Langworthy Visit

We had a great visit from friends Bud and Nancy Langworthy. This gave us another excuse to visit beautiful areas of the park and environs. While they were here, we covered the upper loop of the park, the Beartooth Pass, and Chief Joseph Highway. I’ll insert pictures from our travels, including Lorraine Bud and Nancy at Artist’s Point with the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone in the background, us celebrating on the porch of their cabin at Mammoth, and Bud and Nancy in front of the Roosevelt Arch.







On our travels, we saw our first baby pronghorns in the Lamar Valley, as well as an alert male pronghorn silhouetted against the blue sky.





Lorraine also caught a coyote (or possibly a red fox) in a field, and we saw our first mountain goats ever. The goats were on a rocky ridge – shown first through my 200 mm lens. They are almost invisible (due to distance) at the center of the frame on the edge of a ridge. The cropped photo of them is next. It isn’t too sharp since it is a very small part of the frame. We would never have seen them but for some enthusiasts with a high-power spotting scope.







After the Langworthys left for Lake, Lorraine and I decided to check out the Mammoth Cemetery, which we had read a lot about in the book “Deaths in Yellowstone”. I’ve included pictures of a few of the gravestones.









In the category of “around Mammoth” I’ll show a picture of an elk through our room window, and a typical evening in the dorm lounge, where we solve most of the worlds problems on a regular basis.





That's all for now. I'm trying to do shorter postings - which maybe I'll do more frequently. I have too many pictures that I think you should all see. Lorraine has to point out to me that there is such a thing as overkill.

We Told You It Is Romantic!

July 4^th brought the first of two weddings this summer of people who met here last year. Brett (my EDR co-worker) and Kim were married on July 4. The wedding was a private affair at Undine Falls, but they had a reception for friends at the pavilion at Arch Park in Gardiner. It was a fun, casual affair and gave us a chance to wish the newlyweds well. I won’t name all the individuals, some of whom regular readers of the blog will recognize, but I’ll say that Brett and Kim are the couple embracing while dancing. Everyone shared their obvious happiness and wishes them well.

Only in Yellowstone is it appropriate to have hugging bears on the wedding cake!

Wayne, Pat, Lynn, Ron

Barbara & Loretta

Carl and Brett (the groom)

Brett & Kim dancing

Our wildlife for this edition of the blog consists of a family of coyotes playing at their den, and Lorraine’s pictures of the incredibly blue mountain bluebird – the only one we’ve seen this year. Note the Uinta ground squirrel (also know as a Whistle Pig) in one of the bluebird pictures. There are dozens of them here scurrying in and out of their holes as you walk by.

Early one evening we walked up the hill behind our dorm on the old stagecoach road to Gardiner. The view of the Gallatin range in Montana is exquisite, and the sunset over the mountains isn’t bad either.

I’ll add a good picture of Lorraine and Lucy (L’s coworker from college days) in their new blue bamboo shirts behind the desk of the newly remodeled gift shop.

On a trip to the Chief Joseph highway we stopped at Dead Indian Hill, a view that always is grand, and especially so in stormy weather. On the return, we stopped at the Beartooth Café, where Lorraine photographed an example of how they save water in the west.

Next time I’ll have pictures from a great visit by the Langworthys.

Cody Stampede

I have tried to capture some of the excitement, energy and violence of a Rodeo in this post. Cody has a Rodeo every summer evening, but for the holiday weekend, they bring in the big guns. The one on July 4th was televised on ESPN last year.

The very elaborate entrance parade was led by the Marine Mounted Honor Guard carrying the colors for the National Anthem. They were most impressive – and they’re the only remaining mounted honor guard in the military.



The First event was bareback riding and was really exciting. Look at how the cowboys lie back on the horse as it bucks. Believe it or not, this doesn’t mean that they fall off immediately. Of course, some do!







The steer wrestling was interesting. The prospect of jumping from a running horse onto the horns and back of a steer is not my idea of fun, but obviously some cowboys like it.





The girls who did barrel racing were the fastest riders in the arena. They made the horses turn on a dime around 3 barrels (without knocking them down) and then flew back to the start line, where there was a timer. It was fun to watch.





Saddle bronc riding was similar to bareback, but they had some sort of a saddle. They apparently didn’t have reins, however, and the horses were especially vigorous.







Finally we saw the most violent competition: bull riding. This is truly scary – especially in person. The bulls are so big, so fast, and so heavy that there is a lot of room for damage, but most of the cowboys come through it OK. It is a fitting ending for an exciting evening.







On the morning of July 3rd we went to the Independence Day Parade in Cody. It was one of the best parades we have ever seen. It had a real small-town flavor, but with participation by all sorts of groups (120 entries) and more horses than I’ve seen in one place ever.

It was led by the Mounted Marine Color Guard that we saw the night before at the rodeo. The parade marshall was Wilford Brimley, whom you will recognize leading a team of horses.

There was an excellent collection of old cars. I’ve included only one which really impressed me. I don’t know the model. Miss Rodeo Virginia, whom we met the previous afternoon, is waving to us. She is unfortunately obscured by one of the outriders who accompanied the whole parade.









Other pictured parade folk include a Native American in full dress, Calamity Jane’s great-great-niece expertly wielding a long bull whip, a line of mounted law officers (all in black), a moving ski lift, and a 12-ft version of Uncle Sam, who had no trouble bending down to shake hands with young citizens.













Finally we found a wonderful expression of patriotism at the local fire department, which had hung their very large flag from the top of their ladder truck.



We hope you all had a very special Fourth of July holiday.