The temp was 45 as we took off on a late evening stroll (10pm) and it was an amazing walk.  To the south, the sky was clear and dark; the milky way was visible all the way to the horizon and there was an occasional shooting star.

To the north, through a thin layer of clouds, we got the impact of lighting from the storm that’s heading our way.

As the walk ended we watched a spectacular moonrise  through the thin clouds.  The northeast sky glowed just before the moon began to peak over the treetops.   All of it to the sound track of the geysers gurgling and churning.

What an evening (and they are calling for a little bit of snow on Tuesday morning)

(disclaimer:  the photo is from a few nights ago….I didn’t have a camera of any type with me tonight)

August 25th was a beautiful day in the park and an exciting day as well–for two reasons.

New Visitor Center

The new Visitor Education Center at Old Faithful opened.  2.5 years in the making, with a cost of $27 million (more than half raised by private funding).   Some call it the “Taj Mah Old Faithful” but it’s a pretty interesting structure–and the glass front is going to provide some interesting reflection pictures, especially when the geyser blows.

It was, of course a day for bands, speeches, a color guard (I love the ranger with the really long hair–he looks awesome up on his horse–almost like a hero from a really bad romance novel).

They are calling them education centers nowadays–as the park service moves more and more towards an education focus and helping visitors understand why we need national parks.  As I sat there and listened to Paul Schullery, I began to think that I may not be moving out of education, but merely changing my focus.  I’ve planted a few seeds that may come to

fruition next summer–only time will tell.

The presentation ended as only it  could, with

Old Faithful going off just as the final words were spoken…Perfect timing.

Christmas in August

is a long-standing tradition in Yellowstone.  The “fable” says that around 1900 there was a major snowstorm on August 25th….other stories say that the celebration came about to hide the raucous parties the employees were having on that day (sometimes known as “savages” day).  Whatever the origin, we had great fun.  It started on Tuesday evening with a Christmas Cookie decorating party.  A lot of the foreign housekeeping staff showed up–and there was as much Chinese as English being spoken that night.

The next night we had a tree, Santa showed up, the front desk dressed as elves (it a great front desk crew) the kids decorated light bulbs (a “recycling” message) and Christmas carols were sung by employees.  I was surprised at how well the foreign kids knew English Christmas Carols….for they were the bulk of our singers…We all had a great time and I was in my element–getting the caroling starting and then organizing the ornament decorating.  Once a school teacher, always a school teacher……

(and this last picture is from the front desk gift exchange–the rooms at the inn all have Bear Soap–so, what else would one make, but a Santa & Sleigh) –I work with some amazingly talented people.  (as always, additional pix are on my flickr site.)

Since returning from Glacier, several folks have asked “so which park do you like better?”.  There’s no comparison.  Yellowstone and Glacier are two different views into the wilderness, each with their own unique qualities….so I’ll just talk about Glacier.

Since Glacier is almost 475 miles north of Yellowstone, it’s almost a month behind in season.  They’ve had a very wet season and the flowers are still in full bloom.  I felt like Maria Von Trapp on the hillside in the sound of music—or like Heidi (especially when we saw the mountain goats).

We spent the first day in the Canadian side of the park  (officially known as Waterton).  Took the boat to a terribly remote spot called “goat haunt” and got our passports stamped at the tiny little US customs office that takes care of hikers coming from the US side into Canada.    We also made our first new friend of the trip.  Three adorable bears cubs crossed right in front of us.  Tim made me stay in the car  (probably a good thing) as we both knew that mom was around even though we couldn’t see her.  When I closed the car door, the bear suddenly stood up to check out the sound.  At that point I got my one decent shot.

Glacier’s premier feature is the “Going to the Sun Road”   50 miles of narrow road; in some sections you feel like you have 3 choices 1) drive off the road, 2) crash into the rock wall on the other side or 3) crash into the car coming towards you.  It’s stunningly beautiful and I counted at least 24 waterfalls that came down to the road; some small, some 100s of feet high.  I’ve driven many different park roads and the only one that was more pulse-pounding to drive was one in Nova Scotia.

We made our 2^nd friend right on the road—I could have reached out and petted this little guy from the car.  Again, mom was nowhere in sight—but we know she couldn’t have been far away.

The other thing that surprised me is that the elevation at Logan Pass, at the top of the road, is almost 1,000 feet lower than the elevation here at Old Faithful.  In Yellowstone you typically hike up or down; in Glacier you stay in campsites or hotels at the bottom of the mountains and almost always hike up.  A very different feel. Even though the elevation is lower, the terrain borders on sub-alpine and the mountain goats and big horn sheep love it.  We saw lots of goats and sheep, and even listened to this little one search for his mother  (a very quiet, but increasingly panicky “maaa—maaa” until mom came back.)

A big  difference between Yellowstone and Glacier is the Glacier is much more of a “hiker’s park”.  If you don’t hike, Yellowstone has lots for you to do.  To really appreciate Glacier you have to get off the road.   We hiked every day; not super long hike, and almost always to waterfalls (those pix will come in the days ahead).  It felt so good to finally be pain-free and walking normally.  I no longer need to use my walking sticks for everyday walking but there’s going to be a long period of regaining strength in my left leg….since for two months I needed my walking sticks to go anywhere.

