Ron and Peggy Roloff

Elk in the meadow

‘Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam, and the deer and the antelope play… where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day.’ That best describes Yellowstone and our time there however, the skies were cloudy half our stay. We both so enjoyed each day and slept like logs each night. Last night Lilly, who usually sleeps in the car, gave a few yaps (very uncharacteristic) so Ron got out in his bare feet (WATCH OUT FOR THE BEARS!! Yelled I) picked up the Lilster in his arms and brought her into our cabin where she spent the rest of the night curled up at our feet. She usually loves the car however, the ranger told me this morning that Elk and a resident coyote frequent the campground and perhaps last night was the night.

There was a church service in the ampitheater at our camp ground, Madison. We were delighted with the lovely couple who led the services. He is a park ranger for the summers and elder in the Orthodox Presbyterian church in Orange Co. California the rest of the year. His wife is a member of the church of Christ! What a mixture. They are widowed and met on E Harmony.com. Another successful match.  The sermon was about change and he read about Jacob in the Bible and then used the changes in Yellowstone as visuals. Changes are necessary for growth.

The phenomenal Buffalo herd where we were stopped in the middle was a sight we won’t soon forget! These massive beasts were close to the roadside, even crossing in front of us, (see video coming) as well as spread out into the vast meadows on either side.  We caught the grunting sounds of the bull Buffalo as they are ‘in rut’. Since we raised sheep we know what a ram in season looks like! Head elevated, tilted back with upper lip curled showing his toothless upper gums. Not a pretty sight but he must think so as he’s trying to impress the ‘chick’ he has cottoned up to. This wasn’t the day for mating so he just howled and took the stance. One even kicked a young calf (about six months old) out of his way. His mother didn’t react so maybe this bull is a pretty neat catch! A note about the toothless grin . Goats, sheep and similar beasts don’t have upper teeth as they chomp the grass with their bottom teeth, grind it with their molars then swallow it to their first stomach. Later they regurgitate it (cud) to be chewed on some more. Then it’s swallowed to the second stomach and later brought up again and ground again. They will chew their food so well that even whole dried field corn will be totally digested. I think Buffalo must have the same system but without being on line I can’t confirm that bit of info.

Lodge Pole Pine

Yellowstone has more Lodge Pole Pine than anywhere else. Turns out that the little pine cones containing the seed have to be heated with intense heat, as a forest fire, to release the seed and repopulate the forest. Lodge poles are what is and was used to build Tee Pees (lodges). The grow tall and thin and just about the same circumference from top to bottom. No shaping or sawing. Looks like God knew what the native peoples would need for housing way before they did. Since a major fire has gone through there are literally forest of trees black and bare with many fallen on the valley floor like so many toothpicks spilt from an open box. We suppose the bear will dig out the grubs and other insects for his daily sustenance. (It was so much easier when the park feed bears on a platform each evening with food left from diners in the Lodge.)Scads of bright green new generation trees are thick in the area. I want to know how they will thin them or if they will. Hummm. The National Park system is wanting everything to be as close to natural as possible. That’s kind of funny since as we were on the road today we saw a team of three workers in bright orange vests spraying for weeds!!

Yellowstone sits on top of an active volcano. The area where we were camped is the old crater. It’s supposed to be 6 million years old or so but who’s counting? With all the geyser activity and boiling mud pots as well as pond after pond of clear torrid water I’m hoping that is ‘letting off steam’ literally. As cousin Jack said to a friend about sitting on the volcano, ‘I’d rather died instantly than like you.. in two weeks!” Yikes.. he’s got a point. It’s just a matter of time.

Up at the Canyon overlook I heard a young man counting ee, er, san… Chinese 1,2,3! I remember that from my Chinese classes 50 years ago! So, never shy, I ask if I can take their photo together and greet them with ‘wha hun how’.. How are you? The group is from Taiwan studying in New York. One of the guys speaks excellent English and lives in NYC and hosting the group on a tour of the wild, Wild West. I asked about our friend Helen and her son who would be about their age (25 or so) who may be living back in Taiwan now. One of the girls is going to see what she can do as Jeremiah is not a common Chinese name. We were given the honor of naming him when born as they were staying with us around 1978. He was sent back to his grandfather in Taiwan so we have lost contact.

Our drive along the North Rim of the little Grand Canyon was breathtaking. The colors of earth streaming into the canyon along the river make it truly an artist’s paint box. It’s scary as there was one point we looked from that was 100 ft. or yards further until an earthquake in 1975 knocked it off in to the canyon. With 2000 earthquakes a year (give or take a few) it could happen any time. Oh my, it doesn’t give a feeling of security. But to miss the sight would be just pathetic, so out to the end we launched. Both lower falls and upper falls are full-fledged wide waterfalls that crash down into the meandering river.

Driving along the shimmering rivers of silver along the meadows and forests contrasted with the variant shades of green is almost more than the heart and soul can take in. Wild flowers of soft purple to strong violet, bright sun flower yellow to the palest yellow mixed with pinks and whites amaze us. Who would have thought of these combinations? We would like to come and stay longer than four days.

It’s been a Rocky Mountain high..

Filed under: Adventures, Northern states, Travels, US road trip on August 13th, 2009