It's always a different feeling to be here as a visitor and not resident. Spending a few days camping at the Budget Host and exploring the park. There has been much rain this spring, so the grasses are exceptionally green and lush. Tried to spend a day hiking through the north unit, but wound up with a dead car battery after the first stop. Spent the rest of the day getting a jump, driving to wall, and bumming around Wall Drug while waiting for a new battery to arrive from Rapid City. Yesterday I went out with the chief ranger chasing sunset photographs in the Stronghold District. We took the park's razor out, with a lovely driving plan. Badlands being aptly named, we were thwarted time and again trying to find a clear route north from Cedar Butte into the Battle Creek area. After more than an hour we had made remarkably little progress, so headed back to the White River VC to swap the razor for the explorer and scoot over to the slide road. I hiked down to the base, and am pretty happy with some of the shots I got there. Wish I'd had a couple more hours, or years, to spend there (as always). That place always makes me happy. We aimed to go out into Palmer Creek today, but the morning started with a thunderstorm, and two more lined up behind. Baseball sized hail just south of where we're camping. I emptied the tent, which is now surrounded by a shallow lake. I suspect we'll be seeking alternative sleeping arrangements for tonight, though I haven't checked to see whether the tent itself remains dry inside. Seems unlikely with further thunderstorms predicted through the day and night.

Here are some shots from yesterday:

Driving into the Stronghold east of Cedar Butte

Cedar Butte

Coffin Butte and Cuny Table

Flowering Cactus

More flowers, there are so many now

Awesome lichens on what I think is an old river bed

Out in the field with the chief ranger

Coffin Butte

Entrance to the slide road

The slide road

Base of the slide road

Halfway back up the slide road

Top of the slide road

Driving down off Cuny Table: Coffin Butte and Cedar Butte

I just wrapped up three days in Yellowstone National Park and wanted to share some initial highlights, visually. I have so many more photographs, and can't wait to have time to pour over them. There are too many geysers and hot springs for me to recall the names of all of them without checking. I was particularly enamored of the West Thumb area's geyser basin as well as Lake Yellowstone. Uncle Tom's trail down to the lower falls was quite nice. Lucked out with some great weather and no troubles with bears despite the grizzly sighting someone reported in the campground the day I got there. Was a little intimidating, however we were in campsite 402. Yes, there are more than 400 campsites in this one campground. Insane. It was like being in some kind of tent village from pre-industrial days. Not that I spent much time there. I arrived at about 10:30 on my first night and pitched the tent in the dark, then was on the road by 8:15 the following morning. Got in even later the second night.

The monumental entrance north of Mammoth Springs

Old Faithful

Anemone Geyser, I think, in the Upper Geyser Basin

An Elk along the road, happily not in the road.

Sunset over my first glimpse of Yellowstone Lake

Steaming shoreline at West Thumb

View from Fishing Bridge

Obligatory image of a bison-jam in Hayden Valley

Lower Yellowstone Falls

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Lower Falls from Artist's Point

Climbed down to the shore for some shots

Heading south from Canyon Village

Bison calves are so cute

Yellowstone River in Hayden Valley

Dragon's Mouth - the roaring and
hissing noises from this feature are
incredible - very aptly named.

Yellowstone Lake from Bridge Bay area.

Lone fisher along Yellowstone Lake

West Thumb Geyser Basin - definitely a favorite.

Some geysers are submerged when the water is high

Abyss Spring with Lake Yellowstone

Looking back toward the steaming shoreline.

Lake Hotel, where I enjoyed a birthday dinner of Trout.
As we waited for a table, a string quartet started playing
in the sunroom, with a breathtaking view of the lake.