A Leisurely Day of Leisure

The rain drops I could see on my tent when I woke this morning confirmed that the rain, thunder and lightning that I thought I heard and saw through the night were in fact not just a dream. Fortunately, it wasn’t another one of those violent storms like the one in Big Timber. Of course, if it had been I likely wouldn’t have questioned whether it was a dream or not.

Despite the rainy night, the morning was another beautifully sunny day. And I had nowhere to be. Yesterday’s long ride meant that I was at least one day ahead of schedule so I planned to spend it leisurely. There would be no packing up of gear, or route planning, or searches for accommodation. That would all wait until tomorrow. Today I was just going to enjoy some of the sites (and sights) that Yellowstone has to offer.

With no rush to the day, I had a leisurely breakfast and chatted a bit more with Nate and Anna. They were heading off to Tower Fall today and were on the road by 11:00 AM – but not before I remembered to get a photo with them. They were super nice people and it was nice to meet them. Plus, they gave me a heads-up as to what I could expect from my ride tomorrow. The key word: Construction. But that was something I would worry about tomorrow.

Today’s agenda was simple, hike the trail from the Mammoth Campground up to Mammoth Hot Springs. It was a short trail and MUCH better than having to walk the switchbacks on the main road to the top.

As one would expect from Yellowstone, there was no shortage of tourists. And RVs. Oh, and elk. Although, the elk seemed content to just hang out in the village.

From here I’ll let the “A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words” take over. I mean, I could tell you what I did and saw but essentially it all involves walking and various forms of hot springs and geothermal activity. All of which is better suited to photos. And even the photos don’t really capture it – the thin layers of flowing water frequently gets lost in a still photo.

Anyway, Yellowstone is pretty beautiful and remarkable. I’m definitely glad I opted not to bypass it. (Yes, that’s the understatement of the day).

Oh, and it was definitely a scorcher of a day today and had I been on the bike there would’ve been quite the headwind to contend with late in the day. Note to self: Start early tomorrow – even though I think it will be a short day. Remember, I thought yesterday would be a short day too but it very much wasn’t.

Ok, now would be a good time to click on the Photo Gallery icon (for some photos that really don’t do Yellowstone justice – sorry).