Home Sweet Home

Saturday 7/22/17  TOOTS is an amazing invention!  The prior night I keyed in "home" to see what I had ahead of me and she indicated 14.5 hours.  I was home, in the door at almost EXACTLY that . . . which is saying something since I had to stop along the way for biological breaks and gas.  Of course, 90 is the new 80 when you are on a cross country road trip on I80 through the plains states.  At one point I had made up so much time that it looked like I might make it in under 14 hours.  But alas, when I got to the MN/WI border, I opted for a side detour to check on one of our member centers that had closed earlier this spring.  Unfortunately it was still closed while up for sale.

The check out of the motel didn't go so smoothly as I didn't get a receipt the night before and the office didn't open until 7am.  ARGH!  I waited around for close to 30 minutes in order to get my receipt.

My drive home was uneventful, actually surprising as I wasn't really sure where the routing was going to bring me up to I80 in South Dakota.  I connected in just beyond Rapid City to the east.  Since I had breakfast so early, and was sorta tired of my cooler food for lunch, I opted for a McDonald's Egg McMuffin for "brunch" before leaving civilization for a few hours.  It was a nice break from Rice Krispees and turkey sandwiches.

Since I was in "getting home" mode I didn't stop at any of the usual places.  I contemplated a side detour back through Badlands National Park, but knew in doing so, I'd be delaying my arrival enough to actually risk not getting home that night.  So I plowed on . . . not stopping for anything except the essentials.  Even dinner became expendable as I contemplated stopping at one of our member centers when I crossed the Mississippi River into La Crosse.  Sorry Pla Mor Lanes!

I arrived home at 10:15pm with over 1,000 miles covered in the 14.25 hours.  Not too shabby at all as that works out to 71.3 MPH with stops!

Final totals . . . today 1,016 miles and grand total of 4,048 (+/- due to rounding).  Total gas used was 166 gallons for 23.4 MPG . . . which is pretty good.

And I close with this, one of the most glorious sunrises I saw while in Yellowstone National Park!

The Barn Quilt Trail . . . It's Sweeping the Nation

As many of my friends and followers know, I first became aware of "barn quilts" here in Wisconsin for the first time about five or six years ago . . . ironically from a good friend from Fairbanks who was visiting her family in Madison.  I had no idea about these things called barn quilts or that there were full trails of them in counties throughout Wisconsin as well as other US states.

As with most things I get interested in and distracted by, I did some research via Google and learned a lot about the Green County (Monroe area) trail.  One of the larger, nicer trails in the country, they publish a map and descriptions of the 100+ quilt blocks found primarily on barns and other AG buildings through their community.  This was my very first photo of a barn quilt . . . located on Hwy 11 in Rock County, Wisconsin.  While not a traditional quilt pattern, I was happy to have it as my first.

Since the summer of 2012, I have seen a lot of barn quilts, sometimes "on purpose" as I traveled looking for them to photograph . . . but often quite by accident.  They can be seen along country roads as well as interstate highways.  You just never know where you might see them.

Recently I had a friend respond to my barn quilt photo posted on Facebook "I always think of you when I see a barn quilt now."  How nice . . . and thank you!

Since my first few photo trips specifically for barn quilts, I have been fortunate to meet Suzi Parron Smith.  Her first book Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement tells the story of how the 8' x 8' painted quilt patterns became popular in rural America.  Her book features lots of beautiful photos of barn quilts from around the USA.  The stories of proud people, willing to share their family's story and the history behind their farm or perhaps the quilt pattern depicted on the block.  I must admit, I have found people to be just amazingly willing to share with me when they come outside to see what I'm doing on the shoulder of the road or perhaps at the foot of their driveway.

Suzi has been on an educational book tour now for a few years. Back in 2014 I caught up with her in Lodi, Wisconsin which is about two hours from Milwaukee.  Funny thing . . . while there to meet Suzi, I met another photog from the Janesville area who has also captured lots of beautiful images throughout Wisconsin.  Such a joy to meet others through this thing called social media!  Today Mike and I are friends through Facebook and have caught up with one another when my work has brought me into his neck of the woods!  But back to Suzi . . .

Shortly after the Lodi Quilters' event, Suzi & I along with our hubby's got together in Ft. Atkinson to paddle the Rock River.  Now I hadn't been in a canoe in probably 35 years, but David was a real sport and agreed to the outing.  We had a wonderful time, paddling the river, stopping for a picnic lunch and chatting away as we eased on down the river.  In her next book Following the Barn Quilt Trail her chapter on Wisconsin begins with telling the story of that shared day's journey down the Rock River.

