Inspiring Young Minds

I really do love this job I have this summer. Sure it is mega long hours, a lot of driving, and occasionally some challenging guests or situations, but then...I get some really awesome guests with some really awesome children that want to learn about what they are seeing on these tours. That is when I step back and think, 'This is what I went to school for. This is what I love the most.'

Today, I had some children on my tour that were some pretty awesome scientists in the works! Totally engaged and wanted to learn more about what JellyStone has to offer. I love how they totally wanted to try out my heat gun and look through some field guides as we were looking at things! Not to mention, they asked a lot of really good questions. Also, I thought it would be fun to do the Junior Ranger program and they absolutely loved it!

TheChristyBel

Trumpeter Swans

Elk Calf

Fountain Geyser - Pretty Steamy on This Rainy Yellowstone Day

NatGeo or Jellystone?

I think I am going through a high on the Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris tours rollercoaster. There are days when you see pretty much nothing too exciting and then there are days when you have see pretty much the whole kitchen sink. Similar to yesterday, my tour and I were blessed with some pretty cool sightings in Yellowstone! Check 'em out!

TheChristyBel

Some Erupting Geysers on Firehole Lake Drive

Beautiful, Clear Views of Silex Spring

A Grizzly Bear and Her Cub Out in Hayden Valley

A Grizzly Getting Too Close to Some Bison
It Looked Like it Was Going to Get NatGeo Out There! The Bison Were Definitely Aware of the Griz.
And Definitely Ready to React If Something Were to Go Down!

The Brink of the Lower Falls

I just came back from a hiking tour in Yellowstone. These tours are pretty nice, since I get to take my guests on some trails that are longer than the average boardwalk or take them to some areas that I normally do not take my guests to during normal Yellowstone tours. Today, I took the couple I had (from Philadelphia!) to the Brink of the Lower Falls! It is definitely a different perspective than seeing it from across the Yellowstone River on the other side of the rim. Enjoy!

theChristyBel

Looking Down from the Mouth of the Lower Falls at the Brink

I am in LOVE with that YELLOW-Stone!

Beautiful Clear Waters!

Grand Teton Wildlife of the Day

Some photos of my morning tour in Grand Teton National Park. Enjoy!

Perfect Mirroring at Schwabacher's Landing

Pronglettes!

My First Sora!!!!!! Life-Bird!

Mr. Beaver Amongst the Tall Grasses

Amazing Families and Tours

Today, I had a private tour from a family from Florida. This family was an all-around awesome group of people to show around Yellowstone. They were down for whatever came there way, incredibly engaging and welcoming of conversation in and out of the van, and not to mention their four-adopted little girls from China were just the cutest and totally loving! I felt like one of the family! Thanks for a great day in Jellystone!

TheChristyBel

Seeing Lower Falls in Yellowstone

Grand Views in Yellowstone

A Hot Spring Hydrothermal Feature at the Fairy Falls Trailhead
Midway Geyser Basin

I had a Yellowstone National Park tour today. This family was from England and wanted to see the uniqueness and beauty that this park had to offer. In that case, not only did I give them a traditional Jellystone tour, but gave them some views that they would not forget. It is really awesome seeing people experience this national park for the first time and seeing a place as unique as this. They definitely were blown away with the colors from Grand Prismatic and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

TheChristyBel

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone at Artists Point (Lower Falls)

A Grand View at Grand Prismatic
Midway Geyser Basin

A Morning in Grand Teton

Just posting some awesome finds from this morning's Sunrise Grand Teton National Park tour.

Enjoy.

TheChristyBel

Red Fox on the Prowl for a Brunch Meal
Murie Center

American White Pelican
Oxbow Lake

Cow Moose
Moose Overlook, Moose-Wilson Road

American White Pelican
Oxbow Bend

Wildlife of the Day

I have not had a Full Day Grand Teton Tour since I started working with JHWS. It was great to be back in the Tetons. I mean, do not get me wrong, I love being up in Jellystone, but its nice spicing up the work schedule with a good ol' Teton tour! Plus, I am recovering from a cold (so it was nice finishing up around 3pm and sitting in a hot tub with a long hot shower to soothe whatever is remaining in my system).

But back to the tour. Had a wonderful couple from Seattle today. And today's successful tour was provided by: Pronglettes (aka Baby Pronghorn). I just love this time of year! Not just because it is warm and I can be in shorts, but there are still babies out in the GYE! Got a little snapshot of this little cutie today. It's sibling is hiding behind the sage next to it. Until next time!

TheChristyBel

A First State in Yellowstone

Today, I had a private family Yellowstone National Park Tour. It was super fun! I really love big families from the east coast, especially this one! This family was from Ohio and Pittsburgh. However, one of the daughters is a fellow Blue Hen! How small of a world is that! I was just so happy to meet another person that went to Delaware...and well knew where Delaware was! haha. Not only did I have a family that was from close to home, but we saw another DE plate in the park! That never happens! The day was great full of great views of the hydrothermal features, waterfalls, and of course, yet again, another grizzly siting! Actually we saw two separate sitings: one lone bear and one with two cubs! Score! The family was super awesome! I wish I had gotten a photo of them! But their fantastic experience will definitely stay in my memory! 

