Squirrels like lunch also

These little squirrels called uinta squirrels resemble small groundhogs.  Squirrels & groundhogs are in the same family, so is easy to see why the look and behave similarly.

A uinta squirrel running across the field

These little squirrels run across the field and try and join the patrons having lunch nearby.

Hello? is anybody in there?

These little squirrels go thru these little pipes in the wall from the nearby field that surrounds the outdoor patio where we had lunch.

A close up of the Tetons

I closer shot of the Tetons while driving by.

Tetons

We stopped for lunch and sat outside.  this was the view, Several of the teton mountains.  The pointed one toward the left is Grand Teton mt.

Tetons near dusk

The Tetons overlooking Jackson lake late afternoon. Jackson Hole WY. The tetons are just south of Yellowstone. We had to drive thru Yellowstone to reach these mts.

Osprey

Mom & dad osprey sitting at home in their nest in the Tetons.

Why did the Bison cross the road???

All traffic stopped as an entire herd of bison crossed from one side of the road to the other. Wildlife has the right away and traffic can get quite backed up.  Some cars would go when there a few seconds break before another bison crossed.  Baby bison would be sandwiched in between larg adults when crossing. 

We were on the motorcycle when we stopped and I got off to take some pics. from across the road once they were all on the other side.  However, one big bison (in the foreground) made snorting growling sounds as it started heading back across the road.  I hid behind someone's car who was parked and then ran to the bike, got on and we moved on.  There were bison all along the roadside and at one point, we were so close to one grazing along the roadside that when it heard the bike, it's eye rolled toward me as he was still grazing and he snort growled. I told John to hurry up and move it, he was very close.  Luckily, he was more interested in eating grass.

A baby bison

This baby bison, along with a entire herd had crossed the road we were driving along.  He just started running along the side of the road.  People/motor vehicles Must yield to all wildlife, wildlife have the right away in Yellowstone.

Marmot

This poor little marmot fella looks around in shock as if to say "hey, where did my friend go"?  Just seconds before I took this shot, a coyote had grabbed his friend marmot and ran off with it in his mouth. We just missed that part, other people had witnessed it though.

Baby pronghorn

One of the pronghorn babies stops to bite a flea.  Lamar Valley, Yellowstone

Baby pronghorn trying to catch up

This baby is trying to catch up with his mom and sibling who moved on without him noticing.  Dad was always nearby though. This is a yearling.

Mommy pronghorn & kids

Mom and the kids grazing in a field, Lamar Valley, Yellowstone.

Daddy Pronghorn

This is the male pronghorn staying behind and watching as his small family grazes.

Chief Sitting Bull

I call this Chief Sitting Bull. We were walking thru a dirt path in a field and this guy was around the corner taking a cat nap....  We walked the other way from there.

Driving along

Driving on the hwy between Thermopolis & Cody, WY

Pronghorns

A small herd of pronghorns (type of antelope), grazing on open range between Cody & Thermopolis, WY

Posing with the specimen

Posing with the speciman we excavated out of mudstone.  Unfortunately, I do not get to keep this :O(  It belongs to the museum since this is all their land and contains thousands of dino specimens.

An Allosaurus bone?

This is a hunk of rock with part of a most likely leg bone of an Allosaurus (meat eater) therapod.  Two of us chiseled for a couple of hours to pull this out, unfortunately, I do not get to keep this.  There is a partial skeleton of an Allosaur lying just a few feet from this.

A dino bone

One of the thousands of dino bones beign excavated by the Dinosaur museum in Thermopolis, WY.  Most likely a femur of a Sauropod (long necked plant eaters), maybe Diplodocus.  There are many Therapods (meat eaters)as well in this particular area. 

Yellowstone Lake

Another view of Yellowstone Lake

Mr. Crow!

Mr. Crow says hello!!! Caw!

Pretty view of hot springs and lake

Walking along a path and seeing a hotspring bordering Yellowstone lake.

A view of a spring near the lake

More holes in the ground spewing steam.  This is one the edge of Yellowstone lake, which the lake is quite huge and the top of a giant volcano filled in with water since the last eruption approx. 630,000 yrs. ago.  The rim of the caldera (super volcano) goes several miles out.

Old Faithful

Old Faithful erupts approx. every 59 mins.  It gets its own show every hour by hundreds of fans sitting about 50 yards away.

