Yellowstone

Entering the first National Park in America.  Yellowstone.  Actually there are 5 entrances but the most iconic is the North entrance were Teddy Roosevelt inaugaurated the park's opening.  We stayed for 6 days just outside the National Park at West Yellowstone.  Grizzly RV Park.  Town of 950 people.   It was like a mini Wisconsin Dells.

They had a great Grizzly and Wolf Center that gave information about safety in the park with these two trouble makers.  They also had 7 wolves and 9 grizzly's in habitat areas.  These were all animals taken from Yellowstone because they were injuried and not able to return to the wild or nuisance animals (they liked us humans too much and wouldn't leave us alone or our garbage). 

Here's a big hug to all of you from us.  I forgot to shave that morning, sorry.

 This is the new couch that Randy picked out for our motorhome.  Took some measurements, and it just wouldn't fit.  Bummer!  Actually, I think Buddy would have been jealous so it was better off left in the store.
The popular book in all the National Park stores is "Who pooped here?"  Teaching kids about wildlife scat recognition.  Well we have the answer to the age old question.  Do bears poop in the woods?   YES they do - watch this.
 The Elk have made their home in all kinds of places.  Including downtown Mammoth Springs in Yellowstone.  Not sure if he was waiting by the firehydriant for privacy, but he wasn't going to get it with all of us gaukers staring at him.  He eventually just layed down beside it for a rest.  There were many ladies in town to, but they were smarter and hung out in the shade of buildings with their young.
This is always a tell tale sight.  Where there are cars stopped, there is some type of animal to be seen.  We always kept our eyes open but when this human event occurs, it was an easy catch that we would see wildlife.  I wonder what the animals think of our "herds". 
 Of course what visit to Yellowstone would not be complete without viewing Old Faithful.  She now runs on a 90 minute schedule +or- 10 minutes.  I remember it used to be closer to every 60 minutes.  Must be time for a battery change.  It was fun watching all the herds of people suddenly move in about eruption time and then suddenly move away as soon as it was over.

We toured all, and I mean everywhere, in Yellowstone via motorcycle or foot.  The good old 1989 Honda Goldwing just loves this mountain air.  In Wisconsin we averaged 39-40 mpg with both of us.  Here we've been doing about 50mpg.  It's only a bit scary when the bison decide to walk on the road.  It is great for taking pictures and video from the back.  No windows to shoot through or frame to get in the way.  Well maybe Randy's head now and then but that's OK.  This was Yellowstone Lake, time for a break and looksee.

Just one of the many, many rivers flowing through Yellowstone that amaze me in their beauty and I couldn't believe the number of Fly Fisherpersons.  A sport we did not know much about but seems to be the only way to fish in Wyoming.  Maybe YouTube has a video we could watch to educate ourselves.???

 To the left "old geezer"

To the right "old geyser"

Mud pots and all of the wonders of being on a volcano are here at Yellowstone.  It was the wildlife watching that interests us the most.  Waited for an hour to see the pack of 7 wolves and their cubs that come out of the woods at 5:30-6pm.  Or so we were told by the dozens of people that come to watch them every night.   Except the night we waited.   No wolves.  The night before arrived in the Hayden Valley area and were told they had just gone back in after a 2 hour romp with their cubs.  Timing is everything.  Saw a grizzly between Tetons and Yellowstone by the side of the road but pictures just look like a brown furball as he/she was in the tall grass and Ranger Rick made everyone keep moving.  No big horn sheep, goats, or mountain lions spotted.  Another goal, someday.