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We spent the night in a Holiday Inn in Pocatello after finding opals in Spencer. It was a great hotel stop. Monday morning we headed for the local Subaru dealer to get a filter cover put back on the car. They were the best. They washed the car, replaced the cover, replaced the moon roof wind deflector (which I had previously cracked when trying to stand up through the moon roof to take a picture) without charging a dime – we did try to pay but they wouldn’t have any part of that. When Leighton left his keys there, they overnighted them to us for free.  Afterwards we traveled on to Kemmerer to find fossil fish.

The weather has not cooperated as it has been cold and wet. Perry got to Kemmerer before us and hunted at another site. He about froze to death. None of us wanted to return to that site. Perry found out after that he could only take 10 pieces of his find.  Today it rained in the morning and was just cold and windy this afternoon. Thanks to the wonderful response and assistance from Patrick at American Fossil we decided to brave it in the afternoon. Leighton and Perry braved the weather and worked the wall. I was treated like the Queen Mother. Patrick opened the doors of their container office, turned on the heat to keep me warm, and delivered slabs to me to hunt through. Not only did he keep me warm we shared great conversation. Patrick is a biologist, an educator and a truly kind beautiful person. We were ecstatic with our fish finds. This is the only site where you can keep what you find up to 100,000 dollars. Leighton and Perry were both happy with their catch. My first find was fish poop. I will show it to you when I get home. It is my treasure now. Leighton found many fish including a big fish and piece of wood which is rare to find. Patrick picked us up at the top of the hill because the roads were a bit muddy. Toward the end of the day he took me to get the car. It was a blast. I had no idea how much fun it could be to drive on mud. The car is a mess but I had a great time. Thanks to Patrick we had a fantastic day despite the weather and wind.

We had no pictures from the Subaru dealer and the rest of the day was just driving so these are from the 13th.

The first stop this morning was at the Fossil Butte Nation Monument visitor center to see what sort of things we could find.  Needless to say our expectations were high after seeing the marvelous specimens at the center.

From outside the visitor center we could see fossil butte.

We took the 5.5 mile loop around the site and were pleased to see several blooming flowers like this blue one.  As you can see on the pedals, it was raining.

Not much wildlife around that rainy morning but this fellow graced us with his presence.

Pink flowers.

Purple flowers.

As we proceeded higher, it was no longer just rain, ice and snow were present.

By early afternoon the rain had stopped but the wind was still going strong so we bundled up and went to American Fossils to hunt for fish in the rock face shown below.

Patrick and Donna had a grand time swapping histories and stories while sort of hunting through the rock slabs that were brought to Donna.  I believe if Patrick needed some parents we would be working through the adoption by now.

The new friends.

Patrick was a huge help to all of us.  Here he is packing one of the fish fossils in preparation for the trip home.

Patrick was not alone in the help we received. Terry showed us how to split the rock, save specimens we were about to destroy, bring rock to the office for Donna to “work” through, and saw specimens into manageable sizes.  I think he is a real expert in his field with 11 years experience.

Below is from left to right, Terry, Donna, Patrick, and Perry.  I of course was manning the camera.

Since there wasn’t much wildlife at the dig site we did see some cows on the way out and decided we needed this calf to include in the days blog.

Finally the view from the dig site was just beautiful, so enjoy.

Last night we stayed in Butte, MT. We could see Our Lady of the Hills from our hotel and the site of one of the worse mining disasters in US history. This morning we had a beautiful drive to Spencer Idaho to hunt for opal. Leighton and Perry worked the rock pile all day looking for opal. I hunted a short while and then found my opal in their store. We drove on to Pocatello and on the way the green hills turned into strange dark rock. We stopped and found out it was a lava field. There was a hiking area through the field that was wonderful. Apparently Idaho and Hawaii both share Pahoehoe which is lava field stone. Tomorrow we will meet Perry in Kemmerer to hunt for fossil fish. Looking forward to finding fossils tomorrow.

This is where Donna hunted (shopped) for opals and she found some real treasures.  However I didn’t find enough to cover what she “found” but we did have fun.

