Horrible mistake to leave the windows open!!! In the middle of the night with my nose icicles I decided to shut the windows and turn on the radiator. Can’t believe THE COLD woke me! Melodie was so cold she ached all over. The radiator didn’t help much since we didn’t start it earlier and should NEVER have opened the windows to begin with! OMG was it cold! I heard the temps reached 29 degrees that night…how stupid could we be!
Quickly rose to coffee and LOTS of clothes to warm up and headed back out to Hayden Valley for one last shot at wildlife. A 13-point elk grazed in a bowl near the road, bison crossed the road (YUP! To get to the other side…☺) and rolled in the dirt for their sunscreen while a mule deer swam the river.
We returned for breakfast and make-up and another mule deer passed by our bedroom window.
Off to checkout and complain about having to “run” at bedtime for toiletries that were supposed to be provided. They asked and I told them that we should have a 20% discount for our trouble. We got it! Now off to shopping. Gotta stop this souvenir buying…only want a Yellowstone collared shirt and NOTHING else!
Got a great picture of the 1930s tour bus with its removable roof for wildlife viewing. On to Roosevelt. Drove the gravel road up to Mt Washburn and climbed the trail to the first peak for a great view and grab shots of wildflowers on the way up.
Tower Falls is what this area is known for along with fishing, horseback riding and Lamar Valley wildlife. Tower Falls didn’t disappoint. A ¼ mile hike up a steep incline brought us to a viewpoint. Returning to our car, we had a hedge of desert rose bushes.
Before checking in to our cabin, we headed straight to Lamar Valley with its advertised “teaming wildlife”. Yeah? What’s teaming to one may be quite different to another! Passing the corrals where tomorrow’s wagon will depart for our old West dinner, there was large horseback riding party heading out.
Lamar Valley gave us deer of unknown variety and huge herds of bison. Driving as far as Soda Butte before turning around. Of course, I read it as Soda Butt which sounded a heck of lot better to me! ☺ We returned the 16 miles to checkin at our cabin, dump our stuff and head out to a 6-mile gravel road called Blacktail Plateau Drive.
As a last-minute decision, we turned onto the road for the Petrified Tree which we had heard was quite lame. To our delight, a 2nd season black bear was foraging in the valley below and people were parked all along the drive up to the tree. A park ranger explained that mama bear had gotten a new boyfriend and kicked this guy and his sister out of the den to fend for themselves.
Reaching Blacktail Plateau, we drove no more than 10 mph (mostly less) as we tried to spot wildlife since another tourist said he got a photo of a mama and two cubs out there. Found an 8-point buck still in velvet and then happened upon yet another column of parked cars with everyone focusing their lenses on one spot. A larger black bear was foraging but only gave me the satisfaction of a profile for a good headshot. I’d still like a bear closer to the road.
Our drive back to the cabin required stopping for a bison exiting the river and crossing our road. He was huge but cute with his headdress of greenery. He was attempting to climb the incline on the opposite side but having difficulty getting around a car. As he walked around the car, he headed straight for a motorcyclist who kept his Harley turned off and pushing it backwards as the bison approached. He didn’t lose his cool and the bison eventually started his climb in front of him. THAT would have unnerved me!
Tower-Roosevelt Lodge was established in 1906 as a commemoration of a camping trip made by President Theodore Roosevelt accompanied by naturalist John Burroughs in April, 1903. It is a center for stream fishing, horseback riding, trail trips into the N.E. section of Yellowstone and its petrified tree (don’t bother with that). There are many cabins in the middle of nowhere. The cabins range in size from having just enough room for a single double bed to our cabin with three double beds ($65 per night). There is no water or electric heat. The showers are just behind our cabin along with an ice dispenser and wood shed.
Had dinner of a large taco salad with black bean chili topping. Asked the waitress for another round of cornbread muffins and they will become tomorrow’s breakfast.
Did I mention we have a wood-burning stove for heat? We closed all the windows this time and decided we didn’t need heat as we went to bed.
No comments:
Post a Comment