We steeled ourselves for the Nat’l Park experience, and drove down the Vigilante Trail into Yellowstone. Bloopy mud pots, geysey geysers and falling snow made it a surreal experience.
Before venturing into the park, we overnighted at Baker’s Hole campground on the Madison River. Fall colors abounded.
The Madison curled by the campsite and the water figuratively flipped with fishtails. In spite of my best efforts, all the fish remained in the river.
Woah! Snow! We headed into Yellowstone with the stuff literally falling from the sky!!!
After setting up at the Madison Campground, we dropped the trailer and went for a snowy spin through the Firehole Valley. Hot flows into it raise the temp about 10 degrees, so there’s steam aplenty. It’s right between two lava flows and cuts a jagged route.
Hard snow on the Firehole.
Mystic Falls was a short 3 mile hike up the Fairy Trail.
After skirting a couple of errant bison, we clambered up to the Great Prismatic Spring overlook. Nature’s bunghole!
Buffalo jams were a common occurrence, as the hairy fellers tend to favor asphalt over grass as a walking path.
The landscape was so parbroiled it was like the Devil’s playground.
We made our way to Mammoth Hot Springs for appy’s at the lodge and elk viewing through the windshield. The whole terrain bubbled and boiled.
Me and the Better Half having a huggy moment.
The Big Spew of Old Faithful was not nearly as exciting as the orowds that gathered to ogle it.