Old Faithful resting

This is what old faithful looks like when it is resting.  Always steam coming out, just like the other 10,000 geysers in Yellowstone.

Warning!

As the sign says!  Also there is a sign that says do not throw anything into the springs.

Mineral spring.

This hotspring has many different types of minerals, lots of CaCo3 (calcium carbonate) and Sodium chloride (salt), plus zinc, magnesium and several other minerals.

Pretty hotspring

This is one of the many thousands of hotsprings in Yellowstone.  The water is 132 degrees!

Microraptor

A good specimen of Microraptor, an avian feathered dinosaur often excavated in China during the Jurassic period. This avian dinosaur was about the size of today's chicken, but as the raptor name goes, it was a carnivorous hunter.

Archaepteryx

 

An original fossil imprint of Archaepteryx (ancient wing).  An avian feathered dinosaur found in the area I will be digging on Thurs. This guy was found by the Dino museum in Wy about 75 miles from where we are staying. This specimen is approx. 150 mya, during the late Triassic/early Jurassic periods.

Ever been to the moon?

The Wyoming high desert.  This is what it looks like 2 miles from the RV park.  The next town is 30 miles and it consists of maybe 100 people, 1 gas station and 2 cafes. The next town after that is another 25 miles and has a pop. of maybe 3000. That is to the south. I will be excavating there on thursday.   Yellowstone is 50 to the northwest of us and nothing until you get to the east entrance of the park.  You always are aware of your gas gauge.

On a trail above the canyon

Hiking a trail above the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Yellowstone river in canyon

Another view of the Yellostone river within the grand canyon of yellowstone.

John is resting

John taking a rest with his new hat.  It takes a little more stamina when climbing up and down slopes at 8000 ft. altitude.  The south rim of the caldera trail.

Red canyon walls

This canyon is constructed from a variety of sediment and sedimentary rock like this red sandstone along this particular wall. Years of wind and erosion from the Yellowstone river have worn this one flat plateau

Canyon Walls.

a different view of the canyon with its many vertical, trapazoidal and linear shapes and dimensions. Part of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  You really need a panaoramic video to capture it in all its abundance.

Canyon Walls with river

Just a small part of the canyon walls in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone with a view of the Yellowstone River. This was taken at 8000ft. in altitude.

Lower Falls, Yellowstone

One view of Lower Falls with the Yellowstone River.  We hiked at 8,000 ft. along the South Rim of the Caldera.

Larger herd

A much larger herd of Bison. We must have seen 100's of the today, small herds and large herds.

Small herd

A small herd of Bison grazy in E. Yellowstone.

Lone Bison Grazing

A Bison grazing in E. Yellowstone. I must have seen over 100 of this wooly creatures today.  I shot this at about 25 yards, getting out of the truck.  Not the smartest move I've ever made.  When he locked eyes with me, I was wondering,  Hmmmm.... what is the thinking?

Grizzly bear

Grizzly Bear.  East Yellowstone.  Sorry, it's not the best shot.  The grizzly was about 250 yds., it was dusk and raining.  Keeping our fingers crossed we'll get another shot of one.

A path in W. Yellowstone

When I am in an environment like this, I truly feel one with the perfection of the Creator, Earth & nature.  Our species is just one spoke in the evolving wheel of creation.

Bison Yellowstone

There's always one in the herd who explores a little closer and is away from the herd.

Bison at 300 yards.

Bison at about 300 yrd. "Oh give me a home, where the buffalo roam, and the deer and the antelope are plaaaayyying"!  Ok, who quoted it this way?

Knowing about thermal sensitive ground

This is a good sign to read.

Danger, Danger, Will Robinson!

You see these along paths where there are small geyers that are not as noticeable.  Usually, when one sees what looks like a dried sulfur bed, is really a small geyser lurking in that area. Just think!  the magma is not that far down, just below the thin crust.

Steamboat geyser, Yellowstone

Steamboat geyser. It is unpredictable when it will activate and shoot hot steam and water, it could be everyday, once a week, or go up to 53 days before awakening. I guess we caught it on one of its good days.

Norris geyser, Yellowstone

Even if you don't see the gysers before approaching, you smell them a good 100ft. or more before you've approached one.  They give off a sulfur smell, sulfur deposits is what you see around the geyser, or the ring around the geyser.  It smells like deviled eggs that have been left out on the kitchen table too long.