Perry and I had to work the rock pile looking through many, many rocks to find our measly few that showed any fire.

Driving down I15 we kept seeing what looked like broken up asphalt.  Finally we saw a sign that said Geological Information ahead so we pulled in and discovered Devils Half Acre, an ancient lava flow site.  There was a nice trail through it with information markers along the way explaining what you were seeing and how the area evolved into what it now is.

During the first stage of decomposition of the rock, lichens (part fungus, part algae) produce water and salts that break the rock into particles.  Over generations of time other plant life takes hold and grows.

TRHis is an example of what we were seeing along the Interstate.

Exposed lava that is just getting started breaking down.

A twisted tree growing out of a crevice.

We saw this black semi hard moss like material growing on some of the rocks.  At this point we don’t know what it is but if anyone following this blog knows, please let us know.

A mixed view of some of the lava that has been covered with soil and some only weathered.

An informational sign at the entrance to the Devils Half Acre providing some info on how this area was formed and is being changed into the surrounding landscape.

Yesterday we came to Butte via the Beartooth highway. I drove up and Leighton drove down. It had a few scary moments but was beautiful. This morning we traveled on to Philipsburg for Montana Sapphires with Perry. We found 177 carats of variously colored sapphires. Leighton made Gem Mountain’s hall of fame for 2 of his finds. His picture should be up on their website in a few days. Later we drove up to the ghost town of Granite. It was a dirt road. When we reached the town it started to sleet and snow. The boys were having a blast but the weather made me nervous so we left. It would be fun to explore on a warm dry day. Good times had by all.

As we were leaving Yellowstone, we went through the Lamar Valley for the last time.  We stopped and took a picture of the clouds and hills with a nice cloud reflection.

We also ran across a golden eagle sitting on a rock searching for something to eat.

We watched for awhile an then he took to flight over the hill.

Once we got onto the Beartooth highway we started seeing some beautiful scenery.

There was also some frozen lakes and lots of snow still on the ground.

There were some pretty significant snow banks along the road and fortunately the signs were somewhat exposed.

The signs were important since the speed limit for this road was 70 mph, but as you can see from the screen shot of our navigation system the road is very curvy.  One must be insane to go at the speed limit.  Not sure what the state of Montana was thing when they established this limit.

Interestingly enough, when we got to the highest point the snow was much less and there were no trees.  We stopped at a pull out and parked behind a car with Tennessee tags.  It was a family from Knoxville – small world.

Once down the mountain and heading toward Philipsburg, we passed a lake.  Donna said “is that an eagle” which resulted in a rapid stop and a quick shot.

It quickly flew off and we proceeded on only to stop a few moments later because of these two eagles.

One flew off but the other stayed letting me approach to about 30 feet.  Quite exciting for me.

Here is a close-up of the head.

After we both had had plenty of time together, the eagle flew away.

Again we proceeded down the road and were thrilled to see several juvenile eagles.  One of them was just taking off and had something in it’s talon.

We finally got to the sapphire mine site.  We had a good day screening the ore concentrate and found some nice stones.

Tired from sapphire collecting we went into Philipsburg.  Here is a view of the main street (just about the only street).

The theater building.

There was an interesting sculpture there.  The story is a fellow named Jones along with three other miners were attacked by a band of Nez Perce Indians.  The other three miners were killed but Jones escaped.  Although wounded, he managed to struggle 25 miles cross country back to Philipsburg to alert the town of the Indian danger.  From that day on he was known as Nez Perce Jones.

After visiting a mining museum we went up a mountain (another dirt road) to see the ghost town of Granite WY.  Not much was there but below is view of the main street.

The building was in bad repair and I was surprised to find “stuff” still inside.  I guess the ghosts still like mattresses.

In it’s heyday Granite did have a bank, and it still stands.

While we were there it started snowing and was sticking to the trees and cars so we decided it would be best to head back to the hotel and call it a day.

