Friday, August 22, 2014

Out West 2014: Yellowstone's Canyon and Yet Another Geyser Basin

We were up early again this morning for a trail ride, which means there were more animals to be spotted:

My brother-in-law finally got to see a bison from a distance that didn't require binoculars. It was ridiculous--that first afternoon that Matt, the kids, and I spent in Yellowstone, we saw loads of bison, even one in the next lane of traffic(!), but as soon as Matt's family came to meet us there, all of a sudden the only bison to be seen were all reeeaaaallly far away, and that was practically the only animal that his brother had really wanted to see!

We saw bison on this day, though. Whew!

After the trail ride, we some driving and hiking along the Canyon:



There is another Young Scientist program specifically for the Canyon, but since this was our last full day, AND the kids were already still finishing up their Junior Ranger stuff and Will was still finishing up her Young Scientist stuff, I skipped it. Don't tell Will, though. She'd freak!

I was able to prove that I'm not a liar on one of these hikes; earlier, Matt's brother had commented on the fact that I mainly wear jeans rolled up to below my knees, and he'd be too hot to wear that. I replied that I'm really quite clumsy, and the less skin that I present to be skinned on hard, vertical surfaces, the better.

I happily, then, showed him my skinned palms after our first Canyon hike, when I decided that it would be awesome if I bounded up the trail's stairs--the roughly-hewn, irregular stairs. I of COURSE tripped and skidded *up* the stairs, banged up my denim-clothed knees, and scraped up my hands. 

I did not fall into the river and die, however. Yay!

The next day, Matt, the kids, and I drove through Yellowstone one last time on our way back to Indiana. Well, we *meant* to just drive through, but there was one more geyser basin that we hadn't yet visited! Can't have that! 



Okay, NOW we can leave.

Oh, fine, might as well stop at Old Faithful and check out one more eruption, and hit the gift shop for presents for the kids' friends back home, but then we're absolutely leaving.

Yeah, we didn't really make great time that day...

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