Daily Didactic
Our day began in the very enjoyable Norris Campground. We had two items on the to-do list today, visit Yellowstone Canyon and hike a short three mile trail to a campsite for the evening. This level of commitment allowed us to start our day with a little shopping and breakfast at Canyon Village. Better clothed and fed, we headed to the north rim of the the canyon and hiked the short but steep path down to the viewing point of the lower falls. On our last visit we did this little hike but skipped the upper falls, so we climbed back in the bus and headed on down the road to the upper falls viewpoint. The upper falls were equally beautiful, not quite as big, and well worth the short drive.

After our canyon viewing excitement, we headed to the northeastern part of the park and Lamar Valley. We had needed a relatively short "in and out" hike in the north of the park, so we could hike out and make it to Missoula tomorrow. Our backcountry park ranger helped us pick a quick three mile hike into Cache Creek. He said that Lamar Valley was the prettiest part of the park and we wouldn't disagree. This area of the park is short on hydrothermal features, but heavy of wildflowers and animals.

We hiked in past a few buffalo, through waves of sunshine and downpours, and in an almost Alaskan quantity of bugs. It was beautiful and we found our campsite and pitched our tent in between late afternoon rain squalls. We took a nap, cooked opportunistically when the sun broke out, and retreated as the rain came again. We read and nodded off in our tent as the most impressive lightning and thunderstorm we've ever been "out in" began in earnest.

Morning in Norris Campground		The meander in the meadow below Norris
You simply wait		The lower falls in Yellowstone Canyon
The upper falls		Heading up Dunraven Pass on the way to Lamar Valley
Hoodoos near Roosevelt Tower		A neat, if not unnecessarily dangerous, place to put a road.
Reminds us of Bryce without the color		Heading into Lamar Valley
Theresa crossing Lamar River, a few feet into our day's hike		Lamar River
Crossing a meadow		Theresa, not looking back
This one was not too far off the trail		One path is for humans, one for horses
Butterfly		Midway to Cache Creek
It was pouring a minute ago		Brian, looking for our night's home. 3L1
The view from our tent, between rain flurries		The view from outside the tent
Our home on the banks of Cache Creek		Our camp buddy
A thunder storm in the distance		A closer view

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