Bernhards Random Ramblings BACKUP

North of Mammoth Hot Springs is a road-side marker for the 45th parallel. For whatever reason, the top board of the sign was loose, so we got to have some fun with it...

While there weren't many really large active geysers at Norris Basin, we enjoyed the views of the hottest geyser basin at Yellowstone, and took our time strolling through the back basin.

Yellowstone's Grand Geyser is the tallest predictable geyser in the world at a height of over 180 feet. Grand has a period of about 8-10 hours, with a prediction has an accuracy of +/- 90 minutes. Unless you get very lucky, it takes some patience to see this. I ended up waiting almost 3 hours to see the show. The physics of geysers are fascinating in how water, pressure, and heat interact with fissures in the earth to produce super-heated water, which eventually shoots to the surface.

Among the many neat shots we took at West Thumb Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park, this one stands out. I love the clouds and the contrast of the forest with the colorful deposits around the drain of Black Pool.

A very easy and nice place for wildlife watching in Grand Teton National Park is at the Oxbow Bend Turnout. It's conveniently located along the Snake River, plenty of parking and over the course of a few hours we saw deer, elk, pelicans, even a river otter ... and some light rain. Since we came with the RV, we had dinner right there on the river to envious looks from other wildlife watchers.   We heard from others that evening that they saw a moose cow with calf at the nearby Willow Flats turnout. There's plenty going on and to see here. It takes a little bit patience, but you won't get bored. Most of my wildlife photos are a bit blurry due to being taken at dusk. When going on a trip like this, remember to bring your tripod ...

Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park is one of these places that you rarely hear about until you are planning to go nearby. It is incredibly pretty and the photos don't do it justice. There is boat service to hiking trails on the other side of the lake. However, due to construction, parking at South Jenny Lake was very limited, and we would have to be very lucky to find a reasonable parking spot with the RV, so we spent the afternoon on the East side of the lake, enjoyed the views, and had a great time.

Wolf Creek Campground is in the Snake River Canyon between Jackson Hole and Alpine. It's basic, with no hookups, but quiet and comes with nice scenery. We relaxed here after a rather adventurous whitewater rafting trip down the Snake River.