Los Flemings

Update from this week's camp:

Oh so much fun at young boys camp this week! We've blacksmithed, sewed leather, swung on a rope, caught crayfish, and built an oven out of mud. We've learned stillness and quiet, and we've yelled really loud. We've played hard, and walked softly. Its a great time to be a boy in Appalachia!

We're wondering if they are going to want to come home!

Rain arrived and it was a bit soggy for our walk along the North Rim but the Upper and Lower Falls were spectacular.

























Our last morning we woke up to more rain for a drizzly drive back to Jackson. Passed a bison walking down the middle of the road on the way out of the park! The sun was peeking out when we got back to Jackson and we had smooth sailing from there to Denver and on to Charlotte. It was a late arrival home but we were all glad to be back home and very appreciative of the chance to travel with Granddaddy Frank and Dandy.

Started our day with a walk around Mammoth Hot Springs and the travertine terraces.





Enjoyed our picnic a Sheepeater Cliff picnic an interesting basalt formation.













And finished the day with a walk around Norris Geyser Basin. Sam was hoping to catch Steamboat Geyser, the world's tallest. It had been active earlier in the month but we didn't get the full show.






The late afternoon hike crew - Ben, Mame and Ford - in the loop at Norris.

This was our move day from Grant Village to Canyon Village.

Toured along the Yellowstone River with a stop at LeHardys Rapid - no spawning trout but the wildlife photographers pointed out Harlequin duck resting on a rock in the middle of the river.














More mud pots along the way and then some stunning views along the south rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone including Lower Falls from Artist Point.

In the evening we drove out into the Lamar Valley in search of wildlife and saw bison, elk, pronghorn and coyote.

The day took us through the Midway and Lower Geyser basins with a loop around Firehole Lake - lots of geysers, pools, fumaroles and mud pots. The highlight was Grand Prismatic Spring.




White cone geyser
 And the view from the observation point above Grand Prismatic springs

Connected with Dandy, Granddaddy Frank and Aunt Amy in Grant Village. Then we started our first full day in the park in the Upper Geyser Basin for the obligatory viewing of Old Faithful.


















Sam's first bison encounter - behind the Old Faithful Inn.





 Faithfully waiting for Old Faithful

Just getting there was an adventure - our flight from Asheville was cancelled due to bad weather in Chicago. The best alternative was to drive to Charlotte for the night and fly out the next morning at 5:30 a.m. The crew was in motion at 3:00 a.m. and hung in there for a busy travel day. Arrived in Jackson, WY around mid day, collected our rental and started north for Grant Village.




Relieved to be in Wyoming and soaking up the beauty of Grand Teton National Park.




Yellowstone at last!