Travel log 2019june: YELLOWSTONE part 2

Next up the southern loop. This was Geyser Day.

We headed west to Norris where we parked and walked a small distance before descending into the back basin. It’s a flat depression with one and a half miles of boardwalk taking you across the basin ground and saltwater flats. Steam spouts were everywhere and there was a fair amount of shallow standing waters. Here and there big sinkholes were visible where the thin crust had collapsed. A little patience rewarded us to see the eruption of one of the geysers: a bubbling steaming hot fountain that spurted fifteen feet into the air for a minute or so before subsiding and repeating ten minutes later. Norris basin is the hottest and oldest of the Yellowstone thermal areas and most of its surface features are in excess of 200 degrees F. We missed out on Steamboat geyser, even though it is one of the tallest, it is not nearly as regular and predictable as Old Faithful.

We turned south to get to the big guns. Our first stop was at the Fountain Paint Pot. Blue, some orange and rusted brown colors on the bottoms of gurgling water ponds and their runoffs awaited us in between white barren surroundings. Onto the Grand Prismatic Spring where a footbridge took us over the Firehole River. We passed the Turquoise Pool and Opal Pool to get to the Grand Prismatic 

Spring. Blue! Yellow! Red! Green! And everything in between. It is totally amazing. At the edge of the parking lot there was a Bison calmly grazing away in the grass less than 20 yards from the passersby. He seemed totally docile, like something in a petting zoo. A couple of weeks later I saw a YouTube incident where in a similar situation the Bison took offence to a young girl walking past. He charged her without warning, tossed her in the air and then casually strolled away.

Time for the big one! Old Faithful. The area around is well developed with big parking areas, lodges, hotels and other amenities. There is also an elaborate boardwalk and path system. We hanged around and low and behold within a minute of the predicted eruption time the geyser came alive and with a big hiss it built up to a rushing fountain, shooting boiling water and steam more than 100 feet into the air.

On our way back we had one more stop from where we walked to the Mud Volcano, the Dragon Mouth Spring and the Sulphur Caldron. They were all true to their names, the sites were intimidating, and the smell was really BAD!     

Last but not least was the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. A two-tier waterfall that tumbles into a giant canyon with yellow colored rocks. Green pine forest surrounds it. I do not have words to describe the beauty and splendor of this site. It’s simply spectacular from any of the vantage points. So pretty, so very pretty.      

Next morning, we had an early start back so we could make it in time for our flight but not before we could observe a big Elk ambling across the front patio of our neighboring cabin.

I believe Yellowstone was the very first National Park. What a stunning idea!

Travel log 2019june: YELLOWSTONE part 1

The flight into Jackson Hole was picturesque. Dropping in between snow covered mountains gave meaning to the “Hole” of Jackson Hole.

The town was not big but even so, it was lively. We collected our rental car and headed north.

The Teton Mountains towered on our left for the first half of the drive. At 13,770 feet they were snow capped in June and some of the 10 permanent glaciers were clearly visible. They have no foothills which make for very dramatic sights as they jump up from the valley floor. The abundance of rivers and lakes make for post card shots everywhere. Along the way there is plenty of turn outs with great photo opportunities. Gradually the trees closed in which gave the feeling of driving into a forest. We did see some Elk along the road, but the Moose evaded our prying eyes.

Shortly after passing through the Park Entrance a narrow valley appeared on our right and when the riverbed suddenly elevated, we realized that we had passed a substantial waterfall.

The road winded on upwards through the heavily wooded area, past lakes and over rivers, until we reached the shores of Yellowstone Lake at an altitude of 7,700 feet. With an area of 136 square miles it is quite a dominant feature.  The west side of the park is mountainous, this is where Old Faithful is at. The southeast is much flatter especially around the lake. The northeast is made up of mountains and big valleys occasionally cut up by the mountain ranges. The wildlife is abundant. We saw more Elk and Bison along the way to Canyon Lodge where we were staying for three nights.

The next day we did the Northern loop. Over the Dunraven pass and past Mount Washburn and then into the Lamar valley.

Shortly after the turnoff there was a black Bear right next to the road, a little later some big horn sheep crossed right in front of us. In the flood plain of the Lamar River we saw lots of Bison.

We headed west over mountains and rock formations, spires standing guard over the way. Through valleys and over deep gorges to Mammoth Hot Springs. At first glance the springs did not seem like much but walking up to it revealed 50 hot springs that had cut through the travertine and had built up sediment displaying an incredible array of terraces in various colors and forms. What seemed like dirty foam from a distance was in fact sculptured rock. It was well worth the time we spent there.

On our way back we were slowed down by roadworks and in a narrow spot we came face to face with a Bison. He walked purposefully towards us as if intending to walk straight over us before he veered off and we could pass safely. We returned to the lodge and after a quick regroup we drove south a couple of miles where we parked at a lookout and spend a late afternoon hour just sitting and staring over the scenic river valley enjoying pretty nature. At one stage there was a Coyote/Wolf in the tall grass on the other side of the river stalking the Canadian geese. We could not come to an agreement amongst ourselves whether it was a wolf or coyote.   

The Restaurant at the Lodge was reasonable. The food was tasty, and the pricing was average. We had our dinners there and breakfasts at the next-door buffet.