Glacier & Yellowstone National Park

[fgrsk8r1970]

Hello everyone! I know I have been MIA for a while - life is a bit more demanding these days and I don't have a lot of time to check in but since I had mentioned a while back that we were hoping to do a road trip through the West of the US I wanted to post some of the photos I have taken.
It was touch and go until the end if we could really even do this almost 2 weeks trip but we did and I am happy to say all went well (except one of the foot rests of my Cowboy's companion wheel chair fell off in Yellowstone so he was the one footed warrior LOL)

We drove from Phoenix through Nevada, Utah and Idaho up to Montana and since Yellowstone is in Wyoming we also were able to add that state to our 3178.4 mile trip (in 8.5 days). Thankfully the speed limit is 80 in Utah and Idaho on the Interstate 15 and it was actually a really beautiful drive. At Glacier we drove the "Going to the Sun Road" from west to east and then drove up to Many Glacier for lunch.
We were chasing big monsoon storms going up north and had some overcast and low cloud skies at Glacier and rain at Many Glacier but still were overall very lucky with the weather. After Glacier we were blessed with gorgeous weather!!!

So here are some of the photos - I hope you'll enjoy


Glacier stream



The root of a fallen tree on the Accessible "Cedar Loop Trail"


hidden waterfall at the end of the 0.5 mile trail.... i pushed my husband there all the while being VERY BEAR AWARE!!!


accessible Cedar Loop Trail


First glorious look of the majestic mountains

[fgrsk8r1970]

here you can see the "Going to the Sun Road"


still a little bit of snow left on the peaks


as we are getting closer to the high point of Logan Pass the low clouds were moving in




Logan Pass Visitor Center


A lot of people still hiked the trails that start right here - some hearty folks for sure!!! It was 44 F up there (just under 7 C)

[fgrsk8r1970]

Lots of waterfalls but I only took photos of a few - I also did not take pictures of the famous "weeping walls" because it got a bit crowded by that time.


The funniest thing we saw was a couple taking photos of a rather big waterfall in an alcove kind of spot. I couldn't find a pull out so I continued on but as we slowly drove by the girl all of a sudden jumped UNDER the waterfall (remember? almost freezing temps outside so you can imagine how cold that water must have been) which I can only assume must have been the ultimate ALS Ice Bucket challenge LOL. Sadly I didn't get any photos of this and I can only imagine how uncomfortable this girl must have been on the drive afterwards because she was completely soaked to the core.





Wildflowers were just beautiful!!








Many Glacier in the rain - some of you in the US may remember this mountain from the current GEICO ad with Bullwinkle




Yellowstone photos to follow shortly!!!

[fgrsk8r1970]

Sheepeaters Wall






Thermal steam










Bison on the road - they have the right away and it is illegal to stress or "rush" them

[fgrsk8r1970]

Last batch.... Happy September everybody !
Mud pod - thermal spring






We couldn’t decide what to call this color…. golden-yellow-limegreen?


Sapphire Pool - Geyser Basin. Amazing colors…. not so amazing smell






People waiting for Old Faithful to erupt


And so it begins….


Full hight eruption


people will never learn….. most got out of their cars to take photos of the wild Bison - even though the park warns about doing this. Saw the same thing at Glacier when we saw a bear

[Deleted]

The scenery, flora and fauna are absolutely awe-inspiring. The mountains are incredibly rugged, quite a bit like the Pyrénées (when we compare the Pyrénées and the Alps, we usually find the Alps all worn down). I have not yet made it to either Glacier or Yellowstone, but I fear that you have shattered my illusions of having Old Faithful all to myself.

[fgrsk8r1970]

Thank you kerouac!! and I am sorry..... I think that ship has long sailed LOL. Even if you'd stay at the Old Faithful Inn and would try for a sunrise or sunset photo I think it would be busy. Not like when we were there at noon but still. We were not able to get into the parking lot for the Midway Geyser (the one some idiot lost his drone in) so we bypassed it even though it's one of the most beautiful sights (from what I see online) it just wasn't worth the stress level. But we were lucky with some of the other basins and I got the beautiful colors I was looking for at lesser known (and accessible) spots.

[mossie]

Many thanks for those shots of Yellowstone. Many years ago my wife visited her sister in the U.S. and they took her on their family holiday to Yellowstone. I had six weeks minding the kids and going to work and when she said they were going to Yellowstone I rather dismissed it, thinking of it as a Yogi Bear theme park. However when I saw her photos when she got home I was very jealous.

As I have posted here before I have done America, I've been to Las Vegas.

[Deleted]

Yes, that is the entire country fused into just one location. No need to go anywhere else, mossie.

