Are We There Yet? (West Yellowstone, Montana Post)

Today wasn't the most interesting day.  We did a bit of driving this morning, and explored the town of West Yellowstone.   Well, I guess the morning was boring to be more precise.  The afternoon was really fun, as we stopped in the Yellowstone Historic Center Museum.  Plenty of Yellowstone history to regale you with!   

These next pictures I took after I finished posting last night.  

Today, we stopped to let Timber run in a large, grassy turnout along a river.  

Dad's favorite mutant dandelion. (It's really big)

What is this?

All Timber knows how to do is leap...

And smile!

Timber is as happy as can be!

This may not be the official sign for the entrance to the park, but it was the first.   

Yay! 

Dad, you better watch out or Old Snaggletooth is going to attack you!

Old Snaggletooth was a bear at Yellowstone, characterized by his right canine tooth which was crooked, and hung out of his mouth.  This was back when people fed the bears.  Snaggletooth was shot by poachers who were later apprehended, but the shots proved fatal.  Snaggletooth currently resides in the Yellowstone Historical Museum where he greets visitors and shares his story.

Another interesting thing I learned about was the August 17, 1959 earthquake in Yellowstone.  This earthquake was originally recorded as a 7.3 magnitude earthquake, but new evidence shows it was actually more like a 7.5-7.6 magnitude.  Either way, it is the largest earthquake recorded for this region of the Rocky Mountains.  It has also been called the Hebgen Lake disaster.  It created Quake Lake, and tested the strength of the Hebgen dam.  A large landslide created the lake and buried 19 people in less than a minute.  A total of 28 casualties was recorded, most from the landslide.  Apparently, these earthquakes keep the geysers of Yellowstone functioning properly by releasing pressure.  This area is earthquake prone due to its location on an active hotspot.  

Tomorrow, we will enter Yellowstone, so look for the history of our nation's first national park, and pictures.   

Home on the (Bison) Range (Missoula, Montana Post)

As we were driving through, we stopped at the National Bison Range.  We were advised to visit by a couple on the shuttle in Glacier National Park.  This settled the Bison/Buffalo debate between Karen and me.  (I was right, despite what she says.) We have bison in this country, where as a buffalo refers to the Cape Buffalo of Africa, or the Water Buffalo from Asia.  However, the terms "bison" and "buffalo" have been used interchangeably in the United States to refer to the bison.  It can also be noted that the only other bison exists in small numbers in European reserves and is called the wisent.  

The newest exhibit at the bison range, a pet on a leash.  Strange... it looks a bit like Timber...

The rusty brown colored bison in the center is a calf.  Bison calves are a rusty brown for the first two months.  

The bison calves and the mothers (cows)

Other creatures inhabit the bison range such as birds, deer, and Timber's personal favorite, the Pronghorn Antelope.  

The valley was the former home of a giant glacial lake, and quite a bit of the bison range would have been underwater.

The view from the highest point of the bison range.  

Dad is "King of the Bison Range".

Timber spies, with her little doggie eyes: a bison!

A fawn in the flowers...

...The mother is nearby, watching...

We are spending the rest of the day driving, and have just stopped to let Timber stretch her legs.

The Lakes are Calling! (Polson, Montana Post)

This morning, we left the area of Glacier National Park, and headed back to the main highway.  We were all sad to leave, but we knew it was time to move on...sorta...  

It was a beautiful, calm, clear day on the road toward Browning.  

The trains (this one is a double decker) seem to go on forever! 

We drove down Marias Pass, which marks the continental divide.  We also visited a spot on the goat's trails in the spring, and saw a mountain goat and her baby walking along a ridge.  The spot is home o a natural salt lick for the goats.   Driving past the entrance for West Glacier and the western side of the park, we decided that Glacier was "calling us back", so we turned around and headed into the park.  We packed a picnic lunch of sorts and enjoyed the serene beauty of Lake McDonald.  It was quite pleasant, except for the flies.  There were so many of them flying around and landing everywhere.

My view while eating lunch!

The water was a pretty blue and was very clear.  

Is the water cold yet, Karen?

One of my favorite pictures for the day.  

Giant Cedar tree near the Lake McDonald lodge.  

Fire Master Rick near the fireplace in the lodge.  

The amazing ceiling and lights in the lodge.   

After visiting the lodge, we reluctantly said good-bye to Glacier and to make our way to the Bison Range to settle "The Great Buffalo/Bison Dispute."

Earlier, the Pressure Pro tire pressure monitor warned us of low tire pressure.  (Thanks, Gerry and Margie; it has saved us twice!)  We stopped at the Les Schwab Tire Center, to fix the issue - a screw in our tire.

Harvey thanks the Les Schwab Tire Center, and Gerry and Margie! 

As we were driving, we passed the gargantuan Flathead Lake.  It is about 36 miles in length.  Beautiful mountains form a stunning backdrop.

Can you spot the mushroom?

After our detour to the tire center, we realized that we would be arriving at the campground much to late to cook dinner.  We stopped at Richwine's Burgerville.  It only was a drive-thru window, and Harvey couldn't fit, so I knocked something off my bucket list...walk through the drive-thru window.

We ate cheeseburgers, fries, and onion rings with huckleberry shakes to drink.  Yum!