.

Have I just become uninvited from the trip? Donna

---------------

DJP

1. OK (as long as I can laugh).

2. Apathetic "whatevers" will be tolerated/ignored. Antagonistic
"whatevers", unless associated with item #1, are not allowed.

3. Me too.

4. Me too.

5. Me too.

6. Me too

7. Rule number 5, which I was not planning to invoke for this trip
involves the concept of earning "shopping points". However, with the
exception of Jackson, the only stores we will encounter will either be of
the grocery or souvenir variety, both of which are ok with me. Jackson has
nice benches, so some shopping will be tolerated.

You may still come.

RJB
----------------

So I leave the country for a few days, and look at the mischief that you all cause! I see that I will need to be the adult on the trip! I therefore appoint myself the director of culture, cuisine, and behavior control.

Here are my rules:

1) Culture: since there are no art museums or Shakespearean festivals in the area, I think Gail is safe! I am planning to burn a CD with an iMix of music that hopefully is appropriate to the trip.

2) Cuisine: I have made reservations at the Old Faithful Inn, and will take my guidebook of restaurants. In the park our options are limited, but I do like meals that include a view. Picnics in scenic areas are appropriate. McDonalds will only be visited as a last resort! Junk food such as White Cheddar Cheezits and chocolate are encouraged!

3) Behavior control: Don't make me have to use my teacher voice if you have inappropriate behavior! Beware: anything you do on the trip may be added to the blog or even a podcast! Such is the danger of traveling with a technogeek.

Actually I found your entire series of emails quite entertaining, so I decided to share them with the world. We now have our own official Yellowstone blog:

http://yellowstoneblog.blogspot.com/

That's all for now, happy packing! KLB

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