Photography

Inspiration Point

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The hike to Inspiration Point overlooking Jenny Lake in Grand Tetons National Park is a classic one and we had a gorgeous day to do it. We also enjoyed painting the scene, complete with a moth that hung out on my finger for hours… Ah, bliss, mountains at last.

Yellowstone Caldera

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Yellowstone is in the mountains, but is not particularly mountainous, because it comprises mostly a caldera. If I had once known that term, I had forgotten it, but my thirteen year old knew it from last year’s Runkle Geography course (see here). In the map below, you can see the ring where the caldera is … Read more

Geysers and Thermal Pools

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Above is the famous geyser, Old Faithful. Also you see here “mud holes,” the Opal Pool and the Grand Prismatic Spring. Near the bottom, there are a couple photos of how the landscape in general is percolating due to magma very close to the surface. Sometimes the steam makes visibility difficult! The yellow, orange and … Read more

Bison

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Bison are everywhere in Yellowstone. A herd of millions, now down to a few thousand, they are taking over this landscape with a right of way, walking in the roads, hanging out in the campsites, lumbering and chomping, taking their time…

Snow in August / Old Faithful Inn

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We woke up in our tent to snow in August. The temperature was in the 20’s. Where were the 106 degree temperatures of only a few days ago? While cold, it was still beautiful. We drove to the Old Faithful Inn for their delicious hot breakfast buffet, and then luxuriated in their 7 story, authentic … Read more

Canyon of the Yellowstone

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We did all the little hikes at the Canyon of the Yellowstone, including the 656 slippery steps to the base of the falls and back. (My daughter loved that; she scampered it 4.5 times = 3052 steps! See two photos of the steps below, one close up and the other from across the canyon.) The … Read more

Mammoth Hot Springs & the Boiling River

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We woke up in the Mammoth Hot Springs Campground and went to the National Park Lodge for an affordable hot breakfast; I had trout Benedict and my daughter had chocolate chip pancakes. We then visited the travertine terraces, which were built up over several thousand years of 170 degree flowing solution carrying two tons of … Read more

Beartooth Pass

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We came into Yellowstone through the Beartooth Pass from the north into the northeast entrance to the park. The Beartooth Pass has nine scenic switchbacks which quickly gain in elevation. At an overlook, chipmunks begged peanuts and we saw storm clouds gathering at the top of the pass. Once we got up there, we had … Read more

Northeastern Wyoming & the Lovell Pass

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We continue driving west to Yellowstone, taking a scenic detour through western Wyoming over the Lovell Pass… We romped on a meadow at an overlook (can you find my daughter in the two photos under the dandelion?) and enjoyed a rainbow while picnicking under a roofed table in the rain at a rest area…

Cowboy Boots

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Wall Drug is what my extended family would call a “TT,” short for “tourist trap.” But Wall Drug isn’t just any TT, it’s a superlative example of one. Their advertisements span hundreds of miles in advance of arrival; we counted 81 different signs. They offer free ice water (not for nothing in 106 degree temperatures), … Read more

Beautiful Badlands

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We had a lovely time at Badlands National Park, viewing it at sunset and sunrise on the edges of clear 106 degree days. We were also treated to a magnificent full moonrise, along with coy rabbits and interesting insects. Our first night in the tent was balmy and delightful. The evening and morning glow on … Read more