 

 

 

 

What a wonderful week, it was so special and busy we really didn’t have time to post. So many beautiful moments with loved ones.  The highlights were many. I loved seeing Leighton and Kate sharing picture taking moments, Nate driving us around, waking up to fresh coffee every morning made by Chris who got up and made it before anyone was up and Cody’s wild ride. You have to ask Cody about driving Miss Daisy at high elevations with many curves and drop offs. Leighton enjoyed having Kate with him, his running buddy Chris to hike with and Nate’s adventurous nature. He especially loved having buddies willing to rise before dawn. We will always cherish this wonderful fabulous beautiful week in Yellowstone. The only problem we had is that it ended to fast.

Rosie the black bear.

Rosie is a mama bear with two cubs.

Rosie’s cubs.

The three bears.

Rosie checking on her cubs.

From big to small, we saw it all including this chipmunk that was out on a limb.

And Baby bison.

Rugged landscapes were common and quite dramatic.

The lower falls of the Yellowstone river.

Steam vents along the river remind you this is a volcano waiting to erupt.

The water flow over the upper falls was incredible.

The mist from the falls made for an image you may have seen in the movie The Mist.

An osprey was found sitting on her nest.  While we were there she didn’t fly so we don’t know what was in the nest.

Interesting rock formations at the Sheepeater Cliff.  The cliff was named for the Shoshone Indians who lived in the area.  Their use of bighorn sheep earned them the name “Tukadika” or “Sheepeaters”.

A friendly yellow bellied marmot was at the bottom of the cliff desperately seeking a handout from the picnickers.

Nate took the challenge and went to the top of the cliff showing he would make a good bighorn sheep in a different life.

We took a back road and were pleased to discover these two pronghorn kids.  These photos are not the best because of the great distance we were from them.

The young ones were full of energy and we were totally surprised when they appeared to start racing.  Their speed was amazing for being so young.  The adults can run about 60 mph and although they weren’t at that level they were still very quick.

The race continues.

And the winner is?

Morning sky over Gardiner, MT.

Sunlight hitting the mountains.

A large elk taking a morning break.

Uinta ground squirrel standing guard.

Grizzly bear on the move.  He wanted to cross the road but there were to many cars and he continued back to the hill.

As the bear jam dissipated, the bear made a run for it and made it across the road.

On the return trip down the road we saw the same bear with what appeared to be some sort of kill.  We don’t know if he killed it or found it but it looks like he is saying grace before he begins.

On a short hike we ran across a coyote hunting but when we appeared he decided he would check out some other area.

During the hike we also saw a bison practicing his break dancing routine – it was quite humorous.

While looking for a fox den we were told was in the area, we saw a northern flicker peeking from his hole.

During the time at the Tetons and Yellowstone, I tried to get a decent picture of a magpie.  It became quite a joke, as everyone would tell me there was a magpie but by the time I got my camera on it it flew away.  It was finally decided they would just tell me to get out of the car so I didn’t know and couldn’t scare it off.  There was a dead rabbit in the road and a magpie was having a taste so they stopped, I got out and sure enough as soon as I got my camera on it, it flew because another car came along.  Since there was road kill there, we decided it would shortly return so we waited.  Finally I got my picture along with a rabbit.

Since I know everyone has always wanted to know what a pronghorn’s tongue looks like, you should enjoy the photo below.

At one of the thermal pools we decided we needed a group photo.  Since no ones arms were long enough and no selfie stick was available we had to make do with what we had.  Can you identify each of us?

During our trip we saw numerous bison and many around water but none in the water.  We saw a fisherman on one side of the river and the bison on the other looking longingly at the other side.  Finally he started crossing.  The fisherman decided the bison was getting to close so he moved away letting the bison pass.

One of the nice things about visiting Yellowstone in the spring is the presence of all the babies.  Below are a couple of young elk.

After a hard days scrounging for food, a nap helps.

Most everyone likes bear claw pastries, but these bear claws are even worse for your health.

Besides black bears we also saw a mom and baby grizzly.

Although moose were somewhat scarce, we did see some.  The one below was caught having some breakfast.

