Yellowstone National Park

 

 

Yellowstone National Park is much larger that what I remembered as child when I visited it with the Cook’s circa 1968.  Bud Lily’s Fly Shop still exists in West Yellowstone.  This is the place where I attended Fly Fishing School.  Yes, I am an Alma Mater of the Bud Lily School of Fly Fishing, as are; Larry Cook, Scott Cook, and Eric Reid.

 

This is the place that Larry Cook dubbed me "Super Flogger of the Water Dog Tribe". 

He attested that I would flog the river so vehemently that the water would froth, the fish float to the top, and then we could just scoop them up in our nets.  Or maybe it’s just because I kept falling in the river so frequently.  In any event, I was awarded the “Most Improved” by the instructors. 

They no longer do instruction or guiding, but the fact that the store still exists was amazing/nostalgic.  

 

Welcome to Yellowstone NP;

 

Yellowstone is home to the majority of the world’s geo-thermic activity.  Lots of places where steam and hot water escape through the rocks.  Our first stop was at the world famous Old Faithful Geyser. 

 

 

We sat at the base and watched it.

 

 Then climbed to the top of the hill and watched it.

 

Then we walked about 3 miles around several other geyser’s and springs.  The colors from the micro-organism’s was pretty amazing.  Then the minerals mixed in made for some very colorful waters.  We kept thing it would be wonderful to skinny dip in the pools of warm/hot water.

 

In this area they take there history pretty seriously as a result you can find many examples of machinery used in the early industrial years of the US, like this old tour bus;

 

It is pretty nice to watch the mixture of the river and the geothermal pools that abound in the this area;

 

A lot of the park was closed in early May.  Plenty of snow and ice still around.  So we visited the few areas that were open.  One of which is the “Grand Canyon of Yellowstone”.  The Yellowstone River has cut a big canyon through a section of the park. 

In that canyon are two water falls.  The upper;

The lower;

 

Along the canyon you can find Osprey nesting;

And of course opportunities for the group photo;

 

One of the more interesting things is to stand before the “Dragons Mouth” and listen to the steam build and spew, really sounds like a dragon breathing….

Buffalo abound in the park.  Some hog the highways;

And others you just want to reach out and pet. (from a distance of course)