# CCUSA 17' photos



## Strider (Oct 29, 2017)

Finally sorted; there you go! Your country is a blast...I especially love the prairie, since I don't have it back here in Croatia. Lots of open spaces and beautiful wildlife.

First I came to TN, Knoxville...well, close to it. My mother's aunt lives there. The country really stuck under my skin. I will not forget the hospitality, kindness and the mere sight of (flying) fireflies from the porch while drinking beer in the sunset! :) Spent 10 or so days there and then drove 560 miles to Pittsburgh, PA. 

Cumberland gap- point of three states! 


 
Robin's eggs at Cumberland NP.


 
The porch and the zeroing of Daisy. The amount of beer drank made me better :P Auntie has prairie dogs nibbling her veggies, so I made her aim better. 


 
Oakridge museum for project Manhattan; they had this interesting stats.


 
Nice villa. reaaaaly nice villa!


 
Off I go to Pa.


 
With my cousin, I visited the botanical garden at Oakland university, and I saw peanuts, vera wood, chocolate tree and interesting enough- some Mediterranean plants :P

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## Strider (Oct 29, 2017)

Walking with my cousin in the woods, I saw this plant. What would it be, do you know?


 
( and still going


 
We were late home because of getting this amount :D



 
Then I flew to MT, Bozeman, my last year's home and surprised my roommates by walking in! :D

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## Strider (Oct 29, 2017)

From then on I started working in Yellowstone NP, and visited lots of places, to many to write about so...random photos here we come! x)


 
Above Mammoth Hotsprings within the park, my favorite place.


 


 
Grand Tetons NP, amazing!!!


 
Lets just say I got really wet :p


 
On the way to Helena, MT; very unexpected trip.


 
Trying out a new bike for the ladies.


 
Great Yellowstone Canyon. Also amazing and totally worth seeing!


 
And my griz ;)

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## Mike1950 (Oct 29, 2017)

Mammoth hot springs was a disappointment when I went there a few yrs ago. It is dead- went there when I was a kid and volume of water was huge. you probably went thru Emigrant, Mt. First permanent settlement in MT. I think 1865, My Great great gramps led the wagon train. He was a gold rush guy. Had a ranch -hotel and ferry at avalanche gulch on the Missouri river in the 1890's. Had his son take care of the ranch and him and his wife - in their late 60's went to the Klondike gold rush for 2 1/2 yrs. I keep telling Kathie we should follow their path- I will be nice and not repeat her comments.....


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## Strider (Oct 29, 2017)

Many things have change due to volume of people in the park. I meant the scenery and the hills; however I feel if you saw a really good hotspring or a geyser, you've seen them all! :P Hahhaha Katie knows best? Yes, I went through Emigrant, and the Paradise valley is also one of my favorite scenes out there! :)
Wow! I never knew that! Your great great grandpa was one of the first to lead the way there?

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## barry richardson (Oct 29, 2017)

Great pictures Loris, thanks for posting!


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## Mike1950 (Oct 29, 2017)

Strider said:


> Many things have change due to volume of people in the park. I meant the scenery and the hills; however I feel if you saw a really good hotspring or a geyser, you've seen them all! :P Hahhaha Katie knows best? Yes, I went through Emigrant, and the Paradise valley is also one of my favorite scenes out there! :)
> Wow! I never knew that! Your great great grandpa was one of the first to lead the way there?



Yep you can look him up in the first book of important Montana people there are 2 of them. Mammoth hot springs for some reason stopped or at least flow went way down


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## gman2431 (Oct 29, 2017)

Glad to see ya had a great time Loris!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## woodtickgreg (Oct 30, 2017)

Really nice pics of your trip here. If I could pack up all my stuff and move somewhere it would be eastern Tennessee, I absolutely love it there.

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## Mike Hill (Nov 1, 2017)

Dream trip Loris. I'm sure that lots of fun was had. Mike, way cool about the gggdad. Was disappointed also with Mammoth and the flow last year - Lots less than 10 years ago. Took my Dad for his birthday and he enjoyed it immensely. Didn't get to fish the park, but did fish the Missouri, Madison, and the Ruby. Love going to E. TN - well, as long as I avoid Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge!

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## Mike1950 (Nov 1, 2017)

Mike Hill said:


> Dream trip Loris. I'm sure that lots of fun was had. Mike, way cool about the gggdad. Was disappointed also with Mammoth and the flow last year - Lots less than 10 years ago. Took my Dad for his birthday and he enjoyed it immensely. Didn't get to fish the park, but did fish the Missouri, Madison, and the Ruby. Love going to E. TN - well, as long as I avoid Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge!


Daughter works at old Faithful. She says Mammoth flow is less and less. I saw 10 yrs ago and nothing like when I was a kid. Rock creek and Henry's fork should be on your to fish list.


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## Mike1950 (Nov 1, 2017)

Mike Hill said:


> Dream trip Loris. I'm sure that lots of fun was had. Mike, way cool about the gggdad. Was disappointed also with Mammoth and the flow last year - Lots less than 10 years ago. Took my Dad for his birthday and he enjoyed it immensely. Didn't get to fish the park, but did fish the Missouri, Madison, and the Ruby. Love going to E. TN - well, as long as I avoid Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge!



and gr.gr. gramps brother was not quite as long lived- died at 33- Named on Custer's tomb...


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## Strider (Nov 1, 2017)

Some more;
The bottom of the grand Yellowstone Canyon, and the Yellowstone river. I was amazed how strong it was, not for playing around with. It is the longest undammed river in the USA, 600 or so miles (or is it 800?)


 
Hayden valley, gorgeous!


