Yellowstone / Grand Teton

My sister, LeAnn, and Nathan came up for the weekend. I don't have to twist her arm very hard to do a drive through Yellowstone. This time we got to do this in her new car. After breakfast at the Relay Station, we headed on up to West Yellowstone and into The Park in the west entrance. We took the south loop by driving up to Norris junction and over to Canyon, then down through Hayden Valley on past Yellowstone Lake and then up to Old Faithful.

Considering thunderstorms and scattered showers were in the forecast for the day, we lucked out for the most part with the weather. It was a bit cool though, in the 40s and 50s, so we did not get out and take many pictures. We saw a lots of bison, geese (mostly along the Yellowstone river in Hayden Valley), and a few deer near Yellowstone Lake. No elk this time.

After watching Old Faithful erupt, we headed east again to go out the south entrance and on through Grand Teton NP. With the snowpack runoff and all the thunder showers over the past week or so, I have never seen so much standing water in Yellowstone. The Lewis River, as it leaves Lewis Lake and then flows south to join the Snake river, is flooding extensively just down river from Lewis Falls. Jackson Lake is full!! It looks good.

As we were driving down the road near Colter Bay, there were a lot of cars along the road. A moose carcass was visible not far from the road. And many people were waiting to see the grizzly bear come back to feast on its kill. Just as we approached, it started raining...sprinkling at first but within about 30 seconds it was a full downpour. We opted to head back to the car instead of getting soaked. We didn't see it.

After stopping at the new visitor center at Moose (where we did see a young bull moose right outside the visitor center) we headed onward toward home on the Moose-Wilson road. This is one of my favorite drives. It is a short drive on a very narrow, winding road, but it is worth it. More often than not, I will sight moose along the road. And definitely as worth it this time. A mother moose and a very young calf were eating along side a creek very near the road. It was just beautiful to stand and watch them.

We then headed on over Teton Pass and got home in time for me to go to the wedding reception for Ryan and Breanne Olaveson. A great ending to a fun day!!

You have to look hard, but the calf moose is visible to the right of the cow.