Since that time, Suzi has featured two of my photos in her annual barn quilt calendar.  The first was "Apple a Day" in Green County, WI . . . the November 2014 calendar page.  The second was "Four Flags" in Door County, WI  . . . July 2015's.

I am obviously hooked, having taken photos of barn quilts in something like six or eight states now.  In fact, if it is possible for me to safely stop, turn around or somehow get into a good position to take a photo, I will do what I can to do so.  It can be a bit annoying I'm sure, for those traveling with me and disinterested in such shiny object distractions . . . but I must admit . . . David's become quite the trooper in supporting my interests.  In fact, he even joined me for one of Suzi's presentations here in the Milwaukee area about a year ago.  Afterwards the four of us went out to dinner.  It was awesome!

Just recently on our working vacation in Nashville, we spent an afternoon sightseeing and looking for barn quilts in an area not really known for them.  But Murfreesboro didn't disappoint, nor did Kentucky on our drive home from Nashville.

That brings me to my time in Lusk, Wyoming.  I simply couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the 4' x 4' squares on the front of a couple of buildings as I came into town.  The first was on a house and the other was on the front of the local CPA's office/house.  In talking with the locals I got more information on their efforts to bring solidarity to a community that had been ravaged by floods in June 2015.

I spent some time on Friday evening, as well as Saturday morning before leaving town to take photos of as many of the quilt pattern squares as I could find.  I think in total, I found around 20 including one posted on a rancher's land facing Hwy 20 leaving town.  While many of them were traditional quilt patterns, others depicted the business or building they were on.  Case in point, the stagecoach on the Stagecoach Museum . . . or the books on the block on the library.

All in all, it was a wonderful exhibit of community art.  I felt fortunate to have stumbled upon them!

Lusk, Wyoming . . . I Might Not Ever Get Out of This Town!

Friday 7/21/17 (YES . . . STILL)  I barely even got to Lusk when I was distracted by one of the Wyoming History signs that are seen throughout the state.  I have to say, this is a state that does it right.  When you're driving for miles and miles, no hundreds and hundreds of miles, the road seems to never end.  The big historical landmark signs are a nice diversion along the way . . . a great spot to get out and stretch your legs.  On the outskirts of Lusk, the C&H Refinery marker gave me reason to stop and check things out. 

Reading about the refinery made me ponder if this place was like the Sinclair Oil refinery my Grandpa McAlister worked at until his retirement.  I really didn't know him well, but what I did know was that he had lung disease from decades of working in the refinery, but in spite of it, lived a relatively long life into his 80's.

Heading on into town . . . there it was!  What in the heck?  I never in a million years expected to see a barn quilt in the middle of a town in Wyoming.  To be more precise, a quilt square since there were no barns in Lusk . . . maybe nowhere in the state of Wyoming in fact!  There there it was, no wait . . . two of them at the same intersection. One was on the front of a house, the other on a house turned CPA office.  What in the heck???

I stopped long enough to snap a couple of photos, but didn't linger as I knew I needed to get to the Stagecoach Museum ASAP or risk their being closed.  As I stepped up to the door, while it was unlocked, I noted they were to close at 4:30pm . . . in just five minutes!

Inside the volunteer on duty for the afternoon was just leaving.  I was feeling totally bummed that I was going to miss out on this experience.  Fortunately for me, however, board members Deb & Jim were going to be there "for a while" doing chores around the property so they invited me to stay for as long as I wished.  What a dangerous offer, but of course, I took them up on it!  Having only seen the entry foyer and exhibit area in the front room, I knew I would be spending quite a bit of time lingering and viewing items dating back to the mid 1800's.  Again, I found myself thinking about my Mom and her family; what it was like to live in Wyoming during the wild west era.

I spent nearly 90 minutes touring the main building (which by the way was the former Wyoming National Guard Amory), as well as the garage and four outbuildings . . . including an old one-room schoolhouse, an outhouse and the town's general store which have been brought on-site for display for visitors.

Here are just a few of the photos I took while touring this American heritage treasure!

It was nearly 6pm when I left the Stagecoach Museum and there were still places in town I wanted to visit, including the local quilt shop to get the lowdown on the quilt squares around town.  I was told by Deb at the Stagecoach Museum that Karen at the Lickety Stitch Quilt Shop was responsible for rallying the local residents & businesses after the severe flood on June 4, 2015.

