It’s been a long, long day! We were up at 4.45 a.m. and out the door by 5.30 a.m. and on our way to Yellowstone. We arrived back this evening at 6.00 p.m. 💤

The temperature started at 36°F (2.22°C) so a little chilly and layers were definitely needed, but by this afternoon had risen to 73°F (22.77°C), so much warmer. 🌞

We saw two mule deer 🦌 along the road and we think they were the ones we saw yesterday, as they were in exactly the same spot. We also saw a large elk 🫎, but by the time we had turned the car around to photograph him, he had vanished into the trees.

It was pitch black and there were only four other cars heading in the same direction as us. We were surprised how quiet it was. 🚘 Only made dogs, Englishmen, photographers and  Park workers would be out at that time of the morning! 🤷‍♀️

We had some rain on the drive, but it didn’t last long. 🌧️

It took one hour to reach the south entrance to Yellowstone, we sailed straight through, no queues at all and another 1.5 hours to reach the trail head to Mystic Falls Trail. When we arrived, there was only one other car parked, a father and son from Florida.

We had to take an alternative route to see Mystic Falls as the original route, via Biscuit Basin, has been closed since 23rd July 2024 due to a hydrothermal explosion at the Basin. A hydrothermal explosion is a violent natural event that happens when superheated water trapped underground rapidly turns to steam and shatters the surrounding rock.

That must have been a sight to see! 🌋

Yellowstone has rather a lot of bears, more than the Tetons, so as soon as we hit the trail head, I took the bear spray out of its holster and carried it, all ready for any action. 🐻 It so happened that we didn’t see any animals on the hike to the waterfall. The path was mainly very open so we would have seen if we were suddenly accompanied by a furry creature! 😱

I’m calling “Hey, hey” to alert any bears that we are there so they will not be surprised if they suddenly come upon us.

We decided the next order of the day was breakfast, so drove to the Old Faithful Inn. Our waiter was Spanish and told us that he had travelled to quite a few cities in England. He’s working at the Inn for the summer. One interesting thing was that he had never heard of Gibralltar!!

We both had the Hiker’s Breakfast, consisting of eggs, bacon or chicken sausage, toast and fresh fruit. It was okay, but we have had better. Still, it filled our empty stomachs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our next hike was to the Old Faithful Overlook. It was a short hike but with a sharp incline. We had just seen Old Faithful erupt at ground level, so that meant we had to wait approximately 90 minutes for the next one.

While we were waiting, two ladies arrived, they were sisters who came from Iowa. We talked about the film ‘Field of Dreams’ and how we had visited the farm where the film was made. It turns out that they have a friend whose father’s home backs onto the baseball field! Again! a small world! 🌎

We also discussed the film ‘Bridges of Madison County’ with Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood, but they had not heard of it. A wonderful film for the ladies. Tissues needed. 🥲🤧

We then had a very interesting conversation with a brother and sister who were visiting with their grandparents. It certainly helped pass the time while we waited. 😉

Eventually, Old Faithful decided the time was right and started his eruption. A magnificent sight to behold.

Old Faithful shoots water to a height of 106-184 feet (32-56 meters), with an average height of about 130-145 feet (39-44 meters) and can last for 1.5-5 minutes with a water volume of 3,700-8,400 gallons (14,000-32,000 litres).

Our final hike was a very short one to see Moose Falls at Crawfish Creek. It is a 30 foot plunge waterfall located on Crawfish Creek. Just by the Park’s south entrance.

It was a wonderful thing to see. 🌋

We then started the long drive back to Dornans and took some photos along the way.

Tonight we dined at Pizza and Pasta, here at Dornans. It’s the first time we have managed to eat there. It’s very, very popular. The view is magnificent, overlooking Grand Teton.