Grand Teton & Yellowstone NPs 2015

                                                            

                                         

               

We started our trip at Grand Teton NP. Camping at Gros Ventre campground in a nice quite place
and the moose come through your site.

Nice weather and some great day hikes gave us some nice times. There were a few moose around with two coming right at our site.
There are nice walks to the lakes and got you back into the base of the mountains.

Our first camp spot in Yellowstone was at Canyon.Not having camped there before we didn't know what to expect.Actually it's a nice camp even with the large rigs.It's close to Lamar Valley where the animals are.
The next camp was at Norris it's a great spot for our campers.The meadow gets Elk and Bison through it.A nice show.

We made 4 trips over to the Lamar Valley to watch the herds of Bison and Pronghorn with their young. A female Bison had died in birth and the wolves were having their feast. We watched the site over the week and a lot of animals came to eat at the carcass.

Fishing was good on the Gibbin river at Norris camp,the Brook Trout were fun to catch.A 4" one feels like a much larger fish. One evening while fishing a lighting storm moved through off in the distance. It was fun to watch the huge strikes way off in the distance.

After 3 nights at Norris we moved to Madison for the last 2 nights. Fishing was good but the catching wasn't.There was so much food on the water there was little interest in a fly.Although I did hook two nice cuts but both broke the fly off.

By out last night the park was starting to get a lot of people so it was time to move on.Driving out through Teton and spending a quiet night back at Gros Ventre was the plan before our long ride home.

The last night was spent at the Hope Valley campground on Blue Lakes Rd. This is a small camp but quiet. We had some more rain, the leftover of the storm that came up from the south and across the east Sierras. It only lasted about an hour than a great sunset.

Yellowstone area is one of our best places to visit.With all the animal viewing and the scenery it's hard to beat. Yes there are a lot of people there but we manage to get out and away from the biggest crowds.

Spring time there is special with all the new young animals ,and the wild flowers. This time there seemed to be a better show of flowers than the last spring trip we made.Just the difference in a couple weeks earlier.

We always look forward to our trips there.Maybe a fall one is in the works.

                                                                                              

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Wild flowers were out,a nice surprise.

A nice young bull still in velvet.He made two trips through our site.

Wild Clemitis,ours here on the coast are white.

Phelps lake looking west.This was the Rockefeller's privet cabin area.

The Teton shots just keep going.

Buffel-head Duck

Another pair of Sandhill Cranes.We saw several pairs but no "colts".

The Canadian Geese were everywhere.

White Pelicans,with the perfect background.

Another shot from the Jackson Lake area.

Shar spotted these goats on the far canyon side of the Yellowstone river.

This group just kept moving and eating,don't know how they stay on the steep terrain.

Bison and their calves were all over in the Lamar Valley.

This was a new kill and the wolves,eagles,& coyotes were all taking their turn at the meal.

After 3 days of viewing this site most of the female bison was gone.

A solitary bull bison.

A nice yellow head blackbird.

We enjoyed watching the "small" animals this trip.

This mother Black bear has her hands full with 3 two year old cubs.

This fox still in some of his winter coat was searching for some food.

The coyotes are getting the last of the carcass. Nothing goes to waste.

Still winter up on Beartooth Pass.

Norris geyser basin.

Another old bull laying around after having a snack.

Glacier Lilies,fields of them all over the place.

The wildflowers were out and putting on a great show.

Yellowstone canyon with all it's color.

Osprey sitting on eggs,the nest is on a spire at the canyons edge.

Lower falls,the water was very high in the river and made for a huge fall.

This Osprey just sat there and watched us.

This Coyote was at the "Old Faithful"area just roaming around the trail area.

This Marmot was trying not be a meal for the Coyote.

He was searching though. There were 3 in the area and they were "talking" to each other.

Morning Glory pool.

A family of Marmots coming out of their den.

The little animals were fun to watch.

Pinedrops.a little different than ours in the Sierra.

The trip ended at Hope Valley campground,nice to see our granite.

The last of the storm that came through the east side and into the valley.

