Thermopolis, WY

8 Sept 2006 – The town of Thermopolis is small but friendly. This statue is downtown and depicts a cowboy and many of the brands used in the area over the years. It gives the name and owner of the brands portrayed. The next two photos are more of the springs as they flow over the rocks and then into the Shoshone River – a very rapidly flowing stream!!! The deer in the alfalfa were just before we got back to our RV Park. TALL alfalfa, right? On to Grand Teton and Yellowstone!!


 

Thermopolis, WY

8 Sept 2006 – We had decided to move to the South Yellowstone Entrance in the Grand Tetons so we headed south today. Becky found a great little park in a town named Thermopolis, WY so we headed south. To our surprise we found the largest hot springs in the world. Growing up near Hot Springs, AR I was of course interested. There is a State Park right in the center of the city that offers free baths in the spring water. It is so hot they recommend only 20 minutes in the water and they were correct. Becky and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The water is so rich in deposits it creates the colors you see. The final photo is of one of several ‘fountains’ that continue to build as the years go by.


 

Off the Beaten Path notes

For some reason, Picasa did not pick up the words for these photos. Here they are.
7 Sept 2006 – Just off the beaten path, however, there is still beauty to be found. Becky rewarded my photo efforts with a new camera with much better zoom capabilities just in time for this Bald Eagle shot along this stream we had decided to walk along. She spotted it and the eagle let us stand across the river from it long enough to get these photos. We now have 10X optical zoom and additional digital zoom. I am using it ALL for the eagle photos and it held up pretty well. No more excuses! The stream is just another stream running through the park but the pretty lady is definitely one of a kind.

Off the Beaten Path

 
 
 
  

Yellowstone's Other Side

7 Sept 2006 – All is not so pretty or famous. These are some of the not so well known or spoken of photos in Yellowstone. The first two are the Mud Pools which are similar to the geysers but due to the soil they are in they create bubbling pools of mud. They do still have the sulphur smell of the geyser. The next photo is of a geyser of much less repute than Old Faithful but is said to be the Highest geyser in the world – higher than Old Faithful. It is Steamboat Geyser and is much less predictable than Old Faithful but when it goes – it GOES. It was active while we were there but we were not able to view one of its major shows. Bad timing. Does go to show that you can not be the ‘best’ and still achieve fame just by being dependable and ‘in the hunt’. The last photo is a scene prevalent in much of the park. Major fires in the past have left this view in many places.


 

Yellowstone Water Falls

7 Sept 2006 – How about some water falls? These are the Upper and Lower Yellowstone Falls. The Lower Falls are the larger of the two but both are special. The area below the Lower Falls is called the Yellowstone version of the Grand Canyon. Not nearly as large (or Grand) but quite dramatic none the less!


 

Yellowstone Park, WY

7 Sept 2006 – We moved to Cody, WY, about 30 miles from Yellowstone Park. The drive took us over an 8000 foot pass and was the first real challenge for our diesel – it passed. The trip to Yellowstone from Cody was long and over 6 miles of rough gravel roads (of the total of over 50 miles to get to any decent views at all). We had intended moving into the park the next day but changed our mind. However, our day in the park produced some dramatic views along the Yellowstone River and these views of some of the many geyser basins (and mud pools!). They do not rival Old Faithful, of course, but they serve as a good introduction!!