In the morning we hiked a Yellowstone trail that was named after a German genius who, by the way, also invented the Bunsen burner.  It was such a clear, nice day, we could see the Grand Tetons, which were about 75 miles away!  We came upon some watermelon snow, which I’ve only seen in these parts, but it is pink colored snow that has an algae in it that can act as a laxative.

Later on, I noticed on a Montana state map a small town labeled as Hot Springs.  “Hey guys, let’s stop there since the natural hot springs in Yellowstone was closed”  “Yeah, great idea.  Let’s do that.”  So this place, which is historically romantic, ended up being a swimming pool connected to a bar.  Looking around for some reassurance, up comes a sketchy guy with some tattoos and a dubious trucker’s hat inviting us in for a soak, all the while with an intense stare.  Not the natural springs we were looking for, so we took back to the road.

The night was spent in Missoula, at the ranch.  A bbq and some playing around with the dog was in order.  And being Maureen’s birthday (one of our travelers who has an uncanny ability to sleep on command), our 13 person group celebrated in downtown Missoula, one of my favorite little college towns.