vacation2005r0117.jpg Dad by his new car outside his house across from Pricetown UMC, May 14, 2005 vacation2005r0118.jpg Joseph inside the house, May 14, 2005 vacation2005r0119.jpg Lou. She's Joseph's cat. May 14, 2005 vacation2005r0120.jpg Genevieve with Lou. May 14, 2005 vacation2005r0122.jpg Jim (me) sitting with mom in dad's house. Lou is jumping off. May 14, 2005 vacation2005r0201.jpg Jim with mom. May 14, 2005. vacation2005r0202.jpg Now in Illinois after leaving dad's. It was windy and cold here in Illinois NW of Chicago. Genevieve is with our tent. May 14, 2005 vacation2005r0203.jpg It's now the next day and we left Wisconsin and Minnesota without a picture. Here in Mitchell is the famous "Corn Palace." May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0204.jpg These murals are made of corn. May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0205.jpg Another corn mural. May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0121z.jpg Mom sitting on my dad's couch. May 14, 2005 vacation2005r0206.jpg Genevieve filming Jim near rest area not far outside Chamberlain, SD. May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0207.jpg From the scenic overlook. "BEWARE OF POISONOUS SNAKES" with Missouri River in background. May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0208.jpg Train bridge crossing Missouri River near Chamberlain. The terrain dramatically changes on the western side. May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0209.jpg Genevieve with trees and Missouri River in background. May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0210.jpg Dramatic shot of train bridge spanning the Missouri River. May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0211.jpg One of many billboards in South Dakota. This one was visible from the Missouri River overlook and was typical of the pro-agriculture industry signs all over state. May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0212.jpg Our tent from our campsite at the KOA in Belvidere, SD. It was very remote. May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0214.jpg As one of only 2 tents and 2 or 3 RVs, we found no obstruction in taking the tripod out to take pictures of the sunset over South Dakota. May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0215.jpg The sunset is beginning to happen. May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0216.jpg A flock of birds flew over the twilight sky. May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0217.jpg More of the sunset. The sky's actual color is closer to the previous shot, but this is what it looked like through the lens. May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0218.jpg Sunset just about to fall in Belvidere, SD. May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0219.jpg Sunset. May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0220.jpg The pond here was high due to heavy rains. This farm was across the pond from our campground. May 15, 2005 vacation2005r0221.jpg Here are some badlands visible from I-90 in South Dakota. May 16, 2005 vacation2005r0222.jpg More badlands visible from the same freeway spot in South Dakota. May 16, 2005 vacation2005r0301.jpg The Badlands. May 16, 2005 vacation2005r0302.jpg More of the Badlands, May 16, 2005 vacation2005r0303.jpg These vistas go on for about 60 miles. May 16, 2005 vacation2005r0304.jpg Sometimes, you felt like Alice in Wonderland, with these tiny little mountains. The green on top gives you a sense of what the terrain would look like if the rest hadn't worn away. May 16, 2005 vacation2005r0305.jpg Genevieve at a Badlands National Park overlook. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_06.jpg More from the same overlook. You can see badlands forever looking in this direction. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_07.jpg More Badlands. As the season goes on, there will be less green on the tops as the region dries out. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_08.jpg Hiking now in the Badlands. This is probably no more than 20 or 25 feet high. It sometimes looks like there are relief carvings in the dirt, but it's all natural. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_18.jpg We climbed through one set of badlands and could peak through the trail to another set. This spot amazed us. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_19.jpg Here is another shot of the opening on the Castle Trail from one set to another. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_20.jpg Genevieve rests near some badlands thinking of something big. It makes her smile. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_21.jpg We saw many rabbits in this part of South Dakota. As usual, when a rabbit is scared, it tends to stop in its tracks. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_22.jpg More vistas of the Badlands with plenty of green to give it contrast. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_23.jpg Another shot where we can see how far these badlands stretch. These badlands are significantly higher than the ones we hiked through earlier that day. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_24.jpg Another shot of badlands. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_01.jpg Here there was a large band of colorful rainbow-like badlands. You can see the size of them relative to the small stop sign here in the photo. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_02.jpg Genevieve approaches this vista leaving the red Jetta we drove in. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_03.jpg Another shot of the colorful badlands. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_04.jpg Yet another shot. These shots give you a sense of how wide the vistas were, so wide and so rich that one shot could not contain them. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_05.jpg Finally at the bottom, here is the Yellow Mound. In the shot with the stop sign, this was a hill right to the right of it. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_06.jpg This shot looks to the right of the Yellow Mound right on the road. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_07.jpg More incredibly big vistas. From this spot, it was possible to see the Black Hills. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_08.jpg Genevieve approaches again on plains where buffalo once roamed and where Indians used to run those same buffalo over cliffs near this spot. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_09.jpg A wide vista on a spot off a lesser-used Badlands National Park road. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_10.jpg I hadn't stood at this spot in almost 11 years. Then, I used a tiny camera that took tiny, wide shots. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_11.jpg Another shot from the same spot as the previous picture. It's an amazing vista in this part of the park. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_12.jpg Yet, another vista. I love this shot and remembered this scene from my past. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_13.jpg The buffalo were near the prairie dog town. It seems to me that they had more free range than they did then, but I could be wrong. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_14.jpg Contrary to appearances, thanks to a good camera, I didn't leave the side of my car for these or any of the animal shots which immediately follow. Some of the bison began approaching near the car, and so we left them the space. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_15.jpg Here are some prairie dogs. Last time I was here, the prairie dogs refused to let me take their picture. They hid whenever I was about to take the shot. Here giving them more space and a faster shutter allowed for a good shot. