Mountains and Waterfalls

     July was the month for climbing mountains and seeing waterfalls.  We started with Mount Washburn because we learned that the park service would be closing the trails up the mountain due to technology upgrades (new cell phone towers). It was a beautiful day,  gentle breezes and sunshine. The biggest surprise was the big horn sheep ewes and lambs who shared the trail with us!  As we approached the peak, a large herd appeared right in front of us! Some were so close I could have reached out and touched them. (But I know mamas are very protective of their young, so I didn't try). 

Big horn sheep ewes and lambs on the trail

The wildflowers up there were amazing! Hillsides covered with color, pictures just don't show the abundance.  The wildflowers here continue to surprise me as I am still finding new ones each week.

Lewis Monkeyflowers

So many yellow flowers!!!

    The waterfalls are still beautiful even as the rainfall has decreased.

Fairy Falls was a great hike and included views of Imperial Geyser.

 A side trail on the Fairy Falls hike took us to the overlook of Grand Prismatic Spring.  We had an amazing view on a perfect sunny day.

 


        Bunsen Peak was our next mountain challenge. The climb up was shorter and steeper than Mt. Washburn, but much harder coming down the backside.

 
  Osprey Falls was really spectacular.

We were warned about the climb going in and out of the canyon, but after Bunsen Peak the week before, we were up for the challenge.
















Other short hikes took us to three smaller, but pretty falls: Lost Creek, Undine and Lewis Falls.

Lewis Falls

Lost Creek Falls

 

Undine

  To finish up the month, we had a water day. We started with a rafting trip on the Yellowstone River in Gardiner, Montana.

Mark "riding the bull"

Some of our international friends from work

We finished the day at the Boiling River. It is an area where a hot spring flows into the Gardiner River and the hot water mixes with the cold. It was a strange new experience to have one side of our body in hot water and the other side in icy cold water. The trick was to find just the right spot, at least until someone else moved and changed the water patterns.

     We finally feel as if summer has arrived in Yellowstone.