Cumulative miles: 3,408
Speeding Tickets: 1
States Visited: 9
Lesson Learned: Don’t Pet the Fluffy Cows
Well, I did it, folks! I made it to Yellowstone. When I think of an American road trip, it has to include Yellowstone. I’ve wanted to come here all my life, but I was never in the neighborhood. I’ve been a lot of places, don’t get me wrong, but Wyoming was never one of them. Also, those many places I’ve been to have almost all been as an adult. When I was a child, we didn’t travel or vacation. First of all, we couldn’t afford it, and secondly, I just don’t think my parents found it fun or relaxing. I, on the other hand, have always wanted to see as much of the world as I can. I’m determined to see all 50 states.
The park so far is pretty wonderful. I arrived about noon, a bit tired, but happy to be here. I’m staying at the Grant Village camping area, which is actually about 50 miles from the park entrance. Yes, the park is that big. I was too early to check in and set up camp, so I stopped in the general store and bought a salad for lunch and some dehydrated beef stroganoff for dinner. That will be interesting.
I stopped at a picnic area on the Yellowstone River, and walked to the water's edge to set up my folding chair. The grasshoppers jumped out of the was as if they were springloaded. They clicked their legs at me as they hopped and flew away, as if to scold me for interrupting their sunbathing. I sat and opened my salad. Guess what? No fork. I searched and searched and couldn’t find my fork. Perhaps I should have brought more than one. I ended up eating my Caesar salad with a spoon. Not very graceful.
I aspire to be an organized person. I actually like organizing things. The frustrating thing about me is that once I’ve organized something, I don’t follow through. Ergo, even though I have a specific bin for dishes, cups, and silverware, the fork wasn’t in it, and I had no idea where I might have put it. Hopefully when camp is all set up tonight it will appear.
I saw my first bison today – a single one, standing by the road looking kind of bored. It was pretty majestic to behold. I shot the above photo and I think it came out really well. I bought a guidebook and headed just a short way up the north loop to see some mud pots and thermal vents. Pretty amazing. There were several, some bubbling like boiling water, others steaming and occasionally spitting. What I didn’t expect was the sound they made. And ugh, the sulfur smell. There was a lake called Sour Lake, because of the sulfuric content. The lake drains into the Yellowstone River. I’m not sure what that much sulfur and other minerals might do to an ecosystem, but apparently is adapted because it’s been this way for hundred of thousands of years.
Arrived at my campsite a bit ago. I had tried to stop in Cody to buy some “bear resistant” food containers at Walmart. Their website claimed that they had them, but apparently only to order online. However, when I was checking in at the park, the ranger told me that the campsites would be equipped with a “bear box,” a big metal container that you can put all your food in, which bears cannot open. I’m not allowed to leave anything out but the tent when I go to sleep. No clothes, no shoes; It all has to go in the car of the bear box. Fine by me. If I’m going to see a bear, I don’t want it to be at 2:47 in the morning right outside of my tent.
Tomorrow, I think I’d like to do some hiking. I’ll probably go to Old Faithful, and then north to some other thermal sites and waterfalls. It would be nice to see elk or bison, but the scenery is nice too.
G’night all!