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_16.jpg Pronghorn antelope not far from the prairie dog town. Like the previous shots, these were taken from the car. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_17.jpg This is one of the best shots of the whole trip as the 3 pronghorn we saw in Badlands National Park stroll through the grasslands. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_18.jpg Another shot of one of the pronghorn antelope. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_19.jpg Enjoy their billboards for 500 miles, but don't bother going to Wall Drug. It's definitely not worth it, though Genevieve found a pretty decent hat to keep the sun out of her eyes. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_20.jpg Geneveive rests by our tent at the KOA just outside of Devil's Tower. May 16, 2005. vacation_2005_r_04_-_21.jpg As the sun began to set, this was about as good a shot as one could get directly in the sun. This shot was taken within feet of our tent. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_22.jpg Here is Devil's tower zoomed out. From the freeway, you can't see the more rugged terrain that does exist here. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_23.jpg Here you have a clear shot of our tent and Devil's Tower. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_24.jpg I wanted to show Devil's Tower here to the side to highlight the sun and the clouds just a little more. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_21_z.jpg A closeup of the rabbit in the previous picture. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_04_-_15_z.jpg Here is a better look at the prairie dog from the previous picture. May 16 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_09.jpg You couldn't go wrong. There was one shot like this after another. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_10.jpg Here I am not looking my best. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_11.jpg I need to work on lighting more in my photography. Genevieve manages to look beautiful no matter what. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_12.jpg I thought that this looked rather majestic. I like sharp contrasts in terrain. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_13.jpg I took us on a dried out creek stream insisting that it was a trail. Thankfully, Genevieve set us right. She rightly says that she's better at sniffing out trails while I have a better sense of direction where those trails might be heading. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_14.jpg I love this picture of Genevieve walking on the Castle Trail with badlands and grass all around her. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_15.jpg Again, with Genevieve in the background you get a sense of scale. The badlands aren't that high in many spots. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_16.jpg We kept walking and finding new vistas on the Castle Trail. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_03_-_17.jpg The badlands look like stone, but they are exposed dirt. It's not that fragile, but it's more fragile than it looks. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_11_z.jpg I cropped the image to better highlight the climbers. May 17, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_01.jpg At the edge of our campground was the beautiful red walls of bank of the Belle Fourche River. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_02.jpg Within 30 feet of our tent, two mule deer hopped on through. May 16, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_04.jpg The next morning, the sky was now blue, and Devil's Tower photgraphed much better from the campground. At the time, I had a scratch in my mirror that I thought was going to affect these pictures. Later, to my delight, I discovered that all the pictures I took would come out great. The only damage, then, was that I took fewer pictures as a result of mistakenly believing my camera was broken. May 17, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_05.jpg Back to the side of the campground, taken right at the edge of the Belle Fourche River. May 17, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_06.jpg I wanted in this shot to show both Devil's Tower and the striking red of the Belle Fourche. May 17, 2005. vacation_2005_r_05_-_07.jpg We're now in the National Monument looking up at Devil's Tower. The weather had quickly worsened. vacation_2005_r_05_-_08.jpg Genevieve is at the front of the trail around Devil's Tower. vacation_2005_r_05_-_09.jpg Devil's Tower is the basalt volcanic insides of an underground volcano. The land around the hardened volcano eroded away. In the meantime, Devil's Tower undergoes a very, very slow erosion, and evidence of that is in the rocks at the bottom of this photo. May 17, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_10.jpg Being nearly against Devil's Tower, it's hard to take a very good photo. May 17, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_11.jpg Can you find the two rock climbers? At one time, people thought that Devil's Tower was impossible to climb. Now, many people climb it all the time, some of the climbs fairly elementary for experienced climbers. May 17, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_12.jpg A closer shot of the rockface itself of Devil's Tower. May 17, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_14.jpg Here I am posing at the base of Devil's Tower. May 17, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_15.jpg We're now in the Bighorn Mountains on US 16 heading toward Tensleep Canyon. We claimbed to over 9,000 feet. The weather was cold and began to sleet. Around us was a winter wonderland. May 17, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_16.jpg More of the Bighorns from higher up. May 17, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_17.jpg We're not far below the treeline here. We're certainly not below the snowline in mid-May. May 17, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_18.jpg You can see just how rugged it is. We're at the top of the pass on US 16. May 17, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_19.jpg In DC, we had left Spring (albeit a fairly cool spring) and found all of this snow. If you get a chance, you should see these fantastic Bighorn Mountains. May 17, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_20.jpg Tensleep Canyon was much more breathtaking than these photos. May 17, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_21.jpg Another shot looking at part of Tensleep Canyon in the Bighorns. May 17, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_22.jpg We're now on the road to the East Entrance in Shoshone National Forest. This rock looked a little to me like Bart Simpson. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_23.jpg This is the Shoshone River, once known as the "Stinkingwater" after the hot springs along it. Shoshone National Forest is quite spectacular in its own and a great introduction to the Yellowstone ecosystem. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_05_-_24.jpg Now finally in Yellowstone, here is one of our first glimpses at the enormous Yellowstone Lake. There was a very cold drizzle, and the sky was as gray as this photograph leads you to believe. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_01.jpg Another view of Yellowstone Lake along the southern shoreline. The ice was already cracking and beginning to melt, though that's hard to tell here. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_02.jpg This is now along the eastern shore looking down on Yellowstone Lake. Since much of this area was closed, we did not spend a lot of time in this part of the park during our stay. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_03.jpg Here is the Yellowstone River. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_04.jpg Now by the Mud Volcano area. Genevieve was amazed by all the steam coming out all over the place. For me, it was like being home again. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_05.jpg Here is a bison, not the first we saw but among the early ones, in the parking lot of the Mud Volcano area. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_06.jpg This is Green Dragon Spring. It is a loud, beautiful mud pool. You can't tell by all the steam. It's remarkable how good some of these shots came out given that the steam created havoc with the pictures. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_07.jpg This is the Mud Volcano. The gray mud, gray even in good weather, is a result of the acidity of the thermal feature. Where the feature is alkaline, the edge of the feature is clearly defined. When acidic like this, the thermal feature plops around like mud. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_08.jpg The dead trees in this relatively recent thermal area at the mud volcanoes are evidence of the constant changes at the features. These trees were burned when the feature shifted. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_09.jpg This is a feature that suddenly appeared several decades ago. It's grown and moved hundreds of feet since then. Where you see it bubbling, the mud is boiling, and that's the current center of activity. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_10.jpg This violent mud spring also has had a history of destroying trees near it. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_11.jpg This stunning shot is of Hayden Valley. The Yellowstone River flows through this picturesque wildlife area, and no matter the light, it's a sight to behold. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_12.jpg Another great shot of Hayden Valley. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_13.jpg The Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_14.jpg A close-up of the 109 foot Upper Falls from the same point. You can see the overlook. vacation_2005_r_06_-_15.jpg The Upper Falls again from the very same point. You can see the power of the camera. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_16.jpg Crystal Falls, a very beautiful waterfall visible from the lookout to the Upper Falls. Most tourists miss this sight because they never look for it. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_17.jpg The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, 308 feet high. Believe it or not, this shot is from Artist Point. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_18.jpg Another shot from Artist Point, more typical of camera shots from this point. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_19.jpg This shot gives better perspective of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from Artist Point. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_20.jpg From Artist Point looking down into the Canyon and toward one of the many thermal features in the area. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_21.jpg Looking back at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from Artist Point. Although the day was overcast, you can still get a sense of how vibrant the colors are. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_06_-_22.jpg Genevieve at Artist Point. May 18, 2005. vacation_2005_r_07_-_01.jpg Now, Jim from Artist Point. May 18, 2005. vacation_2005_r_07_-_02.jpg Here we are in the Norris Geyser Basin. This I believe is Emerald Spring. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_03.jpg Steamboat Geyser days before a major eruption. Did we see the major eruption? Find out. Steamboat has the largest geyser eruptions in the world. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_21.jpg Since it stopped raining, we decided to go to the Black Sand Basin. Cliff Geyser was a constant performer. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_22.jpg Here is Genevieve filming on the boardwalks of the Black Sand Basin. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_23.jpg Here is Emerald Pool, nearly capping a full day. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_24.jpg Here was our home for the week at Madison Campground. We had good and bad neighbors throughout the week. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_16_z.jpg This was a common site, a baby feeding from her/his mother. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_01.jpg Gibbon Falls, 84 feet, on the Gibbon River. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_02.jpg This is quite a sight. It's Roaring Mountain, on the way toward Mammoth Hot Springs. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_03.jpg These are the Sheepeater Cliffs, the basalt formations named after the Sheepeater Indians, who inhabited the park. They represent just another chapter of the genocide of American Indians. May 19, 2005. vacation_2005_r_08_-_04.jpg Here are more of the Sheepeater Cliffs along Indian Creek. They are pretty. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_13_z.jpg Now not many miles from our campground along the Madison River, we saw many elk and other animals. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_04.jpg A minor eruption of Steamboat Geyser. A minor eruption goes anywhere from 8 to 12 feet. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_05.jpg I believe this is the pool for Echinus Geyser, which used to be predictable but these days rarely erupts. I saw Echinus erupt back in 1998. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_06.jpg Another thermal feature at Norris Geyser's Back Basin. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_07.jpg Our first shot of an elk since arriving in Yellowstone. This one crossed in front of me while walking the boardwalks of Norris. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_08.jpg Here I am standing at Norris. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_09.jpg I'm not sure which geyser this was...will have to look at my notes. It may be Pearl Geyser. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_10.jpg Many features don't seem to have names at Norris, but it's an intense region of activity. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_11.jpg This tiny pool is in steam phase after spitting up a small amount of water in a constant stream. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_12.jpg This is the run-off from Pinwheel Geyser in the Porcelain Basin. The green that you see is algae, the color correlating to the temperature of the water. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_14.jpg On this rainy, drab day, the Madison River still looked picturesque. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_15.jpg Here are two trumpeter swans, where they often are on the Madison River, swimming near a couple elk. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_17.jpg We watched Old Faithful go off from beneath a covering by the Visitor's Center. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_18.jpg As you can see, it was hard to get great shots in the rain. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_19.jpg Even in the rain and before the main season, many tourists still came out to see the regular major eruption of Old Faithful. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_07_-_20.jpg The rain soon ended, and in the parking lot, a full rainbow greeted us. May 18, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_21_z.jpg Here is a close-up of that same blue bird. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_05.jpg These boulders are scattered along a drive near Mammoth Hot Springs. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_06.jpg This is a shot of the Main Terrace at Mammoth Hot Springs. