This morning we let V&T climb the nearby tree again. It was a bad idea- they got tree sap in their clothes, hair and skin- contemplating throwing them away- the clothes, not the children. :) We had a nice peaceful lunch and headed out for a short adventure around 2 pm. We had not explored the nearby area of Fishing Bridge towards the East Entrance. We made it about halfway before coming into the high mountain areas of Hoyt Peak, Avalanche Peak and others.
In the far distance..the Grand Tetons
We took the short side road to Lake Butte overlook. From the lookout, about 600 feet above Yellowstone Lake, we could see the Teton Mountain Range almost 60 miles to the West! It was one of those rare YNP places where we were the only ones there- not sure of the reason, but it seems more special to have some of the moments all to yourself. This area had been hit hard by fire in recent years so it was interesting to contrast it to the older fire scarring of 1988 in
Checking the temp of Yellowstone Lake.
other areas of YNP. We headed back west and stopped for a hike on the 2.3 mile loop Storm Point Trail. It was a lovely (read level) trail that starts out at Indian Pond (full of geese) and went through a meadow before heading into thicker dense woods. L was on high alert for bear. Thankfully, we came out the other side un-maimed and had some great views. We headed back to the camper for our first dinner in the rv in
At Storm Point
quite a while. Later that evening, we headed out north for Hayden Valley( our favorite for wildlife spotting). A small storm was just beginning to come and we saw a group of 50 or so bison running to cross the road and then swim across the river on their way to the woods. We continued north to the overlook for a view from the top of the 109 foot Upper Falls. We then headed into Canyon Valley for an ice cream snack- a family favorite. The 16 mile drive south at dusk through Hayden did not yield what we were looking for- closer up views of wolves or bear, so we headed home for the evening. A great relaxing day at Yellowstone and we look forward to leaving tomorrow and heading north to Montana!
