Goodbye to Garrett

Garrett with Sisters Megan and Haley (sp.?)

After a full week of adventures it was time for Garrett to leave Big Sky and head for Colorado. We met his mom, Tracy, and his sisters at Old Faithful on July 23rd. We did a lot during his stay and I think he had a great time visiting MT and Yellowstone. Lucky for him, he still had a few days in the west and was driving back to Denver via Jackson Hole and Arches NP in Utah, one of my favorite little parks in the country.

Tracy and Garrett goofing around near Yellowstone Lake

We said goodbye to Garrett and his family after a quick bite of ice cream at Grant Village. Then, Colin, Chelsea and I drove back to Big Sky through the geyser basin portion of the loop drive. I decided to stop for a quick boardwalk stroll to see the Grand Prismatic Spring. To fully appreciate this impressive feature you need to see it from a distance. It is so big that you can't see how impressive it is from up close.

The lighting was good since the sun was setting so Colin joined me to take some photos. Chelsea was more than happy to nap in the car.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Excelsior Geyser (adjacent to Grand Prismatic Spring)

The steam rising from Excelsior Geyser created a surreal landscape. The odor of hydrogen sulfide gas added to the feeling that you really weren't on earth. The shadow below is, of course, from me as I stood on the edge of the geyser crater. You can't see it very well in the photo but there was a halo round my head too. Reminds me of a song...