Travel Buddies and Changes

This has been a summer full of changes. Most of the summer our internet speed has been so slow we could not upload pictures.  I'm going to use this as an intro to a number of posts.

June 14-20

Part I:  Travel Buddies

June 14th
After hours of flying and driving...Shannon, Dee and Carole arrived at Coulter Bay Village near Jackson.  They had a cabin and we had a campsite.  After an evening meal we thought to look at Coulter Bay and the mountains.

We decided to go for a walk.  Along the way Carole was joking about seeing a bear and being the first to run leaving us to be the meal.  Then she said, “Look, a bear!"  It took a minute to realize she meant it.  It was a bear.  It was the first time in all our years of traveling to this area to see a  bear from a walking trail.

June 15
Today was the Tetons.  We went across Jenny Lake and up to Inspiration Point.  It is a short but strenous hike and really challenged us for the first day. 

June 15 evening
We arrived at Old Faithful where we had three cabins reserved.  I went and found our friend Rocco where he was working in the Inn on the night shift.  I arranged for him to meet with us the next morning at the Lower Ham Store.

June 16th
Rocco met us at the Ham Store after an early morning eruption of Beehive that Carole and I saw.  We decided since the weather was not raining at the moment we should head to 100 Springs Plain.

This is a mineral found in a few areas of Yellowstone.  Its called Realgar.

 This is Sulfur Pool.  

This is Cinder Pool.

       Sulfur Pool and Cinder Pool are unique in the world.  A backcountry hike with a guide (thanks to Rocco)  is the only way to see these fragile and unique features.  Unfortunately we could not stay and have lunch.  Instead we had a race with the cold windy sleet/rain.  We lost.  We got totally soaked regardless of our layers.   Shoes were muddy and rain drenched by the time we reached the car!
      We went back to the campground while Rocco went with the ladies to Old Faithful.  We had supper in the Inn.

June 17
  We started the day waiting for Daisy Geyser.  It was a long wait for it.  The weather proved a challenge the entire time we were at Yellowstone.

A walk to Morning Glory Pool finished the morning. 

June 18-19.
This is kinda all messed up in my head.  We went to the cliff above Grand Prismatic Pool, then to Lake Hotel for Lunch, then on to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  We walked to Artist Paint Pots on that same day. 

We got word that my sister-in-law Kathy died on June 18th.  What a huge change for my brother and his family.  Prayers flew to PA but we decided to stay here with my friends.

We did manage to see Grand in the freezing cold along with Fountain.

June 20.
We went to Mammoth and on to Chico Hot Springs where my friends treated me to a truly lovely meal.

June 21
They flew back to PA and we went on to other adventures.