June 10, Saturday

This will be a real quickie!! We got home last night well after ten and I haven't blogged or looked at photos yet, and we want to get on the road to Yellowstone!!

Our first stop yesterday yielded our first peek at a small herd of elk. I say peek because they were REALLY far away, but in the photos the tiny specks become just large enough to identify. Just trust me, okay? We're told that in the northern part of Yellowstone they lie down in the ranger's front yard, so I should be able to send better photos then!

On to Signal Mountain which is said to have a beautiful view (like there is anywhere here without one!) and a chance at wildlife. No one said it's called Signal Mountain because there is a cell tower and you can get a signal!! I took the opportunity to text my guys and also Marilyn's since she is not a texter. It is always a thrill to be able to reach out to the kids!

The next turnout leads to more gorgeous views of the mountains, this time with Jackson Lake in the foreground! I know I keep taking pictures of these mountains and how many can you possibly need, but they are just too beautiful and it's really hard to stop!

Our main goal of the day is Hidden Falls, so we head to the south end of Jenny Lake to catch the ferry across the lake. You can hike around it but it takes hours (and more strength than we could probably muster!) and the ferry is only five minutes. It's a quick and fun ride with our pilot, Cody, who promises that no one will even get wet!

Bill had told us not to settle for the shots from the bridge, although those are lovely, so we persevere all the way to the top. One man we passed said, "It's not called Hidden Falls for nothing!" and he is so right! You can hear the rushing, splashing, singing water all the way up; but when you turn that last corner and see the falls in all its magnificence, there are no words to describe it. And looking at the pictures, apparently it is pretty hard to capture that way, too!

Before beginning the hike we had eaten our salads in the car; when we started back down we were well and truly ready for sandwiches so we stopped at a likely spot. As we turned into the little turnout a guy said he had seen a hedgehog! Sure enough, there is a critter, although he is really a marmot! He isn't very afraid of people and we had second thoughts about sharing our lunch with him. He left, we sat, he came back! I was munching when Marilyn yelped and I grabbed up everything before I even saw why she reacted! There he was! We watched for a while and he meandered away, so we finished up and completed our descent to the ferry dock. The boat was just pulling in and we were lucky to make the cut as Cody counted off the number of passengers he could take.

Back on the other side we chatted with one of the rangers, Laura, who told us that the Mayflies had just hatched and that when they mated and died they fell onto the lake's surface where the trout snapped them up. We could see several trout break the surface for their lunch. The larger fish are sucker fish. Really.

Wow! As we pull out a deer crosses right in front of our car! Right in front!

Back to the car and down to the gathering spot for our evening float down the Snake River. We are early which is just fine. We need a break and also dinner! The Chuckwagon Buffet isn't open today, which is fine because we weren't excited about the prices. Instead we shopped at little at Dornan's store and watch with trepidation as the clouds gathered and the drizzle began. Pizza and Pasta was the only show in town and they were doing a rousing business! We placed our calzone orders to go and were happy to find that before they were ready Marilyn could commandeer a table for us! We changed to order to eat-in since calzones with marinara sauce really aren't finger food. She got a glass of white zin to go with hers. I tried Alaska Pale Ale and it is quite nice.

We finished up and the rain did, too! We moved the car down to the actual meeting site and laid the seats back for a twenty minute relaxation. After that it was time to meet our guide and get moving. Marilyn had talked to a lady on the four-o'clock float and learned that they had not only rain but hail! We had lovely weather! Neil, our guide, was superb, keeping up a continual chatter about what we were seeing on the river and the banks! We had a very successful float! At least six beavers showed their little faces, one was swimming and the rest were on the bank. Neil showed us the pointy-topped stumps that marked trees they had felled, as well the the trees with the cambrium layer eaten away. We spotted four bald eagles and three bison climbing the bank and, later, a lone bull. There was a moose, and as the light dwindled into dusk there were a couple of elk! You'll have to take my word because, between the bouncing of the waves and the low light, the photos aren't much. This was one of those instances where the memories will have to do! We also saw white pelicans, a blue heron and lots of Canada geese.

Neil safely brought us into shore and we set off for home and bed! Along the way, in the dark, we finally spotted a herd of elk right by the road! Again - trust me!

It is amazing how long it takes to get home in the dark when you are constantly afraid an animal will run in front of your car!! Once inside the door only about ten minutes pass before we are zonked!!