Yellowstone, Sort Of .....

So, we made it to Yellowstone. Kinsey likes to travel in the Fall because, theoretically, the tourists should have cleared out. Apparently, that theory is obsolete. There are now hoards of Baby Boomers running around thinking the same thing.

The next morning, following our arrival (see Highballing to Yellowstone) we headed off to the park. Traffic was already stacked up at the entrance. I could already see Kinsey's impatience meter start to rise.


Just a short way in Kinsey stopped to photograph me in the car. What's up with that?

Wonder dog sits in car?

So we que up behind the hoards and slowly move into the park. Our first diversion is to Fire Hole Drive, where you can see Fire Hole Falls. Well you can if you can find a place amongst all the people. Personally, I like being around a lot of people. I think it's fun. This is not something Kinsey and I have in common. Kinsey wanted to make a potty stop and there was a line wrapped around the outhouse. Needless to say she pressed on with full bladder. Impatience meter continues to rise.

Firehole Falls

I needed to keep in mind that Kinsey has seen all this before. In addition to there being lots of people the meteorological conditions were not at all good for photography. It was hazy and cloudless. Dull as dirt for photography. I finally get to see my first ever buffalo and he was right outside the car window. That was so cool!  I jumped all around, all over Kinsey and barked my head off. Barking at stuff is a new trick of mine. That old buffalo could not have been less impressed. He never even looked up. He's probably seen and heard it all before a million times.

Roadside Buffalo

We finally found a picnic area with an outhouse that seemed to have been overlooked by the crowd. Kinsey and I both got to take care of our business. In the US National Parks dogs aren't allowed off leash. So I was on restricted action. I was still looking kind of ragged from my hairdo in July (See Naked Girl)

Raggedy Ann Australian Shepard

We also saw some Mergansers frolicking in the river and not another camera in sight. That was a treat for Kinsey.

Mergansers

After the rest stop we detoured over to a place along the river where a whole bunch of people were trying to photograph a Trumpeter Swan. They were running all excited up and down the bank with their cameras and tripods. They we excited and so serious. Kinsey calls them wildlife paparazzi. I had to remind myself that for a lot of people this is an experience of a lifetime not everyday fare like it is for us.

Trumpeter Swan

So many people, really poor photographic conditions, no hiking and Kinsey threw in the towel on the park after about two hours. We hot footed it back to town to find the Forest Service office. The forest in this area of Montana is the Gallatin National Forest. I can't be on the trails in the park but I can be not only on the trails but off leash in the National Forest. We spoke to the ranger and got some hike ideas and a forest service map. I was all for this move. Who needs a stupid park where I can't even hike the trails?

Ciao for now!
Molly Montana

©Kinsey Barnard