Photo Library

Monday, August 23, 2004

We left Jenifer and Franci's around 10am and drove on US 89 south to Three Forks, where we were going to throw our bottles with messages into the beginning of the Missouri River.

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Jenifer and Franci's ranch, Boulder, MT: Franci McMahon, Aron Cowen, Molly, Martha Luehrmann, Jenifer Wise, and Maud

Monday, August 23rd, 2004 (Day 22)
Dear Journal,
Today we ate a small breakfast, said our goodbyes, and drove to Yellowstone, where we bathed in a hotspring where moving 1” could mean a 5° drop! Then we took a ranger tour where we learned about hot springs. We saw 1 that was only a month old! After that, we had dinner and I played Uno with 2 other boys and their mom. Then we drove to our cabin + went to sleep.
Aron

Monday, August 23, 2004 (Continued)

First we drove to Three Forks (where the Gardiner, the Jefferson, and the Madison merge to form the Missouri) so we could all throw in plastic bottles with notes inside them. Who knows -- maybe someone will find the bottles downriver and contact us. Maybe even someone in New Orleans, where the Mississippi empties into the Gulf!

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on the road, Montana: old homesteader cabin

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Three Forks, MT: Arthur Luehrmann and Aron Cowen throw in empty bottles with messages into the headwaters of the Missouri

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Three Forks, MT: Martha Luehrmann throws a message bottle into the headwaters of the Missouri

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Three Forks, MT: Martha's, Arthur's, and Aron's message bottles float off down the Missouri

Monday, August 23, 2004 (Continued)

We drove on US 89 south to Gardiner, Montana, where we entered Yellowstone Park. For a long time we followed the Yellowstone River.

Just past Gardiner, inside the park, we came to a sign saying “45th parallel” (half-way between the north pole and the equator) and stopped there on Franci and Jenifer's advice to go to the Boiling River. We had our bathing suits on and walked about .5 mile to where a hot spring joins the Gardiner river, which is cold snow melt. At the joining there were about 20 people in four or five little pools, enjoying themselves in the natural hot tubs. We went in too. There were fluctuations in the flows of hot water from the stream and cold water from the river, and each time the circle of people around the hot spring outlet would expand or shrink in order to maintain their desired hot-tub temperature. It was delightful and relaxing. We took a couple of pictures of a family there and will email it back to them.

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on the road, Montana

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on the road, MT: Yellowstone river

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Yellowstone Park: Aron Cowen at the Gardiner river

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Yellowstone Park: Aron Cowen where the Boiling river empties into the Gardiner river

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Yellowstone Park: Aron Cowen and Arthur Luehrmann where the Boiling river empties into the Gardiner river

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Yellowstone Park: Aron Cowen where the Boiling river empties into the Gardiner river

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Yellowstone Park: Martha and Arthur Luehrmann and Aron Cowen where the Boiling river empties into the Gardiner river

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Yellowstone Park: the Boiling river

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Yellowstone Park: Aron Cowen at the Gardiner river

Monday, August 23, 2004 (Continued)

Drove on to Mammoth Hot Springs, where we took a Ranger-guided walk from the Upper Terraces area down through the Lower Terraces area. She showed us how the pools make terraces and mounds and how the calcium carbonate precipitates out to form a skin on the pools that is easily shattered.

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Yellowstone Park: "Danger, do not approach wildlife" .. but what do you do when the wildlife approaches YOU?

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Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: walk

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Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: walk

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Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: walk

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Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: rainbow

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Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: hot pool

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Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: hot pool

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Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: hot pool

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Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: hot pool

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Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: hot pool

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Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: hot pool

Monday, August 23, 2004 (Continued)

Drove further south and saw a huge herd of buffalo crossing the road and stopping traffic. Saw mule deer, or what we thought were mule deer, at the entrance to the park at Gardiner.

Drove south to our cabin, F-5, at the Lake Village Lodge. Had dinner at the Lodge's cafeteria. By the time we left it was dark and quite cold. That night the temperature fell below freezing and we had frost on the car and the ground.

