Yellowstone, and Bison, and Bears - Oh My!

Written Yesterday, 9/21

Odometer: *Ooops, I forgot to check. And now I’m in my cozies – so there’s no way I’m going outside.*

Today was YELLOWSTONE! And what a magical Yellowstone day it was!!!

Late last night we got into our cabin on the outskirts of West Yellowstone, then this morning we woke up to. . . SNOW!

The snow was beautiful and fun! But also a little nerve wracking. We didn’t have tire chains, and Yellowstone roads had been closed the day prior due to snow.

But oh well – nothing we could do about it except bundle up! So we did.

And it ended up being a glorious day.

I want to write this blog, but I don’t know where to start. . . or what to say after that. The day was beautifully lazy and wonderfully filled with buffalo, geysers, mochas, snow, and elk.

And unprecedentedly people free roads – probably due mostly to some of the entrances being closed (thanks to snow!), some of the roads being closed (thanks to snow!), and it being just overall not your typical idea of the “perfect” Yellowstone weather day (thanks to snow!).

But it ended up being just perfect for us. It was absolutely beautiful. The animals are happy in the snow (apparently because predators can’t track them), and we saw bison and elk everywhere. The geysers looked especially steamy and awesome. There weren’t crowds anywhere. Road closers shrunk the park significantly, so were able to do literally everything we wanted to (and could reach) in one slow pace, fun filled day. I wouldn’t have changed a single thing.

I’m a little pooped and don’t feel like writing, so I’ll let the photos do most the talking. But I will say that Ken was awesome – he drove like a stud in the snow, and he found me lots of buffalo. I love that guy.

Now, without further ado, our Yellowstone day:

Our first wildlife: Elk!

Close Up Buffalo!!

Ken with Mud Pots ("muddy" geysers)

Gibson(?) Falls

Ken in front of geyser

Old Faithful

Black Sand Geyser 

Kenny’s Thoughts: I really enjoyed it! It was so beautiful! I loved just the contrast of everything. The light fluffy slow, with the animals serenely walking around. The quiet, idealic ponds. All contrasted by all the volcanic activity, with the geysers erupting, their sulfur pools, and the smell of rotting eggs all around. It was something I won’t forget. Also – I really liked seeing all the bison up close and personal. I think that’s it.

Written 9/22

Odometer: 209,142

Today was another great one. Man, they just keep stacking up.

We started by going to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. It was incredible. All of the animals wouldn’t have made it in the wild – either because of injuries or because there were getting too comfortable around humans and would have been euthanized.

I’m now convinced that no visit to Yellowstone is complete without a visit to this place. It was super fun watching the bears and the wolves, and I was continually impressed with the measures that the center go to in order to mirror what life would be like in the wild.

Really, really cool.

Then we hit the road! And drove to Ninepipes Lodge, where we currently are. We showered (…for the first time since leaving home), and had a fantastic dinner with an amazing view.

Life couldn’t be better. Tomorrow, we head off to our half way point: Chris & Natalie’s! It’s crazy how quickly the trip is going, but I’m excited to forge on ahead.

Thanks for reading!!

Kenny's Thoughts: The bears and the wolves were so cool! I really respect how that place took the well being of the animals so seriously, in that they prioritized rehabilitating and taking care of animals would have previously been put down - as opposed taking healthy animals out of their habitat. The drive across the state was really pretty. And I really enjoyed our delicious dinner of prime rib and huckleberry crisp. I am now in a food coma. I think that's all my thoughts.