During that flood much of the lowlands were destroyed.  The quilt square effort was a way to show the resilience of the community. I was told there were more than 50 of the 4' x 4' squares throughout the area.

My timing to the quilt shop was such that I caught the ladies closing out a sale with their last customer of the day.  I was lucky that Karen was in and in no hurry to close up shop.  She was very interesting to talk with and had met Suzi Parron Smith in Cheyenne so she was familiar with the barn quilt trail in the United States.  In fact, she had Suzi's first book on display for sale.

The night was fast approaching . . . it was now dinner time and I needed to figure out a game plan for the evening.  Would I stop and have supper in town, or hit the road, pushing on the 2 1/2 hours to Rapid City?

I decided it had been a long enough day and that a nice bed, hot shower and TV would be a nice cap for my final night away from home.  I had noticed the Covered Wagon Motel as well as a Best Western back at the beginning of town.  Not having a mobile device to do such research was an inconvenience so I just stopped in at the front desk of the Covered Wagon Motel to inquire about vacancies & rates.  Affiliated with America's Best Value Inns, I was able to get a nice 15% discount in spite of not have my loyalty card.  I figured for $89+ tax, that would be the best valued expense on my vacation, especially since a decent hot breakfast was included in the room rate.  Imagine my surprise when I learned my "neighbor" was also from the Milwaukee area!

With my sleeping accommodations taken care it was time to find supper.  I had a hankering for a steak and on my way through town I did take note of the Triangle 4 Cafe & Steakhouse.  I also remembered the gentleman at the front desk responding to the couple in front of me inquiring about where to get a good steak.  Apparently the Triangle 4 is the only place in town . . . too bad because it was really bad!

The service was slow and the steak, while priced right ($18.95 for a 16 oz. t-bone meal), was terrible.  Served overcooked and dry, it just was a huge disappointment especially since Wyoming promotes and supports their cattle ranchers and the beef industry.

After dinner I rolled back through town to take a few more photos and to gas up so that I could hit the road first thing in the morning.  It was close to 9pm when I finally got back to my motel.  I sat up and watched some TV and the news . . . I finally went to bed around 10:30pm.

Logged 493 miles (3,032 total) . . . TOOTS reported 14.5 hours to Milwaukee for Saturday!

West By God Wyoming!

Friday 7/21/17 (still)  Interstate highways are a relatively new development in how people get from one place to another in this great, vast country of ours.  Before I90, I80 or any of the other east-west highways, people drove their automobiles on roads like US 40 or US2. You only have to look as far as the legendary Route 66 to see now nostalgic Americans are about early car travel.  Of course, before that, there was the horse drawn wagon that took the early pioneers west to settle in Wyoming.

As I deferred to TOOTS (my Garmin GPS) to route me home from Grand Teton National Park, I was totally unfamiliar with the roads and towns I would be going through.  OK then!  An adventure!!  My hope would be that I would make it to Rapid City, SD by nightfall and get a KOA campsite there.  (I had a $15 off coupon from the Cody KOA.)  Looking back on it . . . I can only laugh out loud . . . literally.  I had NO CHANCE of making the 8+ hour drive, especially leaving Grand Teton at 10:30am!  But you know what . . . everything happens for a reason . . . and today's adventure was no different.

I knew when I reviewed my 525 mile routing from Moose, WY to Rapid City, SD I would be in for a long slog through a lot of flat prairie land through sparsely populated areas. In fact, as best I could tell, I might not see a town for hundreds and hundreds of miles.  The most concerning thing for me as I left the park was how I was going to contact David to let him know of my change in plans and that I was working my way back home a day early.

Fortunately, there was a roadside filling station and convenience store literally in the middle of nowhere . . . Hwy 26 in Crowheart, WY.  Needing to use the bathroom, I stopped to size up the place.  I was sorta feeling badly that I was not looking to buy anything, so I bought a bottle of cranberry juice and package of chocolate chip cookies.  After being rung up I told the woman about my cell phone nightmare and asked if she might be able to let me use her phone.

She was most gracious saying something along the lines of "Oh honey, of course you may use our phone!  It must have been horrible not being able to talk with your family to assure them you are OK.  They must be worried sick about you." I told her I appreciated it, but that it wasn't really that bad; that I had been able to call home most days so folks knew I was OK.

With all of my biological needs taken care of, I headed on down Hwy 26 . .  unsure what what I might see next.  Interestingly enough, I found myself in what looked to be a bit of a ghost town . . . Shoshoni, Wyoming. 

