Beware of Bears, Bison, & Old Faithful
We woke up about 30 miles from the entrance to Yellowstone, in a campground with a western theme and saloon. The sun was just rising over the mountains to the east. We headed west in search of buffalo, which we learned are also called bison. At this point we have still not seen, nor smelled, any evidence of smoke or destruction from forest fires.
Upon entering Yellowstone we began to see bison, more prong-horned antelope, deer, and elk. We saw trees destroyed by bugs and disease. We saw lots of warnings about bears, but fortunately did not see any from near or far. A bald eagle circled above us, among many other birds. While doing the Junior Ranger activities we learned that a snowshoe hare can jump 10 feet in a single bound, a bison can jump a 6 foot fence, and a mountain lion can jump 15 feet straight up into a tree. There were many other interesting animal facts. James and Georgie tested their athletic abilities compared to the animals.
Yellowstone was also filled with geological features that were new to the kids. Allison and James had heard of some of them in school but seeing them in person, was much different. They could smell the sulfur, feel the steam, and see first hand how biomes changed at various elevations. We learned the difference between hot springs, geysers, mudpots, and fumaroles. We scanned the glaciers for mountain goats but did not see any. Old Faithful was amazing.
One disappointment we had at Yellowstone was an encounter with a Park Ranger who made a few rude comments regarding James' fidgeting behavior. As soon as I mentioned he has autism she began backpedaling, apologizing, and fidgeting. She said that in her opinion, the staff really need training on how to relate to visitors with special needs. This is a common issue I have seen in the parks - park rangers are either amazing or rude. The one checking us into the campground was amazing. When I expressed my concern about James, and risks of kids with autism and drowning statistics, she had no problem switching our site away from the water. The person unlocking the showers, was another one who could use some additional training. If you are traveling with a family member with special needs, definitely pick up a National Park Access Pass. It allows you to get in the parks for free and camp for half price.
Throughout the park, we traversed the Continental Divide three times. Within a few minutes of getting the RV set up for the evening, it began to pour. We were grateful, it had held off until we were settled. It stopped shortly after eating dinner.
