Mother's Day in Yellowstone National Park

©2015 Ken W. Hall

Yesterday I went with Ken to Yellowstone.  It was a breezy day in the forties.  We waited more than thirty minutes in line just to get in the gate.

Once inside it was smooth sailing except for times when traffic stopped to view wildlife.  We saw elk, buffalo, ducks, eagles, osprey.

We visited the artists paint pots which was a fun walk and gave Ken lots of new material for his abstract photography.  I am looking forward to seeing what he does with them.

In the meantime the buffalo photo above will have to do.

We woke to twenty-two degrees this morning.  It is cloudy and expected to rain but the high was in the high fifties maybe low sixties.  Temperatures are still below normal for this time of year.

Firehole

©2014 Ken W. Hall

©2014 Ken W. Hall

©2014 Ken W. Hall

Few are aware that the headwaters of the fabled Madison River, the river on which we live, is the conjunction of the Gibbon River and the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park.

Recently I, along with two special friends named Ricard Lessner and Chuck Feldman, journeyed to the Firehole in search of elusive trout. The Firehole is fed by numerous geyser runoffs of steaming mineral laden waters. In the summer it is amazing while in the winter it is other worldly.

The three "buds" each caught trout but my catch of the day was when I opted fly rod for camera and waded through a Millers caddis hatch to the far side of the river. When the ford was complete I was greeted by a small bird. The welcome party for my arrival included the small feathered friend putting on quite a display on a fallen tree reaching out into the Firehole. My catch of the day was when the bird focused on a single Millers caddis and let instincts fly…and it appears in the image that the caddis flew as well and lived another day.

And so is Life in Yellowstone and the Firehole River. Magic and mystique reign supreme in these hallowed waters so graciously gifted by Creator.

                                                                               - Ken W. Hall

Our weather is getting hotter.  It was 57 degrees this morning and will reach the mid to high eighties this afternoon.  What makes it warmer for us is that most of our buildings do not have air conditioning since we only require it two or three months out of the year.  I do love the warmer weather and am enjoying every moment.

Yellowstone Babies

© 2013 Ken W. Hall 

Ken sent me this image to post.  He went to Yellowstone National Park while I was out of town for some business training last week.  Here is what his note said.

"I shot it in the Park Sunday. The little ones are like a young frisky cat. Standing still and in the next breath running like the wind chasing "nothings"."

It was raining when I left town and Ken said it was overcast and rainy most of the week.  The same has continued since I returned.  Temperatures are a bit below normal but we are all grateful for the moisture.

Temperatures range in the forties at sunrise to the fifties, sixties and seventies during the day.

Buffalo Smoke

© 2009 Ken W. Hall                  Buffalo Smoke, Yellowstone National Park

I took my own image today to share with you documenting the ever present smoke that lingers in the air.  As I attempted to download it from my camera my card reader took its last breath.  I leave in the morning for Arkansas to visit my family so there is no time to get it fixed.

So, I began to look for one of the images I have from Ken.  This one is an old one worth sharing again.  The photo was taken in Yellowstone National Park.  A geiser is responsible for the smoke you see in the picture.

Ken was fishing in the park last week and said they did not see many animals.  That is unusual for this time of year but temperatures are above normal.

The smoke from the fires still hangs around.  There are times when it is so thick we cannot see the mountains.  Temperatures are in the thirties and forties in the mornings and eighties in the afternoons.  There is still no sign of rain.

I will be out of town for two weeks.  If time permits I will get a report from Ken and post it here.  If you do not hear from me just know I will be back with another post  after October 2nd.

A Visit To Yellowstone National Park

Photo by Ken W. Hal, title "Hebgen Jewels"

Photo by Ken W. Hall

Photo by Ken W. Hall

Photo by Ken W. Hall

Saturday we headed into Yellowstone National Park before it closed for the season on Monday.  It was amazing.  We were the only car at the entrance.  The few visitors we saw were out enjoying the park on foot.

There was a guy parked by the Madison Ricer sitting in his lawn chair reading a book.  There were kids playing with their dogs.  Fishermen were everywhere taking advantage of the sixty degree weather and soft gentle breezes.

The crows were missing the plentiful treats provided by the summer visitors.  The guy in the photo above was moving from widow to window looking for something to eat.  Still seeking attention and food when we returned to our car we shared a few seeds from our trail mix.

We were blessed to be one of the first visitors to enjoy the newly completed viewing station for Gibbons Falls.  It is breathtaking.  The sound of rushing water over the rocks is so powerful.

A Day Trip to the Park

We took time out of our busy schedule to venture into Yellowstone Park recently.  It was a most spectacular day.  We took our time and explored areas on foot that in the past we had driven past in a rush to see as much as possible in one day.

We walked in the forest, along the rivers and streams and peered closely at the amazing vents that emit steam from inside the earth.

As we stood in the midst of these vast miracles of nature I was reminded of just how small my part is in this incredible universe.

A Day In Paradise

Sunday Ken and I traveled with his family to the Paradise Valley and into Yellowstone.  The roads were clear due to the warmer weather and lack of normal snowfall. 

The energy in the park was different.  Visitors were scarce and the animals moved at a slower pace.

We managed to pull off the road at Icebox Canyon.  Ken captured some awesome photos.  When he gets them processed I will share them with you.  These are a couple I took of Ken and the ice falls just to give you an idea of what he was shooting.

We encountered buffalo, elk, deer, coyote, and big horn ram to name a few.  It is always so delightful to watch the wildlife as well as the majesty of the land. 

The temperatures were in the low to mid fifties and windy.  We got our play day in just in time.  A snow storm passed through Sunday night.  Ennis caught a small amount of snow probably less than an inch.

Yellowstone Magic

Photo by Ken W. Hall, title: Buffalo Smoke

Photo by Ken W. Hall, title: Winter First Stage

Photo by Ken W. Hall, title: Portal To The Other Side

Photo by Ken W. Hall, title: Divided Thoughts

Photo by Ken W. Hall, title: Banded Summit

Photo by Ken W. Hall, title: Too Close for Comfort

Ken went to Yellowstone National Park last Sunday. He just emailed me these awesome shots. The baby elk was trying to get into the car.

Yesterday we had a mixture of rain and snow in the afternoon. This morning it is partly sunny, a gentle breeze and forty-three degrees.

Today I finally got some new leather blessing bowls for sale in my online shop. It feels good to be working at home again.