FUN-travel: Grand Tetons & Yellowstone Safari – Recap
May 28, 2018 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Grand Tetons & Yellowstone Safari – Recap
- A safari is an expedition to observe animals in their natural habitat. And that is what we did. However, if you think you get
to off road in a jeep in Yellowstone, you would be sorely disappointed. Anyone can drive the same roads we did and hope you see some wild life near the road. What you are paying for (and it’s not cheap) is a guide who knows the area where the animals tend to congregate and has a powerful scope. Neil, our guide from Brushbuck Tours, was extremely knowledgeable and his enthusiasm was infectious.
FUN-fact – We saw all the park wildlife listed on the guide…except the Yellow-tailed marmot sitting on the rock next to the road that I missed!
Not so FF – The 2 nights we spent near Yellowstone were barely 3 star hotels by our standards & we would have preferred staying in one of the nicer park hotels.
FUN-travel: Grand Tetons & Yellowstone Safari – Day 4
May 27, 2018 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Grand Tetons & Yellowstone Safari – Day 4
Today’s Animal Adventure…Up Close & Personal!
Mammoth Hot Springs
- 1st sighting – Moose & calf…
…feasting on fresh green…
…really tall willows.
- Rest of the Day– RFOD…
…Really Far Off & Distant…
…can’t even begin…
…to get near these critters!
- 2nd sighting –thru the Lamar Valley…
…Wylie Coyote…
…slinking across the lower valley slopes.
- 3rd sighting – herd of bison…
…& “red doggies”…newborn calves.
- 4th sighting – Gray Wolf pack…
…w/den of 6 black pups…
…roaming high on the ridge.
FUN-fact – Dead center of picture is gray wolf, then go up to 11:30 to see the black pup & continue up to top at 12:30 to see 2nd wolf walking down. (sorry it’s so blurry!)
Bison & Red Doggies Relaxing
Old Faithful
- Mammoth Hot Springs – so different from other thermal areas…
…because limestone is relatively soft rock…
…& allows travertine formations to grow much faster…
….than other sinter formations…
…best described as looking like a cave…
…turned inside out.
- Grand Prismatic Hot Spring – Old Faithful may be more famous…
…but the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring…
…is the most photographed…
….thermal feature in Yellowstone…
…& that’s because of its…
…crazy-bright colors & enormous size.
Not so FF – the trail that overlooks the hot spring was closed…& on top of that…
…we got pummeled with hail on the path leading to it!
What We Didn’t Get to See!
- Old Faithful – named for its frequent and somewhat predictable eruptions.
- Late afternoon… ended up back in Jackson… where we started
On Path to Grand Prismatic Hot Spring
FUN-fact – Not only is Yellowstone one of the largest active volcanoes on earth, it is also home to over 10,000 hydrothermal areas (hot springs, mud pots, & fumaroles) & includes more than 300 active geysers.
FUN-travel: Grand Tetons & Yellowstone Safari – Day 3
May 26, 2018 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Grand Tetons & Yellowstone Safari – Day 3
Today’s Animal Adventure…Up Close & Personal!
- 1st sighting – black mama bear…on the sloping hillside…with her 3 baby bears…
…frolicking on fallen logs…& causing a major traffic jam!
Mama Bear
- Slowly inching her way down…devouring as much as she can…
…ends up at the base of hill…in the small pond…
…for a nice cool morning bath…and a good back scratch on the closest tree..
…within 40 yards !
FUN-fact – We have seen 14 bears so far…from varying distances.
Baby Bears (courtesy of telescopic lens)
More Animal Adventures… FOD – Far Off & Distance…high powered scope a must!
- 2nd sighting – 3 Big Horn Sheep…grazing high atop the craggy cliffs.
Upper Falls
- 3rd sighting…Trumpeter Swans…splashing & squawking loudly…on the river.
FUN-fact – Trumpeter Swans are North America’s largest wild waterfowl, with a wingspan of up to 8 feet.
Me & The Mountain Man!
FUN-travel: Grand Tetons & Yellowstone Safari – Day 2
May 25, 2018 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Grand Tetons & Yellowstone Safari – Day 2
- Today’s Animal Adventure…
…Up Close & Personal!
- 1st sighting – Grizzly Bear…
…just off the road!
- 2nd sighting – White Pelicans…
…on shore of…
…Yellowstone River.
- 3rd sighting – Osprey on her nest…
…perched high atop a sheer rock pinnacle…
…in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.
- FOD – Far Off & Distance… Bull elk
FUN-fact – Yellowstone was the world’s first national park created in 1872.
FUN-travel: Grand Tetons & Yellowstone Safari – Day 1
May 22, 2018 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Grand Tetons & Yellowstone Safari – Day 1
- Today’s Animal Adventure… evening drive
…thru Grand Teton National Park.
- 1st sighting – bison crossing the road…
…right next to us!
- 2nd sighting – Pronghorn grazing…
…in the grassy meadow…near the historic Moulton Barn.
- 3rd sighting – Mule deer…
…munching by Jenny Lake.
- Our omen of things to come!
FUN-fact – the Grand Tetons is the youngest mountain range in the Rocky Mountains & began forming between 6 & 9 million years ago.