Thursday, 25 September
This morning was our warmest so far in the park, 30 degrees. Dolora and I were up early and to see sunrise over the lake. Fog covered the lake but the mountains in the distance were clear. While waiting for the sun to come up we heard elk bugling in the distance. We saw a bull and cow elk browsing in the field. The sunrise was beautiful.
Today included the last of our thermal features, Mud Volcano area. This area contains the most acidic springs. What that means is it smells the worst. There is a strong sulfur smell – like rotten eggs. Amazing features and once you got used to the smell, it was not too bad.
Hayden Valley was next. The valley is known for it’s wildlife. It did not disappoint. First stop was to watch a herd of bison. Over one hundred bison grazed in the valley below us I rented a spotting scope so we had some up close views.
A couple of miles further, Dolora and I saw a mass of cars pulled over and it looked like a bear in the field. We pulled over and walked back to all the people and it turned out to be a grizzly bear digging up grubs and insects to fatten up for the winter. Jackpot! That was the animal I most wanted to see on this trip. I was able to get some close up photos and videos by holding my phone up the the spotting scope lens.
Next up was the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We visited the Lower Falls first. A famous painting of these falls was supposed to be one of the reasons Yellowstone was preserved as the first national park. The Upper Falls were smaller but the viewpoint was much closer. Photos cannot begin to show the size of the canyon.
Dolora and I had lunch at Canyon Village. Checked out a film in the visitor center and found some scooped ice cream.
Our grizzly bear and bison herd were still there on our return trip so we stopped again. The grizzly bear was creating quite the traffic jam in the park. People were trying to find places to pull off on both sides as well as stopping in the middle of the road. Park rangers were trying to keep traffic moving. I bet the park rangers did not think they would be directing traffic when they signed up for the job,
Back to the cabin before dinner. Then another trip to the Lodge for something to eat. Relax in the lodge and call it a day.