Last
Words from Yellowstone
September
15, 2017
WOW…… its
sure is hard to believe that a few short months ago Paula and I began this
amazing adventure we call the Ramblin Ruis. It seems like just yesterday that
we were making our final preparations to hit the road as full time RVers. Up to this point we could not have asked for
more out of our adventure which has included, living in one of the most
beautiful places in the world, daily interaction with nature, meeting and
making new friends, and rediscovering who we are as a married couple. All has
not been perfect but we have been truly blessed to have seen and done all we
have this first season as full timers. As we prepare to leave here it is bitter
sweet as we will be leaving behind what has been our home for the past 5 months
and new-found friends, but at the same time as the snow falls outside our
window today, winter has begun and we know we must move on. We also look
forward to seeing our family and friends back on the east coast as we pass
through on our way south for our winter snow birding.
Chief Joseph Highway
Big Horn Sheep at paly on Cody Road
Bull Moose
September
has been a busy month just like the previous ones here at Fishing Bridge RV. It began with a busy Labor Day weekend in
which Paula and I had a picnic lunch on one of our days off along Yellowstone
Lake at a place called Sedge Bay. We
packed sandwiches, chips, drinks and maybe a cookie or two. We choose an
isolated table right on the shore of the lake. The day was a clear day and warm
for the first of September in Yellowstone. As we sat down Paula choose the side
of the table facing the lake and I sat on the opposite side of the table with
my back to the lake. As I sat down Paula asked “why are you sitting on that side
you can’t see the lake from there”. I laughed and told her I was gonna watch
for wild life across the road. As we
began to eat our lunch and talk I noticed something across the road that caught
my eye. At first glimpse, it looked like an elk grazing. As I brought it to
Paula’s attention and she turned to look it swished its long tail and she said
that’s no elk that’s a horse. Sure, enough right before our eyes slap dab in
the middle of prime grizzly territory was a horse grazing all by its lonesome.
No rider, No saddle…… As we sat in amazement at what we saw we discussed how
and why a horse was all alone way out here. Now keep in mind that a short distance from Sedge
bay is a staging area for horseback guided tours into the back country. We
thought he may have gotten loose from this area. So as Paula walked back to the
truck to get her phone to call the Rangers it just so happened a truck load of
Rangers was coming down the road. We flagged them down and asked if they knew
anything about a missing horse. One Ranger exclaimed a horse, it’s been missing
for a week and we are gonna give you a reward. As the Rangers went up and got
the horse we finished our picnic and watched as they led the horse back to
their truck and waited on a horse trailer to arrive. After eating I had to
stick my feet in the lake which averages 51 degrees in the summer as I had been
dying to do this all summer. It was cold and I only went in to my knees. As we got ready to leave our picnic location the
Rangers were still waiting on a trailer to arrive so being curious as to where
the horse came from we rode to their location to inquire. It was at this time
we found out that the horse had gone missing 7 days earlier from a trail ride
25 miles deep in the back country. Now it is truly amazing that this horse
spent 7 days alone in the back country dragging a lead rope in the middle of
grizzly country and survived this journey. I didn’t find out the horse’s name
but whatever it was he needs to change it to LUCKY.
Bear Tooth Highway
West Thumb Hot Springs
On Labor
Day Monday, we had a staff cookout with barbequed chicken on the grill and
sides galore. Jim and I cooked the
chicken as the others gave pointers and critics of our barbeque skills. One
thing for sure there hasn’t been a shortage of food among the Fishing Bridge RV
staff this year. We have had delicious meals at each holiday gathering during
the summer.
On
Tuesday September 5, we headed over to Cody after work for dinner with HF and
JoAnne Whitlow. They were passing through on a trip out west and called to let
us know they were in the neighborhood. We went to dinner at Irma’s restaurant
which is located in the old hotel which was owned by Buffalo Bill Cody when he
founded the town. It was a very nice meal and visit with the Whitlow’s and we
even had Buffalo Bill stop by our table and say hello. It is always good to see
friendly faces from Ringgold.
