Thursday, July 13, 2006

Heading toward Grand Teton Nat'l Park




I took an early start and long drive to try and catch some of the best Yellowstone has to offer...



I love being married to a guy who is handy in the kitchen!
Osman prepares dinner 'progresso' style as I explore the turn-out.



A rare moose sighting... and she was too hungry to be bothered by the 20+ people with cameras and binoc's glued on her.



This little pink house I could happily have called home, is ear-marked for conservation using National Park dollars... and the swallows are very happy to know they dont have to move anytime soon!



The Grand Tetons... and a beautiful day to finish the trip.

Bear Claws!




Check out those claws!!!





So just how close was I to a bear?



Close enough to not need a zoom lens!!

Yellowstone 3




My trusty assistant walks lightly.



Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone river.



Lower Falls as seen from Artist Point



The spray from the base of Lower Falls - seen by descending the 328 steps of "uncle Toms trail" to a viewing platform...

Don't even get me started about the ascent!

Yellowstone 2




No-one else for miles



Here comes the storm...



Hell-roaring Creek suspension bridge...and the local mosquito breeding ground!



Yellow-bellied Marmot

Yellowstone




The colors are the result of the heat-loving bacteria...






Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces



In 1988 Yellowstone National Park suffered with more than 50 natural and man-made fires. Many of the lodge-pole pines, although dead, still stand - shallowly rooted and ready to topple. The intense heat of the fire is necessary for the pine cones to open and release the seeds for a new generation of trees... but almost 20 years on, damage is still highly visible.

The Great Yellowstone Expedition of '06




Yellowstone... where clouds really do have silver linings!



Rivaled only by New Zealand and Iceland, Yellowstone is where you'll find one of the worlds largest areas of bubbling mud pots and active geysers.


Colombine

Lake Isabelle

Oxbow Bend

Trusty Steed

What's not to sing about?

Pot of Gold