After batting the idea around for weeks, we final bit the bullet and decided to make a Labor Day weekend trip up to Yellowstone. It was a fun way to celebrate Quinn's birthday and spend some time together before the craziness of school and soccer took over our lives.
We stayed in West Yellowstone and though it was very expensive, it was well worth it for the convenience of being right by the gate. On our first day we got up super early and were into the park before 8 am. We saw a coyote, froze in early morning fall temps under 30 degrees, and pretty much had the park and all it's foggy glory to ourselves.
On day one we headed into the Lamar Valley - an area neither Ross nor I had every really visited and we drove all the way to Cooke City, Montana and the east entrance of the park. We saw thousands of bison, some so close we could touch them. And also a lot of antelope.
We had desperately hoped to see bear or wolves in the park. It seems like everyone we know who has visited Yellowstone this year has seen bears but alas, we were not so lucky. No bears. We saw a spot where a bear had been, but we missed it. We did though see a juvenile bald eagle in the Hayden Valley along a river bank and that was pretty cool. I think though that even though moose is my spirit animal, my back-up may become a bison.
We did see some bears and wolves at the grizzly discovery center in West Yellowstone. It's always pretty interesting to watch the animals AND we heard the wolves howling and being nervous while they were switching enclosures. That was fascinating.
And, on the way home, just outside of Rexburg, Idaho in a dried out river bed, we sped by a baby moose. I promise.
