Yellowstone Adventures 2022, Day 6

May 27th -BRIGHT AND EARLY

Travis had us up EARLY today. Our itinerary said “The earlier you can start this day the better!” So we left West Yellowstone at 5:30. We had purposely moved this to day 6 due to The Beartooth Highway officially opening at 8:00 a.m.

Sunrise

One advantage to starting the day so early was getting to watch the sunrise. It ended up being pretty cloudy but we were still able to get great pictures.

BEST ANIMAL SPOTTER IN THE GROUP

Travis spotted more animals than any of us AND while he did it while he was driving usually. The binoculars were used but not sure they helped any of us spot anything. We like animals close up due to our lack of patience and eyesight.

UNDINE FALLS

Random stops along the road as we spotted things. I actually spotted the Elk on the hill. I was proud of myself!! Now if I had a MORE POWERFUL and HIGH DOLLAR camera then I could have made them appear MUCH CLOSER. But this is much more realistic of how we viewed things.

BEAR SPOTTING

Yep, Travis spotted this one as well!!! He told me to Google it if I wanted a closer picture.

TOWER FALL

TOWER FALL is a stunning 132-foot tall waterfall. The road leading to the fall was pretty amazing to take in as well. Becky and I posed in front of the rock along the roadside for perspective. Quite large!!!! As we made our way back from the lookout to the car it started to rain. But God blessed us with a RAINBOW down the road!!!

GOD IS GREAT!! LOVE TO SEE A RAINBOW !!!

I felt like I was IN this rainbow. It was so close and beautiful. These pictures cannot even begin to share this truly beautiful experience.

LAMAR VALLEY WILDLIFE VIEWING

Every person in Lamar Valley is looking for wildlife. The trick to being successful we were told is to talk to each person you come in contact with. If they have recently seen something, they will tell you where. Also, as you drive along the highway look for groups of people. This usually indicates that something has been spotted. I often found that even then you cannot see the animals everyone is looking at without a very powerful lense. People sit for hours looking for animals with their cameras. I was fortunate enough to have a lady offer for me to look at her PHONE that was attached to HER CAMERA. I cheated and took a picture of her camera as she videoed a wolf and her cubs playing VERY FAR AWAY. Becky was trying to point to their location up the hill.

DRIVING ON THROUGH

We continued on through the valley but saw mostly bison. We knew we wanted to have time on the Beartooth Highway and did not have time to just sit and look for the animals. Of course we could always count on the bison to be by the road, in the road, along the road etc. As always, even in the rain the landscape through the valley was amazing.

SODA BUTTE

MOOSE ALERT

Travis just about got rear ended as he slammed on his brakes and backed up in the middle of the road. We were amazed that he spotted these moose. We were able to get out of the van and get better pictures. There were two just grazing in the drizzle beside the creek. How many pictures can you take of the same two moose????

STUDLEY MOOSE ALERT

This moose was 5 minutes down the road posing for any and all to see. It was still standing and posing when we drove away.

LEAVING YELLOWSTONE PARK

We left the Northeast entrance of Yellowstone at 10:20 a.m. The signs still said Beartooth highway closed but we kept going since all the reports we had been given said it would be open today at 8:00. As we left Yellowstone, we entered Cooke City. Very quaint little stores along this short stretch of road.

REMEMBER THE POST OFFICE STORY…..WELL…..

Travis found his post office to mail his packages that we were carrying around in the van. Very small little post office but you learn interesting things everywhere you go. This man informed us not to eat at the restaurant next door due to it having been shut down by the health department several times. It pays to ask local people’s opinion!!! Have you ever seen someone so happy to send mail????

ESPRESSO TO GO PLEASE

We stopped in Espresso to get a warm drink to go. We found ourselves talking to two different sets of people that had either lived/traveled through Corinth or had family that attended Ole Miss. It’s a small world. It was a cute little shop.

CLARKS FORK OVERLOOK

Just another gorgeous spot to pullover and enjoy God’s creation (in the rain).

ARE WE THERE YET??

THIS ISN’T BAD……..

As we left Cooke City I remember us discussing that the snow level wasn’t bad. We were also hoping the information we had received was correct and the Highway was open all the way. AND THEN WE GOT TO THE SNOW. We were very blessed to have been able to drive this highway on May 27th.

I found this on the internet as I was writing this Blog Post. “Yellowstone National Park confirms the 22-mile pass running through Wyoming and Montana opened around mid-day Thursday, June 9. It’s the first time the road has been open since May 27 – the official opening day for the highway in Summer 2022.“

As we drove along the road we came to the construction area. Half the road was gone and they appeared to be constructing a bridge. So this was what I later discovered.

