Monday, August 17, 2009

Out West Day 20...Monday, August 10, 2009...Back to Mammoth Hot Springs...Lunch in Gardner






It's still cold this morning, but not as cold as prior mornings...40's rather than 30's. It's overcast, but no rain...yet.
I decide to drive up to the northern entrance to the Park at Mammoth Hot Springs (where I camped last year). I plan on going out of the Park to have lunch in Gardiner and get gas. Because of the rain and cold, I've spent a lot of time sitting in the Escape, reading with the heat on...so I've burned up a few gallons of gas.
The place where I had planned to have lunch, the Sawtooth Deli, is closed...and my dining options are pretty limited. I end up at a little pizza place for a good, but not great, calzone. After lunch, I fuel up and buy ice and firewood before heading back into the Park.
I spend the rest of the afternoon hiking around Mammoth Hot Springs and taking photos. This year, I have brought my old Canon AE-1 SLR camera in addition to my digital. I want to shoot a few rolls of black and white film which I think will work well with the bleached-out, steamy and barren landscapes at the different "thermal areas" in the Park. Obviously, I can't post the black and white photos, but you can see them when I get back. In the meantime, I shot a bunch of photos with the digital camera.
By the time that I finish at Mammoth, it's late in the afternoon. Back at camp, I open a bottle of Spanish Rioja, heat up some leftover Bratwurst with a batch of those great noodles from Indomie, and relax around the fir before bed.

No comments: