It's majestical!!

 From Awesome David

Thursday, 21st September
The snow was falling in the morning again, so the family took a while to get out of the door. Also it was clear that new jackets would be required for the children to agree to further outdoor activity. Fortunately jackets and gloves could be obtained without too much difficulty or cost from West Yellowstone.

With three much happier children, we continued our journey towards the Grand Canyon Falls of Yellowstone.
Oh... my... goodness. The enormity and beauty of the canyon was breath-taking. As we carefully made our way down the trail; we could hear the roar of the falls increasing; we could feel the snow flurries fall from the needles of the Lodgepine pine trees; and we could breathe in the fresh, crisp air; building our anticipation of the final panorama.

The upper canyon falls in the distance from the top of the trail

Eliza, Logan and Jane standing at the top of the Canyon Falls trail

The upper Canyon Falls

A now-warm and lovely looking Eliza standing before the upper falls

Lodgepole pine forest growing from the eroded walls of the canyon,
oxidised red by the canyon river

The immense, beautiful walls of the Grand Canyon

Jonty before the canyon river

Jonty and Eliza at the lower Canyon falls as we look down the canyon

The lower Canyon Falls seen from above

Awed by the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Looking up from the bottom of the trail

The top of the lower Canyon Falls 

Snow melting on a twig of a Lodgepole pine

We then continued our way around towards Yellowstone Lake and had the fortune of passing the Hayden Valley - a large flat plain, created by a glacier. I had watched a documentary in the past that showed bison migration across this valley.

Seeing the valley in person, covered in snow was awe inspiring.

The Hayden Valley

As we drove alongside Yellowstone lake, we stopped briefly to check out the boiling mud

Surging, heaving mud that sounded like ocean surf

The Black Dragon's Caldron (sp.)  sounded just like a boiling witch's pot

The snowflakes got so large at this point that I had to put away the camera

Continuing our drive around the lake, we were so excited to see a couple wolf cubs walking along the side of the road - clearly having wandered too far from their mother.

We had no plan for dinner at this stage, and still needed to drive for a couple of hours to get out of the park. As a hungry family, we were so happy to pull into Grant Village, and stop for  a fabulous dinner at the Grant Village Dining Room.

After a dark, snowy drive home, and watching the eerie blue eyes of the bison staring from the fields, we collapsed into bed.