Southwest Colorado, aspen, and sheep

This was primarily a trip to visit family, but we also visited Silverton, and saw an amazing flock of sheep crossing the road.

Moon over Electra Lake

We had a great day in Silverton, and met some very interesting people.    We started at the textile shop, where we talked looms at great length, and Sandi bought a coat.   The owner was 71, and had been weaving as a business in Silverton for 18 years.  She stayed in Silverton all winter, weaving.

We stopped at a jewelry store, where most of the jewelry was enameled.   Richard was very interested, since he had recently taken an enameling class.   They talked shop at great length.   He told Richard that if he had an enameling book, to throw it in the trash!  He is self taught, and does enameling very differently than Richard was taught.



Our final stop in Silverton was at the history museum, where we met a real character, who wrote science fiction, and argued that drinking improved his creativity.   The museum was excellent, mostly mining history, with a large mineral collection.






 We left by driving north on the million dollar highway, where the mountains and the colorful aspen demanded that we pull over every few miles.

But the best was yet to come.   We saw a very large flock of sheep being driven towards the road, and decided to stop and watch the process.   The flock was led by two dogs, with two shepherds and three more dogs bringing up the rear.   It was fun to watch the dogs work the sheep.

Richard talked to the shepherd, who was from Peru, and had been in the US for about two years.   We learned that the flock was 2200 sheep!

This photo shows only a fraction of the 2200 sheep

Yellowstone - An adventure inside an adventure

I’m a four walls and running water kind of gal. I gave up sleeping on the ground long ago and enjoy the opportunity for a hot shower once a day. That said, I am also a huge fan of wild, off the grid kind of places. No cellphones, no sports channel, winds through the trees and critters about kind of places are food for the soul in a world that sometimes feels too wired.

When Richard told me he was joining a group from the Rocky Mountain Sea Kayaking Club for a week’s trip to Lewis and Shoshone Lakes in Yellowstone National Park, I said “please, please may I come along?’. I promised to stay out of the way of pre-trip planning, take pictures of the launch, and find something to entertain myself for week in Yellowstone.

We are members of Yellowstone Forever. I was hooked after our 2017 “wolf week” adventure. As luck (and good planning) would have it, Yellowstone Forever was offering one of the last of their summer classes at the same time. Perfect - hubby could paddle; I could feed my inner lifelong learner (and sleep on a mattress complete with pillows and a blanket).

We started driving Friday morning.   Sandi and I overnighted in Lander; the other paddlers overnighted in Riverton.  The drive was very smoky from fires; we could not see the Tetons, but the Wind River range was beautiful.

On Saturday we completed the drive and met at the Grant General Store.   The paddle group was Brian, Tim,  Richard, Von, Chris, and Sue. We headed to the backcountry office. Two rangers came out to inspect our boats in great detail, including vacuuming out the inside.  None of us had seen such a detailed inspection before.   We ate dinner in the lake hotel. The group camped at Grant, while Richard and Sandi stayed in a motel.  

One of the trip highlights for Richard and Sandi was a drive at dusk, where we were surrounded by a herd of buffalo.   Turn up the volume when you look at the one minute video. 

Sunday dawned and the kayakers gathered for launch at the Lewis Lake boat ramp. Because Yellowstone likes to keep ‘ya guessing, the weather went from rain, sun, rain and back to sun within a half hour. The group took it all in stride. I said a silent “thank you” to the hotel gods that I would be returning for a hot shower to start my day of exploring near Yellowstone Lake.

To my completely uneducated eye, watching six people prepare their boats for a week long camping trip was an interesting exercise in military like precision meets “it all fit when I tested it in the back yard” boat stuffing techniques. I watched in awe as a myriad of colored bags and bottles went into long, skinny boats that seemed too small to hold anything near what many humans might need for a week in the wild. As I learned, this is a gear intensive sport. There were several discussions of “suits” to keep one dry, the “skirt” that keeps the boat dry and the best approach in getting in the water (there were several). Miraculously, it all fit (bags and suits). We said our good-byes and “be safe”, took a group picture and six boats headed off for the west side of Lewis Lake. As a non-paddler, it was a most impressive sight.