We’re back at work after a magnificent break…and it’s hard to believe it’s almost the first of September.  On Thursday we will have only 1 month left here—time is really beginning to fly.  If you want anything special from the park, please let me know.  The rest of our Glacier photos are  here with many more coming  as we try to figure out how to fit in image processing with work and the little time we have left to explore the park.

…I guess we’re taking a “vacation from our vacation” (not that this hasn’t been a working vacation).   We were delighted to discover that it’s possible to take more than 2 days off in a row, so tomorrow we are heading up to Glacier National Park–to travel the “Going to the Sun Road” and see how many bears and goats we can find (not to mention glaciers, flowers, mountains and other assorted evidence of how magnificent mother nature is).  Don’t know whether I’ll have net access up there…so expect something next weekend.

The photo is of a Yellowstone “HYB”  (historic yellow bus).  They use the same buses at Glacier–but they are painted red and have 1 more row of seats.  The buses  were used at the park early in the century and were revived within the past 5 years.  They have all new engines (no clutch!) but still retain the old wooden frame doors and the canvas roofs that can be rolled back when the weather is beautiful.

As the season begins to wind down (high of 65 here today) you see it first in the evening crowds.  When things are crazy, people just walk by you.  When there are only a few people, social skills begin to appear; folks who pass you on the trail say “hi” or make a comment.  You join conversations.  I love helping people understand what they are looking at…and they are always appreciative.  My very favorite comment recently was a rather elderly gentleman, as I passed him he just asked a very polite” How are you?” to which I responded “Fine, and you?”   His response surprised me…he was slighty hunched over as he walked, and dressed rather shabbily; his shoes were quite worn and he had a rather unkempt air about him….still, he said “Not half bad, how could it be….look where I am!”   I think of all the folks who walk around with frowns on their faces, ipods in their ears and yelling at their kids….and think that they need to remember what a place this is…they used to call it “Wonderland”….

It was great when it took a 13 year old to point out to us the 13 mountain sheep (ewes and lambs and a few adolescent males) who were clambering on the roadside on the way to Gardiner….we didn’t even have a “sheep jam”…everyone parked on the side of the road out of the traffice and the smiles flew around the faces as we all watched the kids scamper.

We even got to experience a “no-bear jam” as we watched this sub-adult black bear feast on berries.  Hyperphagia is coming soon; that’s the time when the bears stuff their faces in preparation for hibernation…with some bears beginning to hibernate as early as late October.  The big male grizzlies seem to be hibernating later and later, however.  Bears only hibernate when they don’t have enough food and the grizzlies are becoming experts at taking over wolf kills.  In some cold climates where the wolfs have returned, the grizzlies don’t hibernate at all.

One of the great things about working at the front desk is that you hear where the animals are  hanging out.  I have a new job (tour clerk) which lets me sit down most of the day–and gives me time to go carousing whenever Tim works an evening shift.  Last night guests said that there were elk at West Thumb, so I look off….and the guests were right!  One smallish buck with antlers still in velvet; 4 does and 4 fawns–quite a catch for an evening.  I hope the elk rut starts before we leave the end of September.  It’s such an awesome sound, and I’d love to see two bucks try and figure out who will be the dominant player…wish me luck.

As always, the latest pix are at my flickr site.  I particularly like the drooling moose(s).

..bet you never thought you’d hear that from me…..but last week the only disadvantage of a convertible became absolutely clear.  We went up to the Lamar Valley to see how it was going with the bison.  The males are beginning to integrate into the female herds–because it’s getting very close to breeding time (Gestation in bison is ~280 days—so the babes were born in April; mom gets pregnant again in August–and the circle of life continues).

We got stuck in a bison jam and were surrounded front, back & sides by almost 400 bison.  It was clear that rut was imminent–based on the sounds.  I was never more glad that the top on the car was up, as the bison passed within a few feet of the car, crossing the road in front of us and behind us and on both sides.   At one point, a male and female were inches from the drivers side (where the last bison bump occurred). You know that notice on your rear view mirror that says “Warning: Objects in mirror are closer than they appear”…I kept thinking back to the TRex attack in Jurassic Park…they were way too close! The idiot in the jeep behind us didn’t seem to understand that he needed to leave space for the bison to get between the cars so they were getting really close, and there was one female who stood in the middle of the road blocking both lanes for 15 minutes!  Good times were had by all (except for the people in the cars).  At one point I had a mental  image of a bison deciding to walk right over us and sinking through the top, with his legs just dangling there in the middle of the car.  It made me giggle.  (Apparently that happened to a visitor last summer; the bison walked over the hood, the top of the car, and then down the trunk…there wasn’t much left of the car.

The weirdest (and scariest) part was the sound…turn your speakers up really loud before listening to the video…..and imagine that in your ears as you sit stuck among the horny males (if the embedded youtube video doesn’t work–here’s the direct link…bison )

After we cleared the herd, Tim & I both breathed an audible sigh of relief…and our blood pressure slowly dropped…..but it was awesome!   I LOVE this park.