Third Time Was The Charm - Red Rock Canyon

Kelly, WY (62 degrees, blue skies

On our third attempt we finally found the Red Rock Canyon with the help of our friends Bob and Patsy.  We were just not patient enough. Does that ever happen to you? 

In our defense the Gros Ventre Road becomes very rugged...fast.  The paved National Park road quickly turns into gravel, dust, and occasional washboard once you enter the Bridger Teton National Forest. We have been in this area twice before only to be told by our friends we had not journeyed far enough.  Bob and Patsy truck made for a much more comfortable ride so after work  a road trip to the Red Rock Canyon was planned.  It's truly a wild place free from crowds and civilization and definitely off the beaten path.

The Gros Ventre River cuts through the valley below.

The contrast between the green valley and trees against the red rock is very striking.

There are a few ranches along the road.  The one below is a horse farm.  Note how well the zoom on my Canon SX-50 brings the horses into closer view.

A Western Blue Bird was also enjoying the view from the fence line. I just love these little birds.

We turned down a road towards the Crystal Creek and saw a beautiful dude ranch called Red Rock Ranch which has been operating since 1917.  It looked like a spectacular place and is all inclusive including fly fishing and horseback riding.

This is a great area for fly fishing.  This is Patsy and Bob's favorite past times.  We always enjoying hearing their fish stories.

We saw this little grey bird bobbing around the rocks near the river.  We think it's an American Dipper, a new bird for us.

Fall will soon be here and everyone is  looking forward to when the aspen trees display their fall colors. Check back soon.

After we turned around we drove by this ranch and saw a bird high up on the post surveying the area.On closer inspection we think it's a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk.  What a beauty.

The highlight for all of us was suddenly coming upon a large herd of Pronghorns.  There were probably about 70 of them and it was thrilling to see them run across the sagebrush meadow.  They are the fastest land mammals in the Western Hemisphere and sure could move fast.

THE END of another perfect day.

Rainbows and Waterfalls (Grand Canyon of Yellowstone)

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (68 degrees, blue skies)

Top row Pat,Diana, John, Ben, Veronica, lower row me, Karen and Al

We have had lots of wonderful friends and family visiting us recently, so I'm a little behind in my blog posts. It was great fun to spend time with our RV-Dreamer friends and nephew Ben and his girlfriend Veronica hiking the canyon area of Yellowstone National Park.  Karen did a great job of planning our two hikes (North and South Rim Trails) and  you can read all about the details in her excellent post (click here).  

We arrived in time to see a rainbow at the base of the this spectacular falls at Artists Point. It's rather faint but we were sure excited to see it.  Especially since it involved having to get up at the crack of dawn to be here in time (9:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. per one of our guidebook suggestions.

The two trails gave excellent views of the upper and lower falls from so many angles. We had been here several times before but never hiked the trails.  They were easy to hike and it gave us a whole new perspective of this beautiful area  The trails were not crowded and probably missed by most tourists visiting the area. It's such a large park and most folks just don't have the extra time to hike the trail. What a loss. If you are traveling in the area we'd recommend making the South Rim Trail a "must do".  

We were so happy Ben came to visit with his girl friend Veronica for a few days.  They were on a 10,000 mile road trip from coast to coast before returning to their home Sao Paulo.  Ben lived for a year with John's daughter Jen in Indianapolis.  His girl friend currently is attending medical school in Bolivia.  Ben has decided to return home to Brazil and planned a great farewell road trip visiting many popular sites, National Parks and family.  Thanks so much Ben for including us in your itinerary.  

Ben and Veronica

We also were glad Karen, Al, Diana, and Pat joined us. We all get along so well together and there were lots of laughs during this fun day together. Plans are being made to get together again this winter since we all reside in Florida in the winter.  

Diana and Karen

More rainbows were to follow us as we stopped at this overlook.  It was a beautiful day and we were also so happy to be able to experience this amazing place and outstanding scenery!

Al and Karen

Pat and Diana

The most spectacular area in my opinion was at the head of the upper falls.  It was there you really had a view of the power of the river with the turbulent rapids and swirling water.

John enjoying the river

The North Rim hike had beautiful views of the canyon. However, there was less shade and is farther from the water. If you have only time to take one hike we'd suggest the South Rim Trail.  

Ben loves to hike!

We had a great time together from start to finish and after our hike we had a great dinner at the Canyon restaurant before returning home.  It was a day we will always remember made more special by sharing it with family and good friends. 

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