7/21
After waking up in Madison Campground around 6:20am, the temperature was hovering around freezing. It was our second morning of this and it gave you a jolt as you left your warm sleeping bag and tent. At night you can go to bed in 75 degree weather and wake up to 35 degrees. Our day was to be spent traveling around Yellowstone enjoying the sites and touring the park. We left in the morning as early as possible in an attempt to see more wildlife. It turned out to be a smart decision. In only a short period of time we saw many cars pulled over alongside the road, always a sign of something interesting to see. The first sight that greeted our eyes was a massive bison laying in a patch of dirt and many tourists milling about the grassy field which held three large Elk farther away on the plains. Finn, my dad, and I headed for a closer look and Finn got dangerously close. I personally hung back not wanting to be gored by the massive horns on the Bison. Soon, one of the funniest and most interesting things I had ever seen occurred, the massive animal crouched onto all fours and then proceeded to roll on its back and side like a dog with its stomach being scratched. After covering its hide with dust it lumbered off into the woods, as the crowd dissipated the three of us made our way to the Elk and when we had watched the animals in the wild to our hearts content we made our way back to the car to continue on the loop. Throughout the park we saw Mud pots or bubbling pools of super heated mud. We also saw fumeroles, which are steam vents, hot springs, and the most impressive part, the geysers. We witnessed many more natural wonders that I could not tell you the name of but each one brought new surprises and different features from cloudy hot springs the size of a pond to mud shooting geysers. Yellowstone was a much different park than the Badlands but made a huge impression on me and my family as well. With its rolling hills, large plains and vast wilderness the park has landscapes for every person’s preference. As we left Yellowstone I was excited at the idea of seeing the Grand Tetons, a park my parents seemed very impressed by. After setting up camp at Flagg Ranch campground we headed to the rocky shores just inside Grand Teton National Park. My first view of the range made me feel tiny and insignificant; the second look filled me with awe. I had never seen mountains this big and the fact that I was the length of a lake away took my breath away. After wading into the warm waters and taking many pictures the whole family spent an hour in view of the majestic range and lake reading or just enjoying the sights. We had a relaxed night at the campground and roasted marshmallows for the second straight night. We had left one beautiful National Park to camp at another and I pondered what other natural wonders were in store for us during the trip.
Editor’s Note:
Carol and Paul were still reeling from the nausea and weakness inherent with a lack of ability to hold down any food or water. The trip has been a bit surreal in that it seems there is one trip that Silas, Finn and I are on, which is healthy and lively and then there is the trip that Carol and Paul are on, which is significantly different. Paul had a better day on Saturday so we were hopeful there would be progression but Sunday he again was waylaid by symptoms. Carol hadn’t really improved any and we were all sufficiently worried and frustrated that a trip to the local clinic seemed the most prudent act. We stopped at the Lake Clinic within Yellowstone at 11:30am on Sunday. Carol and Paul were both seen and as we thought, evidence suggested to the provider that the cause of the symptoms was a bacterial infection from Lake Erie. Carol was dehydrated to the point that she required 2 liters of IV fluids and both she and Paul were given antibiotic and anti-nausea prescriptions. The clinic does not take United Insurance so $1,000 and 2.5 hours later we were back on the road. This time with at least some hope that we will all be experiencing the same trip.
More pictures to come:
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| Hot Spring Action |
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