Wyoming: Wildlife and Landscape

Hello everybody!

I've returned from my holidays in the USA and would like to share some wildlife- and landscape-pictures with you. Well, in fact there are quite a lot of pictures, so I'll see if I'll have to post them in several batches.

The trip did not only take me to Wyoming. It started in Salt Lake City, which is in Utah. It was a hiking-trip. My group was picked up by the guides with their two cars. We had hikes in the High Uinta Mountains and the Wasatch Mountains in northern Utah. After that we went on to Wyoming, where we visited Jackson Hole with a hike in the Grand Tetons (very beautiful landscape indeed). Then we went on to Yellowstone (you could spend ages there, we had several hikes in differet parts of the National Park). After that we visited Devils Tower and Mount Rushmore, before we finally went on to South Dakota and the Badlands (the only 2 days without sunshine, so you see that we were priviledged by nature). I have seen Osprey in the Wasatch Mountains, where there are lot of lakes, and near Jackson Hole and even in Yellowstone. I was very happy to see them. My group must have thought that I had gone mad because of my excitement. I have posted some Osprey-pictures on the Osprey-Gabfest, so I don't post them here again, as there are more than enough anyway. So I think I might start with the pictures now. Enjoy

The first pictures were taken during the flight. We flew over the northernmost part of Scotland, right over Thurso (I waved down to Catlady, who lives in Caithness, as I recall. I passed the area on August 29th 2:15 PM local time there, so if you looked up and saw an aircraft 37000 feet high, there was I sitting inside)

We also flew over Greenland and Baffin Island. I think I will never again get as far north again. By the way, before I forget: On our way back, between Greenland and Iceland we had a night-flight, and I've seen Northern Lights.

In some parts of the States you could already see the beginnings of the Indian Summer:

Bente in front of the Grand Teton Mountains, before hiking:

View from the place where we had lunch:

An organized wildlife-tour the next evening: There were Bison around, and they came quite close, so we had to get back inside the car:

A very friendly Pronghorn-Antilope:

A Coyote:

A Mule-Deer with her fawn (I learned this expression that day)

Yellowstone National Park: Old Faithful is true to his name

The next morning: Steam over the Upper Geyser Basin:

Bente in front of the view to Grand Prismatic Spring

In my opinion the most impressive Geyser: The Grand Geyser, spitting water for 10 minutes:

Morning Glory Pool:

The Grotto Geyser (we were very lucky to see so many Geysers spitting water. With some it is a matter of chance to see them at all):

I was afraid that this little fellow might be cooked in hot water, but he had in fact lots of fun. Shortly after taking this picture he started splashing about:

A hike to the Upper-a´and Lower Falls, view from Artist's point:

At Uncle Tom's Trail ( Stairs, more than 300 steps!):

On our way to Cody, the only Moose that we've seen):

Devil's Tower:

Bente at Mount Rushmore:

Hiking in the Black Hills of South Dakota:

There were several narrow points to be passed:

We spent two nights in these little cabins. Cute, aren't they?

Even the towels were pretty, and the staff provided a rag for every purpose, so that people don't wipe their windscreen with these towels. Good idea, isn't it? I used my rag to clean my very dirty hiking-boots before flying home again

A last short hike in the Badlands (a slight drizzle and lots of clay-mud):

I hope you liked the pictures a bit. The journey was very funny, espacially when there were days when we had to drive a lot. Ususally we had a coffee-break sometime, and after that we usually giggled and laughed a lot. I used to suspect the people at the petrol-stations to put something into the coffee.

Very kind regards, Bente