What Sandi did not see was our problems after the launch.  One of our paddlers struggled with the wind and waves on Lewis Lake, and took a long break when he got to shore.  The Lewis river was as described, two miles of paddling, and about a mile dragging our boats upstream to Shoshone Lake.  Our struggling partner paddled part way, and then walked on the trail the rest of the way to Shoshone Lake, where we all regrouped and headed for a campsite.

The rain arrived in earnest on Monday. As oft happens in the mountains, we were treated to a lovely snow, sleet, heavy rains kind of day. I explored the area around Yellowstone Lake, watching the waves whip the shore and worried about the hardy crew in their boats and tents. I was relieved when the “we are OK on Shoshone Lake” satellite message came through. Monday evening I met my own band of merry travelers and received our schedule, water bottles and agreed to head out at 7 a.m. the next morning.

Given the cold and steady rain, the paddlers decided to stay in camp for the day, rather than try to pack up in the rain and snow.  We measured the midday air temperature as 44F.  Several parties went past us going out, in canoes and kayaks.

The weather gods completely redeemed themselves Tuesday morning.The day dawned fresh and clear, an absolutely perfect fall mountain day. We headed out for a day of exploring the geothermal features of the park- the original reason the park was set aside in the western wilderness.

Mud flats, geysers, fumeroles, and boiling springs are all part of the geyser basin that forms the southwest corner of the park. I have never been much for geology but the sight of steam rising over bubbling pools while elk graze nearby at West Thumb is simply breathtaking. We lunched beside the Little Firehole River and listened to the gurgle of the Fountain Paint Pots. We climbed a trail to get an aerial view of the Grand Prismatic Spring and watched the colors dance through the steam. Our geo tour concluded with a visit to Old Faithful. She was right on time and blissfully bubbly. Tired, but happy, we returned for dinner at the historic Lake Hotel. Sunset over the lake, reflecting the snow on the peaks of the Absoroka mountains finished our day.



Tuesday started cool, 44F, and overcast.  Up at 6:30, on the water by 9:30.  Light winds in morning, sun came out later.  We paddled to Windy point camp, an easy 3 miles.  We spoke to two canoes leaving.   Some of us paddled to the cove below Pocket lake, went east and then north. There were beautiful views of snow covered peaks. It was easy out, but headwinds and hard work back. 

Wednesday was find your local critter day. A spectacular sunrise-complete with positively ethereal fog/steam/mist over the Yellowstone River- provided the backdrop for a pair of sand hill cranes, a peregrine falcon, a bald eagle and the resident bison to say good morning in the Hayden Valley. With the mist clearing, we proceeded up and over the Dunraven Pass to the historic Lamar Valley.

The Lamar stretches for miles and is considered the Serengeti of North America. It is where the wolves were reintroduced in 1995. The Lamar River runs through this stunning place, home to bison and more bison, grazing pronghorns, a coyote chasing something in the marsh, and any number of cranes, cowbirds, geese, ravens and crows. Our guide explained that we were not likely to see any wolves, as they were enjoying a rich summer of feasting in the high country. Good rains and good grass meant good elk and no need to hunt near the river. We turned around near Pebble Creek trail and found two mountain goats romping on what looked to me to be an almost vertical cliff high off the valley floor. Bright and white and easy to spot in the scopes....and hanging from a cliff.

Bear in tree

But...Old Man Yellowstone was not done with us. Climbing back over the Pass, we came upon a Yellowstone traffic jam (with no bison in sight). Cameras ready, our guide maneuvered the bus to the side of the road. There we were treated to a full size black bear hanging in a tree at what was our eye level (let’s just say that was a significant drop off on the other side of the rail). Taking complete advantage of my front row seat, I asked our guide if he would open the doors for a better shot. He complied, as long as I promised to stay in the bus (no worries...close bear and sheer cliffs...I got it). Not one to miss the chance to impress, our bear stretched himself out and climbed almost to the top of the tree. Thank you, sir, that was awesome. Tired, a little sunburned but very happy with our day of critter watching, we returned to our little cottages.

