A Short Over The Pass...A Day Enroute

Thursday, May 3rd.  Early start today as we begin our first of a two day drive from West Yellowstone to Banff. With weather being more late winter than spring we were none too sad to be leaving this ghost town, albeit Yellowstone is a continually unfolding fantasy land. 

Mabel, our gps guide, had us set for an11.5 hour drive over the next two days. Setting out the roads north of West Yellowstone remained as empty as town, yet now with expansive views across valleys,ranch lands, and surrounding mountain ranges.  Until.....police car lights flashing ahead, the road clearly closed.  Multiple car flashing lights,  cowboys on horses across the road? Cattle crossing?  Not quite.....

Oh, its a cattle drive alright.  Only this one is not going to market.  These National Park Ranger cowboys are leading their herd back to summer grazing pastures in Yellowstone.

I guess we'll just pull over and enjoy the show for awhile.


No stopping this march, nor getting out of one's car!

Surprise.  Nestled in with the herd were several calves of the bison variety.  Cute aye!










And of course, no outing is complete without
treats for the littles.

Once the herd passed we resumed our trip. Next up, Earth Quake Lake, created in 1959, following a massive earthquake which shifted, stopped and created many new geysers within Yellowstone 50+ miles away.  The lake was created as a mountain toppled and a river's course altered.

The next several hours took us through several high meadows, passes and across
rolling farm plains which stretched to the earth's curvature. Spellbinding vistas in all directions, anew over each mountain pass and through each canyon road.  

And on we drove, marvelling at the vistas, not a town worth stopping for insight over the next eight hours.  Passing access roads to Glacier National Park, while driving through Blackfeet Nation reservation lands, still no signs of life worth slowing down for. 

Finally, across the border and into Canada, two towns north and we drove into Fort MacLeod Alberta, a town with no less than ten motels, and pizza/steal parlor and two liquor stores.
Okay, okay,enough driving for one day. We checked in to motel number two, walked across the street for brews and a loaded pie.

Nite, nite.