Bizarre and Beautiful Yellowstone

Please know anyone and everyone is welcome to join Chiva and me. I have asked my Mom to write a “motherly” account of her time with Tour de Dog in Yellowstone National Park. I hope you enjoy:

When David first told me he wanted to bike to and to climb the highest point of every state, I had many emotions from excitement to anxiety to wondering if my son was crazy. I had no idea how he was going to manage such a daunting project through all types of terrain during all types of weather. Following David and Chiva’s Tour de Dog soon became an enjoyable hobby as I was able to use the Internet to track their whereabouts and conditions each day. It became my dream to travel with him this summer so that I could see first hand how my son is traveling.

Yellowstone is a unique, inspiring national park in northwestern Wyoming. Formed by a massive volcano eruption 640,000 years ago, it is truly a one of a kind place filled with geysers, boiling mudpots, fumaroles, and hot springs mixed with the majestic mountains of the Rockies combined with waterfalls, lakes, canyons, and wildlife. When we first entered the park, we were excited to see a couple of buffalo across the river. Imagine our surprise when one of them began swimming right towards us! We have continued to see more buffalo, bears (black and grizzly), moose, elk, deer, wolves, beaver and a variety of birds. It’s truly inspiring to see wildlife in their natural habitat. David, Allen, and Chiva had to be careful as they biked around the park because buffalo were often giant and threatening obstacles in the road!

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the park is the hydrothermal activity such as geysers and mudpots that are a result of magma heat combined with underground water and pressures to force eruptions through the cracks in the earth’s crust here. It was a highlight to see Old Faithful and to also take hikes along boardwalks that led us right past the amazing geothermal terrain.

In addition to our hikes and sightseeing, a really fun and entertaining time for me has been meeting the people who come up to check out David’s bicycle and DoggyRide trailer. Kids love it when Chiva pokes her head out to look around. Everybody wants to know how they are living off of the bicycle. One morning we were on a hike in the middle of the woods, and a lady said, “You’re the guy on the bike!” It’s going to be neat to see how many people look at the blog and sign the guest book.

Our time with David and Chiva has definitely been a highlight of my summer. Soon I’ll be back at my computer following the journey, still very excited and anxious but also very proud of all that David has accomplished. He is working hard to follow his dreams and make a difference for animals. Tomorrow we head for a day in the Tetons, and then we’ll be dropping David and Chiva back off on their own again. As we drive back to Delaware, my son will be biking to and climbing Gannett Peak, the highest point in Wyoming. But, at least now, I have been able to share a few days to personally see the Tour de Dog lifestyle.