Apr 26, 2013 - Final Entry for this Trip

23rd April No wolves today, a lot of rushing around and looking through scopes but to no avail. However we did watch a herd of bison chasing a big grizzly! Our bear expert Bill H estimated the bear was in the region of 450lbs. 24th April Home as the temperature showed promise for painting the deck! It has to be 46F and above. Alan shot off to Livingston to do car tax and other bits and pieces and by the time he came back it was 50F! I set to with the spring cleaning. The dogs spent all day outside in the run and loved it. 25th April Back in...

Apr 19, 2013 - YELLOWSTONE

SPENT THE DAY TOURING YELLOWSTONE N.P. SAW OLD FAITHFUL AND LOTS OF OTHER GEYSERS , MUD POTS AND CRYSTAL CLEAR BOILING WATER. LOTS OF WILDLIFE , BISON,DEER,RABBITS, BUT NO BEARS. ENTERED THROUGH WEST YELLOWSTONE A TOURIST TOWN JUST AWAKING AFTER ITS WINTER HIBERNATION AND EXITED OUT NORTH ENTRANCE INTO MONTANA. WEATHER WAS PRETTY GOOD.

Apr 18, 2013 - Thank You

I have received two emails in the inbox of this trip journal. Neither are from family members or friends, which was the purpose of this private journal. I am therefore assuming that access from outside our circle of family and friends has been achieved, despite this being password protected. Thank you to the emailer who alerted us to a campaign on Y-Net by a third party against us. We appreciate your concern but they are of no consequence to us. To the person who felt they had to attempt to put up an abusive email, you failed. We feel very...

Dec 7, 2012 - Loss of 06

06 was shot yesterday just 16 miles outside the Park in Wyoming. Words cannot express our feelings today. To call these people hunters is an insult to the true hunter who has respect for the animal they are hunting. I am told that Cabela’s website does in fact give the collar radio frequencies and details of what to buy from Radio Shack. These people have an irrational fear and hatred of wolves. A ‘lupophobia’ the reasons for which are lost in the myths and folklore of centuries gone by. The fact that science has proved that they are just...

Dec 5, 2012 - First Day in the Park

I won't bore you with the details of Alan's and my journey to here. Suffice to say we were not well, but recovering now. This is why there has been a delay in getting into the Park. Lots of frustrating things going on which is making the beginning of this trip a bit challenging. For some reason my email server has shut down on me and obviously others are in the same boat as when I tried to contact my server's support team the message told me they had shut down an hour early due to the demand. Personally I would have thought it was more...

Nov 16, 2012 - Off Again

When I closed this journal back in June, I ended with the sad news of the death of Big Blaze by other wolves. I find it so sad that I am starting this journal with more sad news but not by natural causes but by hunters. 829, 823 and 824 of the Mollie Pack have all been shot by hunters. These wolves only left the park once, and that was enough. They left by an area that has no quota on the number of wolves killed or as they say in USA 'harvested'. Then yesterday the so sad news that the Lamar Canyon pack had been out of the Park at the east...

Sep 28, 2012 - Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone was a fairytale to me as a child… a place too far to visit, and a series of sensational photographs that surely must’ve been taken with “special” cameras. After all, wild animals don’t just walk around freely where people can see them, water isn’t blue, except in paintings, and it surely doesn’t explode from holes in the ground. (And if it did, it wouldn’t be safe to stand next to it, would it?) Yellowstone is a “Disneyworld” for nature-lovers, and thrill-seekers alike. Where else can you walk and drive in the caldera of a...

Sep 19, 2012 - On to Cody, Wyoming !!

September 19, 2012 ON TO CODY, WYOMING Quite chilly this morning, but we were ready to pull out around 9:30. This time we had no regrets about leaving Yellowstone, especially Fishing Bridge Campground. Though Fishing Bridge is convenient for sight sightseeing, we decided that it does not make up for the lack of reliable cell and internet service, especially in a medical emergency. If we ever consider going back again, I think that staying in West Yellowstone outside the west entrance would make a lot more sense. If you’re planning a trip,...

Sep 17, 2012 - Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

September 17, 2012 GRAND CANYON OF THE YELLOWSTONE We were up early today, as this was our last day of sightseeing, and we wanted to make the most of it. It was difficult getting around, however, with the temperature below freezing. We managed to leave our campsite around 9:00 with the temp being only 36º, and we were greeted with fairly heavy fog once on the road. As we were driving towards the canyon area, I spotted a lone bison shrouded in fog in Hayden Valley, which is actually part of Canyon Country on the eastern side of Yellowstone...

Sep 13, 2012 - Old Faithful & Midway Geyser Basin

September 13, 2012 OLD FAITHFUL/MIDWAY GEYSER BASIN Today was a busy day as we planned on some sightseeing, as well as doing a little shopping and having dinner in West Yellowstone (a small tourist town outside of the park). The weather cooperated by providing a moderately warm, sunny day. On this outing we drove the longer southern loop which took us to Old Faithful, something that we skipped last year. We arrived around noon, and our timing couldn’t have been much better. The next eruption was posted as 12:38, which gave us a little time...

Sep 12, 2012 - A Day in Yellowstone

We finally made our way up to Jackson, WY to visit our daughter, Colleen, and her family after some motorhome problems. We set off early in the morning (before the sun rose) to see if we could find a spot to hear the elk bugling. As we drove through Grand Teton National Park enjoying the incredible scenery (it never gets old to us despite the many times we've been here), we decided to keep driving and head to Yellowstone. The fires in the area have certainly caused for some smoky scenery, but the beauty surrounds us, as always.

Sep 12, 2012 - Norris Geyser Basin

Sep 12, 2012 VIRGINIA CASCADES/NORRIS GEYSER BASIN It was difficult getting motivated this morning; a temperature of 29º might have had something to do with it. After a hot breakfast we stopped at the general store to pick up sandwiches for today’s outing. We definitely wanted to see Norris Geyser Basin again, this time on a sunny day. On our way we may a small detour onto a one-way road, Virginia Cascades Drive. This was certainly worthwhile, quite scenic, got several photos. Then it was on to the Basin area. We got out and walked the...