Fishing Bridge | Yellowstone National Park

Friday - 20 September 2002: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming - Are we traveling, or what? Today was amazing. I saw my favorite place on the planet!

It was a beautiful, clear morning in Jackson Hole. I took the Doodle Dawg for a two mile walk and His Master took him for a half-mile jog. Poor Snickers is a bit arthritic, so we must be gentle. It is like he is in training, but all we want him is TIRED. We left Jackson and entered Grand Teton National Park. Besides Lisa's face, Grand Teton is the most beautiful site in the world! Just the view of the mountains shooting out of the Earth, with the Snake River winding at the base - breathtaking! We were stopped (by road construction) from taking a photo from my favorite vista, so this little photo will have to do today.

Grand Teton National Park

We spent the morning in the park, around Jenny Lake - but then headed into Yellowstone National Park, where we have reservations for two nights at Fishing Bridge. Fishing Bridge must be the most difficult camping reservations to obtain in the United States. I am sure we were only able to get in because of the late date - the campground closes in five days. It is COLD at night here in September. Fishing Bridge campground is for hard-side campers only - bears cruise through the campground routinely. Goldie (38 feet) is about four-feet too long to camp here. We are backed-into our site, hanging over the edge in the back, and if a motorhome our size drives by - we could lose our passenger-side mirror! 
 
After a quick lunch, we loaded the car with water, cameras, binoculars, maps and dog-stuff and headed-out to see our favorite spots in Yellowstone. This is our fourth visit to the park in 10 years. We had to plan our route to coincide with road closures due to construction. Our first stop was Old Faithful. Old Faithful isn't as Faithful as she once was, but still majestic when she blows. We missed her by 90 minutes and did not wish to linger. Leaving the geyser area, we saw a small herd of Bison (American Buffalo) along the side of road. Traffic was stopped, and we had to stop too. Cameras in hand, we were snapping away, when a huge herd of Bison came across the road - completely surrounding the our little Honda! It was quite exciting, actually. We couldn't move, so we were taking photos and enjoying listening to the snorting. It is mating season and the bulls are fighting and showing-off in amusing (to humans) ways.
 
Our car was surrounded by 2000 lb. animals when Snickers decided they were not cows, deer or horses (the usual gigantic animals he sees at home) and began to howl like only a beagle can howl. For one petrifying moment, I was sure you were all going to read about us in the papers tomorrow: Oregon Couple Killed by Bison Herd in Yellowstone. Surprisingly, Bison must be as stoopid as Beagles, because they completely ignored Snickers and kept eating, flirting, nursing and snorting.  Since I lived to tell the tale, here is photographic proof:

Bison, near Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park (photos taken from our car!)

We continued around the park and it was just amazing the number of animals we saw today! We found about 5 large herds of Bison, easily over 600 animals. The bull Elk are down from the higher parts of the park to mate. We heard one male "bugling" - what a beautiful sound. One little lady headed off into the forest to join him. The world continues to turn. Here are a few more animal photos from our lovely afternoon in Yellowstone.

Beautiful Boy


Quintessential Yellowstone: Bison with Geysers


Bison, with geyser

It was just dark when we arrived back to Goldie at her campsite at Fishing Bridge. Time to light candles and enjoy a lovely Shabbat meal - Chicken Noodle Soup and Challah - both home made. I have planned several meals ahead: frozen and vacuum-sealed and also have about 6 miniature baguettes ready to bake. No TV here, no satellite because of the trees, no cellular service. No web update tonight. It’s just us and our dawg, enjoying a quiet evening "at home". I have been listening to the new John Mayer CD daily. DT finally listened to it tonight. Room for Squares is great!
 
We are not going to remain for our second night here. Roads are closed tomorrow due to widening, it is rainy, it is cold. We are leaving and heading toward Cody and some where we can watch college football.

RV Park: Fishing Bridge