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.