Our first day in Yellowstone. Glacier brought out our adventurous side, letting us escape the crowds and find solitude on long, challenging, rewarding hikes. We quickly realize that Yellowstone is a very different experience.
We get to the park early and head to Old Faithful. We get there and see the last minute or two of the geyser. We decide to hang around for 91 minutes to see the next eruption. We walk the boardwalk though a large geyser field around Old Faithful, and are glad we did. It's fascinating. We realize that we're just going to put on our black socks and sandals and join the ranks of the common tourist. Accepting our tourista fate, we finish our walk and take our seat to see the full Faithful show.
There is a single, huge bison sitting about 20 yards in front of the geyser, enjoying his breakfast and the warm morning sun. We sit so he will be in our pictures. When the spout starts, the mist makes a bright horizontal rainbow, and all three elements make it into picture of the day.
About being a tourist. We generally think we're above it, opting for less traveled, more exotic routes. The National Park Service has done a great job at making the features of Yellowstone easily accessible to all, and all come. It's the most popular national park for good reason. The thermal features are really a wonder, and we realize that we're happy that we have joined the ranks of the century of people who have come to partake. I know that millions of people have photographed the features I was clicking, and yet I couldn't take enough shots.
Of course, the other most popular feature of the park is the animal interaction. We see herds of bison and elk, and even a Grizzly. The bison and elk are as close as the shoulder of the road and practically pose for pictures. The bear was (thankfully) on the other side of a stream and was unfazed at the dozens of people on the opposite bank. At one point we pull into a parking lot next to the marina, and the lot is inhabited by about two dozen bison. Near a dumpster, a calf is nursing on his mother. Having fully committed to our tourist status, we do the obvious- selfie!
We stop at the continental divide and check out the little lake right on the peak that drains both east and west. The park is enormous, with the main loop being 142 miles around and only one road that bisects the middle. It's just not a place you can rush through and we stay later than we expected. On our way out, we see a few of the wildfires that are plaguing the area. They are close, so close that you can see the fire and the dense smoke fills the valley like heavy fog.
Back in Big Sky, we decide on Buck's T-4 for dinner, just up the road from our lodge. We start with the pork belly app, which is what would happen if a pound of bacon mated with a stick of butter. I get the Red Deer, medium rare of course, and Mandy orders the Wagyu flat iron salad. There is apparantly something about seeing all these majestic creatures that makes us want to eat them all. I've had venison many different ways, and not only is this cooked to perfection, but its served over some of the finest risotto you will ever find. We're foodies and it's a delight to find such well done dishes night after night.
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