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_07.jpg Here we are on the top of Canary Spring. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_08.jpg As you can see, it's still raining on us. Genevieve is at Canary Spring. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_09.jpg Canary Spring is huge and beautiful. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_10.jpg Another shot of Canary Spring in the haunting weather. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_11.jpg Jim posing at Canary Spring. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_12.jpg Genevieve looking at Canary Spring. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_13.jpg Here is Orange Mound Spring. I wonder how it got its name. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_14.jpg This phallic and extinct cone is Liberty Cap, one of the landmarks at Mammoth. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_15.jpg This beautiful feature is called Palette Spring. The black feature to the left is called the Devil's Thumb. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_16.jpg Here is a close-up of part of Palette Spring. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_17.jpg Minerva Terrace without any activity. This definitely through me. In my living room is an amazing shot of Minerva full of color. Features constantly change in Yellowstone. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_18.jpg For those of you not used to seeing Minerva like this, here's the proof that this is Minerva Terrace. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_19.jpg This is Jupiter Terrace, which got its name in a time of more activity. You can imagine it once looked more like Jupiter than the moon. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_20.jpg This is Undine Falls, on the road between Mammoth and Tower Junction. The falls are about 60 feet high. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_21.jpg Here is a pretty blue bird near Tower Fall. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_22.jpg This is the best shot we could get of Tower Fall. The path below had caved in and was unpassable. This was very disappointing. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_23.jpg We could hike down part of the way down the trail that was not open all the way to Tower Fall. You can see how beautiful the canyon is here. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_24.jpg What is this? Well, it's hard to tell, but across the canyon is a mountain lion. What luck?! One photographer had claimed she had been seeking a mountain lion in Yellowstone 17 years. Genevieve saw one on her second day in Yellowstone. Through bigger lenses, we could see the big cat clearly resting on a ledge. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_08_-_24_z.jpg Here is the best I can do to show you the big cat; it's hard to understand how he got to this ledge. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_23_z.jpg A cropped shot of the Absarokas from the West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_01.jpg This is the Lamar Valley, which is more beautiful than this photgraph shows. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_02.jpg Here is another picture of the Lamar Valley. We could see a wolf way out in the distance, who had been chased off by elk. While we looked through binoculars, the wolf did not move. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_03.jpg This extinct thermal feature is Soda Butte. It's very large and is right by the road along Soda Butte Creek. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_04.jpg This is one of several pictures we would take of Abiathar Peak (which I mistakenly thought was The Thunderer) in NE Yellowstone. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_05.jpg Can you find the coyote? May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_06.jpg Just to get the shot, here is the sign at the NE Entrance. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_08.jpg Now, back between Tower Junction and Mammoth, we saw a beautiful bull elk. It's the only bull elk we saw the entire trip. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_09.jpg The Madison River near our campsite. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_10.jpg Another shot of the Madison from our campground area. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_11.jpg We saw many bison in the area, always on the move. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_12.jpg Genevieve wanted to be a buffalo. Here she is in the full moon. Soon, she was chased out by the buffalo. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_13.jpg Here are the buffalo fording the Madison River. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_15.jpg Another shot of the full moon. A full moon often doesn't come out well on camera. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_16.jpg This is a morning shot of the Lower Geyser Basin. As you can see, we started out again with iffy weather. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_17.jpg The Fountain Paint Pots in the Lower Geyser Basin. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_18.jpg Fountain Paint Pots. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_19.jpg Clepsydra Geyser. It's always erupting. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_20.jpg Not sure which geyser/pool this is in the Fountain Paint Pot area. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_21.jpg Shoshone Lake, Yellowstone's 2nd biggest lake, covered in ice and mist, from 3 miles away at DeLacy Creek overlook. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_22.jpg The Absarokas and Yellowstone Lake from West Thumb Geyser Basin. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_23.jpg The Absarokas reflecting in Yellowstone Lake from West Thumb. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_05_z.jpg Here he is! May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_07_z.jpg This black bear was running away from the traffic jam we got caught up in. I managed to get this shot from the car looking at the glass. I'm thankful that you can see part of his snout. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_01.jpg An elk feeding at the shore of Yellowstone Lake from the West Thumb Geyser Basin. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_08_z.jpg Here he is, cropped. People will not think twice about seeing a cow elk, which are beautiful and graceful animals, but they will create a traffic jam just to see a rack. It's sad to me. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_09_-_14_z.jpg Here's a cropped shot of the same thing. May 19, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_02.jpg Here is Lewis Falls pouring into the Yellowstone Caldera. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_03.jpg Lewis Falls is 30 feet tall. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_04.jpg Moose Falls is sometimes missed by Park tourists. It is a rather cold swimming hole that is often used by employees working in the Park. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_05.jpg Here is a slightly better shot of Moose Falls. In 1998, I walked into the middle of the Falls and shot them from a log straight on and even from the other side of Crawfish Creek. Moose Falls is 30 feet high. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_07.jpg Here are the Tetons in Grand Teton National Park from Jackson Lake. The clouds gradually lifted throughout the day. This is a shot taken toward the Grand Teton itself. Jackson Lake is getting lower and lower due to longterm drought, making it more like it did before the dam was built than at any other time. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_09.jpg Here is another shot of the Teton fault scarp from Jackson Lake. