Yellowstone National Park – Labor Day Weekend through September 13

Magnificent Yellowstone National Park, where elk and bison own the roads, plains and rivers.  Here we met up for a day with my sister Cathy and her husband, Ray (from Georgia!), as well as Bobbi and Diana (from WA state).  So great to see family and so sad to say good bye….                   So much to see at Yellowstone – the geysers, mud pots, hot springs, fumaroles…..an ever changing landscape, with volcanic activity ever near the surface.  And such a large national park, we never made it to all parts of the park.   Memorable events here, over and beyond family visit include the 5-6 mile round trip hike up Mount Washburn, with a Ranger residence above the look out tower on top.  The Ranger lives there the full season May through early October, without leaving, checking for fires.  Supplies are brought up.    Also, learning about the smoke jumper community – a smoke jumping training center is located in West Yellowstone.   Temperatures ranged from 20 degrees in morning to highs in the mid 70’s  – perfect!   Yellowstone may need a re-visit.

Thoughts:

• Such a treat to see family while on this trip!  And homesickness returned for a bit
• Long lines/traffic to get in and out of Yellowstone.  Definitely worth staying in the Park if possible
• The sky is so expansive out west – it feels ‘bigger’ than the sky we have in the east.  And the night stars feel so close and are so bright!