Yellowstone

Big Horn Mountains near Buffalo, WY

Big Horns

We left the Black Hills on 7-16-10: I loved it there!! Will def want to go back! Spent the nights of the 16th and 17th in Buffalo, WY – which is a place I could live!! Beautiful little town nestled in the snowcapped Big Horn Mtns. And the views between Buffalo and Sheridan (closest Walmart) are majestic! We have seen some great stuff on I-90. Might be fun just to travel from one end to the other sometime!

David on trail near Buffalo, WY

Russian Olive trees near Buffalo, WY

David took me on a little trail near our rv park. It was neat, but I saw a snake close to the beginning of it. So I was ready to get to the end. It looked like a stick. Rocky thought so, too. Gus, it reminded me of the time you and Papaw were playing golf at Northridge when you were little and you started picking one up thinking it was a stick. Creepy! I've seen more snakes this summer than I probably have in all my years put together.
This area is where we saw our first eagle's nest and the mama and papa eagles. Beautiful!!

LB Battlefield

Custer's Last Stand

Becky and David at Little Bighorn

Some of many markers at Little Bighorn

One of the critical battle areas

Becky's biggest battle at Bighorn

7-18-10: spent 18th and 19th at Garryowen, MT. Visited the Battlefield of the Little Big Horn. Wow! Beautiful! And very interesting! And sad. Guess I didn't get much out of history when I was growing up. I thought Custer went around writing “Custer was Here”. But David told me that was Kilroy. So I learned a lot at the battlefield. Now I'm reading “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”. Written by Dee Brown, who grew up in LA and AR. Soooo good. I love all the Indian names. I thought it'd be fun to come up with Indian names for David and me. His is Killing Joy – cuz that just happens sometimes. LOL. Still waiting on him to name me. What name would you give yourself?

Little Bighorn Horse Cemetery

Today's horses at Little Bighorn

Not only are the markers – and a few graves – of the soldiers and Indians there, but there is also a mass grave for the horses that died in the battle. Today, there are horses roaming free (and sometimes in the streets) in the battlefield.

Our campground from the hill at Garryowen, MT

Montana Sunset

I see why Montana is called the Big Sky Country. The sky is incredible in rain or shine, day or night. We had a gorgeous view of the sunsets in the mtns. And talk about wide open!! God is awesome! What an Artist! There is a little hill behind the campground with the American flag at the top. From the top of the hill is a beautiful view of the campground. Fun little hike. Rocky pulled me up there.

View from our camper at Yellowstone's Edge RV Park

View from the camper

View from the camper

Part of a deer family across Yellowstone River at camper

bird from the campground

7-20-10: On to Yellowstone. Staying just outside Emigrant/Livingston, MT. Our rv park is amazing. We are surrounded by snowcaps in the Absaroka Mtn Range. Breathtaking. We are right on the mighty Yellowstone River. Gorgeous, but very fast. I could almost just stay at the rv park. Sun setting on the mtn range is beautiful.

Yellowstone's North Entrance

7-21-10: Went in to Yellowstone through the North Entrance – the Roosevelt gate. Crazy crowded!! David got some great pix today. Hard to do it justice. We were going to just go to a visitor info center today and just drive in a little ways. We got home 12 hours later!! So much diversity in the land. Yellowstone is divided up into 5 “countries”.

Mammoth 

Mammoth hot springs area

hot springs/geyser

Golden Gate of Yellowstone

We visited Mammoth and Roosevelt and took a drive about halfway through Lamar Valley. Drove over to West Yellowstone, MT so David could visit Bob Lilly's fly shop – that's a great little tourist town. Gotta go back there! Still some evidence of fire damage in the park. But the ecosystem is still alive there!

Trumpeter Swan

 Saw a trumpeter swan in the Madison River. I thought there was a big ole sheep or cow in the water. That was the biggest bird I'd ever seen! They are rare in the park. We were beginning to think the only wildlife in the park were the ones driving the cars.

Elk near the Madison River

Mulies in Roosevelt Country

Bison in Roosevelt Country

Black Bear in Roosevelt Country

Big Daddy in Roosevelt Country

Big Rock in Roosevelt Country

But we eventually saw, prairie dogs, buffalo, elk, (I think we saw the King of the Elk!), a black bear, and lots more eagles. And the swan.

Roosevelt Country

Roosevelt Country

David, Bec, and Rocky at Undine Falls

 Stopped at Undine Falls in Roosevelt Country. Very pretty!

Madison River

Roosevelt Country and Lamar Valley are unbelievable!! That's where most of our wildlife sightings were. It was a wonderful day. Way, way too many cars, but it was nice. Will prob spend most of our time in the Roosevelt area. Still have 3 more “countries” to explore though.

The town of  Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone

There is one mystery about the Yellowstone area that is hard for me to grasp. WHERE ARE THE SONICS??? Killing Joy doesn't see it as a problem.

Tonight after a walk along a trail beside the Yellowstone River, we sat outside as the sun went down. Spotted a deer family on the other side of the river from the campground and 2 owls buzzing the river. Life is good.

We plan to visit Old Faithful and the other 3 countries next week. David will try to get in some fly-fishing and I'm gonna try to catch a horseback ride and/or river raft trip. Will send more pix later.



Happy Trails,



Lewis & Clark



--- actually, I think that'd have to be John Colter. LOL.