TheChristyBel

Water Run Off into the Firehole at Midway Geyser Basin

Grand Prismatic on Such a Beautiful Day!

Hello, Fellow Delaware Car!

Nice Hooter (Owl)

Sleepy Owl

This week the temperatures have dropped to a normal heat during the day with cooler mornings and evenings. With this change in the weather, the Great Grey Owl has been seen hanging out in the trees near the Moose Pond Overlook on Moose Wilson Road before the Moose Entrance Gate. It has been great seeing this Great Grey! This bird is just so beautiful and incredibly true to its name: Great! Check out the greatness from my past few tours!

TheChristyBel

A Stank Faced Owl
I guess it was not ready for its close-up this early in the morning!

Badger, Badger, Badger!

This morning during a private Grand Teton National Park Sunrise Tour, I took my guests to Mormon Row. Instead of focusing on the Mormon Row homesteads, this is what we focused on: a Badger digging out a burrow! Super cool.

Badger, Badger, Badger!

However, the only thing I could think of when I saw it was:

Hahaha! 

TheChristyBel

Pan Full of Biscuits

I have been given a lot of trips up to Yellowstone this month and I always see or experience something new. Today I learned a new term for describing clouds: 'a pan full of biscuits.' On our way home from Yellowstone, the clouds literally looked like a pan full of biscuits. That is what one of my guests had stated in her observation, and well looking at the clouds, I agreed. 

Tell Me How You Would Describe This?

Look at This Sky! It's Incredible!

Other than the cloud observation, we had a successful day up in Jellystone: bison calves nursing from mom, pocket gophers trying to steal the show when we were viewing bull elk and trumpeter swans, and of course, another viewing of a Grizzly sow and her two cubs!

TheChristyBel

Baby is Hungry!

Pocket Gophers!

Grizzly Momma and Two Babes

Grizzlies and Double Rainbows

Today's Yellowstone Tour was brought to you by a few things: thunderstorms, torrential downpours, and lots of clouds. However, nature always has a way of making it up to you. After attempting to view a grizzly sow with her two cubs near a bison carcass in Hayden Valley in a torrential downpour, the skies cleared up and we were given a double rainbow view! Incredibly beautiful! It was well deserved since I was outside of the van in a raincoat squeegee-ing the windows as my guests were trying to view a grizzly from inside the van! After the bears went out of site, we were about to leave when of course it stopped raining and a rainbow appeared! What a great way to end the tour day!

TheChristyBel

The Attempted Viewing of the Grizzly and Two Cubs

Double Rainbow All The Way in Hayden Valley

Bros of Bull Elk

Today's Wildlife of the Day is the Brethren of Bull Elk

They were congregating near the Potholes in Grand Teton National Park.

Pretty cool to see so many males together!

TheChristyBel

Grizzlies and Blacks

Today's tour with a family from Arkansas was filled with bears! Saw a grizzly and a black bear during our traveling up and through the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. 

What is the difference you say?! Well. There are a few differences!

Grizzlies have that huge shoulder hump, the dish-shaped nose profile, and smaller teddy-bear like round ears. Black bears have no shoulder hump, a straight nose profile, and prominent pointed ears. Today, my guests were able to see both and distinguish the different characteristics.

Grizzly Movement Time-Lapse

Shoulder Hump, Rounded Ears, and Dish-Shaped Nose
Definitely Grizzly

No Shoulder Hump, Straight-Nose Profile, and Pointed Ears
Black Bear

Happy 4th of July From the Tetons

Happy 4th of July From the Tetons, the Wildlife, and Jackson Hole!

TheChristyBel

Fireworks Show at Snow King Resort
Photo Credit to @RyanJonSheets Instagram

Bull Moose at Snake River Bridge at Moose Junction

Pronghorn and Babies

Jellystone Hike Tour #2

Some highlights from my second hiking tour in Yellowstone! Enjoy!

theChristyBel

Wolf Scat

Adult StoneFly
Not to Mention It Was Their Breeding Season...So Many!

Obsidian Specks at Lewis Falls

White/Gray Wolf Out in Hayden Valley

Bull Elk On Our Way to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Snowing in June?

The Cottonwoods are in bloom...well, now they are in seed and are dispersing...EVERYWHERE. Yesterday, on my tour, I was driving on Moose-Wilson Road and it looked like it was SNOWING! The 'cotton' from the cottonwood trees were dispersing their seeds in the wind and it literally looked like little snowflakes were in the air (in June). Super cool.

However, it is not so fun when you have a car underneath these trees. There is a lot of pollen and sap that dripped down all over Little Blue. I had a hard time getting all the sap off her, but luckily it had rained and I was able to get her all clean again!

TheChristyBel

Traffic Jams in Jellystone

Bison in the Road

Just a snapshot of my day (today) and mostly everyday I am in Yellowstone. The bison in these places really do rule and own the parks. They can be in the fields, in parking lots, on boardwalks, off the road, and in the road. No matter where they are, everyone stops for them.

They literally cause huge traffic jams. In this case, Bison Jams.

And everyone stops and captures the moment. Literally. Oh tourists.

TheChristyBel