On Wednesday, it was 33F when we woke up, with fog on the lake. We all paddled to Shoshone geyser basin. It was sunny and pleasant. We watched one geyser go off repeatedly. It was cool to see a wild thermal area.  We talked with a group of four backpackers; we saw no boats today. We had not seen an occupied campsite on this trip, and very few people. We got back on the water before 1 PM;  it was windy, with perhaps 2 foot quartering waves.

Thursday was Yellowstone Lake day. We hopped aboard several fishing boats at the Bridge Bay marina and took off for the eastern coast of the lake. The morning lake was smooth and calm as we motored toward the fumaroles dotting the coast line and a spectacular view of Mt. Stevenson in the Absaroka Range. We did a float by of the southeast arm (non motorized only) of the lake, then headed for Frank Island in the south central portion of the lake.

Fumeroles on the shore of Yellowstone Lake

Along the way, a history lesson of some of the early entrepreneurs (scoundrels) on the lake. Artifacts of a burned boat (let’s just say the Rangers took care of business) remain near a far shore. Lunch and hiking on Frank Island (day visits only) then a hustle up back to the boats before the wind got too strong. Lesson learned...three foot waves make for an interesting ride. Our pilot, Anna, was a pro and calmly guided us through the waves while telling me stories of kayakers she’d rescued in her time in the park. Docked safety, settled our “sea legs” and finished the day with a hike to the Natural Bridge.

We finished our wonderful week with a tour of the Yellowstone Falls area. Standing at the platforms near the upper falls and lower falls area one can hear the roar and feel the energy of the water. And, the stark beauty of the canyon walls is simply breathtaking. We learned of Artist’s Point and Thomas Moran’s painting that convinced Congress that some places are worth saving.

Thursday I woke at 5 am with stomach pains. I had felt ok up to that point. Four of us decided to go on a paddle/hike to Pocket lake. I was dragging, and slow on the paddle. I conked out on the hike, so we turned around.   I paddled the first section, and then was towed back to camp, against a strong wind, by Tim and Chris. Thanks guys.

More animals, too, on Friday. Our day had started on a overlook near the Haydn Valley with the sounds of wolves calling to each other across the road. The fog kept us from sighting the pack. Hearing a pack of wolves howl is something very special.  Friday afternoon on the way back to out hotel, we were astonished to see an adult male grizzly feeding along the river. Quite a crowd had gathered along the road to watch the scene. A ranger was actively managed the scene and doing her best to control the crowd and the traffic. I now understand why bear spray is a required accessory on a hike in Yellowstone. That was one big bear.

On Friday, we got up at 6, and got on the water by 8, which we were fairly pleased by. I was feeling better. We were blessed with a morning that was overcast and almost windless. The paddle across Shoshone lake was straightforward. The trip down the Lewis river was easy; we only scraped a little. We saw four groups going in, a mix of kayaks and canoes. We had been worried about crossing Lewis lake, but the wind was minimal. We got to the boat ramp about noon, everyone paddling under their own power. Most of the group headed to overnight in Riverton Wyoming.

Richard and crew had docked at Lewis Lake around noon on Friday. I raced to meet him and found a cold but happy human glad to see me. We returned to the hotel for early dinner, hot running water and a warm soft bed. After a few stories, he gladly crawled between the covers and slept.

Morning dawned. We agreed it had been a great week in Yellowstone and turned the car to home. 

The rain cleared out the smoke, so that we could see the Tetons.  Life is good.

