YELLOWSTONE, Day 1, Thursday 7/26

Long drive here from Devil’s Tower, worst part was crossing the Big Horn mountains and driving on roads with no guard rail and shear cliffs on my side.  8% grade up then 8% grade down and burning brakes.  Don’t want to do that again.

Yellowstone, the main drag makes a figure 8 in the middle of the park which is 2.2 million acres.  There are 5 ways in North, South, East, West and Northeast entrances that all connect to the figure 8.  We came in the East entrance, not too exciting, a lot of burned trees or you were driving through forests with trees right next to the road so you really couldn’t see much.  Finally make it to the camp grounds about 5, and noticed there are signs all over the campground about bears and if you leave food out you will be kicked out of the park.  We walked to the little visitor center near us, a short walk and tried to get the feel of things.  Ok seems very woodsy, we were staying at Fishing Bridge next to Yellowstone lake (huge).  Decided to drive around about 7 or so saw some buffalo as we drove towards Canyon, which between us and Canyon is Hayden Valley (learned later this is one of the main animal gathering spots).

Our first stop was ‘Mud Volcano’ – cool spot where there is Dragon’s Breath – a hole that steam is shooting from, and obviously pits of boiling volcanic mud.  It stunk like sulfur but was a great first stopping place with the kids.  They have little wooden paths you are supposed to walk on that keep you off the hot ground or falling though.  They are only a foot off the ground so no guard rails.  We were winding around following another family, it was pretty quiet, and then there was a giant buffalo, right next to our little walking path.  Thankfully we were at a spot where there was a railing like a look out (2 feet high).  I could have hit the buffalo but there are signs all over the park to leave them alone and more people are gored each year than mauled by bears (2 people died of bear attacks last year in Yellowstone).  So he finally walked by us and had to step over the wooden path which his big butt broke and the board snapped and hit him.  Very worried he’d be angry.  We quickly walked down the rest of the path, it was very hilly, and then there is another buffalo on our right – no guard rail this time.  Rick and I were kind of freaked out scared the kids and made a run for it, because girl buffalo have horns too.  Fun adventure but glad to be back in our giant RV, started back to the camp ground and was stuck in a giant buffalo herd, they were sleeping on the road, snorting at cars, there were hundreds.  Slowed us down maybe 20 minutes but very fun diversion.

Rained of course that night and it was in the 40’s the next morning.