Do you have to make reservations to picnic with a Buffalo?

Sunday morning we headed into town to meet up with Kate and grab some coffee.  As is typical my cell battery died and I had no way to charge it so I had no way of calling Kate to tell her where we were sitting at the coffee shop, lucky for us we managed to work it out, without the use of technology (an amazing feat these days).

We headed to Kate’s home so we would have a little more privacy for our chat.  In keeping with my previous statements after some of the highly personal conversations we have been having with people on this trip, I am not going to divulge what we discussed.  I have invited Kate to write something that I can post so I will leave it to her to tell her story.  I will say that she is a remarkable woman, I think Azure said it best “she carries her grief with grace” that’s an understatement.  Kate started a local movement over a year ago to get mental health services in their community, and now is only working harder on making that happen.  I have no doubt that she is going to create something very positive out of a negative situation. Kate, it was truly a pleasure meeting you. It was a morning that Azure and I won’t soon forget; our hearts go out to you and your family.

We parted ways with Kate got some fuel for the van and headed into the park with plans to drive to the opposite side of Yellowstone and see the sights along the way.  This is an amazing park; the sites and wildlife are amazing.  However, we were a little taken aback by the crowds.  We thought that after Labor Day the park would be pretty empty, that wasn’t the case.  It isn't that people enjoying the park bother me, it's that nearly everyone one we saw was breaking on rule or another.  These are wild animals and they shouldn't be messed with.  One prime example of this stupidity, Azure and I witnessed two people sitting having a picnic directly next to a buffalo, as in, twenty feet away.  There were plenty of other tables and tons of other picnic sites throughout the park yet they choose this one.  I can see the head line now "Tragedy at Yellowstone, Man and Wife killed by crazed Buffalo" the only tragedy would be that they would likely put the animal down after such an incident.  

One really funny moment, shortly after we sat through a several mile back up to look caused by people stopping to see a female elk that was near the road; we pulled over and watched two wolves hunting for rodents.  Pretty ironic, hundreds of people stopping for a run of the mill elk, and only one other car pulled over and watch the wolves with us.  It was an awesome sight. 

We reached the other side of the park only to be turned around due to a wild fire.  So we ended up, I’ll give you one guess, yup, back in West Yellowstone.  It just kept sucking us in; there are worse places in the world to have such a thing happen. Take New Jersey for instance.  Just kidding, I’ve never actually been to Jersey it just seemed like a fitting thing to say, since Jersey is always getting picked on.  Sidebar – I can’t believe that I am missing the new season of Jersey Shore, feel free to send me an email and fill me in.

We did some more sightseeing on Monday.  Four days is not enough time to try and see this place, I’m thinking that a month would be better. 

After several very busy “rest days” I got back on the bike Tuesday and rode out of the parks all together.  I didn’t ride far, but I did cross the Continental Divide for the 8^th and final time.  It was a bruiser; I basically started climbing at the Jackson Lake Lodge junction and rode up for the next 30 or so miles, not an exaggeration.  Yet again though, the scenery was breath taking.

Sorry for the delayed posts but Internet was spotty and I was too tired after running through Yellowstone to sit and write.  I will try to do better.

9-21

66 miles

14.2 mph average

36.4 mph max

4:36:02 ride time

(one of the many hot springs at the park)

(Jackie seriously wanted to play with that Elk...we didn't let her)

(The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone)

(Heading out of Grand Teton)

(almost to the top, for the 8th and final time over the C.D.)

Comments

[Matt]

Is that stuffed animal holding on because it's scared of Azure driving the Beast? ;X <3 <3 <3