We have spent the last 6 days at Henry’s Lake State Park in Island Park, Idaho. We have made day trips into Yellowstone National Park. We have seen lots of animals. We have also explored geothermal features in the geyser basins. (We found them very hard to convincingly photograph.) Here are some more photos of what we have been up to.

Tree Swallow at Henry’s Lake, Idaho

Downy Woodpecker at Jenny’s Lake, Grand Teton National Park 

 Western Bluebird, our neighbor at Henry’s Lake, Idaho

 Brown-Headed Cowbirds at West Thumb Geyser Basin

 Travertine Formation at Mammoth Geyser Basin

 Iron Cauldron Formation at Norris Geyser Basin

 Elk Cow looking over boardwalk railing at West Thumb Geyser Basin

 American Bison in Hayden Valley

 Herd of Bison along the Lamar River

 Snowshoe Hare at West Thumb Geyser Basin

 Coyote in the Sagebrush on Tower to Mammoth Road

 Grizzly Bear along Canyon to Tower Road

Snake River and Grand Teton Range

Michael at Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Dennis on Moose Pond Trail 

We are currently staying  in Henry's Lake State Park, in Idaho, just outside of Yellowstone National Park. We'll be making more posts specifically of Yellowstone soon, but wanted to begin with photos of Spring in the mountains around this area. It is still Springtime here, and the mountains are alive with wildflowers and newborns.

Balsamroot wildflowers before the Grand Tetons

Unidentified blossoms along the Death Canyon trail in the Grand Tetons

Unidentified wildflowers in the Hayden Valley, Yellowstone NP

Unidentified wildflowers in Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone NP

Trumpeter Swans with their three Cygnets, Henry's Lake SP, Idaho

Red Headed Ducklings in the Snake River, Grand Tetons NP

Cliff Swallow in her mud nest in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone NP

Pronghorn Antelope with Fawn near the Ice Box Canyon of Yellowstone NP

Mule Deer Doe with two Fawns, very shortly after birth. One Fawn was barely able to stand and the second was still on the ground being cleaned. They were beside the Snake River near the South Entrance of Yellowstone NP.

Black Bear with Cub in the Tower-Roosevelt area of Yellowstone NP.

Bison Calf in the Hayden Valley of Yellowstone NP.

Bison Calf with Mother in a large herd in the Lamar Valley (The American Serengeti) Yellowstone NP.

We have spent the last few days exploring the magnificent Grand Tetons National Park. The weather has been volatile. On any given day we have been hot and cold, wet and dry. In between rain spells we have hiked along snow melt lakes and climbed up mountain trails. The birds and the flowers have been in their Springtime finery. We saw a moose cow and her calf on the same day that we saw a bison walking down the road, and then a mule deer buck in velvet antlers. However, the Jackson Valley is dominated by the amazing Teton Mountains. They have no foothills and rise majestically over the Jackson Valley. We plan to stay here for a few more days and then move on to Yellowstone.

Mountain Snowstorm seen from Morman Row

 Mike on the Death Canyon Trail

 Dennis on the Death Canyon Trail

 Great Blue Heron among the pine cones

 Western Tanager

 Broad Tailed Hummingbird at Larkspur

 American White Pelicans on the Snake River

 Mule Deer Buck

 Chipmunk

 The Snake River at dawn

 View from Leigh Lake

 

Snowy granite peak

 

 Tetons at dawn

 

We have embarked on a five week road trip. We will spend much of our time in northwestern Wyoming visiting Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks. We also plan to visit Colorado and New Mexico.

On this trip we decided to shorten our daily drive time and to spend more time enjoying our campgrounds along the way. Our first stop was at Abilene State Park just south of Abilene, Texas. The campground is heavily wooded and has a wonderful swimming pool built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.

An Orange Crowned Warbler at Abilene State Park

Our next stop was at the Lake Meredith National Recreation Area just north of Amarillo, Texas. Our campsite was set on a bluff overlooking Lake Meredith. The beautiful campground was free of charge and nearly deserted. Although it was hot when we arrived a dramatic thunderstorm soon blew in clearing the air and dropping the temperatures. In the morning we visited the Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, a source of colorful flint used by Native Americans throughout much of North America.

At Lake Meredith National Recreation Area

At The Alibates Flint Quarries 

Squash Blossom 

Alibates Flint tossed aside by workers hundreds of years ago

Yellow Bull Thistle

Collared Lizard

The following day we drove out of Texas, across the Oklahoma Panhandle and spent the night at John Martin Reservoir State Park in southeastern Colorado. The gate attendant said that we had reserved the best campsite in the park. Our campsite was in the shade of a towering tree just feet away from the edge of the lake. We fell asleep listening to the songs of Red-Winged Blackbirds. We spent the next night at Boyd Lake State Park in Loveland, Colorado. They were experiencing an early heat wave and the park was crowded. We spent most of our time in the air conditioned trailer and doing laundry.

Moonrise over John Martin Reservoir State Park 

Then next day we drove into Wyoming. The scenery has been spectacular since our first glimpse of the Snowy Range. We drove across the beautiful and sparsely populated rolling hills of southern Wyoming. We had no idea how amazing Sinks Canyon State Park in Lander, Wyoming was going to be. The park is set in a narrow canyon in the mountains on the outskirts of Lander. The Little Popo Agie River that runs through the park was in flood and filled the park with the sound of rushing water. One hillside of the canyon was rocky and steep. The other side was forested broken up by lush Alpine meadows. We hiked in the meadows, walked along the turbulent river and fell asleep to the sound of an uneasy mountain stream.

The Snowy Range

You'd think there would have been many customers

Sinks Canyon State Park and the Little Popo Agie River

Larkspur

Dandelions and Aspen

Wild Roses

Mule Deer

Alpine Meadow

It was gray and cool as we drove out of Lander and up into the mountains. By the time we reached the Togwotee Pass at over 9,000 feet the temperature had plummeted and the road was lined with snowfields. As we descended the other side of the pass we got our first views of the Grand Teton Mountain Range with its peaks hidden in storm clouds. We got a great campsite with a view of Lake Jackson and the Tetons. The day had turned rainy and cold. Overnight it snowed.

It was cold at the Togwotee Pass



Driving into Grand Tetons National Park