Falls, Fumes, and Family Feels

 

Day 8: Falls, Fumes, and Family Feels

 
Rise and shine from Yellowstone! Day 8 started with a camp breakfast that was chef’s kiss: eggs-in-a-bag (surprisingly fun and tasty!), pancakes, and sausage. Nothing says mountain morning like flipping flapjacks over a camp stove with the pine trees as your kitchen walls.

Fueled up, we laced up our hiking boots and set off for one of my favorite places in the park—the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. On the way to Upper Falls, our hike turned into a wildlife encounter! First up: a ridiculously cute yellow-bellied marmot popped out to say hello. Not long after, things got a little more... intense. A lone bison—yes, a full-grown buffalo beast—came strolling straight toward us on the trail. Cue slow-motion movie moment. We stayed calm (and tried not to squeal), slowly backed off, and he continued on into the forest like it was no big deal. Wild

The falls themselves? Absolutely stunning. Mist curling through the trees, light bouncing off the canyon—it felt like stepping into a painting. The kind of moment you want to bottle up forever.

After hiking back, we made sandwiches and hit the road again to explore Mammoth Hot Springs. Two takeaways here:

  1. It’s changed SO much in 17 years. New lodges, restaurants, and shops everywhere—Dan and I were wide-eyed.

  2. The hot springs? Still dry. I mean, 17 years later and I still didn’t catch them flowing. I’m starting to take it personally, Yellowstone.

To lift our spirits, we swung by Norris Geyser Basin on the way back to camp—and that totally redeemed the day. Boiling pools, vibrant colors, steam hissing from the earth—it felt like walking on another planet. Major win.

In total, we hiked nearly 5 miles and logged close to 20,000 steps. It was a full day of natural wonders, unexpected detours, and a whole lotta walking.

 Now for the real talk…

Today brought some tension. The park is packed, and I mean elbow-to-elbow packed. And apparently, common trail courtesy has gone extinct. There were so many tourists who would just stop mid-path, taking up the whole trail—especially going uphill, when I’m trying to power walk like a woman on a mission. I started calling them Blockers. (You know who you are. Move it or lose it, people.)

We are literally living out of the car!
Later, we hit a minor family meltdown—exhaustion, nerves over the campground showers, a first for Liv and Maddie, and just overall hanger and fatigue. It was the most tension we’ve had all trip, and honestly, not bad considering how much we’ve packed in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Day 8 had its highs and lows, but it was still 100% worth it. Yellowstone always brings the drama—whether it’s in the form of a geyser or a grumpy tween in a towel. 🤣

Onward to the next adventure!

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