As the moose jam increased, the moose moved off and tried to hide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry we haven’t posted, we are just having to much fun and trying to get to bed earlier. We have be out and about by 5am most mornings. Sunday we went on a photography tour with MacNeil Lyons. It was wonderful. MacNeil was a former Park Ranger and had great stories and places to go. Today our tour guide was Nate. I have to say the tour was just as good. He wore us out, brought us home and then went running. Loads of energy.  I must say Leighton and I are loving being chauffeured around. It is beyond fabulous having everyone here. Leighton, Kate Chris and Cody did about 10 miles today and I managed a solid eight. Hope you enjoy the pics!

After a tough morning of grazing this bison needed to relax for a while.

Mule deer wondering what we were looking at.

The three bears.

Chipmunk having a snack in the sagebrush.

Lady coyote relieving herself and saying don’t look at me.

Fox slinking through the sagebrush looking for something to eat.

Some bighorns taking a break.

Our first sighting of a western tanager.

Mother moose providing nourishment for her calf while she continues to eat.

After eating, the calf was full of energy and had a grand time running back and forth.

We arrived home and found an elk in the yard that was drinking from a leaking sprinkler.  He was funny drinking and pawing the water.  He then went to the river for more.

Below is an example of the bacterial growth in and around thermal pools and geysers.  The bacteria is what provides the interesting colors.

One of the numerous and colorful thermal pools.

And on the other end of the color scale were the red/orange pools.

Wow, what a busy great two days. Thursday was our last day in the Tetons and we picked Kate up in Yellowstone at the Old Faithful Inn and returned to Moose.  Friday after breakfast in Jackson Hole, we traveled to our house in Gardiner. It is a beautiful house and sits next to the Yellowstone River. The river is very full and swift and we just watched two loaded rafts of happy people float by.  Today we were up at 4am for our wolf tour.  Our tour guide, Evan, was a great story teller and quite good at spotting animals of all sorts including wolves, but these were at a great distance.    Here are pictures from the last two days. Enjoy, we sure did.

Clouds around the peak of Grand Teton.

Departure view of the Tetons.

Traveling through the Old Faithful area we took some pictures of geysers and hot springs.  The one below is called Dragons Mouth Spring.

The Black Pool has a beautiful blue color.

The colors are from various bacteria.  Bacteria thrive at different temperatures so the colors are dependent on the type of bacteria and the temperature of the hot spring as well as the temperature gradient in the pool.

Next morning we met the wolf guide at 5 am and started down the road.  First thing we ran into were three bears being watched by a coyote.  The bears weren’t concerned with the coyote as there was a large male bear further down the hill.

The concern with the male bear is that he would kill the cubs, so mama bear was very leary.

Next we moved on to the owls.  The following shows a parent and child.

We also ran across a female harlequin duck standing in the river.

She did go into the turbulent water in search of food.

We did find the male sunning himself.

At one of the stops Nate saw some bighorn sheep ewes and lambs. The lamb was having breakfast.

Another lamb stood nearby appearing to want some milk too.

A baby bear was spotted near the road.

With mama bear close by.

We did see wolves but at such a distance photos weren’t possible but we did get a shot of the fox running through the sagebrush.

 

 

Once again up with the sun and on the road for pictures. I was half asleep and Leighton was so ready to go. We had just emptied a pickle jar the night before so I rinsed it out and put my precious coffee in it. Today I bought a thermos. Pickle coffee isn’t very good. Even with wickedly bad coffee the morning was a delight. We then traveled to Old Faithful to pick up Kate. We took a lot of off the beaten path roads where Leighton was able to get a bear and a fox. After meeting up with Kate we headed to Jackson Lodge for a great dinner. Leighton and Kate both got fantastic photos of a bear and a moose on the way home. I think Kate is as astonished as we are. Tomorrow morning we head north for more adventures.

Morning view from the Tetons house.

Common Goldeneye chicks learning to swim.

Beaver getting his morning swim in.

Common Goldeneye teaching her chicks how to fly.

First bear of the day having breakfast.

Once finished he took a short nap.

