This blog seems to be a trip blog of late, Oh well-
We've just returned from a brief trip to Montana, escaping the current heatwave in Oklahoma! We booked a motel as a last resort, as everything was booked for some of the days we were going to be there. We knew it would be less than 5 star- or 4 even, maybe less than 3!! At any rate, it was a large room with a reasonably comfortable bed, and the view of sunrise from our little chairs in front of the door was spectacular.
It kind of made me pleased that Hubby and I are both morning people!
We just had 5 days, so we were at it all day every day! Our first day involved driving around the area and me hopping out for photos every so often. The scenery WAS gorgeous!
Keith was busy looking for a good fishing spot most of the time! We had a float trip booked for the following day on the Yellowstone River, so we checked out the Madison and Gallatin Rivers the first day. The air was clear and crisp and cool in the mornings- it did heat up some during the day, but coming from over 100 degree temps for 3 solid weeks, it didn't seem too bad to us!!
We ate dinner at the restaurant attached to our Motel. There was no check in when we arrived at 11 the night before, so we thought we should tell someone we were there! (they left the key in the room with the door unlocked for our arrival) The food was okay- the place was loud and full of children running loose. One kid crawled on top of the pool table! I told myself these kids had probably been stuck in a car for hours, but I really think they were locals!!
The second day was the float trip, and we were both really excited! We met our guide, Colter, in a parking lot in Bozeman and off we went! The first problem I had, was- I was supposed to be fishing, but I kept seeing things I wanted to take pictures of! It was often a tough decision. I managed to do both. ;)
Me with my first catch, and Keith's first Rainbow, held by Colter. Our guide was fantastic! He has a degree in Micro Biology, but hated working in a lab, so after less than a year, he quit and took the certifications to become a guide. He seems to love doing it. He said he's been at it for about 10 years, and he knows his business! He caught on right away to the photography fiend in the front of the boat, and would slow the boat for me to take photos, and even anchored at one point so I could get this shot-
We stopped for lunch, and he produced a fold up table and chairs and a great lunch! We had a nice little break, and enjoyed soaking in the area.
Off we went, in pursuit of a lunker trout, or something to that effect. I was really more into the photos, as you can likely tell! BUT- wonder of wonders, I caught a Brown Trout that even Colter was excited about!
Notice that Colter kept the net handy just in case, and I hung onto it pretty tight when he handed it to me! I was afraid he'd get away before the picture, but Keith took several. The fish was gorgeous. Then it was Keith's turn, and he caught a large rainbow that really was beautiful.
After that, I said, " Okay, I'm done." My heart was pounding from catching my fish, and then Keith pulled in his big Rainbow, and I didn't figure we'd get anything better, so I took to the camera. We had a great time, acquired a bit of rosy cheeks, and were worn out completely. We both thought that float trip was the best decision we made for the vacation----so far.
We spent the next day fishing the Gallatin River on our own from the bank, with no wading gear. That's a problem. But, we took snacks along and had a nice lunch next to the river, and enjoyed the sound of the flowing river, and the breeze in the trees.
Keith even took a nap under the tree while I read. It was very relaxing.
Our last day was slated for Yellowstone National Park. I had been there with my parents, when I was 5 or so. I don't remember much but Old Faithful. Keith had never been, so we were both pretty excited to go. Our first actual stop, was an area of bubbling earth. That's the best way I can think of to describe it!
Most of the bubbling was from gasses releasing through water or mud. Some of it was very warm, like sitting in a sauna, as the heat under ground would build up and then find an opening to come through- thus the geysers throughout the park. We learned that some of the areas of release changed over time, and even during the different seasons would appear quite different. Some of them began following earthquakes that had created new cracks in the earth. It's pretty amazing stuff, really.
There were pathways built above some of them, so you could actually walk along on top of these things! There was definitely heat and steam coming up. We even noticed one path area that had been moved a few feet, and decided that it was one of those that had shifted from an earthquake. Of course, one of the things that Yellowstone is noted for, is Old Faithful, and we arrived within 5 minutes of it's eruption.
http://www.nps.gov/features/yell/live/live4.htm <Here is a link to a live stream of the Geysers in the Old Faithful area. ( i hope)
And there she goes! Notice all the people getting an up close view....
THIS is where we stood, partly because the crowd got there first, but also because I knew how high it might go! And, you can also see people beginning to scatter in this shot. Evidently, they didn't realize how high it would shoot, and how much steam/water would drift! We enjoyed watching them scramble away. And then, we posed next to the site after it calmed down.
Another thing that Yellowstone is famous for, is the wildlife you can see there. And we did! Up close and personal in some cases:
The guy above actually stood by my window, and then snorted at me a few times, and sauntered across in front of the car. I attempted to post that video, but so far- haven't gotten it to work. Traffic on both sides of the road was stopped completely by a herd meandering across the road!
Of course, among all this natural beauty, we also discovered devastation. Several areas of Yellowstone had been essentially wiped out by fire in 1988. About 36% was gone completely, and only stopped by moisture from snowfall and rains. I believe those fires were man made. Some areas of the park had signs stating that the areas had been reseeded, and had many small trees growing. There were small fires that had been set by lightning the day before our trip. Generally, they monitor these fires, but let them burn themselves out. We learned that some of the pines in the forest have a resin on the pine cones that only releases through fire! Nature. Amazing. I found the map of fires interesting:
This is a map available online that is updated often, so travelers can know what they are getting into! There were also sites for live streaming of several areas of the park besides Old Faithful.
Yellowstone is definitely worth seeing! We really enjoyed the day, and felt ready to return home. It was a great closing to a brief but exciting trip! So long Montana-
