Yellowstone, The End (also picture heavy)

I apologize for not updating recently, but the lack of internet in Yellowstone and then my computer died, and we got so busy once we had internet that, well here comes a lot of info at once....

The kids unfortunately were starting to feel trapped in Yellowstone, as we had done most of the sights, and the lack of usable internet meant things were getting boring, so when Mom finished working in the park about a week after Labor Day, she took the kids to see their friends in Buffalo Wy, for a week and then she took the kids to California for a couple of weeks (see next post).

I continued to work at the hotel and cabins. About every week another section of the lodgings would close down. First it was Bridge Bay Marina and the campground where Mom worked, then it was Fishing Bridge Campground, and then it was the Lake Lodge cabins, and finally it was the Lake Hotel and Cabins. As each area closed, my maintenance department would work to close down and winterize all of the buildings which would include draining all of the water heaters and blowing out all of the waterlines, and adding a glycol antifreeze to any P-traps and sewer lined we couldn't drain. We also covered all of the lower level windows with plywood to keep the snow from building up so high and becoming so heavy against the windows that they might break. We also had to pack up signs and computers for storage and turn the power off. It was a big job to complete in just a few weeks along with the regular maintenance and even snow shoveling starting in mid September.

Once I had finished work on the 17th of October, I headed out of the park for Cody one last time, where Mom and the kids met me. We had some work done to the Bronco for a day and then headed out.

So here are more pictures and again probably not in the right order.

Buffalo Bill Dam, near Cody Wy. Visitor Center.

Water being released from the reservoir.

The Dam.

Flowers in the back woods on hike to our camping spot.

Black spots at the base of the trees in the center are a grizzly mamma and cub, seen on our hike.

Our campfire cooking tin foil dinners.

I took the kids on a back country camping trip where we hiked into the park about 3 miles to our camping spot. The trail went past a lake and we even saw the two bears on our way in.

The Cody Rodeo goes on nightly all summer long.

Bull rider. The rodeo was small but had a little of everything including calf roping, barrel racing and bronco riding in all different age groups.

Elk, were everywhere and caused lots of traffic jams when they were near the road.

A fishing trip for the kids with a coworker and his boat.

And only my daughter caught one that day (coworker hiding behind her).

A bat made a home under our window sunscreen for several days.

Went down to Grand Teton NP for the full total eclipse. Stopped at Coulter Bay just for the day.

Waiting in the parking lot for the show.

It got dark enough that even the street lights turned back on. The ring of fire was neat to see but pictures didn't turn out.

Buffalo hanging out at the hotel, blocking the crowd inside waiting to leave.

A side trip to Jackson Wy.

Another bat, different window.

Mom and kids took a trip to Buffalo Wy. to see friends, went through the Big Horn mountains.

The friends in Buffalo.

Mid September.

Norris Geyser Basin.

Lewis Falls.

Grand Tetons.

The Camper across the road. This wasn't uncommon but the buffalo liked the trailer hitches on these units to scratch their backs with. Was sometimes a shock to the occupants inside as they could feel it.

Ice on a cold morning on water run off in a geyser basin.

Morning Glory hot spring.

Grand Geyser just starting.

Grand Geyser is actually 3 geysers clustered together.

Grand shoots a little higher than Old Faithful, but only once every 5 to 8 hours.

Bee Hive Geyser.

Just loved these restored busses.

Grand Prismatic from the Fairy Falls trail.

Mystic Falls

Mystic River.

Maintenance department got a chance for some pictures from the top of the hotel.

A look toward the lake.

One of the original gables of the hotel as seen from inside the attic.

Thought it odd how even the steam reflected the color of the Grand Prismatic pool.

Firehole River near the Grand Prismatic.

Firehole Lake.

Two bears wrestling in West Yellowstone at the Grizzly bear refuge.

As you know my kids are in the Civil Air Patrol, and we had joined a squadron in Cody for the summer. My son earned his Second Lieutenant rank which makes him an officer now (a big deal). The man in the hat is the leader of the Cody VFW and the man in the suit is the Mayor of Cody, and they are helping to present his award. 

The squadron Commanding Officer and other officers presenting his awards.

Old Faithful.