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_10.jpg As you can see, the sun is lifting the clouds. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_11.jpg Here is Genevieve atop Signal Mountain looking toward the Tetons. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_12.jpg Here is the Grand Teton group of mountains. When you actually hike in these mountains, it's easier to tell there are several mountains here. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_13.jpg This is Mount Moran. The top is covered in clouds. The mountain dominates the first part of a ride through the Tetons coming from Yellowstone. It is a very large piece of granite over 12,000 feet high. This shot was taken from Signal Mountain. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_14.jpg Here is a shot of the Tetons panned from Signal Mountain. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_15.jpg It's always difficult to film the grandeur of mountains while also giving something of the scale of the foreground. Here was another attempt at it on a day not ideal for pictures. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_16.jpg Another shot looking toward the Grand Teton. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_23_z.jpg Here on the trail toward Hidden Falls on the mountain side of Jenny Lake, we found our two friends here, a marmot and a chipmunk, enjoying each other's company. We saw all sorts of different looking marmots on this particular hike. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_17.jpg Mt. Moran is still covered in clouds. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_18.jpg It was fun to zoom in as much as I could to get a sense of the resolution. Not bad! May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_19.jpg Yet, another close-up. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_20.jpg Here is a wide-angle shot taken from the meadows. This is more typical of shots I have taken in the past of the Tetons, and so I kept this sort of shot to a minimum this time around. But, it's still pretty neat. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_21.jpg Mount Moran again this time fully visible. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_10_-_22.jpg This is looking out toward the Cathedral Group of Tetons over the meadows as we begin approaching Jenny Lake. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_12_z.jpg Here is the same shot close-up. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_01.jpg The Cathedral Group from the Hidden Falls Trail. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_02.jpg Another shot of the Cathedral Group from the Hidden Falls Trail. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_03.jpg Cathedral Group one more time from the Hidden Falls Trail. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_04.jpg Genevieve sitting under a tree not far from Hidden Falls. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_05.jpg Hidden Falls from a trail juncture in the Tetons. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_06.jpg Hidden Falls. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_07.jpg Genevieve still under the tree. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_08.jpg The top of Hidden Falls. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_09.jpg The rocky base of Teewinot. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_10.jpg Focused up at the top of the very steep mountain. What you can't do is smell the air and hear the roaring water. The Tetons are so different up close. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_11.jpg Genevieve and I at the base of Teewinot. We thought that the photographer didn't manage to get the shot off, but we were thankfully wrong. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_12.jpg Here is a gorgeous black marmot on one of the many boulders in the Tetons. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_13.jpg This is a shot of Jenny Lake near the point the ferry drops people off. We didn't take the ferry; instead having hiked around the lake. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_14.jpg Because of the glare of the sun, it was difficult to get good shots of Jenny Lake. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_15.jpg I think these were the Moose Lakes. This is looking up toward Teewinot and the Grand Teton group. May 20, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_16.jpg There are persistent rumors that are false that this is a man-made waterfall since it almost looks like it came from this man-made road. However, it is a natural waterfall called Rustic Falls by Yellowstone's Golden Gate. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_17.jpg This section near Mammoth is called "The Golden Gate." May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_18.jpg Here is a nice shot of the Lamar Valley from the Lamar River Trail. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_19.jpg We saw many bison along the Lamar River Trail. Eventually, we found ourselves between a herd along the Cache Creek Trail and decided it was in everyone's interest to turn back. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_20.jpg Another great shot of what we saw on the Lamar River Trail. vacation_2005_r_11_-_21.jpg Now, we are on the Cache Creek Trail. We didn't get far, but we did see these mountains. I didn't hold the camera very steady on this shot. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_22.jpg Here is Genevieve one with the earth. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_23.jpg Here I am; I couldn't keep these jeans up to save my life. You can see what a beautiful day it was. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_11_-_24.jpg Here is a shot looking toward the Abiathar Peak. You can even see Soda Butte in the foreground. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_01.jpg Here is another shot of Abiathar Peak and Soda Butte. You can also see some hikers who were moving a bit faster than us. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_02.jpg Genevieve found this field not far from Tower Junction, and she decided to get out of the car and bond with it. I took this photo. The red in the top left is the mirror of the car. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_03.jpg The Yellowstone River near Tower Junction. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_04.jpg Artist Paint Pots. Great hike; amazing features, but for some reason I didn't take a lot of photos. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_05.jpg Bunsen Peak from the Artist Paint Pots. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_06.jpg A great shot of Firehole Falls, not that far from Madison Junction. 40 feet drop. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_07.jpg This is the massive runoff from Excelsior Geyser in the Midway Geyser Basin. Thermal run-off like this keeps the Firehole River from ever freezing. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_08.jpg On the boardwalks, you can't get a great shot of Grand Prismatic Spring. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_09.jpg This is a shot of Excelsior Geyser, which must be unbelievable on the rare occasions it goes off. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_10.jpg Here is Genevieve by the run-off of the Grand Prismatic Spring. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_11.jpg Castle Geyser is amazing. This picturesque shot shows the Firehole River in the foreground. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_12.jpg On a sunnier day, Old Faithful teases before erupting. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_13.jpg Old Faithful erupts yet again. