Yellowstone and Snow

Tuesday 6/17/2014

Cody, WY

The 50 miles to the east entrance of Yellowstone passed Buffalo Bill Dam; went through 3 tunnels and had numerous RV campgrounds and ranches dotting the hillsides.  The mountains displayed an array of colors and designs and I was so happy to hear the kids talking about how God made this beautiful world for us to enjoy.  Entering Yellowstone National Park we encountered snow piled up by the roadside and on the mountain cliffs and then we had a regular snow storm.  Kids were so excited as was I.  We saw Bighorn sheep on a cliff just above our heads and we watched as one pawed the ground to find food.  We stopped to have a close look at a beaver dam and at another location Todd and I walked out into the field near a lake to get a better look at some pelicans and we spotted some buffalo across the lake.  Then we looked at the ground and saw fresh buffalo tracks and buffalo poo giving me the opportunity to explain how the frontiersman tracked wild animals.  Traveling on we saw hundreds of buffalo some far out in the fields and others right beside the road.  We also saw elk and deer and moose along with various water fowl.  We saw lots of places where the earth was opened and sulphur smoke was pouring up in great billows.  We passed lots of locations where geysers were pouring out smoke and the ground was all dead and poisoned, and of course we went to see Old Faithful.  It was cold and raining but we waited the hour and a half and what a disappointment.  We saw lots of steam/smoke and could hear the roar and a little water in the smoke but that was all.  It was so cold and we had gone through all 4 seasons traveling through the park at elevations over 7000 feet.  We got back to Cody at 6:30 and went straight to Granny’s Restaurant for dinner.  We had planned to eat a picnic lunch in the park but the kids and I were dressed in shorts and it was just too cold (45 degrees) to consider a picnic so we were all hungry.