Sunday, June 30, 2013

          We had quite an adventure yesterday. We went looking for one of the largest rock slides ever recorded in the world. All I can say is it was awesome. To see where a whole mountain side came tumbling down into a river and created a 250 high dam that took two years to fill with water and only a few minutes to crumble and destroy the Town of Kelly. We hiked some of the debris field and to see the size of some of the rocks that were moved by the water was amazing. After we hiked back to the car we proceeded to follow the road into Bridger-Teton NP. We followed the road that went into a Canyon that went on for 42 miles. As we proceeded further in and the road changed into gravel and then dirt I realized that several of the Ranches we had driven by had no utilities at all. Can you imagine living off the grid in today's world , no power or phone service. There are really still some true Pioneers left in our Country. The ride was absolutely beautiful with the different colors of the mountains and the rivers and lakes along our route. We stopped for a short while an we had hoped to see the Beaver who had built a dam on a small stream by the road that had raised the water level higher than the road bed. Just amazing. So many Natural Wonders here I wish you all could see what we see, there is just no way to put into words or even pictures.                                                                       G
Went for a ride yesterday to see one of natures little movements

Some of the destruction

That mountain is over 9000 feet tall and the whole side slide down into the valley

Lauren looking at me and wondering what the heck am I doing

Hard to read but it tell the story of how it affected the little Town of Kelly

Some shots of the Canyon we drove through yesterday

So many colors

As we went further down the Canyon in Bridger -Teton NP

As we went in further into the Canyon we found several large Ranches with no connection to the grid

A fixer upper we came across

Saturday, June 29, 2013

We have been talking about the Fourth of July Float we have been working on . the following pictures are the final result.





So you never really know what you will be doing as a Fish and Wildlife Volunteer. It was different and it was fun.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

      We have been busy the last couple of days with our Volunteer Schedules and our time spent getting the float ready for the Fourth of July Parade. We are both still suffering with the altitude and allergy's at the same time. Have a few good days and then the sneezing and coughing comes back as the Cotton Wood trees send out their little puff balls. At some point it almost looks like snow coming down. Last weekend we took a ride into Idaho Falls, why you ask is because it is the largest town within 100 miles of Jackson , a population of 56,000. In this area it is the only place with stores of any size, they are all there so it becomes an outing for major shopping of any kind. You know the great out doors in the West with miles of open space where around the corner is 50 miles. Way Cool. After the Fourth we will start to travel again and do some more NPS sight seeing. Everyone have a Great Fourth .                                                                                 G
Just a normal sight for Lauren on her walk to the miller house where she Volunteers.

First half of Rainbow from Miller House Door

The other half of the Rainbow

The clouds in the mountains from the RV in the morning

One of the Chislers  visiting outside or door

What Lauren sees on her way to the Miller house

Thursday, June 20, 2013

I like signs.

Funky name ,but really beautiful

A good sigh to describe boiling mud

boiling mud

Steam and mud

It's their sign

This is the view of the Volcanic Tableland

this Geyser never stops

As far as the eye could see in every direction were Geysers

     We were only going for a little ride on Tuesday and as we rambled around the country side we got totally side tracked and ended up in Yellowstone NP. But as always we had started out heading into Idaho to see what was along the main road as we are really close to the boarder and we saw a sign for the NP so we headed in that direction. We had no idea that one of the North Entrances was in Montana and even though we are in the middle of no where we are close to the corners of three States. So in we went and it was awesome. Hot springs and bison were every where . Of course we are in Yellowstone and most of the Tourists think it's a Disney movie and they are out of their vehicles and walking right up to the Bison who are not very receptive of use humans, Oh well, not very bright. The Park , what little we saw of it as it is huge was absolutely beautiful. No picture could capture the colors or the sheer vastness of it. We drove through 85 miles of it and barely saw a small fraction. Yellowstone Lake is really large and the water is so blue and clear that you can see rocks on the bottom in 20 feet of water. The streams and creeks that feed it are crystal clear and there were many Fly Fisherman every where you looked. The amount of people there is also amazing. According to the local paper there were over 285,000 visitors last week. WOW. But because the Park is so big you didn't feel like it was the Jersey Shore on a summer Saturday . We will make several more trips there soon .             G
We took a little side trip last Tuesday


Waiting for the grand event


Still waiting with a little tease


Getting going finally


A little more


The event finally is going good


It's something to see up close


There are around 2500 people around the viewing area

 


After almost four minutes of being done I took this shot. We were the only ones left there.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

The view from the back of the RV, Would have shot from the inside but the glass on the outside needs a good wash.

One of our resident ground squirrels or as them call them here, chiselers.

The Osprey across the way from us doing some fishing.

The Osprey eating his first catch. He did it three times and ate on the same pole each time.

We can see this Ravens nest from the RV.

         We had a day yesterday to just drive around and saw some really beautiful countryside. As I'm writing this the Coyotes are howling across the way from us. It does spook the kitty's a little . We had a bit of lite hail storm two days ago but no damage on the cars or RV. So much to see and do, we will have to make a list. We are only 52 miles from Yellowstone's South entrance. We were only 10 miles from it yesterday as we were the Tetons NP and went for dinner at one of the Marinas on one of the many large lakes in the park. When we had the little hail and rain storm the other day all the mountain tops received another coat of snow. They are really some thing to see. When we are in the Valleys or Holes as the locals call them and it is usually in the 70's or low 80's during the day, but on the mountain ridges it's in the mid 50's and so far here at night it has been going down into the 30's and low 40's, makes for good sleeping and only 20 percent humid.  One more thing, Happy Fathers Day to the Dads and soon to be DADs.                                         G
Yesterday was one great day as we went for a little ride.

It was one of those great to be alive days. Yes we are above the snow line.

Not another picture of me .

OK , so we rode up to the top just like them that Ski

Mom Moose and the little one.

A different kind of road sign.

Caught one of the Trumpeter Swans off the nest.