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Yellowstone Park: buffalo stop traffic

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Yellowstone Park: buffalo stop traffic

LCYellowRivBison
Yellowstone Park: buffalo swimming in the Yellowstone River

Monday, August 23, 2004 We left Jenifer and Franci's around 10am and drove on US 89 south to Three Forks, where we were going to throw our bottles with messages into the beginning of the Missouri River.			IMG_3660 Jenifer and Franci's ranch, Boulder, MT: Franci McMahon, Aron Cowen, Molly, Martha Luehrmann, Jenifer Wise, and Maud
	Monday, August 23rd, 2004 (Day 22) Dear Journal, Today we ate a small breakfast, said our goodbyes, and drove to Yellowstone, where we bathed in a hotspring where moving 1” could mean a 5° drop! Then we took a ranger tour where we learned about hot springs. We saw 1 that was only a month old! After that, we had dinner and I played Uno with 2 other boys and their mom. Then we drove to our cabin + went to sleep. Aron
Monday, August 23, 2004 (Continued) First we drove to Three Forks (where the Gardiner, the Jefferson, and the Madison merge to form the Missouri) so we could all throw in plastic bottles with notes inside them. Who knows -- maybe someone will find the bottles downriver and contact us. Maybe even someone in New Orleans, where the Mississippi empties into the Gulf!			IMG_3667 on the road, Montana: old homesteader cabin
IMG_3670 Three Forks, MT: Arthur Luehrmann and Aron Cowen throw in empty bottles with messages into the headwaters of the Missouri	IMG_3673 Three Forks, MT: Martha Luehrmann throws a message bottle into the headwaters of the Missouri	IMG_3674 Three Forks, MT: Martha's, Arthur's, and Aron's message bottles float off down the Missouri
Monday, August 23, 2004 (Continued) We drove on US 89 south to Gardiner, Montana, where we entered Yellowstone Park. For a long time we followed the Yellowstone River. Just past Gardiner, inside the park, we came to a sign saying “45th parallel” (half-way between the north pole and the equator) and stopped there on Franci and Jenifer's advice to go to the Boiling River. We had our bathing suits on and walked about .5 mile to where a hot spring joins the Gardiner river, which is cold snow melt. At the joining there were about 20 people in four or five little pools, enjoying themselves in the natural hot tubs. We went in too. There were fluctuations in the flows of hot water from the stream and cold water from the river, and each time the circle of people around the hot spring outlet would expand or shrink in order to maintain their desired hot-tub temperature. It was delightful and relaxing. We took a couple of pictures of a family there and will email it back to them.			IMG_3687 on the road, Montana
IMG_3688 on the road, MT: Yellowstone river	IMG_3690 Yellowstone Park: Aron Cowen at the Gardiner river	IMG_3693 Yellowstone Park: Aron Cowen where the Boiling river empties into the Gardiner river	IMG_3696 Yellowstone Park: Aron Cowen and Arthur Luehrmann where the Boiling river empties into the Gardiner river
IMG_3697 Yellowstone Park: Aron Cowen where the Boiling river empties into the Gardiner river	IMG_3698 Yellowstone Park: Martha and Arthur Luehrmann and Aron Cowen where the Boiling river empties into the Gardiner river	IMG_3702 Yellowstone Park: the Boiling river	IMG_3708 Yellowstone Park: Aron Cowen at the Gardiner river
Monday, August 23, 2004 (Continued) Drove on to Mammoth Hot Springs, where we took a Ranger-guided walk from the Upper Terraces area down through the Lower Terraces area. She showed us how the pools make terraces and mounds and how the calcium carbonate precipitates out to form a skin on the pools that is easily shattered.			IMG_3710 Yellowstone Park: "Danger, do not approach wildlife" .. but what do you do when the wildlife approaches YOU?
IMG_3713 Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: walk	IMG_3715 Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: walk	IMG_3716 Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: walk	IMG_3722 Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: rainbow
IMG_3725 Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: hot pool	IMG_3728 Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: hot pool	IMG_3730 Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: hot pool	IMG_3732 Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: hot pool
IMG_3735 Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: hot pool	IMG_3737 Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park: hot pool
Monday, August 23, 2004 (Continued) Drove further south and saw a huge herd of buffalo crossing the road and stopping traffic. Saw mule deer, or what we thought were mule deer, at the entrance to the park at Gardiner. Drove south to our cabin, F-5, at the Lake Village Lodge. Had dinner at the Lodge's cafeteria. By the time we left it was dark and quite cold. That night the temperature fell below freezing and we had frost on the car and the ground.			IMG_3743 Yellowstone Park: buffalo stop traffic
IMG_3745 Yellowstone Park: buffalo stop traffic	LCYellowRivBison Yellowstone Park: buffalo swimming in the Yellowstone River
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Lewis & Clark, August 23, 2004