Earth Day at Yellowstone

Okay, so I wasn't supposed to go to Yellowstone today. What happened? I changed my mind. Actually, it wasn't a difficult decision. I was already thinking about it when I left Dillon, MT this morning. After getting some deli Chinese chicken salad for lunch at Safeway, I headed out with the intention of doing another day of exploring more old buildings. But, my heart really wasn't into that plan. And, when I discovered the two towns weren't really open for the season anyway, I just continued on to Yellowstone National Park. About 30 miles from the park, I saw my first significant wildlife. A traffic sign alerted me to the (possible) presence of wildlife...specifically bighorn sheep...near the road. Sure enough, there was!

I didn't see any rams...just ewes and lambs. And, some of them appeared to be wearing tracking collars, too. I also saw some bison, but I would be seeing a lot more of those later, so I didn't even stop. When I reached Yellowstone, I made a quick decision to just spend the afternoon leisurely enjoying the sights of Norris Geyser Basin. After eating my lunch in the car, I was eager to see some geothermal wonders. At the trailhead, there was an information board and this particular notice caught my eye. Is it really that much of a problem, I wondered.

Since I've visited this particular geyser basin at least a couple of times in the past, I wasn't so much into taking photos of everything I saw. Rather, I was looking for creative shots. With the sun shining and temps in the low 50s, it was a picture perfect day!

Tomorrow may not be quite as sunny, but it's not supposed to rain either. I'm just looking forward to another relaxing day at Yellowstone. It just never gets old. Happy Earth Day!