WWYD: Six days near Yellowstone

[TN Blondie]

I'm looking forward to what you see/do/say after your trip - we'll be heading there in September!

[J Birder]

Originally Posted by TN Blondie

I'm looking forward to what you see/do/say after your trip - we'll be heading there in September!

September is a great time of year to visit Yellowstone. The crowds are down and the wildlife is most active then. The elk are mating and you can hear the bellowing for long distances. The bears are fattening up and you will often see them out feeding.

Just be ready for the weather. It will likely drop down to near or below freezing at night, and some snow is not at all unlikely.

Joel

[rc75mhz]

The fun begins tomorrow when we arrive in West Yellowstone.

So far we have survived,

--a plumbing disaster caused by me. If you are new to this, then read the instructions and carry a flashlight when hooking up at night. If not, you may end up attaching the city water supply to the sewer tank flush.

--broken bolts on my exhaust. My Hemi sounded like a jackhammer until the good guys at Midas in Salina, KS got me fixed up. Out ears are still ringing. Huh, whats that???

--major coolant leak when pulling in for fuel at the Mittens TA station in Oakley, KS. Thanks to Greg with TA and Kenny with Oakley Dodge for getting us back in the road within a few hours. Turns out the radiator cap was probably not tightened properly. I will thank my mechanic in person when I get home. If we would not have been pulling in for fuel at that exact moment, my truck and my first rv trip would have been over.

Thanks again for all your replies. We are looking forward to the next week.

[rc75mhz]

It looks like its going to be worth all the trouble it took to get here.

[jnp_macklin]

Originally Posted by hoss1045

Great park to stay at. There are countless things in Yellowstone. Start from the top,( North rim) then work down. Don't forget the Tetons.

^^^ X2 ^^^

[HHg]

All I can say is..... I envy you ! Yellowstone is without a doubt my favorite trip. We too stayed at Grizzly, West Yellowstone is a great little town. I absolutely loved the volatile weather (it's hot as hell in Austin). We took entire days just on the two loops......and then enjoyed Jackson Hole, and the Tetons were marvelous. Took a few other side trips. Will do it again soon.


Enjoy !
Hhg

[flaggship1]

Sorry to hear of your troubles but sounds like you were very lucky - no real harm done and quickly back on the road.

So now that you're there here is a suggestion. Slow down and enjoy! As others have said, you will not be able to so it all or even do much of it full justice.... Accept it now - you are going back. In the course of 10 years, we went 5 times. Keep a log book and plan for the visit.

Maybe call or look up Old Faithfuls schedule - it's on a loose time table. Definitely something to see but arriving just after the show guarantees time in the gift shop - snack bar - or sitting on a log waiting around a couple of hours. Not the best use if time unless you're hungry or feel the need to buy things.

I believe the lower loop is about 100 miles around. With your scheduled stops and unscheduled wildlife stops you have some big days ahead. So again - slow down and enjoy.

If you can work it in and give the Tetons a day - I recommend that. Again - won't do it justice but plan for next time. We have stayed there twice and ventured into Yellowstone a couple of times. Once you see that mountain range you will never be the same. JMHO

Enjoy the journey!

[Not a Clue]

Originally Posted by Idaho Rockhauler

Don't tell any one else because its a well kept secret but check out Mesa Falls 50 miles west of W. Yellowstone. you can goggle Mesa Falls and Henry's Fork (one of the top fly fishing rivers in the world). Its an easy 1/2 day trip if you don't fish .

We just spent six days at Grizzly RV park and spent all but two days inside the park. One of the other days was taking the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway. Well worth the drive.

[flaggship1]

If you have time for such things - we had a great picnic and "day off" at Quake Lake. Been a while ago but it was quite - remote - and a nice break from running from here to there.

[road dogs]

We stayed there a couple of years ago. Great place! If anybody in your party is 62, make sure they bring their "Golden Geezer" pass!

[Twomed]

A little sleet storm here at Grant Village mid-day but nicer now. It's all good.

[rc75mhz]

I hate to admit this but I trust Mapquest and TomTom way too much. I have not looked at a map in years. After barely making it through the pass at 9,000 ft in the rain, I was SHOCKED yesterday morning to find out that we were entering THROUGH Grand Teton Park. We spent a little time driving around before finding the Lodge and slipping in at the last second for lunch. The view from our table was amazing. When we decided to get on the way again, we followed TomTom's directions THROUGH Yellowstone. We had a great time. Today, we decided to forget the schedule and just wing it. We are already talking about next time. This is a truly amazing place.

[Scarab0088]

The sights are all on the map...did you go to the visitors center for maps? They gave us a map at the gate anyway, but there's more info at the center.

If you want to see the less seen wildlife (bears and wolves) the Rangers will not really be too helpful, we found (visited for a week May 1-8). But we found that at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone town, the staff does sighting logs and will tell you exactly where they have been seen lately.

The Terraces were awesome too.

Safe travels

[BFlinn181]

Originally Posted by Scarab0088

The sights are all on the map...did you go to the visitors center for maps? They gave us a map at the gate anyway, but there's more info at the center.

If you want to see the less seen wildlife (bears and wolves) the Rangers will not really be too helpful, we found (visited for a week May 1-8). But we found that at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone town, the staff does sighting logs and will tell you exactly where they have been seen lately.

The Terraces were awesome too.

Safe travels

I've visited YNP since 1982, worked and taught a grad course there for 20 years, 1992-2012. I've not found this to be true at all. The rangers at the visitor's center will suggest and mark maps with good sighting locations. Lamar Valley is known as the 'Serengeti of Yellowstone' and prime viewing of wolves, elk, moose, bear, coyote, etc. Hayden Valley for bison, and down along the Yellowstone River in Hayden you'll often see grizzlies. In Dunraven Pass look for big horn sheep. In the meadow across from Canyon Visitor Center intersection live the 'old men of the meadow,' elk with large racks. Around Mammoth, look for a herd of elk that graze on the lawns.

rc75mhz, that mountain right center in your photo is Mt. Moran. To the left of the vertical white line is a large black streak that marks a dike, a large outcrop of basalt that volcanic forces pushed up through the surrounding rock layers. Also, years ago a student of mine pointed out that Mt. Moran has the image of a St. Bernard face on it. (not from your photo viewpoint) That damn dog now dominates my view whenever I look at it!