montana | the beartooth mountains & yellowstone

Laura and I have always had a habit, I think I mentioned it before, of starting out doing one thing and letting it evolve into a whole day's adventure. 

example: brunch becomes walk around downtown becomes let's-get-cupcakes becomes browsing through shops becomes drinks becomes dinner becomes talking-on-the-couch-with-a-bottle-of-pinot-until-all-hours

We have an MO and we stick to it.

The best part though is that we never plan it like that. It always just happens.

We are adventurers! Come what may!

Happy little campers we were.

I should have named him. Ah, hindsight.

"Nice marmot."

So was I really that surprised when our plan to drive the Beartooth Pass took us to Wyoming only to realize we were less than an hour from Yellowstone which meant we obviously had to keep driving?

No. No I was not.

So on to Yellowstone we trekked!

And adventures were had...

"Cottonwood falling like snow in Ju-ly..."

(oh, wait, actual snow in July... Nevermind Luke Bryan, nevermind)

One can only assume they hand this flyer out because natural selection isn't doing its job.

But more importantly, are you ready for a wild animal extravaganza?

Bison. About 5 feet away from our car.

Antelope.

GRIZZLY. BEAR.

(you know, that fuzzy thing in the middle of the photo... no, I was not going to get any closer)

Red fox.

This is possibly my favorite non-Jack photo of the entire trip.

Serendipity was too kind in allowing me to catch this exact moment.

He looks like he's screaming. 

With joy of course.

Driving home held one of those moments... One of those moments with one of those sights that reminds you how wonderfully small you are and how astoundingly great God is.

I was speechless.

I could have lived in this moment, looking at this creation, forever.

And the adventures weren't over yet...