Friday, June 19, 2020

Monday - Scenic Route to Yellowstone

We left Rexburg about 9:00 and headed north to West Yellowstone. Instead of going right into the park, we headed north on Rt 191 through Big Sky up to Bozeman, then a bit east on the interstate to Livingston, then south to Gardiner.  That route from West Yellowstone to Gardiner is beautiful! Sure, it’s the long way around to the park, but we love it!

Lunch break at Montana State parking lot behind athletic center.

After the obligatory photo op at the Roosevelt Arch in Gardiner, we drove up the hill to Mammoth Hot Springs, arriving a bit after 3:00. We were lucky that they honored our request to have cabin #C51, the same on we had for pour anniversary party last year!

The weather had been good all day but seemed to be deteriorating. So, after checking in, we took right off into the park to accomplish our mission, which was to find the new Grand Prismatic Spring overlook on the Fairy Springs trail. We found it! It was about a two mile round trip hike on a gravel trail which afforded a spectacular view of the Spring.

On the way back, we detoured on the Firehole Lake Drive and got there just in time to see Great Fountain Geyser go off! Lots of boiling water blasting skyward!

Back on the main road, in the open area near the Mary Mountain Trail, we had to most exciting wildlife sighting of the day – a giant grizzly bear foraging for stuff in the ground, not 100 yards away! Spectacular! He was huge! (see video below)

By the time we got back to our cabin it was well after 8:00 so for our dinner we just grabbed a sandwich at the Mammoth Grill.















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