Quake Lake

Did you know that in 1957 there was an earthquake in Yellowstone? We discovered that at the visitor center. The earthquake (7.5 on the Richter scale ) was actually centered just north west of the park. It caused a mountain to collapse into a pass and block the flow of the Madison River which also flows through Yellowstone. This blockage formed a lake before the army was able to dig a trench to re-establish an outlet for the river. Twenty some people died in local campgrounds because of the rocks falling and the water. We learned that even though a flow of water was established again, the lake that was created still exists. The flow is still somewhat restricted but they believe that eventually it will drain when the movement of the water deepens the spillway and allows the water to drain faster. We took a 17 mile drive out of West Yellowstone to see the lake.

Here is part of the mountain that collapsed.

We found this guy (a Bald Eagle) looking for a meal in one of the dead trees.

Damage to the roads by the quake prohibited rescue of the campers so medics were helicoptered in to provide assistance. Some of the old roads are still around. We drove down this one only to end up at the edge of the lake.

Sydney and Holly enjoyed playing in the water and having a picnic lunch before returning to the campground.

Yellowstone Continued

I think I'll do the critter pictures first. We have many Buffalo pics but this guy actually posed for us. He was eating grass on the side of the road and John was standing next to the jeep waiting for him to lift his head, Finally John pleaded " lift your head will ya" and he did.... looking right at him as if to say...."if it will get you to leave, sure".

Most of the bulls are near the roads. Because the females have young right now, they stay further away in the fields, although occasionally some of them will cross the road. Does anyone know what the rangers call the young calves?

Here are a couple of Elk. Notice they are still shedding their winter coats.

This is a gray wolf. He was in a pack of four.

We also have seen prairie dogs and pronged horn sheep. The only thing we haven't seen in the wild is a grizzly.

Here in West Yellowstone is a Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center where a few grizzlies and wolves are kept because they cannot be released into the wild. We visited it several times and learned a lot. This place is a big hit with kids because they get to play "keeper" by going into the enclosure (without the bears .... of course) and hide food treats under logs and stones, in trees and water. Then they watch (from outside the fence) as the bears are allowed to enter and hunt for the treats the kids just hid.

Now for the volcanic aspect of the park. The center of Yellowstone is actually an active volcano that is exhibiting itself in the form of hot springs, geysers, mud pots and steam vents. Here are a few photos.

This is actually boiling mud.

I don't think I would like to be here when it decides to actually erupt. All of these features are heated by molten lava about 7 to 10 miles below the ground surface.

The other beautiful features of the park are the falls and canyons. Here are 2 photos from the grand canyon of Yellowstone.

The beauty and diversity of this country is just sooooo amazing. I could travel continuously and never see enough or be bored by what I see and experience.

Here is something else I could never see enough or be bored with......  one happy boy....Lukas.

Classic Yellowstone

I have been very neglectful about sitting down at the computer to write. The first reason is the weather. It is finally getting nice in this area. Temps are now in the 70's during the day and the rain has slowed considerably. Secondly,  because the weather is better, we are busier. After leaving Utah we entered Wyoming and traveled to Thayne, about halfway through the state but right on the border with Idaho. We traveled around the area and came away with the impression that people move to Wyoming to get away from other people. We must have gone through/visited 25 towns.... none of which had a population of more than 500 people. The only place that was over 1,000 was Jackson Hole with a population around 6,500. I found Jackson very commercial.... souvenir shops, restaurants and bars. There were many galleries to admire but when sculptures average $35,000.00 each.... you don't spend a lot of time. Here are a few pics.
This arch is made from antlers shed by the elk who winter here every year.

Jackson Hole is everything "cowboy"

When we left Thayne we entered Yellowstone National Park via the South entrance. We traveled northwest through the park to the West Entrance and into West Yellowstone. It took us a long time to travel the 160 some miles. The first reason is the speed limit within the park. It ranges from 45 to 25 miles per hour. Secondly, you have to concede the road to the critters and buffalo do not walk very fast. This is a typical scene....

When Sydney first saw the buffalo, through the RV windows, he started growling and barking. Since then he has seen them so frequently and so close to the jeep that that he just watches them...... sometimes not even bothering to stand up.

One of the first places we visited was the Old Faithful Inn. This is the world's largest log structure. It was threatened during the fires in 1988 but local farmers donated 55 miles of irrigation pipe that was placed over the top and around the perimeter of the structure to save it. It is magnificent to behold.

We sat and watched Old Faithful erupt.... right on time I might add. Our experience was enhanced because we participated in a "wave" through the  gallery of world wide people assembled.

Another classic of Yellowstone is the lake. I was amazed at how big it is.

And finally.... the snow. It's the end of June and there is 6 to 8 feet of snow in the mountains. We went to Mount Washburn and took these pictures. The snow was over my head (no short jokes please) in most places despite the 60 degree temperatures at the top of the mountain.

The only down side of this adventure is the space. The park is so large that you drive 80 to 100 miles per day just to see one section of the park. Each section is different than the other. There is the volcanic section, wildlife sections, water sections, mountain sections  and everything in between. I have to divide this blog into several postings because of the photos.

Did I mention Dinosaurs

Just a few quick facts and pictures of the big guys who use to roam this area long before we arrived. The 80 mile radius around Vernal Utah has the largest collection of Dinosaur remains in the world. It is truly dinosaur country. We went to several museums before John got "dinoed out", so I didn't see the national monument or the Dino digs but it was really neat being able to touch the shell of a large turtle that lived more than 45 million years ago.

In a few days we leave Utah and head for Wyoming. This will be our last stop before going into Yellowstone. The temperature in that area is still on the cool side with highs in the 60's and lows in the 30's. They have also been having an unusual amount of rain. Let's hope it's over by the time we get there.

Cool Hand Lukas .... Ready to Ride Mom

Along the Utah Road

I thought I would share with you the sites we see while traversing the back roads of Utah. We have taken many a dirt road not knowing where it will lead us or what we will see..... but we have never been disappointed.
First the Spring Flowers. Utah is in bloom and the wildflowers are just beautiful. I have had a bouquet of fresh flowers on my dinning table every day.

We frequently share the road with all manner of people and critters. There is a lot of "Open Range" in Utah. Here is a picture of what we see most frequently. Cowboys, their cattle dogs and their cattle moving from one pasture to another.

Here is an old cemetery we found. There were graves dated in the 1800's and few from the early 1900's. Of note and interest to us was the wooden turnstile gate at the entrance.

Utah is also experiencing a sharp rise in oil and natural gas drilling like Pa. Meeting up with an 18 wheeler on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere is common. Many of the beautiful hills and valleys are dotted with these monstrosities.

Now for a happy picture.... Lukas update.... just monkeying around...