[htmb]

What gorgeous photos, skater! I loved seeing this report from you and thank you for bringing back a few memories with your last shots. I have been to some of the same spots in Yellowstone, but it's been at least 16 years now. I admire your stamina for pushing your husband's chair all the way up to those falls, too!

[fgrsk8r1970]

Sept 2, 2014 19:41:24 GMT kerouac2 said:

Yes, that is the entire country fused into just one location. No need to go anywhere else, mossie.

[fgrsk8r1970]

Thanks mossie & htmb
Yellowstone has been 22 years for me and was a first for my Cowboy..... Glacier was a first for both of us.
I certainly got my workout in and deserved all the fries, chips and ice-cream that somehow made it back on our menu during this road trip LOL. Thankfully he is a tall but thin man LOL.

[bixaorellana]

Ohhhhhhh, Skater! You have been gone but not forgotten. And I certainly did not forget what killer pictures you take, so can say with all authority & sincerity and that you surpassed even yourself. This is just glorious!

What is the altitude at the Logan visitor center? It looks as though it's way up there. Also, when did you take this trip, please? In your photo entitled "accessible Cedar Loop Trail", that lovely little tree in the foreground looks Spring green. However, I imagine Spring doesn't come early there.

[fgrsk8r1970]

Thank you so much Bixa!!!!
We just got back Friday - we left on 8/21 and got home on 8/29 Logan Pass is at 6,647 feet and the Cedar Loop Trail is around 3,400 feet - here is an explanation from one of the sites:

Being situated on the eastern edge of the maritime climate of the Pacific Northwest, the Lake McDonald Valley also marks the extreme eastern limits for western hemlocks and red cedars. The humidity in the valley allows cedars to grow to heights of 100 feet, and diameters of 4 to 7 feet. Some of the trees in this area are more than 500 years old. Look closely and you'll also notice the lush green of ferns and mosses growing along the forest floor. The boardwalk along this section of the loop encourages visitors to take their time as they walk through a habitat more normally found on the Pacific Coast.

[mossie]

Sept 2, 2014 19:41:24 GMT kerouac2 said:

Yes, that is the entire country fused into just one location. No need to go anywhere else, mossie.

My thoughts exactly

[lugg]

Wonderful photos Skater , what a glorious place, the colours are quite amazing.

[fgrsk8r1970]

Thanks so much lugg!!! I am already trying to figure out how I could work it to go back next year - but I also want to see other places like the Colorado Rocky mountains ..... Beartooth Highway and on and on LOL. So many places so little time!

[cheerypeabrain]

Thank you so much for posting these wonderful images, I really enjoyed viewing them...love the waterfalls especially.

[fgrsk8r1970]

Thank you so much cheerypeabrain..... glad you enjoyed the photos. One a funny note - the way your name is displayed it's broken up and I didn't see the last two letters... and thought "cheerypeabra" what an interesting name LOLOL

[Deleted]

That's funny -- on my screen, it is the last three letters that are split off.

[lola]

Beautiful Yellowstone photos, sk8r.

I'd almost call that color chartreuse in places.

My husband worked summers there while in college, goes back every chance and camps, was there late July this year but stayed away from the tourist areas. (I love it there, too, but had to work.) He's one of the guys with scope set up, giving everyone a closeup of moose or whatever. At one point there were two grizzlies eating a bison carcass who allowed themselves to be run off by two wolves.

[fgrsk8r1970]

Thanks Lola how cool that your husband worked there! I'd go back more often it I was closer too That sounds like an amazing scene with the grizzlies/bison carcass and wolves. wow !!!

[nycgirl]

These are amazing pictures! Looks like you had such a good time. I've never been to Glacier or Yellowstone and I really want to go. My husband thinks Yellowstone would be too crowded for his taste, but the whole park can't be as crowded as Old Faithful, right?

I'd love to see the iconic bison one day. I definitely wouldn't go near one, though!

Looks like a great trip. Thanks for sharing.

[fgrsk8r1970]

Hi nycgirl! You are correct - there are pockets of really crowded spots and of course it depends if you stay outside the park or inside (so you can go when other tourists are not there like early in the morning or sunset). Also if you go during off season. Yellowstone National park is the size of Luxembourg - it is HUGE !!! Technically you would need several days to comfortably see it all. Since this was a road trip for us we did it in one day and I didn't cover everything. (plus the 90 min the night we arrived since we stayed just outside the north entrance in Gardiner, MT)

I can only recommend it and am sad that we live so far away because I really would love to take my dad - but this isn't a road trip we can do just on a whim LOL.

Thank you and I am so happy you enjoyed the photos. Plan off season or I heard the winter is great, however you'd have to hire a snowmobile tour/transportation as the roads would be impassable or snowed in. If my husband wouldn't have the health issues he has I would so love to do that as I heard it's just magical in the winter !