Shutdown

*Critters we’ve seen on our 2013 trip so far:  bison, pronghorn, elk, white-tail deer, Uinta ground squirrel, coyote, snowshoe hare, grizzly bear, moose, wolf, red fox, black bear, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, mule deer, llama, white-tailed jackrabbit, American badger
*Birds we’ve seen on our 2013 trip so far: osprey, pheasant, magpie, raven, Canada geese, mountain bluebird, grouse, golden eagle, bald eagle, American avocet, sandhill crane, red-tailed hawk, cliff swallow, northern flicker, Clark’s nutcracker, Brewer’s blackbird, Townsend’s warbler, pine siskin, dark-eyed junco

[Click on any photo to enlarge.]

Many have asked how the government shutdown affected us in Yellowstone.  Well, on Oct. 1 the park was closed and all campers had to leave unless they had already paid for that night.  They could stay or get a refund (not usually given).  However, if they stayed, they were restricted to the campground and could not go out
sightseeing.  As campground hosts, we were going to be allowed to stay till the end of our contract (Oct. 15) or could leave sooner, but we were also restricted to the campground other than being able to drive into Gardiner for groceries or dinner, or drive up the hill to the post office, general store, or restaurant.  We were not allowed to be out in the park sightseeing either, and if we drove into Gardiner, we could take photos as we drove along but could not stop anywhere along the way. This was true for park employees, too.  We told our ranger that we would stay and revisit the situation in a week hoping it would only last a couple of days.

Two days later we awoke to snow and not just a few flurries.  It had been snowing all night and was still coming down pretty good which you can see in some of the photos.  The campground was empty except for the 3 sets of hosts and a visiting herd of elk.  They hung out most of the day grazing, resting, and playing.  One of the calves even appeared to be trying to catch snowflakes on its tongue!  At one point I heard bugling in the distance and spied a bull way up on one of the hills and was able to snap a pic through the haze.

Just outside my window birdies came and went throughout the day with visits from a Townsend’s warbler (at left), pine siskins (bottom left), and a dark-eyed Junco (bottom right).  And in case you’re wondering, no, the photo of the pine siskins is not upside down…they were eating on the pinecone that way!

By late afternoon the snow had stopped, and the next day we had an incredible view down the valley even though you couldn't see the distant mountains.  The accumulation on our picnic table was 10 inches, but the sun finally started to break through and the snow began to melt.  Russ borrowed the snow shovel from the office shed to clear some of it
from our site…can’t remember the last time he had to shovel snow!  Over the next couple of days, we had visits from a favorite bull elk known as Broke Nose (you can see why from his profile) and a coyote that got quite close to our picnic table but then moved on through the campground.

We had heard that there was a grizzly on an elk carcass near the river not far from the campground.  On one of our drives into Gardiner for groceries we spotted it napping, but on the way back it was up and I was able to snap a couple of decent shots as we slowly drove by
    and she/he happened to look up.  Remember, we couldn’t stop on the road inside the park!  However, we did have to stop briefly before we reached that point for the dozen or so bighorn sheep that were crossing and blocking the road.
       I also managed to snap a photo of our RV in the empty campground as we passed. 

That night we invited the other hosts to come by and sit around

   the campfire.  It didn’t look like any progress was being made in Congress with the shutdown and another storm was pending. So we had decided to leave on Wed. and thought we’d spend a couple more nights enjoying the great outdoors as best we could with our friends, 
   who were planning to leave Thurs.  Just as everyone arrived I looked up and there was a small herd of bison traveling down the road across from the campground!  What a great sendoff for us all!

Yellowstone Tidbits:

• The Lake Hotel near Yellowstone Lake is the oldest operating hotel in the park having opened in 1891.
• An adult moose consumes about 10-12 lbs. of food per day in the winter and about 22-26 lbs. per day in the summer.
• Pronghorn have an oversized windpipe and heart allowing large amounts of oxygen and blood to be carried to and from unusually large lungs making them well adapted for outrunning their enemies.
• Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River is the tallest waterfall in the park at 308 ft.
• Most of the tidbits this year have come from the Yellowstone Resources & Issues Handbook 2013 distributed by the U.S. Dept. of the Interior.