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Sunset at Abyss Pool, West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone

Guess where I’ve been!  Yep, back to Yellowstone.  This time treating myself to three wandering-filled days and two nights at Grant Village.   I didn’t really walk the thermal features much in June simply because it was so cold, and the steam covers them up.  However, this time I had just perfect weather the whole time!  These days were sandwiched between some cooler/colder ones, so I’m grateful for the warmth that allowed me to add to my Yellowstone collection.

While coming in one night to Grant, I overheard a gentleman on the phone with someone ‘back home’ and the one-sided conversation clicked for me as to why scrapbooking Yellowstone can be so very difficult.

“Well…yes, I suppose relaxing.”

“Yes, we’re having a great time.”

“Just busy – it’s relaxing in a way, but very busy.”

“Oh, we’ve been doing walks around things and these half day hikes.”

“Just always busy.”

And that’s it.  Yellowstone has so very much to do that a week or even a month isn’t enough time to get it all in.  And you’re busy.  Always busy.  The family in the room next to me came in one evening when I did and they all looked slightly sunburned and definitely windblown with that exhausted glazed look in their eyes.  At least for me, I’m going down in altitude, but for most, it’s much higher than they’re used to.  I did pace myself, but still pretty much went beyond the limits Fibromyalgia sets for me.  I imagine another 3-4 days and I’ll be back to full speed.

Trying to scrapbook these action-packed, 500-photos-taken days quickly becomes overwhelming.   In looking simply at these three days, I could almost do a mini-album for each day!  So, I’ve created an outline for myself to follow, based on my ‘just the facts’ journal and browsing through the photos.

Wed, Aug 12

• Driving In (didn’t take many photos)
• Steamboat Point
• West Thumb – walk through and notes of changes in thermal features from June – Kayakers
• Out to West Yellowstone to meet with a client – Saw military helicopters – Secret Service stuff for Obama’s upcoming visit.
• Back into the Park – stop at Fountain Paint Pots area
• Firehole Lake Drive
• Stop at a pullout on way to Upper Geyser Basin for some macro fun
• Back to Grant Village to check in – Dinner at the Lake House

Thurs, Aug 13

• Up early to try and beat the sunrise.  Almost made it.  Got a few good shots – LOTS of color due to wildfires in the West.
• Drive to Old Faithful in hopes of a nice backlit early morning eruption – almost made it.  It erupted while I was still in the Old Faithful Inn parking lot.
• Walk Geyser Hill to see what I see.  Walk to Grand to see what the prediction window is.   Walk to see where Beauty & Chromtatic are and notice that Oblong looks promising.  Wait 3 min or so and watch the eruption.  The wildflowers look fabulous this August!
• Off to see if I can catch Great Fountain – arrive to find I missed the first series, but stayed for the others.
• Back to the Upper Geyser Basin to stroll through Black Sand Basin.
• Back to Old Faithful to find all of it blocked off (other than the gas station where I bought water and pop) for Obama’s visit.  Watch a very pretty and tall eruption of Old Faithful and move along back toward Grant.
• Stop at Isa Lake where the water lilies are all in bloom.
• Wonderful dinner at the Grant Restaurant (Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Grilled Chicken).  Overheard a comment about the last bloom on the fireweed is a sign that summer’s over.  Yep, that makes sense.
• Head over to West Thumb for sunset photos.
• Download photos and hit the sack.

Friday, Aug 14

• Up and out before sunrise today – drive to West Thumb for sunrise shots.  This becomes the best moment of the trip – I’m the only person there for the first half hour – quiet except for a few cars on the road and the sounds of the thermal features.  Chilly morning – the warmth from the sun definitely helps.
• Back to Grant Village to check out – but stop first to watch some bull elk interact with each other in that golden morning light.
• Pull in to check out and find the cow and calf elk by the Post Office.
• Head over toward Old Faithful.  Stop at a hillside I noticed last year (?) that has springs coming out of the lower part of it.  Take a closer look and wonder about it a bit more – add it to the list of ‘things to watch for changes.’
• Stop again for macro work on some flowers I wasn’t familiar with.  They line the drive from Grant to the Upper Geyser Basin.
• Breakfast at Old Faithful Inn.
• Wander through OFInn taking photos.  Outside and in, preparations are being made for Obama’s visit – hear a rumor he might cancel due to the weather which is expected to cool considerably.  Workers pulling weeds, painting, sweeping, and dusting.
• Overhear someone saying that Silver Spring is erupting – head over to get some photos and watch it for a bit.
• Watch Old Faithful with the crowd – really a pretty eruption.
• Decide to head to Norris as the road is still open for now – walk through Porcelain Basin and find I have a full card when Constant Geyser decided to erupt.  sigh.  Still pretty to watch.  Walk the Back Basin and decide that’s enough walking for now.
• Stop at the Chocolate Pots.
• Start working my way back out the East Entrance, stopping at Mary Bay to let the wind and sun and spray wash over me for a bit – really large waves, and yet the birds riding them appear as though on calm water.
• Stop a few times on the way up Sylvan Pass – never quite ready to leave, yet I’m too tired and I really don’t want to be in the Park when all the hoopla over the president is going on, so keep moving east.

Relaxing?  Yes.  Restful?  Not really.  Delightful?  Definitely!

Now to carve out time to start scrapping just the three days.

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