First days in Yellowstone

We are in Yellowstone!  Travel has been fun with our travel buddies, Ray and Julie, Dave's niece and her husband.  We are having so much fun! 

Here they are at Slough Creek in NE Yellowstone, near Lamar Valley.  We have spent two very full days in the park, leaving Gardiner at 6:15 and arriving back the first night at 5 or so and last night after 9 pm.  We have seen elk, black bear, mule deer, bison, osprey, ground squirrels and swans.   Will download pictures later and post another day. 

This morning we move to West Yellowstone and will spend three days touring the lower loop of the Grand Loop; yesterday we completed the full loop of the upper portion.  

The guys did get a few hours of fishing in the first day, but fish were not biting.  

It is now afternoon and we have arrived in W. Yellowstone. We are in shock, the drive down from Gardiner to Madison wasn't bad at all, but after we turned onto the road to West, the backed-up traffic was absolutely unbelievable!!!! In all the times we have been here we have NEVER seen traffic backed up like this. Last year was Yellowstone's busiest ever and this year is already surpassing it in numbers. The traffic waiting at the junction was backed-up 8 EIGHT miles!!!!!   Never have we seen even half that bad, probably even a quarter of that. It is shocking.  

So instead of trying to go in this afternoon, we will explore West since they have never been here. 

Here are a few pictures:

Having a great time!