 
Last stand hill, g. Custer died here in 1829. Great trip that was, through Billings to Big horn mountains.


 
Sitting Bull's hawk, a great honor to see this tool. 


 
Bear tooth pass- one of the prettiest roads I've been driving on! And I laughed when asked- have you seen the pink snow...Until I saw it!


 
Memorial, nicely done. 


 



Such a dramatic end to that day; smoke everywhere and a sudden rain on the horizont.



Great country of WY, view from descending road from the Little Bighorn mountains. Someone said to me it was the most boring state. I beg to differ. 


 
Within YNP forest, I found this mushrooms all around; is it boletus?

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## Strider (Nov 1, 2017)

Well, I'll be damned, look here what I was writing just when you posted...Custer's last stand. That view from the Last stand mound is amazing, prairie everywhere. Even the Crow's peak, where they observed the settlements seems so far away, hidden in the golden hey.

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## Sprung (Nov 1, 2017)

Nice pics, Loris - looks like you had a great time!



Strider said:


> Great country of WY, view from descending road from the Little Bighorn mountains. Someone said to me it was the most boring state. I beg to differ.



WY is definitely way underrated. If the opportunity ever presented itself, I'd move there in a heartbeat. One of my favorite states that I've traveled through.

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## Mike1950 (Nov 1, 2017)

Strider said:


> Well, I'll be damned, look here what I was writing just when you posted...Custer's last stand. That view from the Last stand mound is amazing, prairie everywhere. Even the Crow's peak, where they observed the settlements seems so far away, hidden in the golden hey.


-Note the tomahawk- steel- not native made.

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## Mike Hill (Nov 1, 2017)

Mike1950 said:


> Daughter works at old Faithful. She says Mammoth flow is less and less. I saw 10 yrs ago and nothing like when I was a kid. Rock creek and Henry's fork should be on your to fish list.


Done Henry's Fork, but not Rock Creek, For some reason, my dream fishing trips to YNP are two. For some odd reason, unbeknownst to me at this time one is to fish Black Canyon in YNP during salmonfly hatch. The other is a horse pack to wild backwaters.

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## Strider (Nov 2, 2017)

My heart cries- I too have not fished in YNP; though I brought all the gear from Croatia. Worse yet, I didn't fish not a single time! 
But there are some EPIC spots, my favorite being the Swan flats just above Mammoth hot springs towards Norris junction; several miles above. Beautiful meadows. Also the road leading to West Yellowstone via Madison Junction. That river has some bad ass sundowns and Firehole canyon is near for a hot skinny dip. Hot being the water, that is...not my full moon fanny :D

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## Strider (Nov 2, 2017)

Mike1950 said:


> -Note the tomahawk- steel- not native made.


Yes, natives had no ferrous metal production...trade definitely. I wonder, though, what's the style of the head and the date era...was it made in his time, or generations before him? I don't know haws enough to say!

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## Mike1950 (Nov 2, 2017)

I fished i YNP when i was 10. Campgrounds were small and all spread out. Built in 30's by CCC. bathing facility was a wooden cribbed hot spring. Bears were everywhere. Got up at dawn and went down to catch breakfast. Wading in creek was cold but every once in a while found a warm spring. Fishing was fabulous. I was walking back, happy lad with pole in one hand and fish in other. All these people 100 yd plus were waving at me and i waved back. I thought it was a mite strange but hell it was nice they were so friendly. Then i heard the grunt behind me. Looked back and jumped. A bear was tryin to snatch my fish. I yelled, my stuff and fish went in the air and i went up nearest tree. Scared me but scared bear also. He was in another tree. I dashed down get my fish and pole and ran back to camp...

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## Strider (Nov 2, 2017)

You mountain men, scaring bears! :S Pfffft! I had a nice black bear moment up ad Soda Butte- saw one grazing across the road; pulled over (in Bonnie's car), and did it for several minutes...Then I heard a noise behind me and the bear stood up, charging us from 50 or so feet. It was about to pass the road but there was a Harley driving at that moment so it ran back up. Went into the car (well, I might be from across the globe, but unlike tourists, I get the signs :D ), and turned the car in 300 feet or so on a parking lot, to head back home (was getting late, didn't want to catch the dark). So, as I was driving just before the sight spot, the bear went to where we stood, and back again where it stood the first time, but with two cuttie balls. They were the noise behind me. So we spectated and took some photos and let them be, before other plonkers came with their big fancy cameras, harassing them. Beautiful animals!

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## Strider (Nov 8, 2017)

Ha! There is more!
Shoshone lake is the largest USA lake that cannot be reached by a car, rather 3 mile walk. Also, it is unique because of the black obsidian pebbles/sand.
My lady has funny toes and I know she'll hate me for this. 


 
On the other hand, I have nice boots! They lie now in the Colorado river. Eight years they served me well. 


 
Shoreline and lots of raspberries. Yes, I gorged out myself.


 
Is that a beaver dam on the right?


 
This was kind of scary. Dead silence and a bear in mind :D


 



Crystal clear lake. This trail, from Shoshone lake to Lewis lake via Lewis creek is unlike the rest of the park. A small oasis of different. Might be my favorite spot.


 
Purty! 



Lamar valley.


 
This is the she-bear and the pups!

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## Strider (Jan 18, 2018)

You haven't seen the last of me!! Muahahahah! 
Snowing in early September :)


 
Somewhere on the Little Big Horn mountains, near the Indian Medicine wheel.

 
Near Japanese WW2 camp, behind you see Heart mountain. 


 
Cody, Wyoming. Love that place!! Oh, and my first M1 G and Win 1892 ;))


 

Glacier National Park

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