We’ve been to Yellowstone as kids, but there was always a time limit, as we had to get back to school, and parents had to get back to work. This time, we had no schedule, and were able to explore much more of the park.
As we made our way towards West Yellowstone, we were greeted by the remnants of multiple fires. Some were controlled burns, others had decimated the landscape. It is always humbling for us to see how much damage fire can do in such a short amount of time.
By the time we were in the park itself, the air was significantly clearer, and there were no active fires.
While driving to our campground, we were almost immediately greeted by the first of many buffalo. You never get tired of seeing these creatures.
We also had the chance to watch two bulls fight. We didn’t mean to, we had stopped to check out a spring and river, when suddenly, a large buffalo came out of the woods behind us. He was blocking our way to our vehicle, and we were between him and another big bull that had his attention. We slowly scooted to the side and he made a bee-line for his target.
Their battle began with them urinating on the ground, then rolling in it. (It was extra musky and extra stinky). Then they walked around each other, kind of engaging in a stare down, then looking away, and then staring again. Finally, they started fighting. Some of their hits were so hard, that they knocked dust off each other. It went on for quite some time, and we were amazed to be able to see it.
Each day, we explored a different part of the park, and gained a new appreciation for the size of it. There were some fun side roads with vehicle length limits of 25 feet (no buses or big RVs), which meant no crowds at some amazing spots.
Of course we checked out old faithful, and wandered around on all the trails in that area. It was a little chilly out, but the walk was amazing.
The most memorable bike ride was one where the trail from Old Faithful took us right next to some lounging buffalo. At first, we were a little worried they would see us as a threat or something fun to chase, so we quietly walked our bikes until we were no longer in their line of sight.
The lodge by Old Faithful has showers campers can use for a small fee, and they even provide some big fluffy hotel towels, too. The shower in the camper works just fine, but we have to be careful with water usage. We loved being able to take a real shower at the lodge and treated ourselves a few times during our stay.
Here are some of our favorite photos of the geysers (and a waterfall) we saw:
On our last day, we were treated with some juvenile bighorn sheep bouncing around the rocks. They have no fear!
Traveling Team Fischer 