West Yellowstone,Montana

After 6 days at Fishing Bridge CG in Yellowstone NP, we are thrust back into civilization at West Yellowstone, MT. Yellowstone has only a few spots with cell phone service and virtually no internet or TV. We had a great time without them. Gorgeous scenery and incredible encounters with animals.Yellowstone is the oldest NP and it remains very close to its natural state. We met our nurse friends from Chicago, Debbie Connor and her friends Kathy and Luanne and traveled with them for 4 days. Luanne who is a nurse at the Old Faithful Clinic gave us a "locals" wildlife tour. By driving and hiking in the park since May, she knew where each type of animal might appear. Each day was an adventure. We would start out early in the AM to hunt for big game.We saw wolves,bear,elk,coyotes,eagles,and bison. One morning, we watched 4 river otters catch and eat a trout and have a standoff with a coyote. The otters won! The common term here is " bison jam" or " bear jam" instead of traffic jam. The geysers,hot springs,mudpots,etc are everywhere. Their shimmering colors astounded us. Yellowstone Lake and Yellowstone River wound thru the park with waterfalls, canyons, and beautiful sunsets. We even were able to wade in the Firehole River. The water was warmer than the air and the canyon spectacular. We enjoyed trusty Old Faithful and its historic log built lodge. Our week at Yellowstone was exhilarating and we would recommend it highly.