We unloaded the scooter yesterday and rode into Yellowstone National Park. Our America the Beautiful pass allowed us entry without paying the daily fee ($20 for motorcycles). Shortly after entering the west entrance to the park, we were in Wyoming following the Madison River.

I saw a couple of photographers on the side of the road and pulled into the next turn-out. We saw what they were photographing – there were elk across the river. We saw a few cow elk and yearlings. Then I saw the smallest calf I’ve ever seen. I guess I haven’t spotted elk this early in the spring before.

At the Madison Junction where the Gibbon and Firehole Rivers join to form the Madison, we turned right and headed south to the geyser basins. We stopped at the Lower Geyser Basin and walked around the boardwalk loop. The colors are amazing. The water in the geyser pools is so clear, you can see every detail of the bottom. There are pools that reach deep into the earth and the water becomes blue.

The mineral content and organic materials create different colors.

There was a pool of clay that was bubbling and boiling. Mud spouts were thrown a few feet into the air.

The steam coming out of fumaroles had a slightly sulphurous odor.

We continued south and climbed to the Upper Geyser Basin. The traffic was fairly light – I’ve always come through the park in the summer before. At the peak season, the traffic is unbearable. We were told in town that we are here at the right time. Next week, the crowds arrive. Having said that, I still had to pay attention and ride with caution. People driving in the park lose all sense of the rules of the road. If they spy wildlife, they will suddenly brake and hang out the window with a camera.

At one point, a pick-up truck pulling a trailer suddenly braked to a stop in front of us. A bull bison was walking on the side of the road, Donna was getting uneasy as the bull headed straight at us, eight feet away. I accelerated around the truck and got out of there. We had a few more episodes like that during our day in the park.

We rode up to the visitor center to see Old Faithful spout. Old Faithful blows every 60 to 110 minutes. The park rangers predict the next spout based on the strength of the last eruption. We arrived at 12:45 pm. The next spout was predicted at 1:13 pm. We found a seat on a bench and ate the lunch Donna had prepared as we waited for the show. Even though it isn’t peak season, there were many people at the center.

The first time I saw Old Faithful was in the summer of 1966. My grandparents took me to Yellowstone on our way to visit relatives near Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Old Faithful always makes a couple of false starts, shooting water and steam a few feet into the air intermittently. Then she blows with a roar.

In the square mile of the Upper Basin around Old Faithful, there are 150 geysers.

On the way back down, we stopped at Fountain Flat Drive. We hiked on the Sentinel Trail. There were bison everywhere we looked, including some very large bulls. Bull bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds. They are the heaviest land animal in North America. We saw a herd with calves grazing in the sun.

At one point, we had to leave the trail as a bull came walking toward us. Bison are mostly docile, but they are wild and unpredictable. Bulls have been known to charge when people approach too closely.

On our way out, along the Madison River, we saw a yearling elk feeding in the grass.

We had fine weather all day, with clear blue skies and comfortable temperatures. I could see clouds forming in the west though and the forecast called for thundershowers after 3pm.

Upon our return, I could see a few scattered thundershowers around the RV park, but it didn’t rain here until after 7pm – just as we sat down to eat dinner outside.

More scattered thunder showers are forecast for this afternoon. Tomorrow we’ll head north. I have a stop planned for a couple of days, north of White Sulphur Springs, Montana. We’ll boondock on Bob and Shirley McBride’s land by their cabin.