"There is nothing so American as our national parks. The scenery and wildlife are native. The fundamental idea behind the parks is native. It is, in brief, that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us. The parks stand as the outward symbol of this great human principle." Franklin D. Roosevelt

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Chico Hot Springs

The Mammoth Yellowstone General Store gals and I made our annual trek to Chico Hot Springs for our dinner on Monday evening.  Using our winter tip money we splurge on a wonderful dinner that includes appetizers  of baked brie, shrimp cocktails and escargot.  Entrees included prime rib, shrimp scampi and delectable steaks garnished with Gorgonzola.  It was an evening of high dining that was completed with 3 Berry Fruit Crisp, Moose Track Pie and Amaretto Cheese Cake.  And since we are such high class and fashionable ladies (way to use those bread sticks as drum sticks, Judy!) it was a dinner that fit our style.    

Andrea scarfing down her Baked Brie and remain scurvy free (that is our code word for consuming margaritas).

Connie enjoying her Shrimp Cocktail

Judy put down her musical bread sticks to partake in her appetizer

And nothing says 'classy!' as an aluminum foil swan to bring home leftover prime rib.  Doggy bags will never do for me now!

As we let dinner digest two days later winter still swirls around us.  We are in a winter weather advisory until midnight tonight and most of the day we could look out our store windows and watch the wind whip up the falling snow.  There is really no measurable amounts in Mammoth but snotels (pronounced:  snow tells, not:  snot ells like Andrea and I originally thought) in various mountain areas were reporting up to 10 inches by this morning. Spring is Sunday but winter can still rear its snowy head.

Earlier this week there was a carcass on the hill behind the YCC building.  Coyotes and wolves could be heard yipping and howling during the night hours.  It didn't take long before there was nothing visible but a dark patch of snow where the elk had been.  I also saw a fox running across the road in front of my car in the Yak last Tuesday morning.  Just a one mile drive in Mammoth can be a wildlife jackpot.  Andrea and I spotted antelope near Gardiner last Friday afternoon.  Neither one of us had seen an antelope in many months so it was nice to see them.  

Last week bear prints had been found in Hayden Valley and I'm sure there have been a few other bears coming out of their winter slumber.  I am looking forward to my first 2011 bear sighting.  2011 is going to be another great Yellowstone year.