Post Park - Still trying to get over the stress of Yellowstone

Sunday, June 19

We got away early to secure a camping spot in the park.  We were parked by 9:30. We went to Mammoth to get a cell signal and were back for lunch and a lazy afternoon.

Monday, June 20

We drove way south, much farther than I guessed to hike a falls trail. It was only two miles, but it was a moderate grade and wood mosquitoes from the pines were bothersome. We got hot and reversed course.

We were only a few miles from Old Faithful, so we continued south and enjoyed almost two hours of a hot cell connection sitting on benches in the cool shade.

The tour buses dumped loads of humans to watch Old Faithful. Finally someone yelled that it was erupting and I walked 20 feet to get a look. It looked just like I recalled it. The masses joined us in our refuge. We left.

The teaming masses make trying to see anything not pleasant. That coupled with the heat and road construction made us decide to bail on The Park. We have been here twice before it was most enjoyable. No sense fighting it. We will head west and find some less congested places.

Our parting shot where we stopped for breakfast

Tuesday, June 21

We escaped! We were away at 6:30. Stopped at Madison to dump and take on water. Bought a few expensive groceries in West Yellowstone. Filled the gas tank with the priciest gas yet, $2.66 and took US287 to Beaver Creek campground. A delightful place. B loop is the best, but all spots there were reserved.

The traffic coming into The Park was a continuous line. A car was stopped in the east bound lane. Broken down? They were just sitting facing forward staring out. Traffic was backed up over a mile behind them. It was a small car they could have pushed it off the road. But…. We are done with Yellowstone. It’s has been destroyed by popularity. That's my last on The Park.

Funny thing 10 minutes north of West Yellowstone the scenery vastly improved. Topping most of Yellowstone. No traffic either.

We parked in a delightful USFS campground called Beaver Creek. It backs up to Earthquake Lake. There was a campground near here before 1959, when 7.5 earthquake caused a massive slide of earth from the mountain that buried the campground and killed 17. The earth slide dammed up the Madison River flowing from Yellowstone. The lake is seven miles long and filled with dead trees.

This quake started new geysers and changed old ones in The Park.

The hillside that fell during the quake damming the river

One of the cabins that floated around the new lake for a time.

The largest selection of dry flies I have ever seen. An equal number on the other side of the display. 

Make your own flies from chicken feathers. People breed chickens for the purpose if using their feathers for flies.

Pollen - It was dealing me fits before we left home two months back. As we have moved north, we have stayed with Spring. Each year it gets worse for me. I guess as the immune system deteriorates with age, the symptoms amp up. We saw a cloud of pollen suspended above pine trees last week. It must have been a quarter mile long and a hundred yards wide. Just hanging there. A wind gust soon brought it to us.

Wednesday, June 22

The drive up US287 to Eniss is through a valley along the Madison River. Large ranches and it’s supposed to be the best fishing in the state. We discussed all the animals we would want on a ranch there. The local feed store would do a brisk business with us.

We parked at Ruby Reservoir. OK place, but no cell and it looked like it could get real busy as the weekend started.

Ruby Reservoir

Beaver Head Rock. No we don't see a beaver.

Why I took a picture of Beaver Head Rock explained here

Thursday, June 23

On to Dillion for groceries and laundry. We parked just south of Dillion on Clark Canyon Reservoir. Good cell. We were experiencing withdrawal symptoms from the internet. The heat wave that has been in the area for the last 10 days is supposed to break tomorrow. Plan to stay here for the weekend and plan our route through Montana and Idaho. This has really been a wing it trip so far.

Friday, June 24

We slept until 8. Unusual for us. Got the yaks in the water by 10 and paddled around on the glass like lake for an hour. By noon, the predicted wind was up and the lake has white caps.

Clark Canyon Reservoir from our ramada

There is one other rig parked in the campground, but we have not seen any life forms around it. Two other rigs parked in another campground across the way. Again, no signs of life. However, local teen girls come in the afternoon in their bikini's.