Twenty Trip--Pica Pull-off

Friday, September 7th, 2012

Between Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs (don't ask me which road, I have no clue!) there's a little pull-off that loops around a house-sized boulder and back to the road. 

We reached there in the late afternoon, as the sun fell and the air cooled.

I believe the above picture was taken while we were still headed north towards Mammoth. If I have it figured correctly, that hillside in the middle is the one in the picture below.

Here we are, between the house-sized boulders. It was almost scary because those things were just so freakin' HUGE! Sure, sure, they've been that way for hundreds of years. 

What if THIS is the year and the day they choose to fall over?

Thankfully, they did not. =)

Dad was looking at the mountain across the road.

When we got out of the car, there was a bird or something chirping quite loudly. We couldn't figure out where it was coming from, until Mom looked down at the base of the boulder and saw... a Pica! Isn't he cute? 

He was LOUD, too!

We dubbed the place "Pica Pull-Off" in honor of the little guy.

I, of course, was playing the part of mountain goat and clambering all over the rocks and boulders.

Here's yet another shadow picture! Look at that! Look how far you can see! 

When I return to Yellowstone, Pica Pull-Off is one of the spots I'm stopping at, even if just for a moment.

~Kiwi~