"Another day in paradise!"

(CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE)

7:18 am - Thursday - 59º F, 61% humidity, wind 6 mph out of the southeast.....cloudy....forecast high is 86º F (81º F at Mammoth Hot Springs).

Wednesday began warmish, and got hot quickly.  I use the word 'hot' advisedly.....it is relative to your particular latitude, and what is the norm for you.  We've been used to temps in the 50's and 60's for such a long time now that whenever it gets into the 80's it feels like a significant heatwave to us.  I woke up around 7:35 am Wednesday and it was already in the high 50's.  

Have I mentioned I love going to work at 1:30 pm?  Well, let me say it once more....."I LOVE GOING TO WORK AT 1:30 pm!".......typically I'm up around 7 am, so that means I've got 6.5 hours until I have to punch the clock.....I can do a lot in 6.5 hours.  On Wednesday I decided to take a 5 mile mountain bike ride.  I had noticed hikers and mountain bikers hiking and/or riding along a trail across the Yellowstone River from our RV park, and had finally figured out where the trail began so around 10 am I got on my Intense 5.5 and rode into Gardiner (about 1 mile) and over to the trailhead for the single track trail.....

.....this trail runs for about 30 miles, and used to be the roadbed for the road to the Roosevelt Gate at the north end of YNP.  I had no intention of riding 30 miles out and back.....that would be an all day thing.  I just wanted to get in a 60 minute ride to get the juices going and see what adjustments my bike would need.....there are always adjustments when a bike has gone through long periods of disuse. 

It was beginning to get warm as I entered the trail, but there was a slight breeze and that kept me feeling cool.  Eventually I came even with Yellowstone RV Park across the river and stopped to snap a couple of pictures.....

 

There's the Newell peeking out between the trees

A pano of the river and park

.....it was a beautiful, cloudless day.  I rode another mile, or two northward before turning around and heading for home. By the time I got back to the trailer it felt much warmer, and the breeze was beginning to die.  I spent the rest of our time before work reading and taking my daily pre-work nap before getting dressed for work.  We were in the VW and on our way by 12:55 pm, and at the General Store parking by 1:15 pm.

It was already getting hot inside the store (there is no A/C) when we began our shift so I filled my water bottle with ice water and made a point of drinking as lot of ice water all through my shift, plus I would take periodic breaks in the walk infreezer where the temps are near zero.....that helps cool you down quickly!

Since it was the day after the 4th of July the crowds were not overwhelming, but we stayed busy......our 6 pm 'lunch' break came and went and once again we were 'clocking out' after another work day and on our way home.....

......we stopped briefly at the YNP post office.....I love this Post Office....who doesn't want to have a mailing address with YNP as the location?  There was no mail, but I am expecting my annual tags for the VW to arrive any day now.

As my friend Roscoe (co-worker here at YNP) would say....."Another day in paradise!".....thanks for stopping by!

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