Tuesday 15th August 2017

Yesterday we went for a snooze at six, and failed to wake up until nearly 11, meaning too late to do anything really, so we went back to bed.

All would have been well if the car hadin’t got bored and made the alarm go off twice. No idea what was wrong, so in the end we had to leave the car unlocked.

All was well this morning when we got up at six. Got up, but had been laying awake for at least two hours. But all was well, just now we could get up and go do stuff again. And as before, do the really popular stuff when the park is either empty or asleep, which is why we were heading for the Canyon and two sets of falls before seven, and just as the sun was rising.

As was the mist.

Mere photographs could not do the scenes justice, the morning light on the mist as it rolled down from the mountain tops, all tinged in pink. We do stop a couple of times for shots, but mostly just enjoy being some of the few people up and around at the early hour, lucky enough to see it.

We arrive at Canyon Village, and fill up the car, as it was reminding us it had only 45 miles of fuel left, and Yellowstone wasn’t the best of places to run out of fuel. However, I can say I am one of the few people to have locked the keys to his hire car, in the hire car, on the top of a mountain. You really could not make this up.

So with the car refuelled, we drive to the lower falls, and first of all go to the overlook, and with the mist wrapped round the fir trees on the edge of the gorge mising in with the spray from the waterfall, and again with the golden light, it was magical.

There was a train: three eights of a mile long, but dropping 660 feet. I knew the shots would be worth it, so we start to totter down. And down, and down. Zig zagging down the side of the gorge, with the roar of the falls getting ever louder.

With every step down, we would have to climb back up, and at over 7,000 feet, it was going to be interesting.

Once down at the bottom, there was a viewing platform right over the falls, allowing you to look down from the edge of the cataract. It was magical, and with just three young guys from Boston with us, we had it all to ourselves.

Of course, then came the walk back up, stopping every turn or two, but recovery seemed to get quicker and easier, and in ten minutes or so, we were at the top.

We have breakfast of salad and nectarines, I kid you not, before the short drive to the upper falls, where there was a less steep and much shorter set of steps to the viewing platform, made all the more magical by the mist that had risen. I snap it, and the mist wreathed trees on the far bank, then walk up where there was a small conference on what to do next.

In our preparations, we had left two days without accommodation booked, to allow us some flexibility, however, those two days were on Friday and Saturday, and all rooms in and around Yellowstone might be booked.

We drive round to Cooke City, Montana, where we had both thought the main street looked fun and nice to stay at. Once there was asked at the tourist information if they could help in finding a room, but we were told we would have to visit each and every motel and bar, casino to ask if they had rooms.

Only one did, but it didn’t really meet our standards these days, so we went back to the tourist information to use their free wifi, and after consulting a map, chose a town in southern Montana, did a search for rooms and came up with a condo with suits, and free wifi which should mean being online a little. It was all booked, so worries over, and being midday, we go over to a place opposite for lunch, our first meal in 22 hours, and have burgers. It was either that or steak.

Not the best burgers of fries in the world, but good enough to these hungry bunnies, we ate outside, the only ones to do so, but soaking up the rays, now that the sun had broken through.

On our way back to the park we see a cabin selling ice cream, so call in, and were given a waffle cone each with five scoops of creamy goodness, and these were just the singles at 3 bucks fifty each! Jools could not finish hers, but I wasn’t going to let huckleberry ice cream go to waste. I eat all mine, all except for the drips down my t shirt.

On the way back to the cabin, we stop many times to take in the views, or to look for wildlife. A friendly chap showed me where some mountain goats could be seen about a mile away, but also gave me the heads up on an Osprey’s nest near to the road further on.

At an overlook of a shallow river, Jools and I spend a fine half hour chasing butterflies, American Painted Ladies and some kind of Fitillary. All wonderful, and some photographed.

A few miles on, we see the Osprey’s nest and stop, next to the guy who told me about it. We watch to juveniles stretching and flapping their wings, and I rattle off probably 50 shots.

We move on and finally come to a place where a herd of Bison where near to the road, so we stop and I snap many of the animals, some rolling around in a dust bath. Just fabulous.

Back in Mammoth, we visit the upper terraces of the falls near to the cabin, but it is a joyless experience because of the numbers of people, but then still got some shots. But we can return in the evening or early tomorrow,

We had burgers for lunch, again, so in the evening, in the hope of improving our diet, we go to the resort restaurant, in the hope of vegetables, in for not other reason. We hadn’t booked a table, so had to wait 40 minutes, so retired to the bar, and where I was recommended a pint of Moose Dribble, a dark beer I was told. Turned out to have great depth of flavour, and it was a shame when that came to an end, but no worry as our table was ready, so we celebrated by ordering a bottle of wine. We ordered blush, but red came, but what the heck.

I had fillet of bison, showing they just don’t look good, the taste it too, it was accompanied by some mashed taters, and boccolini. Or, broccoli that had been on a diet. All good, as was the wine, and we may return to sample the huckleberry margerita. We walked back under a clear sky with the crescent waning moon high overhead. We were pooped, and it was cold, just above freezing, so we took to our beds.