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_14.jpg At the peak of eruption; I believe we took these shots from near Beehive Geyser. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_15.jpg This is Heart Spring, one of the most beautiful pools in the park. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_16.jpg A couple of ducks in the Firehole River. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_17.jpg Castle Geyser letting off some steam. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_18.jpg A small geyser, perhaps one of the ones without a name. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_19.jpg Another small geyser not far from Grand Geyser, which is the biggest predictable geyser in the world. We didn't see Grand go off on this trip. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_20.jpg I'm not sure what I was doing here in taking this shot. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_21.jpg Help. I can't remember or find the name of this beautiful pool near Grand Geyser. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_22.jpg Not the best shot of a bison hanging out near Grand Geyser. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_23.jpg This is a beautiful shot of the Upper Geyser Basin along the Firehole River. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_12_-_24.jpg Back to Castle Geyser, now from right next to it. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_01.jpg Steam coming from Castle Geyser. It wasn't that long after one of Castle's rather lengthy eruptions. May 21, 005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_02.jpg Another classic shot of Castle Geyser. Castle is beautiful to photograph whether it is erupting or not. May 21, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_03.jpg Lower Falls from Inspiration Point. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_04.jpg Looking down into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_05.jpg You can tell it was a lot sunnier. More from Inspiration Point. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_06.jpg This is a shot from near Grand View Point. What mysteries lie in this shot. Shhh...I'm not telling. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_07.jpg Genevieve at Grand View Point. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_08.jpg I love the shots looking back on the Canyon. The Canyon at its deepest is about 1200 feet deep. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_09.jpg The Lower Falls from Lookout Point. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_10.jpg Zooming to a wider shot of the Lower Falls. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_11.jpg Someone once told me that because of the evergreen stripe that another name for the falls is Evergreen Falls. I have never ever seen that that was true. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_12.jpg We're hiking down the trail from Lookout Point to another view of the falls. Genevieve sits on this rock contour. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_13.jpg Now to a lower view. You can see that the angle is different than other shots. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_14.jpg Here I am characteristically with one eye shut as I strain to look at the camera. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_15.jpg It's great to get more of an upward look at the Falls. I think the perspective is more balanced. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_16.jpg Another shot of my favorite waterfall in my favorite part of the Park. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_17.jpg The top of the 308 Lower Falls looking up. No one is at the brink of the Falls; how nice it was to be in Yellowstone before the crowds. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_18.jpg A mule deer in the parking lot at Lookout Point just walking around. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_19.jpg We are now on the trail to the Brink of the Lower Falls. Through the trees, you can see the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_20.jpg Now without trees in the way further down the trail, here is another shot of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_21.jpg I'm now standing on the Brink of the Lower Falls. Of course, pictures here aren't overly spectacular, but the sound and power of the falls is. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_22.jpg From a different angle, the green strip of the Lower Falls. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_23.jpg Above the brink you could look down on the platform. As you can see, we mostly had it to ourselves. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_13_-_24.jpg Looking down 308 plus feet as the Yellowstone plunges over the Lower Falls and into the Canyon. Unfortunately, in this shot, you can see someone's litter. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_01.jpg The 109 foot Upper Falls from the trail to the brink of the Lower Falls. You are looking at the falls from the side. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_02.jpg This is Ice Lake, a lake in backcountry not far off the road between Canyon and Norris. There are a couple ducks in the water. We didn't stay on this trail on several reports of a bear sighting. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_03.jpg Part of Terrace Springs, on the road between Norris and Madison. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_04.jpg Look at all the buffalo resting on the other side of the Terrace Springs. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_05.jpg Genevieve at the peak of Purple Mountain, a 3 mile hike up with a wonderful view. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_06.jpg These are the Absarokas from just over the peak of Purple Mountain. On no other day did we hike so much and climb so much as this day. All the views were fantastic. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_08.jpg The Tetons were visible 60-80 miles away from the peak of Purple Mountain. They are a magical site from any distance. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_09.jpg In this shot from near the peak of Purple Mountain, you again see some of the distant Tetons. You can also begin to see the geyser basins along the Firehole River. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_10.jpg Looking down on the Madison Campground where we were staying from Purple Mountain. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_11.jpg Firehole Canyon from near the top of Purple Mountain. You can see National Park Mountain and that at the top is something of a plateau covered in trees. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_12.jpg A thermal feature visible from the top of Purple Mountain. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_13.jpg From the same spot on Purple Mountain, we could actually see the red VW Jetta that we drove about 1500 feet and 3 miles of trail below. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_14.jpg Genevieve from near the peak of Purple Mountain. We weren't alone at the peak, but we found our own little spot for some privacy. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_15.jpg Here I am near the peak of purple mountain. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_16.jpg Again, me. You can see the ridiculous lambchops that Genevieve had me grow. I ain't no Neil Young. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_17.jpg Genevieve has framed this self shot of us near the top of Purple Mountain. We were as happy as we look. May 22, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_18.jpg The next day we started by going to the Biscuit Basin. The hikes in the area were still closed. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_19.jpg There's always a lot of activity in the Biscuit Basin. