Fall snowstorm shortens Yellowstone trip

The elk come into Mammoth this time of year

So do the bison!

Katie at the sulphur springs at Mammoth

A fall snowstorm cut short our annual fall trip to Yellowstone National Park over the weekend.
Despite that, we had a good time in the Gardiner area viewing wildlife in Mammoth and east to the Lamar Valley and south several miles until snow turned us around.
Our destination had been West Yellowstone.
Elk was the most plentiful animal, although we saw deer, pronghorn and bison also.
The cottonwoods and aspen still hadn’t dropped all their leaves, although the trails were littered with the golden leaves that had fallen.
We got a chance to walk through the Mammoth Hot Springs terraces and enjoyed the lack of crowds.
There weren’t as many elk as I’m used to seeing in the Mammoth townsite itself.
We stayed at the Absaroka motel on the banks of the Yellowstone River, next to the bridge in Gardiner. The rates were reasonable at $48 and the views and rooms very nice.