This afternoon we rented some kayaks to use on the lake at our campground. Susan and the older kids immediately took off for the far end of the lake. They were gone for nearly 90 minutes and made it back with sore arms and sore butts.
Susan still had some energy for a ride with me and Rose.
The kids have been enjoying fishing in the lake at our campground. No one has been having much luck so far, but today Lucia accidentally caught a fish! I had set the pole down on the dock, with the line in the water. She picked it up and started playing with it. I was worried she was going to drop it in the water and when I went to take the rod from her there was a fish on the line!
Using her same technique each of the kids actually caught a fish later in the week.
After work today the kids and I headed into the park to complete their Junior Ranger requirements and to go to a rocky beach where we could play in the lake. About 5 miles into the park the smoke really became thick, but that didn’t stop us from having fun swimming, skipping rocks, and chasing minnows. It was a welcome site when we arrived back at our campsite to almost clear skies.
This evening we had a little time to go back in to the park so we went back to Sun Point. When we were there last night it was already dark. This evening we had some more time to explore.
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.
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 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.