 

While the town may have had a population of 635 back at the 2000 census, my guess is that they've lost more citizens over the past couple of decades as the town looked to have been largely abandoned.  Here's what their Main Street by the rail yard looked like.  The photo at the top of this day's blog entry is also from this town.

My drive through Shoshoni reminded me of an article I read a couple of years ago.  An entire Wyoming town, complete with its own post office and other buildings, was up for sale for something like $10,000.  I remember telling David at the time that I could see us buying such a place . . . and being the mayor of our own little burgh.

With my drive-through of Shoshoni complete, I continued on into the afternoon sun.  Now out on the plains, it was hot.  The thermometer in the van was reading 98f and it felt every bit of 100!  Driving through this area of Wyoming I found radio stations to be few and far between. Not to worry, as I was traveling with a large collection of CD's . . . but even I can only listen to so much Springsteen.

When I turned on the radio to find something to listen to, I stumbled upon KWRR 89.5 on my dial.  It was the most beautiful Native American music . . . I enjoyed the hour or so that I was within range.  Researching the station, I learned that it is the station belonging to Business Council of the Northern Arapaho Tribe.  Sometimes you just never know what cultural experience you may have while on a road trip!

With a few more miles covered, I was growing restless and in need of a distraction . . . something to do . . . something to see.  I needed to stretch my legs and engage my brain.  Using TOOTS, I resorted to what I know best most days . . . bowling!  I can use her navigation to find interesting places to stop . . . museums, parks, stores and yes of course . . . bowling centers.  Unfortunately, there wasn't anything remotely close!  So I settled in on the Stagecoach Museum in Lusk, WY.  Even better . . . my route to Rapid City had me going right through Lusk on Hwy 18/20/85.

What I wasn't sure of, was how late they would be open given I had an ETA of 4:15pm and it was a Friday afternoon.

A Day of Audibles

Friday 7/21/17  One of the benefits of traveling alone is that you can go at your own pace and change course at any time.  This day was filling with "go with the flow" decisions . . . including whether or not I would even stay in Yellowstone that night.

My campground was pre-paid for two nights, having me scheduled to depart Saturday morning for the two-day drive home.  Already being concerned about my campsite location, I was predisposed to check-out early and leave Friday instead. I woke up and hit the road for Grand Teton around 6am, not sure if I'd be returning back to Yellowstone's Grant CG or not.

I was optimistic about having an opportunity to view grizzly momma #399 and her cubs, especially since the day before I noted this large highway sign.  Unfortunately, she was nowhere to be seen . . . which is actually a good thing for her and her little ones.

It was so sad when her COY (Cub Of Year) was killed by a vehicle in the middle of the night last year.  I pray that this 26 year old GRANDMA of a bear is able to get this year's pair to maturity.

With no bear sightings along the park road, I opted for the scenic drive up to the Signal Mountain Lookout.  Last time I was in Grand Teton (June 2016) the road was still closed due to snow.  I was hopeful that perhaps there would be some wildlife to view up there.

As I ascended, however, I was mostly in the clouds.  It was very dense with not much viewing possible.  In fact at the top, I was looking down upon the clouds that enshrouded the entire mountain range.

I enjoyed the peace & quiet, not seeing another vehicle for the entire drive.  On my descent back down the narrow gravel road I did pass a few cars. By this time it was close to 8am so more people were going to be up and around touring the park.  It is a shame however, that people simply speed through wherever they are!  After a row of three cars passed me by, I noticed something moving in the woods.  I slowed down and the came to a complete stop, turning off the engine so as to not disturb the beautiful doe less than 25 yards away.

Sure I've seen deer before . . . LOTS of THEM!  But she was just beautiful.  She was large and looked very healthy. I wondered if she might have had a fawn hidden away somewhere but never saw any indication of such.  She was not frightened by my presence nor quick to want to go elsewhere.

When I returned down at the main park road, I did try one more time to see #399, driving back north towards Yellowstone through the area with the warning signs . . . but no such luck.  It was only 9am and I was at a loss for "something to do."  WOW . . . that just sounds terrible!  I was in God's Country with beauty all around me . . . and I was growing restless and bored.

I headed on south to Moose-Teton Road, a well known wetlands area and habitat for moose.  Having spent some time there the prior evening and not seeing anything other than visitors hoping to see moose too . . . I was hopeful but not very optimistic.  After having my breakfast there, and seeing nothing, I headed on out for the park visitor center in Moose.  It was crowded with tourists from two motor coach tours.  I did find a seat in the theater to view their film about the park.  It was a nice break for me, as I contemplated "what next?"

