From Mexico to Yellowstone National Park

It is hard to keep up a blog when there is no or limited internet access but here in West Yellowstone, just 12 miles from where we are camped in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) there is WiFi in the visitor center so during our weekly trips to town (population 900) we can get e-mail and do other assorted computer chores.
We left Mexico, followed the Rio Grande River birding the Texas/Mexican boarder into Big Bend National Park. Scenery was awesome, birding was good, and hiking was excellent. We followed the Rio Grande northward into New Mexico stopping at state parks and National Forests along the way. We saw petroglyphs and pictographs left by civilizations nearly 10,000 years ago. We climbed to pueblo ruins, visited Indian cultural centers, and saw volcanic cones. A day of shopping in Old Town Albuquerque was really interesting and we left there with new artist –made wedding bands and perhaps a renewal of a relationship.
Colorado Springs was our intermediate destination and once there we wasted no time making arrangements to catch a flight from Peterson Field to Andrews AFB in Maryland. This trip back East was to visit friends and family.

First a quick trip to Denton Maryland where Bill, Ann, and especially Marisa and Sammy entertained us for the weekend. Marisa never slows down and is sharp as a tack. Sammy is as loveable as can be. Then up to Pennsylvania for a nice visit with Mom and Dad. Playing dominoes during the evenings added to a most enjoyable stay.
Back to Bill and Ann’s for the weekend then over to Andrews where we caught another C-21 (Lear Jet) that took us to Maxwell AFB in Alabama and gave us a chance to visit with Jayme, Chris and Braelyn. Braelyn was approaching her first birthday so we had a practice birthday party.
We departed for Maxwell where we waited for several days for another C-21 that took us back to Peterson in Colorado Springs. Our RV was parked at the home of Escapee Chapter 8 friends Spook and Brenda McFillin.
They took good care of it which sure took the worry out of being away. April in Colorado Springs is still winter and on the eve of our departure we got to experience 4-6 inches of fresh snow. The white landscape was beautiful and Pike’s Peak to the west was awesome. The entire frontal range of mountains-their purple mountains majesty-displayed a breathtaking beauty.
Northbound toward Yellowstone National Park we stopped in Loveland for several days to see some of the sights. Estes Park and the Rocky Mountain National Park gave us our first sighting of mountain sheep and elk. We hiked the perimeter trail around Bear Lake and were entertained by a chipmunk-like golden mantled ground squirrel who played hide-and-seek with us coming close hoping for handouts then running away only to reappear even though handouts never were offered.

A drive through the mountains took us to a secluded retreat, home of the Great Stupa, the largest Buddhist temple in North America. Back in Loveland we toured a local brass foundry taking a very personal tour getting an up close look at wax molding, porcelain mold making, molten brass pouring and finally assembling and finishing. We really have a much greater appreciation of the art of the sculpture and thoroughly enjoyed viewing the statuary in the city park.

Our next stop was Yellowstone. Throughout Colorado and Wyoming on our way to Yellowstone Pronghorn were everywhere, sometimes in sizeable herds. We passed through the Grand Teton Mountains and will certainly return during the summer. Our arrival into Yellowstone on the first day of the southern road opening was not disappointing. There is a spirit about this place and the scenery escapes any attempts at description.
Beautiful trout streams, meadows with grazing elk and bison, snow capped mountains, and the unbelievable thermal features-the geysers, fumaroles, hot pools, and mud pots. They need to be seen to be believed.
Over 14000 thermal features are in the park – more than in all of the rest of the world. The forested landscape, recovering from the fire of 1988, shows the resiliency of nature. Lodgepole pine the predominant tree species are equipped with seratinous cones that are triggered by heat, releasing millions of seeds. The seedlings now 4 -10 feet high are naturally reclaiming the park. Fire is part of the natural scheme of things in this ecosystem but the extremely dry conditions of the summer of 1988 resulted in 22 different fires that effected about one third of the entire park or about 800,000 acres. Yellowstone is actually the caldera of an active volcano that last erupted 640,000 years ago and experiences 1000 – 3000 earthquakes a year. Magma is only 3-5 miles below the surface and the shifting tectonic plates let heated water rise to the surface-sometimes in explosive displays of force. Three million visitors come here annually to experience the magic and spirit of Yellowstone. I will write more later.