SPRING

So, it is SPRING! Warm and sunny most days. Sigh, finally.

But, while you are looking at all the beauty....

...watch out for this...

...because this...

... means this is close by...

springtime in paradise

Come take a walk with me through my paradise.
I have wanted to hike to Ice Lake since I saw the sign, but until recently it was truly iced and snowed in. It is a short hike to the lake from the trail head, maybe 1/2 mile.

I know it is sideways, but I didn't take a landscape pict of the lake... anywho... doesn't the other side look lovely.... lets go! (I was hiking all alone, but had my bear spray, promise)

this path ended, but it joined with another... so I went.

I walked around the lake, saw loads of flowers and no bears. (I did keep a really good lookout though, as it is bear season and I was alone. I did see a family of four and passed them. They were going the same way I was, so I felt a little safer. I came to this creek on the other side of the lake...

but found my bridge in the form of lodge-pole pines which had washed up together (I guess)

Continued walking ... I didn't know where i was heading, but the day was warm with a very strong wind and I wanted to keep going. The area was thick with new growth lodge-pole pines as this area was burned in the 1988 fires.
I saw a sign for little gibbon falls (or something like it) and decided to go that way as it seemed like it may be headed back to the road and my car.

aren't these cliffs -little as they are - beautiful. The lodgepole pine has a very shallow root system, and just falls over. I will post pictures that I have taken from all over the park of what I have named, "God's pick-up-sticks"

Crossed the Gibbon on THIS log, it kept moving and I thought I would end up in the water.

I have pictures of the falls, which was awesome, but they are all portrait style and won't load properly...

so over the hill and through the woods... then I see this view... jaw dropping meadow, all to myself on a perfect spring day. I have named it, Paradise.

the path turned to mud...

  then to water...

 and I got a little wet and muddy! YAY

The path did end up coming out at the road about 1/4-1/2 mile from my car... so I just walked up the road, trying not to get hit by idiots... I didn't :-)

Thanks for coming with me!

slough

Thursday we hiked slough creek. It is a road, actually, used by a ranch miles away. their only access, I have been told, is horse and cart.

 we did see two, so I think the tales are true.

teton

yesterday Bridget, an NP at the Old Faithful clinic, Molly - a PA at the mammoth clinic, April - the charge nurse at Old Faithful and I went to Teton for a hike. Bridget wanted to do the Taggart and Bradly lakes hike. It is about 4.5 miles round trip, but we went further around the lake so I am thinking 5 miles.
Right at the bottom of the trail there was a mama moose and her little baby. Can't see the baby in the pictures as it was kept well hidden. THIS, folks, is a moose.... 

does it look like an elk??... 

....no it does not!

So we begin the hike at the base of the Tetons, which, in my opinion, are the most spectacular sight ever. 

It turned out to be a bit of a hot morning, which was so nice as we have been very cold here. I even got some sun on my pale cheeks. No, I don't have a picture of me. I promise I will at some point. 

 April and Bridget chilling on a wooden bridge on the other side of Bradley lake. Yes, we had our bear spray!

April is pointing to an osprey ... I didn't get a good picture as I didn't bring my big lens.

Good hike and we got to see this little snake...

and these silk worms, which kill whatever they start eating... and kinda make me shudder...

We went to eat in jackson, did our shopping and headed back up towards Yellowstone. We drove up signal mountain and got this to die for view!

as you can see the weather was starting to change... a storm was closing in ...

Then....

By the time I got back to Lake it was 30 and snowing hard! Good day!

Yesterday I drove over to Old Faithful to see the clinic as i will be working at there friday. I didn't take any pictures of the clinic, but these fellas were between my appartment and our lake clinic as I was leaving.

i drove over to the prismatic pool as i have not been there before. It is amazing! Funny thing is, I didn't get pictures of it, but the pool next to it was very deep and very blue. This is the actual color, no touching up! It was a cool and windy day, so the steam was thick and blowing everywhere... but you get the picture. You can see what looks like a reef under the water.
I then drove around, looking at things I hadn't  taken the time to look at before, including the artist paint pots area.... so cool

thursday

Thursday: The day started sunny, so we decided to do the cascade lake hike. we saw loads of cascades, mostly running through the trail

it is about 2.5 miles in. We kept our eyes and ears open for bears and mama large animals who will be very protective of their little ones. We didn't see ANYTHING except a bison in the distance and this lovely jaw bone.

The lake was beautiful, though not cascadey at all. I have seen pictures of it later in the year covered in lilies... Think I will have to come back for that. 

The hill behind is a reminder of fires in years past. This is a natural process that is needed for a forest to continue. The heat opens the pine cones and allows for a new generation.

Anywho... lovely 5 mile round trip!

We then went to the south rim of Yellowstone canyon. We decided to do the uncle tom trail, and is what feels like a million steps down the canyon...

BUT SO WORTH IT.... short of breath and muscles burning..... <3