Despite the highway being “open,” drivers must be aware of nighttime construction closures that completely stop traffic for twelve hours four days a week. Intense construction projects – including a 420-foot, $27 million bridge – are underway to improve the road’s safety and traffic flow. The construction will also improve the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem by allowing the region’s wildlife to move more easily.

HOW FAR DO WE GO???

Travis was still telling us he was not going all the way to the end of the Beartooth Highway. I’m still not sure at this point we had even arrived at the Beartooth Highway. As we curved around the switchbacks the snow kept getting higher and higher on the sides of the road. I told Travis to turn around whenever he wanted. His response was, “I’ve come this far I am going to the top!!” SO WE DID.

THE WINDBLOWN LOOK IS IN

BEARTOOTH PASS SUMMIT ELEVATION 10,947

We could barely hear each other talking. We asked a lady to take our picture. She needs lesson as well but it was nice of her to try.

SWITCH BACK ALL THE WAY

Pictures can’t begin to show how magnificent the view was. You had to look close at the dark lines that are the road to see where we drove as we went down. We stopped and watched a man “snow-sail” in the wind. Not sure the official name for what the was doing.

SUCH A FRIEND

I wanted to put my hand in the snow as we were driving down the road. Travis got really close but it was not easy to do. My dear friend Becky rolled her window down and slung a handful of icy snow into my face through the open window. She laughed hysterically. It was pretty funny I guess.

SHOSHONE NATIONAL FOREST

Coming back down was just as gorgeous and exciting as when we went up. Since we had to wait on one lane traffic for about 15 minutes in the construction area, Becky and I used it for a photo opportunity. It was 44 degrees at the bottom.

Travis says this mountain is the perfect villain hideaway/lair. Something is going to fly out the top at any moment.

FROM ONE NATIONAL FOREST TO THE NEXT

BEARTOOTH CAFE FOR LUNCH IN COOKE CITY

We arrived back in Cooke City to eat lunch at 2:00. We chose the Beartooth Cafe. It was very uniquely decorated.

WILDLIFE CHECKLIST

Why was I looking all over the park for wildlife? There was one of everything in the store next to Beartooth Cafe.

SILVERGATE MONTANA…. DON’T BLINK

ANIMALS????

People were sitting on the side of the road looking across the brush/scrub. I took several pictures tryin to find out just what we were looking at. Wildlife viewing is apparently not my forte. I could not sit and watch this little fellow for hours.

BLACK BEARS

We got yelled at by a volunteer when we stopped to take these pictures. Oh well, I didn’t get out of the car since I was driving. However, Becky JUMPED OUT!!!!

MAMMOTH VISITOR CENTER

Due to having to be back in west Yellowstone early the day we visited Mammoth, we didn’t get to see the visitor center. We stopped in at 4:30 on our way home today instead. Neat history here.

MORE ANIMALS UP CLOSE!!!

These are the kind of animals we like to view. The drive by kind!!!! All from the convenience of your car. I was driving so I just stopped, took a shot and off I went.

STEAMBOAT GEYSER

As we went back through Norris, We decided to stop back by to see STEAMBOAT Geyser. It was one we missed the day that the Dippin Dots started to fall out of the sky on us.

PROTECTIVE MAMA BISON

SHE ACTUALLY GRUMBLED AS WE WENT BY. PROTECTING HER BABY!!! GLAD WE WERE IN THE CAR.

THEY SIT FOR HOURS WAITING

Not sure what the chain of information is but they knew a bear was close by and they were waiting on it to emerge. Somewhere………..Sometime…….We knew because we asked as we drove by. They were all settled in with their powerful cameras. BUT, since I was driving, we continued on. It was 6:25 p.m.

LAST EXIT FROM THE PARK

Look how our group selfie pictures have improved.

SO TIRED

I was so tired I only took 3 pictures of our last dinner in West Yellowstone and not one picture of the name of the restaurant. I got a pic of the food and that was about it. It was 7:35 when this last picture was taken. We ate and then headed back to the hotel to crash after a long, full day of fun!!!!

Summary of Day 6

My Apple watch says that I walked 3.4 miles, 7,948 steps, and climbed 6 flights of stairs. We left the hotel for Beartooth Highway at 6:00 a.m. and returned to the hotel sometime after 8:00 p.m. This was our last day in Yellowstone National Park. We arrived on May 22nd and left May 28th. We were so fortunate to go when we did. As I write about this last day in the park, I am seeing pictures of the devastation that is occuring as of June 13th 2022. Record flooding, mud/rock slides, etc. Praying for those who live there and those trying to help.