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_20.jpg More bubbling thermals in the Biscuit Basin. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_21.jpg The only thing hurting these shots in the Biscuit Basin was the relatively overcast day. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_22.jpg This is Jewel Geyser erupting in the Biscuit Basin. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_23.jpg We are looking down on Old Faithful from up high on Observation Point. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_14_-_24.jpg From Observation Point, we had an excellent view of Castle Geyser below. Notice also all the buffalo in the foreground. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_02.jpg Old Faithful again from Observation Point. Genevieve was tired from the day before. This was a nice place to sit. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_03.jpg Old Faithful begins to erupt. I think this is my favorite vantage to see it. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_04.jpg Old Faithful erupting from Observation Point. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_05.jpg Old Faithful in full eruption from Observation Pt. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_06.jpg Zooming out, a nice shot of Old Faithful erupting from on high. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_07.jpg Another nice shot of Old Faithful erupting from Observation Point. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_08.jpg In front of the Old Faithful Lodge, bison wandered over and tourists began to harrass them. We watched in horror from a half mile away and thought we might catch a goring on video. The next day, sure enough, we found out (from a relative of Chuck Yeager no less who worked for Xanterra) that after someone was warned 3 times not to approach the buffalo, the same person who ignored all warnings was gored. We had just missed the lucky photo, but we would have far better luck later. vacation_2005_r_15_-_09.jpg "Courtney's Pool", actually "Gem Pool" (I think) in the Back Basin of the Upper Geyser Basin. This pool resembled the swimming pool at Genevieve's sister's Courtney's home. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_10.jpg Artemesia Geyser in the Back Basin of the Upper Geyser Basin. I seemed to have uncharacteristic bad luck seeing geyser go off this morning. It would more than make up for itself later that day. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_11.jpg Another geyser along the Firehole River in Yellowstone's Upper Geyser Basin. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_12.jpg Morning Glory, in the Upper Geyser Basin. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_13.jpg A bit cloudy, but the colors are still bright in Morning Glory. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_14.jpg Looking down the hole of Morning Glory. May 23, 2006 vacation_2005_r_15_-_15.jpg Grotto Geyser. May 23, 2006 vacation_2005_r_15_-_16.jpg Vent Geyser. This is part of the Grand Geyser group. We had just missed an eruption of Grand; we had previously just missed Riverside. It seemed like a disappointing day. May 23, 2006 vacation_2005_r_15_-_17.jpg After dinner, on a whim, Genevieve and I went out to Norris Geyser Basin for a romantic evening. Near the basin, we saw a lot of steam rising from the trees. Could it be? Nah! Then, in the parking lot, it had to be! Yes, Steamboat Geyser was having a major eruption. This is from the parking lot where the car we were driving had its paint job damaged by the mist from Steamboat, the world's largest geyser, a few tenths of a mile away. We ran to the geyser stunned and overjoyed. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_18.jpg Yes, here is Steamboat in major eruption. It's in a very long steam phase. It was the first daytime eruption since 1991. Could you believe our luck? We had no idea; we just showed up. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_19.jpg More of the amazing Steamboat Geyser. Park employees showed up from all parts of Yellowstone excited. Tourists often didn't understand what was happening and passed by without much notice. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_20.jpg Another shot of Steamboat erupting. The sound roared furiously, pumping out an amazing amount of steam. The ground beneath us rumbled. Some got scared by the fury unlike any geyser I've ever witnessed. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_21.jpg I kept looking for new angles to take pictures; nothing seems to show this geyser's power and mystique. It looks so small on film, and yet it just went on and on in this diagonal. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_22.jpg I look horrible, but this was the happiest I was the entire trip; I never imagined that even if I had lived near Yellowstone that I would ever witness a major eruption of Steamboat Geyser. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_23.jpg Another shot of the steam phase of Steamboat Geyser's major eruption. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_15_-_24.jpg Perhaps the best shot of Steamboat Geyser erupting that I have. The steam goes on well beyond the end of this shot, and it's not just floating out; it's being thrown out violently from the geyser. The parking lot nearby was covered in volcanic, watery mist. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_01.jpg Colloidal Pool. Norris Geyser Basin. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_02.jpg A thermal in the Porcelain Basin of Norris Geyser Basin. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_03.jpg Norris Geyser Basin. May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_04.jpg We bid adieu to Norris Geyser Basin as day turned to night. Steamboat was still in steam phase as we left; Cistern Pool below was gradually emptying. When Cistern empties, Steamboat's steam phase ends. This shot of Norris is indicative of the place I call "Venus on Earth." May 23, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_05.jpg Kepler Cascade. May 24, 2005. vacation_2005_r_16_-_06.jpg Kepler Cascade. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_07.jpg Lone Star Geyser cone. The cone is about 9 feet high, but there are all kinds of optical illusions here. We just missed an eruption and so sat here for 90 minutes until the next one. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_08.jpg Another shot of the cone of Lone Star Geyser. For awhile we were alone; a couple joined us later. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_09.jpg The closest shot I took of the cone of Lone Star Geyser. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_10.jpg A sense of the terrain around Lone Star Geyser. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_11.jpg Genevieve is not sitting that close to Lone Star. She's about 30 feet away from the cone, which is much larger than this. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_12.jpg Can you see the buffalo in this picture? The wait was long for Lone Star's eruption, but the visitor definitely gave us a bit of excitement. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_13.jpg Lone Star finally begins erupting. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_14.jpg Another shot of Lone Star geyser erupting. The eruption goes up about 30 feet; it is tough to take photos that show the accurate scale. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_15.jpg The eruption of Lone Star lasts a little while before going to steam phase. Here is Genevieve again not nearly so close as she seems. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_16.jpg Jim at Lone Star Geyser during eruption. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_17.jpg A wider shot of Lone Star to attempt to give some scale. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_18.jpg This is what happens when you hold your camera at the wrong angle and take a photo. Lone Star Geyser. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_19.jpg Lone Star Geyser now in steam phase. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_20.jpg One last shot of Lone Star Geyser in steam phase. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_21.jpg On the Madison River where one normally finds Trumpeter Swans, here they are. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_22.jpg On a tiny island in the Madison River, two more bison. This would be our last shot taken in Yellowstone before leaving for Utah early the next morning. May 24, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_23.jpg The Teton Range from near Ashton, Idaho. They look very different from this side but no less amazing. May 25, 2005 vacation_2005_r_16_-_24.jpg A shot in Zion National Park in Utah. May 25, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_01.jpg Genevieve in Zion National Park. May 25, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_02.jpg Jim again not so photogenic in Zion National Park. May 25, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_03.jpg Zion National Park. May 25, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_04.jpg A blossoming yucca in Zion National Park. May 25, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_05.jpg Zion National Park. May 25, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_06.jpg One of the most beautiful things I saw in Zion National Park. May 25, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_07.jpg I called this "un-natural arch" in Zion National Park. The Jetta we drove makes an appearance. May 25, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_08.jpg Next to the same spot was one of many beautiful wildflowers in Zion National Park. May 25, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_09.jpg Between Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, this was the view from our KOA Campground of hoodoos much like those seen in Bryce Canyon. May 25, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_10.jpg We stayed in some beautiful campgrounds; this was among them. May 25, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_11.jpg Now in Bryce Canyon National Park, one of the most photogenic in the parks system. It was chilly up there. May 25, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_12.jpg Some of the hoodoos that make Bryce Canyon famous. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_13.jpg These hoodoos are along the Queens Garden Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park, May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_14.jpg More hoodoos on the Queen's Chapel Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_15.jpg Hoodoos on the Queen's Chapel Trail. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_16.jpg The day was perfectly clear on the Queen's Chapel Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_17.jpg Genevieve on the Queen's Chapel Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_18.jpg The Queen's Court. Bryce Canyon National Park. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_19.jpg Inspiration Point in Bryce Canyon National Park. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_20.jpg Bryce Canyon National Park at Inspiration Point. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_21.jpg While photogenic, at the top of the canyon one could still feel distant from the hoodoos. Inspiration Point. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_22.jpg A wonderful picture of Inspiration Point in Bryce Canyon National Park. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_23.jpg A closer view of Inspiration Point, Bryce Canyon National Park. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_17_-_24.jpg Bryce Point. Bryce Canyon National Park. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_01.jpg Jim and Genevieve at Bryce Point. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_02.jpg One last shot of Bryce Point. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_03.jpg Powell Point between Bryce Canyon and Escalante National Monument. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_04.jpg Another shot of badlands in Powell Point. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_05.jpg It's hard to give a good sense of how beautiful the Escalante National Monument. It was steep and magnificent, just not as photogenic as it appeared. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_06.jpg On a 9,000 plus foot pass in Utah between Escalante and Capitol Reef, we had a very impressive view of a large area. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_07.jpg The view from this pass, according to the sign, was as big as the entire state of Connecticut or the size of Luxembourg. Can you fathom all of Connecticut before your eyes? May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_08.jpg Another shot of this view below us. We had previously visited an old Anasazi site at a Utah state park. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_09.jpg Here I am at the same enormous view. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_10.jpg Capitol Reef National Park was wild; it may not have the picturesque beauty the way Bryce Canyon did, but I was much more struck by it. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_11.jpg Layers of geologic time were before us; the white and the red were striking. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_12.jpg Capitol Reef National Park had a remote feeling to it; there weren't a lot of people. Signs warned in places of flash floods. I loved it. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_13.jpg Another shot of Capitol Reef National Park. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_14.jpg The name of Capitol Reef actually comes from the dome of the U. S. Capitol. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_15.jpg Genevieve fits in well in the wild beautiy of Capitol Reef National Park. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_16.jpg Once again, another gorgeous shot of Capitol Reef National ParK. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_17.jpg Capitol Reef National Park again. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_18.jpg Everywhere we turned was another unusual site. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_19.jpg It was scary driving through beds that warned of flash floods even on dry days. We ventured some ways before turning back. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_20.jpg A lot of beautiful cacti here; this was one beautiful one blossoming. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_21.jpg Now, we're at the KOA in Moab, UT, not far from Arches National Park. Behind our tent that evening was a carnival. May 26, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_22.jpg Not all the beautiful places to see in Arches are arches; this is called Park Avenue. May 27, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_23.jpg Another angle on Park Avenue in Arches National Park. May 27, 2005 vacation_2005_r_18_-_24.jpg This amazing rock is appropriately enough called Balancing Rock. Arches National Park. May 27, 2005 vacation_2005_r_19_-_01.jpg Beyond the arches are the La Sal Mountains, which were beautifully visible this day. May 27, 2006 vacation_2005_r_19_-_02.jpg A brighter picture of Balancing Rock. May 27, 2006 vacation_2005_r_19_-_03.jpg A canyon in Arches National Park. May 27, 2006 vacation_2005_r_19_-_04.jpg Genevieve and a wildflower near North Window Arch. May 27, 2006 vacation_2005_r_19_-_05.jpg North Window Arch. Arches National Park. May 27, 2006 vacation_2005_r_19_-_06.jpg Turret Arch. May 27, 2006