10:30am . . . decision made!  Top off the gas tank at the Colter Bay service station, get more ice for the cooler and hit the road!  What I hadn't decided was which route to take from the park heading east and home.  I briefly thought about heading further south towards Rawlins and Sinclair where my Mom was born and raised.   But TOOTS had bad news on that idea, as it was really too far out of my way and I really didn't have anything specific to see or do there.  So I just headed out of the park, allowing my GPS to provide the shortest time routing home.  I was not disappointed!  It was a decision that would set in motion several more decisions on the fly.

And just like that, the Teton Mountains were in my rear view mirror!

Thursday - Transition Day

Thursday 7/20/17 Last night was my last at the Canyon Campground as I transitioned to the southern end of Yellowstone Park and the Grant Campground.  When I woke up I didn't bother heading out to seek wildlife as I wanted to check out a few of the thermal features around the park, including Old Faithful.

It was a nice, but chilly morning . . . I had no idea that storms were in the forecast.  That's what happens when you are REALLY off the grid!  I was able to have a decent morning of viewing some of the things I wanted to before the rain started in the Old Faithful area as we awaited the 10:14am predicted eruption.  (FYI . . . it went off right on schedule!)

I have mentioned this before, but for those who haven't read each blog entry, I suffer from asthma and arthritic gimpy knees so my ability to get out and really enjoy many of the best park features is severely limited.  Places like the Mammoth Terrace, Norris Basin, Mud Volcano and Grand Prismatic are places I simply don't risk, especially when traveling alone.

What I did check out was the Roaring Mountain, Beryl Spring, Firehole Lake Drive (including the White Dome Geyser) and of course, Old Faithful.  All of these are very easily accessible with very short walks in areas not stinky with sulfur or other gaseous fumes.  I have to say, it was pretty cool having the first front row seat for the White Dome eruption.

It was especially nice being there at the time of one of the park tours as I got to informally listen in to their discussion.

When I got to the Old Faithful Visitor Center, there was plenty of time to take in the short movie and then make my way out to the viewing area to get a front row seat.  The crowds didn't start showing up until around 9:50a and by 10:05a they were making their way to their cars for umbrellas and rain slickers.  I just waited patiently as the clouds passed by.  The rains seemingly stopped on cue, just before she blew!

Looking away from the Old Faithful area, the skies looked quite threatening.  In fact, I pondered if I was a bad park visitors finding the storm clouds more interesting that Old Faithful!  I headed towards the East Entrance of the park hoping I might see some wildlife, especially a brown (grizzly) bear.  As I drove along Lake Yellowstone, there were a number of vehicles pulled off onto the shoulder.  Folks were watching a small herd of elk resting.
 
I headed away to go check into my campground.  Unfortunately, my assigned site could not be changed so I was further way from the bathrooms that I like to be . . . especially if I need to get up in the middle of the night to use the toilet.  This would be an important factor in later decisions I would make.

While driving to the Grant Campground I heard several severe weather warnings from NOAA.  Included in the area of the notice was the southern end of Yellowstone, as well as all of the Grand Teton-Jackson Hole area.  I would be about an hour behind the warnings, so I felt confident in heading south to see what I might see down the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway.

It was pretty surprising to see all of the "white stuff" along the side of the road.  I had to turn down a side road towards a marina to see what it was.  I was pretty sure it wasn't snow . . . I was right.  It was hail!  Given the air temp was around 65f at the time, I'm guessing these may not have melted too much although the severe weather warning forecasted quarter sized hail along with the 60MPH winds.

I thought maybe I would be lucky enough to see grizzly bear #399, but she and her two cubs were nowhere to be seen.  In fact, the Pilgrim Creek Road was closed to traffic. At the Jenny Lake Visitor Center the ranger said the road was closed to provide them with some quiet away from tourists . . . probably a wise decision given that she lost her cub last year to a hit-and-run driver on the road that cuts through Grand Teton National Park up near where I had seen and photographed them in June 2016.

There wasn't much happening in and around Grand Teton so I headed back to Yellowstone before it got dark.  Along the way, I did spot a black bear in the woods.  The driver of the car in front of me also saw it as we both did a U-turn at the first turnout.  Unfortunately, it was simply too dark to get a photo safely from the road . . . so I just enjoyed the short encounter and headed on "home" for the night.