With our
last full moon being September 6th, we decided to go and watch the
full moon rise over an eruption of the Old Faithful geyser. So, when Paula and
I got off work we packed a picnic dinner and drove to meet Ed and Judy, our
co-workers who are retired professors from Boise State University, for a hike
to the Grand Prismatic overlook for an afternoon view of this most impressive
and colorful hot spring. Then after the hike we went back to the Old Faithful
area where we had our picnic and were met by a number of our other co-workers
for the full moon viewing over Old Faithful. We meet around 730pm and the first
eruption after dark was not until around 920pm so we hung out at the Old
Faithful Inn socializing and telling tells and having a good laugh with each
other. Because of all of the wild fires in the west we had a thick haze of
smoke hanging over the sky and I was afraid that the moon would be blocked by the
smoky haze since it was my idea to come see this. By at about 850 pm a bright
orange moon appeared through the smoke and we had a wonderful viewing of the
Old Faithful eruption with the full moon in the back ground.
Corn Moon
Full Moon Over Old Faithful Geyser
This past
Tuesday night we went out to star gaze with Ed and Judy to the Mary Bay area of
lake Yellowstone. This was something we had been trying to do all year. It was
truly amazing the Milky Way galaxy was so bright it was reflecting off the
lake. Millions and Millions of stars
just a shining in the night darkness. We did see a few shooting stars as well
one was so bright and lasted so long you almost would have thought it was an
airplane. To top the night off as we sat there along the lake watching the
stars the elk were bugling in the valley behind us.
As the
circle of life rotates in Yellowstone September is the “rut” for the elk. The
bull Elk bugle to try and lure the cows in for the mating season. The bulls
strut around with the huge racks as if they own the world, and the bugling is
one of the most unique sounds you will ever hear.
Big Boys On The Prowl
Last
night we rode out to the Hayden Valley for one last chance at seeing a wolf or
a bear before we leave this magical place.
As we rode north I spotted something on a ridge just across the
Yellowstone river. We pulled into a pull out and grabbed our binoculars. To our
amazement it was a pack of wolves. Black wolves, Gray Wolves, A White Wolf, and
a least 6 newborn pups. For the next hour,
we sat and watched the wolves play, wrestle and chase each other in the meadow
on the ridge without a care in the world.
While we sat there we heard the bugle of the elk across the river. As we
looked across the river with in a half a mile stretch of meadow along the river
there was a heard of elk, a bull bison grazing and a pack of wolves that numbered
at least 18 strong coexisting in nature as God has created them to do. This was
truly icing on the cake for us and our wild life viewing this season in
Yellowstone.
Wapiti Wolf PAck
Our
season ends here on September 17th as the campground closes for the
season. We will check out our last guests and pack up our office supplies to
save for the next season. We will have a hamburger/hot dog cookout for the
staff Sunday night. Then on Monday the 18th Xanterra treats us to
breakfast at the Lake Hotel and we will check out with the Personal office and
we will all head our separate ways.
Last Day at the Check in Desk
As we
pull up stakes here Paula and I will head to Bozeman Mt for a couple of days
and then we will go to Banff Alberta Canada for a weekend getaway. After
returning from Banff we will head to Salt Lake City, Utah where on October 1st
we will meet Ashley and Tristan who will be flying in from Alaska. For the first two weeks of October we will
visit 5 national parks in Utah and then the Balloon Festival in Albuquerque New
Mexico and White Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. Around October 13 we
will head east and should arrive back in Ringgold by the end of October. We
will be in Ringgold until December 1st or so and then we will head
to SC for the month of December where we will be volunteering in a state park
campground. Then January 1 we will head back to Florida for a little R&R.
February
and March are still yet to be determined and then we will plan on a return trip
for a second season in Yellowstone in April 2018.
As we
leave here we are very thankful to the good Lord above for the opportunity to
be able to live out our dream. We are thankful for the new friendships that we
have developed. We are also very thankful for the opportunity to wake up in
this beautiful place every day for the last 5 months.
Looking
around this old world today it makes you realize how short life is and fragile
it can be. So as the Saturday morning show Rock the Park says; Get out and
enjoy a park and if we can do it you can do it to…..
Until
Next Time
The
Ramblin Ruis
Allen and
Paula
