April Travels

April was certainly a busy month for us travel wise. During the month we traveled through 7 states and into British Columbia. It all started when we departed Phoenix Arizona, heading to Las Vegas Nevada, then into Utah with a visit to Salt Lake City, on to Idaho where we went through 3 states when visiting Yellowstone National Park. The park actually overlaps Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. After leaving Yellowstone we drove west in Montana, crossed again into Idaho and into Washington before crossing the border into British Columbia.

You can see from the map that California is the only state in the west that we have not yet taken Dutchess to.

Washing Dutchess and Granny

It is still very cold in Vernon with snow on the surrounding mountains. This is our first round at giving Dutchess and Granny a very good cleaning. Basically getting the 'Big lumps off ' of the road and travel grime.

Vernon Welcome

Arriving in Vernon,

Okanagan Valley

It is a lovely time to enter back into British Columbia the fruit trees are just coming into blossom and many of the trees are just getting their new bright green leaves.



It is an interesting drive up through the Okanagan Valley following the different lakes until you get to Okanagan Lake at Penticton, then follow that to Kelowna.




A year ago as we headed south to Vancouver we crossed the old floating bridge but as we arrive back heading north to Vernon we cross the new floating bridge for the first time.

Entering B.C. at Osoyoos

We crossed the border at Osoyoos and stayed the night at Haynes Point Provincial Park on a peninsular stretching out into the lake. It was wonderful to be back in British Columbia again and we have almost completed our loop of North America.

Grand Coulee Dam

Grand Coulee Dam is a hydroelectric gravity dam on the Columbia River in the state of Washington. In the United States, it is the largest electric power producing facility and the largest concrete structure. It is the fifth largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world.

The Grand Coulee Dam is almost a mile long at 5223 feet (1586 m). The spillway is 1,650 feet (503 m) wide. At 550 feet (168 m), it is taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza; all the pyramids at Giza could fit within its base. Its hydraulic height of 380 feet (115 m) is more than twice that of Niagara Falls. There is enough concrete to build a four-foot wide, four-inch deep sidewalk twice around the equator.

Last day in Yellowstone National Park

We met Mike and Shirley the night before in Mammoth Hot Springs Camp Ground, Mike noticed our New Zealand and Canadian flags on the back window of Granny and knocked on the door to say Hello. Mike hailed from New Zealand and Shirley from Australia and both live in Edmonton, Alberta. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting them and exploring the Silica terraces together the next morning.

Yellowstone National Park is a definate for a return visit sometime in the future.

Mammoth Hotsprings

You may want to click on this photo to see the extent of the terraces.








Looking down on the terraces.










In this picture you can see the difference between the active and old. The very white is the old dried silica.

Liberty Cap, a dormant hot spring.










From the road looking up at the terraces, can you see the bison?

Mammoth Hot Springs Con't

Just had to take this photo. I couldn't imagine sking or snowshoeing through this area.










Here you get a feeling how high the terraces are.






The small town of Mammoth was known as Fort Mammoth until the early 1900's and the Yellowstone area was administered by the military.




In this you can see steam rising, the white of the silica terraces and patches of white snow.

Into the mountains

The day was very clear and sunny, but as we headed north into the mountains we climbed to between five and six thousand feet. It has been close to freezing over the last couple of nights.


Bill is not at all impressed by the amount of snow on the side of the roads. But they are clear and mostly dry.

Yellowstone West

West, Yellowstone only opened three days before we arrived. The only roads open during the winter months are between Mammoth, the North Entrance and Silver City, the Northeast Entrance.







Still lots of snow.


Just one of the streets at West Yellowstone showing how high the snow is up the side of the house.

Old Faithful Geyser

We obtained Old Faithful's schedule from the park ranger as we entered the park and had about an hour to drive through the Geyser Basin to arrive in time for it to 'blow' at 2:10pm.



Nothing here was open yet, at the General Store or the Lodge. Snow was still being plowed at a great rate.













As we raced across the parking lot and through the trees we were just in time to see Old Faithful gush forth. There were only about 30 people but you can see by the seats that in the summer time it must be really crowded. The seats still have snow around them.

Geysers and Hot Pools

After seeing Old Faithful Blow we headed north in the Park as the southern area was still not open due to snow through Craig Pass at 8262 feet. We stopped at Midway Geyser Basin and walked the boardwalk looking at the small geysers, hot springs and fumaroles.

Bison and Elk

We saw lot of herds of both Elk and Bison and sometimes both together. Also as we entered the park by the West gate we spotted Bald Eagles that have been reintroduced from Canada.

Road North to Mammoth Hotsprings

From the Geyser Basin we drove north to Norris and then north again to Mammoth. It was a very interesting road and kept Bill on his toes driving.
The scenery changed from dry rocks to canter levered road to snow banks in the 34 km drive.

Idaho

Entering Idaho,

Morman Temple Square - Salt Lake City

The Mormon Tabernacle famous for the choir that sings here. We did not have the opportunity to hear them but did sit through a wonderful organ recital. The organ has in excess of 11,000 pipes.

The Tabernacle was the first building the followers of Brigham Young built in 1847 when they arrived in the valley where Salt Lake City stands today in Utah.