We finally are at a campground with a strong enough connection that we could download our pictures. We took 4 trips into Yellowstone NP, seeing something new and exciting each time. We loved the wildlife, and since our last blog update, have seen a marmot, 3 black bears, an eagle, and pronghorn antelope. We have also enjoyed seeing and learning about the unusual geothermal hot springs, geysers, and mudpots. Yellowstone NP is immense, and even after 4 visits we don't feel that we got to see everything.

Our campground in West Yellowstone was on a beautiful, peaceful lake. We made some nice friends there; enjoyed watching the ospreys circling the lake each evening; took long walks on the lake "beach" where the dogs could run and sniff; and decided this would be a wonderful place to workcamp in future summers. We hated to leave, but it was time to move on to new adventures.

We are spending a few days in southeastern Montana, visiting Little Bighorn Battlefield and related museums. Then we'll head for the Black Hills of South Dakota, exploring that area and visiting Mt. Rushmore.

Enjoy our pictures! http://picasaweb.google.com/TxMike3

A grizzly bear! What an exciting thing to see in Yellowstone National Park! We've made 3 trips into the park since moving to our present campground at West Yellowstone, Montana. We've found that we're more excited about the wildlife and scenery than about Old Faithful! Sightings having included an osprey (not as large as an eagle but pretty spectacular), many elk, several herds of bison and their calves, pronghorn, mule deer, a wolf (wow!), and this grizzly bear. Yellowstone NP is really immense, with varied scenery--several fast-moving rivers, huge Yellowstone Lake, rocky cliffs, wide meadows, geysers, geothermal hot springs and mudpots--all on top of a massive caldera, or basin, caused by a volcanic eruption 640,000 years ago. All that thermal activity is really fascinating and unusual. And smelly! Mike identified it as smelling like an old radiator! I think it smells a little like eggs boiling. We missed seeing Old Faithful, but didn't really mind because of the busy tourist area that has built up around it. Instead we enjoyed many of the other attractions in the various geyser basins. Seeing all the wildlife has been a highlight of our trip; we still hope to see a bull moose and a trumpeter swan.

We have not uploaded our pictures yet because of a very slow internet connection. Hope to do so soon. We really want to share all the fascinating things that we've seen.

Our campground is on a large, deep lake--Hebgen Lake--that has only very recently lost the last of its ice. There's a wide dirt/sand beach, which will disappear when the lake is full in mid-July. Max and Gracie are loving running and chasing each other, and sniffing elk tracks and driftwood. They don't get to go with us into Yellowstone, since dogs are not allowed anywhere in the park except the parking lots.

We're planning a visit to a bear and wolf museum in the town of West Yellowstone this weekend. And, of course, we'll be watching the Indy 500 on Sunday!

Kodachrome Basin State Park was our last adventure with our friends Dick and Julie. A late afternoon hike was an especially beautiful time to visit. We decided it was sort of a miniature Bryce Canyon. When you look at our pictures, notice the high ridges that Mike and Dick and Julie ventured out onto. Ellen couldn't handle those heights! I said this was our last adventure together, but cooking s'mores that night was a lot of fun, too!

The four of us drove our RV's back to Provo, so Dick and Julie could turn in their rented RV in Salt Lake City. Dick and Julie headed home, and we drove on to eastern Idaho near Grand Teton National Park. We've made 2 trips over 8500 ft high Teton Pass to Jackson, WY, and to the park. The pass just opened around the first of May and there is still about 8' of snow piled up beside the road at the summit! The amazing thing about the Tetons is how they just rise right out of the plains, with no foothills.

Today, after taking the pups for a long walk, we stayed in Idaho and drove north across the Teton Valley to Mesa Falls. Gently rolling hills of plowed dirt, scattered farmhouses, and half-buried barns (not sure about those--maybe for potatoes?) with the Tetons in the background--a really pretty drive. Mesa Falls is on the Henry's Fork of the Snake River, and was really spectacular.

We're planning one more trip to Grand Teton NP, to finish a loop that goes through the park. We hope to see more wildlife this time. Then we move north to West Yellowstone, just outside of Yellowstone NP, for a week, so we'll see you there.

On to Bryce Canyon...

Our campground in Glendale, Utah, near Zion, was part of a working ranch. There were beautiful apple orchards in full bloom, and a big pasture where we could let the dogs off leash to run and explore. They loved their romps--new smells, room to really tear around, and even a creek that Max managed to get in when he got really hot and thirsty! This was certainly the dogs' favorite campground.

Bryce Canyon National Park--what an incredible place! Tuesday, May 5, we moved to a campsite nearer Bryce Canyon. After getting set up and taking the dogs for a good walk (Max is really excited about all the rabbits around here!), we drove to Bryce to hike and explore. So much unusual beauty it's hard to take it all in! At over 9000 feet altitude, we felt as though we were on top of the world! A one mile walk was pretty hard work at that altitude, but certainly worth it. Hope you enjoy our pictures.

Wednesday, Mike, Dick, and Julie went for a 2-hour hike down into Bryce Canyon and then back up to the rim that had them huffing and puffing! The weather was beautiful and clear. From along the rim of the canyon we could see Navajo Mountain 83 miles away! Ellen decided to stay back at the campground and take some time off to get dinner started in the crockpot, catch up on e-mails, knit, and read. We plan to go to Kodachrome Basin this evening when the light, shadows, and evening colors are supposed to be spectacular. Hope to get some more great pictures.

Thursday we head back toward Salt Lake City, where Dick and Julie have to turn in their RV on Friday. We'll drive with them to southeastern Idaho to pick up our new/gently used RV! It's the same length as this one--we didn't want anything longer--but has a larger slide which will give us more floor space. That has turned out to be somewhat of an issue on this trip; constantly stepping over dogs or each other's feet gets tiresome. Also, our new RV is better insulated, which will help in both cold and hot weather; and has a solar panel which will charge the batteries, and enable us to camp without hook-ups in state and national parks. We'll be busy traveling and "moving" over the next 4 or 5 days, so we'll see you next week!

After spending 4 surprisingly fun days in beautiful Ely, Nevada, we headed for Utah. Our campground in Provo had wonderful views of snow-capped mountains. Ellen flew out of Salt Lake City on April 23 and had a wonderful time in Kingwood. She got to spend time with those 2 precious granddaughters, including taking Mia out to lunch with her and watching Kindall at karate; had a great visit with Dan and Kristel; and enjoyed having Gwen with her for the weekend. Also saw many good friends! Mike and the pups managed just fine, despite 2 dreary days of rain. They went for some long walks along the Provo River, and met a friendly German Shepherd at the campground.

With Ellen back in Provo, our good friends Dick and Julie White from Washington/Idaho have joined us for a week of RVing. We drove to southern Utah and spent our first day sight-seeing and hiking in Zion National Park. What an incredibly beautiful place! Pictures are in Picasaweb: http://picasaweb.google.com/TxMike3

We plan to visit Bryce Canyon and Kodachrome Basin, so I'm sure we'll be taking lots more pictures! See you in a few days!