Yellowstone Junior Rangers
Day 5
There is a Junior Ranger requirement to do a ranger led event while in the park. Easton had stated that she didn’t want to do the Junior Ranger thing, so we decided to check this box before rejoining our friends. We took a walk with Ranger Fey and learned many interesting things including that a bison’s head is about a tenth of its weight (about 200 pounds)!
We saw a pair of red necked sap sucker wood peckers as we walked up to Geyser Hill again. We kept glancing at our watches, hoping we would get up to where we could see Old Faithful erupt again, but it turns out our guide, an older lady who had apparently been at this a while, knew her business.
She told us that 500 out of 900 total worldwide geysers are in Yellowstone, and had us positioned perfectly to see the eruption. We timed the eruption and learned how to predict the next eruption based on the length of the current eruption, filling in a page in Desmond’s Junior Ranger booklet. We also saw that the Lion was erupting while we were up there.
We excused ourselves to rejoin our friends. Jamey had taken an early morning walk and got a tremendous photo of Castle Geyser erupting.
We threw our things in the car and went to Fairy Falls trailhead to go up to the Prismatic Springs viewpoint. It was very different than I had pictured. I thought we would be taking a multiple mile hike in the trees to get to the viewpoint. Instead, it was more like a gravel road, and was exposed to the sun. Fortunately, it was less than a mile, and the view was great. We took pictures of Prismatic Springs from above.
Next we went looking for a water fall. Bryan had seen that it was close to a picnic area, and we were hoping to get a glimpse from there.
We pulled off at the Gibbon picnic area and walked down to the Gibbon River. I enjoyed a yogurt at the shaded picnic table and Desmond and Jamey dipped their feet in the water. The scene was idyllic, and felt more like home than what we had seen the past few days. Pine trees surrounded the picnic table, giving way to grass near the flowing water. However, there was no way to see the falls from here. So we continued on.
We continued down the road to our next stop. Artist Paint Pots was unique because the hike takes you up the side of a hill and you can look out over bubbling mud pools as well as out to steaming vents, meadow, and mountains in the background. This whole area has been really interesting.
After that we headed to Norris Geyser Basin. The parking lot was full. The overflow parking was intense. And we were all hot and tired. We decided it could wait until tomorrow and instead headed to Canyon Campground.
We got our canopy and chairs set up and then made ourselves a tasty pizza lunch. I suggested the kids set up our backpacking tent on the Williams’ tent pad and use it as a fort. They happily agreed.
It turned out that Easton had changed her mind and done the Junior Ranger activities with her mom last night. All she needed was her Ranger activity to finish it off. So after she had helped Desmond with his booklet, everyone (besides Bryan who stayed behind to cook more pizzas so we could have leftovers) hopped in the Williams’ SUV and headed to the Canyon Visitor Education Center. We were expecting an educational ranger talk. Instead, the kids got to pet some pelts, and the ranger answered questions and signed off on their booklets. That was easy!
We went in and got stamps in our passports. And then the kids were sworn in by Ranger Owen as junior rangers. He gave them the option if they wanted to do the oath. They both did. Desmond told him he would like to get 20 Junior Ranger badges (which we had heard another ranger say was when you were pretty much a professional). He asked where we had been and where we were going next. He gave us a tip that if we were on our way to Glacier, it might not be too far out of our way to go to Big Hole National Battlefield. He said it was beautiful there, not ever busy, and to tell them he said “hi” if we did.
When we got back to camp, Bryan was still baking. The oven had cooled off and the pellets weren’t burning the way they usually do. Resourcefully, he had used a small fan to increase the air flow and got the oven heated back up. We think it must have to do with the amount of oxygen here at what the sign said was 7918 feet altitude. I was struck by the contrast of Bryan baking his pizookie while our neighbor, who had bicycled in with his light weight gear, used a rock to pound in his tent stake. Evidently Bryan was struck by that as well, because he offered the man our hatchet to use the backside as a hammer, which he gladly accepted.
Since we had made it a point not to set up our sleeping accommodations, we were able to easily drive back out for a wildlife drive in the evening. We let the Williams take the lead, as Jamey has been excellent at spotting the critters. I was struck by the beauty of the dappled sunlight on the green, sloping hillside.
I felt like I was on safari! We saw bison, big horned sheep, a black bear, and prong horn. While I was thrilled to see the bear by the road, I think my favorite part was watching the big horned sheep through the binoculars as the younger sheep played on the cliff side, and one of them nursed. We enjoyed our drive through Lamar Valley. And at Slough Creek turned around, so as not to get caught in construction traffic. We had pretty much seen all the animals we could have wanted, at this point. I kept looking in vain for a wolf or grizzly bear… but I felt like we had definitely done the thing.
We stopped on the way back to camp at Tower falls, taking it in from the easy viewpoint. However, it was not as spectacular as the deck of cards I bought at the Old Faithful gift shop made it look. That photo must have been taken from a different vantage point, I think.
We came home to camp. We set up the roof top tent. It just folds open like a pop up book, and then you have a little tree fort to sleep in for the night. So fun.
I had fun using our new grill to grill up some hot dogs. The little grill marks on them were very satisfying.
After that, I spent time looking for all the things that are getting misplaced. Nothing seems to be where I need it to be when I need it. I don’t feel like I’m very good at this yet. This is to expected as it is our first time doing multiple nights with this camping set up. We are inexperienced and inefficient. I will turn around and Bryan has packed away something I need. He will turn around and I will have unpacked everything again. Ha! We will get into a rhythm. And there is no one I would rather be doing this with.
Time for bed!
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