Idaho

We went White Water Rafting on the Snake River.  Always a lot of fun.

Everyone had a blast.

Alex was happy because he didn't have to paddle.

I love to do these rafting trips.

Here is a tase of the action filmed by Diane.

A Gif of us going over the big Kahuna

We clearly had a great time!

After the raft trip, we went into Idaho for our first extended visit.  We went fishing on Palisades Reservoir.  Strangely, we started catching whitefish on lures.

it was a beautiful spot and everyone got into the action.

Here is a nice one Alex caught.

We were on the Idaho side of the Tetons.  Quite the sight.

We were staying in a condo with all of the comforts of home.

Sometimes we must suffer so.  We were able to rest and get ready for our next stop at the Old Faithful Inn with the joys of Yellowstone.

This is upper Mesa Falls in Idaho.

It was very nice.

The Lower Mesa Falls from a viewpoint.

Yellowstone

We first entered Yellowstone at the rarely used Belcher Entrance.  The reason its rarely used is that it doesn't connect with the rest of the park.  It's an in-and-out on the same road.  We its kind of a road.  The last 10+ mikes are on gravel.  That why they have this little sign declaring entry.

Here is a nice little falls.

Diane was very happy to finally be in Yellowstone.

This is Cave Falls. Unfortunately, the cave (more of an alcove) had collapsed a few winters ago and was gone.

Here is a view of Cave Falls from above.

Within the first few miles of entering the park we saw our first buffalo.  We had definitely made it to Yellowstone.

Diane and I at the Fountain Paint Pots.  It was a rainy day.  No nice sunset for us this evening.

But it was our first taste of Yellowstone geothermals.

Early the next morning, Diane and I took a walk in the Upper Geyser Basin.  This is Castle Geyser steaming in the morning chill.

Looking up the Firehole River, the many geothermal features are revealed by steam.

Fun with our shadows

Chromatic Pool

Grotto Getser

Riverside Geyser

Morning Glory Pool (my lens is now wide enough to capture it all).

Grotto Geyser

Old Faithful from afar.

Old Faithful against a stormy sky.

Grand Geyser from afar.  Alas, we wouldn't see it erupt close up this trip.

Lion Geyser

Drainage of Grand Prismatic

Excelsior Geyser

Terracing in the Grand Prismatic drainage

Grand Prismatic boardwalk.

I love the colored steam

Fantastic place

Alex enjoying a swim in Lewis Lake

Yellowstone II

Every morning Diane and I took our walks around the Upper Basin.  This time Castle Geyser erupted for us.

End of an eruption of Riverside Geyser

Storm was coming in.  Made the Geyserite of Grotto Geyser almost glow.

Buffalo everywhere.

Fishing on Lake Yellowstone. We did get rained on.

Impressive Bull Elk.

The Boardwalk at West Thumb Geyser Basin.

At the end of the West Thumb walk we got pounded by a storm.  This is the back edge of the storm shining in the alpine light at sunset.  When we got back to the Old Faithful Inn, the power was out.  Luckily they got it back in a couple hours.

The Next day we headed to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.  This is Gibbons Falls.

Buffalo calves are so cute.

The 4 of us at lookout point.  Lower fall in background

I liked the patch of snow to the left of the lower falls.

I like the way her purples contrast with the bleached rock of the canyon.

View downstream from brink or the Lower Falls viewpoint

Looking in the other other direction you can see a bit of the Upper Falls

View downstream from inspiration point

Diane at Artist Point with Lower Falls behind her.

Other side of the Canyon fro Artists Point

I love these patches of color on the far wall.

Lots of colors along the Canyon.

Looking down at the Upper Falls from Uncle Tom's Trail.

At the brink of the Upper Falls viewpoint we got a rainbow.

The Rainbow was quite spectacular.

Then we headed for Norris Basin

Hiking at Porcelain Basin at Norris.

Porcelain Springs

Whirigig Geyser

Crackling Lake

Steamboat Geyser.  Biggest in the world.  But only erupts rarely.

Red thermophile bacteria growing in the acidic water of Echinus Geyser

Vixen Geyser erupting.

And then it was gone.  Followed by a deep sucking sound.  It was very cool.

Bart and Diane at the Emerald Pool.

The vie from the hike to Artists Paint Pots.

Bubbling hot mud.  I got hit by a chunk.  It was pretty hot.

End of another great day at Yellowstone.  The trip is starting to wind down.

We got to see a Yellowstone moose one evening.  Rare sighting in the Park.  My camera and telephoto lens did a great job getting a nice shot.