Five years with our Bobcat

                                      December 3rd,2009 we picked up our new ATC Bobcat # 1084
                                      In the past 5 years we have traveled to places as far north as
                                      Denali Ak. East into Minnesota,several trips to Yellowstone.
                                      Trips along the California,Oregon,Washington coast.
                                      Into BC Canada, Vancouver Island. Canyon lands of Utah.
                                      To date we have traveled over 32,000 miles and have spent about
                                      150 nights camping with our Bobcat.
                              
                                      Two different trucks have carried the camper. The first was a 2006
                                       Ford Ranger,for two years. Than after our trip to Denali we
                                       felt we needed a little larger and more powerful truck.
                                       That search found the 2002 Toyota Tundra that carries the camper now.
                               
                                       Here are some of the places we have taken the rig.
                                                            
                                      

The crew at ATC installing the new Bobcat. Sure looks nice and clean.

If you make a reservation for a camp site at Yellowstone,this shot comes up as a size choice for your spot.

Yellowstone NP

The cafe from the TV show

Fall color along the Snake River Wy.

Vancouver Island

Haines Junction BC

Dawson City,Yukon

Beginning of the Dempster Hwy.,Yukon

Tombstone Provincial park, Yukon

Loading up on the Alaskan Ferry out of Haines Ak.

Friends we met in Denali,headed home from Pt Rupert,BC.

Installing the Bobcat on the Tundra,at ATC.

 

The "new" to us Tundra. We like red.

Big Sur bridge.

Mosquito Lk, Ebbetts pass.

Fall color in Minnesota.

At camp with Minnesota friends.

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Paul Bunyan.  

The sub Hawksbill #666,Arco,Idaho

Pebble Creek CG Yellowstone.

Red Rock CG ,Majove Ca.

Zion NP.

Kodachrome Basin,SP Utah

First snow of the season,Carson Pass Ca.

Big Trees SP Calavaras,Ca.

Short lemonade lite trip

First off the title, "when you get lemons you make lemonade" , well this trip was a lemonade lite one.

We had a Yellowstone trip planed 16/18 days visiting the park for a week than wandering our way home by some routes not taken.
Well our first day out went great,started up Carson Pass and saw the King fire from a distance no problem.
Had planed to find a place to camp,maybe Hope Valley. That looked good but it was to early so we decided to head to Fernley to spend the night and get a nice early start Wednesday morning. To shorten our second day on the road.
On Wednesday morning I made the mistake of listing to the National weather report and it sounded like the end of the world was headed up through the South West with some problems for the Jackson/Yellowstone area.
They had posted "hazardous" weather for the next 3 or so days,just right as we would be driving and arriving there.
I listened and checked the parks report and same thing.So not wanting to get caught in something that would be a problem over 1,000 miles from home, we thought it better to not to continue east.
So to make "lemonade lite" we decided to hit the Sierras to some of our favorite places.
Even gave some thought to the Mammoth area but didn't know about the fire at Yosemite and if it was sending smoke over to Mammoth. 
So the best bet was to head up Ebbetts Pass, thought about turning onto Highlands lake road but by the time we were on the pass the winds were blowing really hard and we had been back at the lakes with wind like that.
So the next stop was Union Lake and than after a coulpe days there the wind might lesses and we could go Highland.
That didn't work as when we woke this morning the wind had shifted during the night and all the smoke from the King fire moved into our area.
Well that seemed to be a sign and home was looking good.
As we headed down the hill the smoke just got worse and by the time we arrived in Murphys to get a goodie at the Aria bakery the smoke was so bad you couldn't see very far.
It's a good thing we are flexible,sure would have liked to visit our animal friends in Yellowstone but next time.
The only pictures I have are of the fire smoke,sorry.

                                        This is the plume from Union Lake on Wednesday afternoon about 40 miles
                                         away. It just would grow and move east and grow another one. Awesome.

                                         This shot is Tuesday afternoon from Carson pass area. The fire was still
                                         15,000 acres or so.

                                         This is Tuesday evening at Fernely Nv. By that time the smoke
                                          down into the Reno area and moving east.

                                         This is the "storm" that moved into the area but I don't think it did
                                         much to help the fire except change the wind direction,and blow the
                                         smoke to the south. Yuck....

                                         We still ended having a good time and all the places we wanted
                                         to visit will be there for next time.