Ottawa, Canada

On Friday, we headed for the airport,  to catch a flight to Ottawa, the capitol of Canada.  We were flying Westjet via Calgary.  We had some frustration with Westjet; we received three messages announcing a delay in the flight within 20 minutes, each with a different departure time.  We worried about our connection.   Another frustration was being told, by three Westjet employees, that we would cross customs in Ottawa.  We were skeptical, rightly so, because we went through immigration and customs in Calgary.  Luckily, our flight was only a few minutes late, and there were no lines in Calgary.  We arrived in Ottawa a little after midnight, as planned, and checked into the Marriott, near the Parliament building.  

On Saturday, we slept in. The day was beautiful and sunny.  We started by looking at the Ottawa locks on the Rideau Canal.  The canal is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  There are eight locks in a row.  The locks were built in the 1820’s; the canal was dug by hand, mostly by Irish laborers.  We went to the canal museum, and watched a boat go through one lock.  We took a long walk to the History museum in Gatineau, on the other side of the river, in Quebec.   The history museum is excellent, with the largest collection of totem poles in Canada.  We were also interested in “Death on the Ice”, about the Franklin expedition, all 129 of whom died searching for the Northwest Passage.  We walked home, and had a nice dinner at a Middle Eastern restaurant, Fairouz.

Sunday was another beautiful day.   We got up early and went in search of the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus tour.  After we bought a combination ticket for the bus and boat, we decided to first take a canal ride, in an electric tour boat.  Our tour guide was Haitian, and Richard asked lots of questions.  We learned more about the city and the canal. 

After the canal ride, on our way to the bus, we stopped for a memorial service at the World War I memorial. This was under the auspices of the Odd Fellows, as we found by talking to a man from Illinois.   Then we got on the tour bus, and drove around Ottawa and Gatineau.  We drove past museums, embassies, and  Justin Trudeau’s house, learning more about the city.  

We got off at the ByWard Market, had a quick lunch, and then got back on the bus.  We spent a couple of hours at the experimental farm, visited pregnant cows, and enjoyed petting goats, alpacas, and a donkey.   Sandi remembered lots of details about farm animals.    

We got back on the bus to our starting point, and walked to the Cathedral, for a mass in French, which included a first communion.  We spoke to one proud parent from Burundi.  The Cathedral is over the top, with an incredible interior and metal spires.  We had dinner in the Byward Market, and it started to rain.  Sandi wisely had us take a taxi back to our hotel.

Richard has been impressed by the number and variety of the new Canadians. We have spoken to people from many countries, including Haiti, Columbia, the Dominican Republic, and Burundi. He has been talking to people in Spanish, French, and English.  There was a lot of French spoken, and Richard got his ear tuned to it.

Monday we visited the art museums. We started with the Art Gallery of Ottawa, specializing in area artists. We had lunch in Byward market, and headed for the National Gallery of Canada.   The most impressive thing that we saw in the National Gallery was in the Rideau Chapel. The chapel was not remarkable in itself; however, an artist had set up 40 speakers, each one playing a recording of just one person, singing classical religious music A capella.  It was quite impressive. It was fun to watch people come in, walk around, and put their head next to each speaker, trying to figure it out. Basically this was a 40 channel recording, one microphone for each singer.

Tuesday, Sandi had to work, so Richard headed for Parliament.  He picked up a timed ticket for a tour. The tour was good, and included a visit to the top of the Peace Tower.
 
He was interested in the Parliamentary Protective Service, and asked a lot of questions. The security folks were wearing protest hats as a labor action. This group was formed a few years ago, from two other groups, and the security folks still do not have a contract. Years ago, they were unarmed, and only worked inside Parliament.   The change was probably a result of the 2014 terrorist attack on Parliament.

After a quick lunch, I took a bus in the direction of the air and space museum, and walked the final km to the museum. The museum is focused on Canadian contributions to aviation, and has a large collection of bush planes, which were very important in opening Canada's north. There were several WWII planes; the Lancaster bomber was particularly impressive. 

