My sister, April, led us through the geyser basins at Norris and the hot springs at Mammoth. I think everyone was impressed with the wonder and variety of it all: big, small, noisy, quiet, colored in so many ways. Something you don’t get from videos is the full experience of the sound and smells. Intermingled with the hot pine scent is the occasional whiff of sulfur (sometimes overpowering).
Along the way, we also saw deer, elk, bison, black bears (cinnamon and true black), and a moose. These don’t come through in pictures well either: The live experience is really worth it. We haven’t seen grizzlies, wolves, coyotes, or foxes yet, but there’s still time.
My nephew, Josh, told us some important safety tips for hiking in bear country: You should carry bear-strength pepper spray and wear bells. You should also watch for bear signs like tracks and bear scat. Black bear scat will contain nuts and berries. Grizzly scat will smell of pepper spray and contain bells!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment