THE DESTINATON, OR THE JOURNEY?

 It is a long way from Maryland to north-west Wyoming. 2,028 miles, give or take a mile here and there. Mostly it is a blur until one nears a place worth slowing down for. Somewhere like Badlands National Park in South Dakota...

The next image is zoomed in on the campers on the distant ridge that you can almost make out in the previous photo...

Cheryl took these images as the sun was rising...

This is a sunset over the National Grasslands...

We have visited the Badlands N.P. several times in the past, so after taking advantage of the dispersed camping permitted there, we were on our way to the Bighorn Mountains...

Campgrounds were typically full, but we did manage to find a spot in one when the folks who made a reservation did not show up. Cheryl took a stroll and spotted this bedded bull moose. I am not sure if the camper in the photo knew it was there or not...

After returning to our site it seems the bull had followed her...

Our next stop was Buffalo Bill State Park just outside of Cody, Wyoming...

While at Buffalo Bill we drove into Cody to get some last minute things. I was surprised to see that some neighborhoods had beautiful green lawns; with sprinklers going to keep them looking good. I don't understand how this is allowed with the historic drought that has the West in a death grip. One bit of advice that I have for anyone visiting this park is...do not drink the water. It may not make you ill, providing that you can manage to swallow it. The original name for the Shoshone River was the Stinking Water River. The town leaders changed the name when they realized that Stinking Water River was not appealing to potential visitors. Unfortunately, they could not change the taste!

 Our next stop would be Yellowstone National Park...

The image above is of Yellowstone Lake, taken at sunset from Steamboat Point. It was mid September but the temperature got down to 22 degrees over night. Since we were staying at Fishing Bridge we explored the nearby Hayden Valley the next morning...

Mist in the Hayden Valley made it difficult to see very far. We almost missed this group of swans as they came by...

Aside from the usually plentiful wildlife in the Hayden valley, there is the magnificent Grand Canyon o the Yellowstone...

Our second day in Yellowstone we explored an area called "Little America" which is on the road to the LamarValley. Because of road repairs we were only able to go as far as the Slough Creek Road. We spotted a mob of people standing by the road and Cheryl hopped out and captured these images of a cinnamon-phase black bear...

We have often seen bears seek relief from heat of the day. After cooling off this one was back in search of food to sustain it through the long hibernation ahead.

While checking Slough Creek, hoping to see some wolves, we found ourselves in the center of a bison migration from one grazing area to another...

We estimated that around 300 bison were on the move...

Some could not resist the temptation of the grass growing in a small wetland...

While others continued on with a single minded purpose...

This was a mixed herd with all age groups represented. Young bulls drifted aimlessly while mature bulls took dust baths and bellowed their defiance to the world...

Several mature bulls continued to dog individual cows; hoping to encounter one that had not been bred yet...

Even a nursing cow is not safe from the attentions of an affectionate bull...

There were many pronghorn bucks that appeared to be looking for females as well...

While heading back o Fishing Bridge we saw our first coyote of the trip...

It appeared to be mousing...

After three nights in Yellowstone we headed off to our ultimate destination...Grand Teton National Park where Cheryl quickly spotted this bald eagle at Oxbow Bend...

One aspect of Oxbow Bend is that it can look totally different rom one day to the next...

One day, while scanning the opposite bank for wildlife with the 150-600mm 

Sigma, a flock of waterfowl flew up-stream heading for Mt. Moran...

Our success at finding Elk in Yellowstone was not very good on this trip. Grand Teton N.P. proved a bit better...

One afternoon we watched as a solo bull looking for companionship. He followed a well worn trail to the river's edge...

He entered the water without the slightest hesitation...

After crossing the main channel he waded across a pool created by recent flooding...

Not far from Oxbow Bend is an area called Willow Flats. It was here that we spotted a northern harrier looking for prey...

                                  Willow flats is also known for the number of elk that use the area.                                                                                                                                                                 Check back soon to see more about our trip.

                                    Thanks for visiting, be well, and come back soon.