Wednesday, Sandi was working. I took a city bus to the airport, $3.50 CDN. The bus was convenient, with a stop near the hotel.   Richard flew an Air Canada turboprop to Montreal, and made it through the many layers of scrutiny required to fly to the U S A.  His flight from Montreal to Denver was routine.

Jackson, the Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone

On Sunday morning, we packed up the cats and headed north, driving through Loveland, Fort Collins, and Laramie.   We noticed many herds of pronghorn antelope.  We found out later that they were in their fall migration; they winter near Rock Springs.  We drove north from Rock Springs, stopping at the Highline Trail RV park in Boulder Wyoming, having driven from Boulder to Boulder.   At the RV park, we met the new owners, a couple from Arizona who grew up on ranches, and who did not want to live in a city.   We learned that they had a 28 day growing season, and admired a small greenhouse.  We were told to watch for moose, especially the one that lives in town, but did not see any.

On Monday, we started the day in good weather, and continued to Jackson, and then to Signal Mountain Campground, in Grand Teton National Park.   We drove back  to Jackson by looping north, passing the Snake River, and coming into intermittent rain.   In Jackson, Sandi stopped at the knitting shop, and then took a conference call.   Richard walked around town, and enjoyed happy hour.  We had dinner in Gather Restaurant, a local favorite, and definitely upscale.   We drove back to the campground in the dusk, seeing some elk along the way.   It rained all night and into the next day.

Tuesday we declared a rain day, and decided to enjoy the local museums and galleries.  We started at the Grand Teton NP visitor center, checked out Gross Ventre campground for future reference, and then continued on to town.  We had good Lebanese food at Figs restaurant, in an upscale hotel owned by a Lebanese family.  We wandered in the rain and sleet, visiting various art galleries.  We were told that they had one week of fall, but now it was winter.  We stopped at the excellent National Museum of Wildlife art, and then continued back to camp.    Between the weather and the trees, our solar panels are not helping us.  We noticed that some people moved out of the campground, probably fed up with the weather.  We had on again, off again, rain, sleet and snow.  The mountains were white with snow.  At one point we were in the sun, but being snowed on.

Wednesday, we decided to hike around Jenny Lake.  We started at String Lake, walked along the west side of the lake, and then took a boat ride across the lake.  We walked back along the east side of the lake.  There were nice fall colors.  The wind was sharp at times.  We got to watch a group of deer browsing just a few feet away.  A nice hike.

We had signed up for the wildlife caravan, in which we joined a guide and twelve other cars, driving to look for wildlife.   We got to see a huge bull moose from 200 feet or so away.  We stopped briefly to look at Pronghorn Antelope, which are not really antelope, and the fastest land animal in North America.   We continued to a wetland near the river, where we did not see any impressive wildlife, but we got to hear the elk bugle.  We continued to another stop, where we saw a herd of elk at a distance.  Our last stop was more or less in the dark, listening to elk bugle.  We were all scared that a car would hit the herd of elk crossing the highway, but no animals were hurt in making this blog.   Our guide was Grace, a young lady from Indiana; whose job was funded by a foundation.  She aspires to a regular ranger job.   Many of these jobs are seasonal.  The wildlife caravan was one of the more memorable parts of the trip.

On the day that we were going to Yellowstone, it snowed.  We heard that some roads might be closed.  We drove north, stopping at West Thumb Geyser basin and Old Faithful, and continued to West Yellowstone.   Our battery charger had failed, so we needed to stop and buy a replacement, and charge up our batteries.  We visited a grizzly education center in West Yellowstone, where we got to watch grizzlies eat.  After two nights in West Yellowstone, we proceeded to Gardiner Montana.   We went through Bozeman, since some roads were closed.

We had signed up for a class from Yellowstone Forever, "Three days in the life of wolves."   The class exceeded our expectations.  Our guide, Brad, was excellent, and we saw more wolves than we would have thought possible.   The snow had forced the animals down, where we could see them.  We got up very early each morning, and got on the bus, aiming to be where we could see wolves by dawn.