Driving through a no stopping zone we were fortunate enough for a Louisiana car to stop so we took advantage and got a couple of shots of this fox.  She has a den in the area. 

The second bear of the day was along the road munching some grass.

Lady moose eyeing some tasty leaves.

THis is what the whole moose looks like.

A tree swallow at her nest.

Beaver searching through the muck looking for food.

It is going to be very hard to say goodbye to the Craighead cabin. There are so many beautiful places in this area. I know we will have to return. Today we visited Olaus and Marty Murie’s ranch. Dan was there to tell us the story of Olaus and Marty. He was an impressive storyteller. If you have a chance, stop by this beautiful place and learn what the Murie’s did for all of us and wilderness conservation. In the evening we rafted down the Snake river. We were lucky enough to see a moose with two babies and a couple of beavers. We ended our days adventures watching the sunset and baby ducks at Schwabacher Road’s scenic area. Tomorrow we pick up Kate at the Old Faithful Inn. So glad she will get to see the Tetons. Friday Cody, Chris and Nate join us for a week in Yellowstone. It will be wonderful to make special memories with loved ones. Wish Michael was here too.

Coyote in the front yard hunting.

Then he came closer, hiding in the sage brush.  He was there until he was bothered by the sound of the camera clicking.

Donna and Docent Dan checking out the mountains.

Me trying on my new horns or antlers whichever you want to call them.

The start of our float trip.

Mountain view from the river.

Some of the obstacles our pilot had to maneuver around.  Arvin did a good job of piloting.  We did see another boat that was stranded on a gravel bar.  Hopefully they were rescued before nightfall.

We passed a moose family but I only got a good shot of one of the young ones.

We also went past a couple of beaver.

Flowers were plentiful along the way.

After the float trip, we stopped at a series of small beaver ponds and took the following of the mountains and trees.  We’ll go back in the morning when the light is better and see what wildlife we see.

Busy day and we are tired. We think we will let the pictures tell the story.

We started off with an early morning visitor outside the cabin.

Then the entire herd showed up for breakfast.

They even brought the kid.

During our travels we looked at the mountains and saw several snow melt waterfalls.

We did come across a moose and got some good close-up photos of her.

We also found out where moose drool beer originates from, can’t wait to try some.

We saw this tree with colorful cones so we decided to share.

There was a pond we stopped at with a duck we hadn’t seen before.  We spent some time trying to figure out what it was and decided it is a cinnamon teal.

We took what some may call a road and others may call a rock strewn path and were rewarded with the sight of a least chipmunk.

Back at the pond with the teal a moose was spotted lying in the grass chewing her cud.

Heading home on the Moose_Wilson road were were treated to the sight of a couple bull elk checking for vacation stalkers.

Since it was the first one that thought they were being stalked and the second one didn’t he gave the first the razberry.

Looking into the trees we saw what we believe a lesser goldfinch.

Finally we came across what appears to be a young grizzly bear.  No adults appeared to be in the area.

Today Leighton woke me up at O’dark thirty. He wanted to be on the shores of Jenny Lake before sunrise. We encounter a herd of elk crossing the road but we made it. Did I mention that was where we saw the grizzly yesterday. We had a short hike to the animal trail we took down to the lake. It was cold and with Leighton being a quiet man I had to make my own noises to keep bears away. At least we were both armed with bear spray. We ventured down another dirt road and finally got a ruffed grouse, cousin to the prairie chicken. Leighton is outside the cabin as I type trying to decide if he should take pictures of the bison herd with babies or the coyote hunting ground squirrels. I didn’t even mention our 5 mile geyser hike today. If Leighton comes in you might get pictures (I came in but was to tired to mess with the pictures).

Lake Jenny early morning.

Lake Jackson reflections.

Ruffed grouse – maybe.

Old Faithful.

Another geyser, another eruption.

Alien landscape.

Grotto geyser.

Giant geyser.

Layers within.

Solitary geyser.

Caught by surprise.

Grazing buck.

Still frozen lake.

Pretty canyon.

Look who came for dinner – just outside the house we are staying in.

Coyote hunting near the front yard.