This evening we went back in to the park for a short hike to Baring Falls and Sun Point. On the way in we stopped a couple of times to see some bears in the open fields. First we saw two grizzlies way off in the distance. Then we saw a black bear a little closer.
The campground we are staying at has beautiful views. We only get a glimpse when the smoke clears. It sits on a hill, with Glacier National Park and St. Mary Lake to the West and Lower St. Mary Lake to the east.
Winds were out of the east today, so most of the smoke got blown deeper into the park and we were able to go for a nice hike to Hidden Lake. We were just planning on doing the 3 mile hike, but we learned that only went to the overlook, so we decided to double the distance. Luckily it was a nice, cool day so we had plenty of water. It was a beautiful hike and we got to see a Hoary Marmot and a mountain goat.
Today we drove north, from Yellowstone to Glacier. Overall, not the greatest arrival at our campground. We are staying at a beautiful spot just outside the northeast entrance to the park, but because of the fires we had almost no view on the drive here or when we arrived. Upon arriving we learned that they actually evacuated and closed the west side of the park. The add insult to injury we had a rather bumpy drive and when we opened the fridge the eggs spilled out and broke.
Today we ventured into the north entrance of Yellowstone so the kids could complete their Junior Ranging workbooks and to play in the Boiling River. The river is very cold, but right near this point there is a large hot spring that flows into the river. People have constructed little pools where the waters mingle to create a really nice experience. You can find the right spot that is a good temperature and current and hang out there. Sometimes you still get a hot or cold wave that passes you by.
This evening we did the fairy falls hike. It was 7.2 miles, roundtrip, for us. That included a walk to the Grand Prismatic Spring overlook and also a trip up the hill after we reached Imperial Geyser, at the end of our hike. It was a cool hike because we were all by ourselves for nearly all of it. We got to eat dinner at Imperial Geyser with no one else around, no fences, and no signs.
This evening we walked around the Upper Geyser Basin, home of Old Faithful. We got to see Old Faithful, twice, Daisy Geyser, and Castle Geyser. On the way home we stopped at Grand Prismatic Spring.
Today I worked a half-day and in the afternoon we traveled to our campground in West Yellowstone, and then into the park. There were a couple of major developments:
This morning we did the Delicate Arch hike. It was rather grueling because of the heat and Lucia was not up for walking very far. Once we got there, it was awesome. Also, I was nervous the whole time because all around the arch there are drop-offs and steep slopes.
It has been really hot here, so today we waited until after dinner to go into the park. We had a nice evening hike and got to see a lot of stars by the time we were done.
This evening after work we made our first trip into Arches. We hit the visitors center to learn about the park then got a taste of what is has to offer.