I was in bed by 9:45p.  Today's miles 318 (2,549 total).

p.s.  Best price on gas in the area (Yellowstone NP, West Yellowstone, Cooke City, Grand Teton) was at Grand Teton's Colter Bay Village where I paid just $2.41/gallon.  (As a point of comparison, it was $2.79 at all of the Yellowstone stations.)

Yellowstone and then Some - Wednesday

Wednesday 7/19/17  I was up at what became my "usual time" just before 6am MDT.  It was a tad bit warmer (51f) but with a light rain falling.  I headed north from my campground, hoping I might see more black bears along the way but there was really not much to see.  I made my way around to the Mammoth Visitor Center where I borrowed a phone from the backcountry office ranger to call home.

I'm not sure why, but I got a bit tearful talking to David. I think it was when he told me that he missed me, that I got weepy.  Things at home were fine; it just seems different with you are actually unable to communicate with others.

As I left the Mammoth Area, I contemplated what to do next.  The hot springs area there was already crowded with visitors so I opted to keep moving on.  Remembering about the Earthquake Lake Area out near West Yellowstone, MT I decided to head out that way.  As I exited the park, I was surprised by the long line of travel waiting to clear the entrance area.  I hoped that I wouldn't regret the decision to leave the park.

Heading north on Hwy 191, the turn off towards Hebgen Lake where the evidence of the evolving earth can still be seen today.  There is a series of stops along a self-guided tour along Hwy 287, running east to west.  I stopped with great interest to read about the impact from the 1959 "Hebgen Lake Earthquake" and the 28 souls lost in the middle of the night when the entire face of a mountain crashed down upon the Rock Creek Campground at its base.

The impact of the landslide was that the Madison River became dammed up, flooding the entire valley.  Today Earthquake Lake is a reminder of that horrifying "night of terror" and the loss of life and property throughout the area.  In the photo to the left, you can see how the trees died due to the flood.  And in the distance, in the center of the same photo, you can see that the entire side of the mountain is gone.  The only thing left is the brown face where small plants are just starting to grow again.

One of the more interesting sights is Ghost Village, where you can see the remains of Halford's Camp.  Cabins that floated downstream in the flood now rest along the valley floor as a reminder of that frightful night.

If you visit this area, I would suggest allowing at least an hour, maybe even two.  I enjoyed stopping at each of the six interpretive exhibits, as well as the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center located in the Custer Gallatin National Forest.


In the visitor center, there is short movie telling the story of that night.  While I was there, a relative of someone who died that night was there paying respects.  It was a somber experience to witness.

Back in Yellowstone National Park, I went up to the Blacktail Plateau to see what might be around.  Known to be a great wildlife viewing area, I had driven the six mile gravel road the day before, in hopes of seeing bears.  Unfortunately, I missed out having learned that a few cars in front of me not only saw a black bear with cubs . . . they also had a bobcat dart in front of them and out of sight.

For my drive through, the only thing I caught a photo of was this coyote in my side mirror.  Starting to feel a bit dejected, I was going to head back towards the Lamar Valley in hopes of spotting some bears.  I didn't even get a couple of miles down the road, when I noticed a big crowd of vehicles in the parking area for the Petrified Tree . . . an area of the park that rarely has many visitors.

Out of curiosity, I turned in hoping I wouldn't regret getting down into the back-up with no way to get back out.  I was rewarded when I saw a black bear feeding on the shrubs below the road.  There were quite a few people out and milling around taking photos.  They seemed a bit more cautious that the prior group of people I had seen the day before trying to photograph a bear.

After spending about 15 or 20 minutes getting my photos, I left.  I continued on over to the Lamar Valley.  I remembered where the sow with first year cubs had crossed the road and all of the reports of the same group a little further away so I went to the closest turnout and set up for dinner.  It was a quiet and tranquil setting, with the river rushing over the rocks below.

I fixed a sandwich and enjoyed dinner at the overlook.  As nightfall approached, I headed back towards the Tower Junction.  For some reason, though, I didn't turn left towards camp but rather went the opposite direction back to the Petrified Tree area.  I was glad I did as not only was the first bear
still in the area eating, there were two other black bears chowing down on berries in the shrubs.  The people there were still pretty mindful of their surroundings and respectful of the feeding bears.  I felt a short moment of thankfulness that these people seemingly got the significance of the opportunity to observe these magnificent animals in the wild, in their home habitat unencumbered by humans.

Feeling quite good about my day, I headed back to camp settling in for bed just before 9pm.  Total miles were 310 (2,231 total).