Yesterday afternoon I met photographer Bart Smith (http://www.walkingdownadream.com/) as I was wandering around Yellowstone. He told me some really interesting information about the Nez Perce National Historic Trail which runs through Yellowstone. In 1877 a band of 700 Nez Perce men, women and children fought against the 7th Calvary while trying to escape to Canada rather than be forced onto an Indian Reservation. Yellowstone had been designated a National Park in 1872. Several tourists were taken hostage during the Nez Perce’ attempts to escape the government.
The reality that the US government was creating National Parks and tourists were already in Yellowstone while Native Americans were being forced off their lands…it kind of throws me for a loop. I forget sometimes that its only been 134 years since this took place. Thats not a long time to have passed. Times change so quickly.
Mr. Smith and I fit quite a bit of information into a short conversation, exchanged web sites addresses and went on our separate ways. I told him to stop at my campsite if the grounds were full by the time he hiked down there. I’m camping out of my car, so it seems silly not to have someone else use the tent site. There was a tent in my site when I departed at 5:30 this morning so I was glad I offered. Who knew the park would still be so busy in September?
I photographed the sunrise out near Dunraven Pass, then wandered toward West Yellowstone. I came across 3 coyotes travelling together, but they departed into the trees before I could get my camera up. I saw a few bison, elk and a bunch of birds, but there were more tourists than animals. In West Yellowstone I found Morning Glory Coffee & Tea (http://morningglorycoffee.net/) where I’m drinking a fabulous soy latte and taking advantage of the free wifi. I also noticed that they have a lot of gluten free items here in case any of my watchers are wheat-intolerant and in the West Yellowstone area.
Tomorrow I’ll be meeting up with a friend of mine from Canada in Glacier National Park. Not sure what the rest of today holds for me though…