Yellowstone 8/13/18 (The Park)
We woke to a crisp morning. At an elevation of 7800 feet, the nights are much cooler. We just missed the sunrise as we arrived for breakfast. Grant Village Lodge sits on the southwest corner of Yellowstone Lake, the largest lake in the US above 7000 feet altitude. The air was so cool, the lake had an early morning mist rising up.
After breakfast we were off to the Grant Visitors Center. The center is named after president Ulysses S. Grant, as he signed the first law protecting Yellowstone in 1872. We were greeted by a female elk grazing on the grass between the center and the lake. The center has an educational movie about the controversial policy of letting forest fires burn rather than attempting to put them out.
Reboarding the bus, we followed the Yellowstone River. The plan for today is to make a big loop around the southern portion of the park, ending with an opportunity to watch Old Faithful. Not too long after heading out, we observed our first bison. Just a lone soul and, after slowing for a few pictures, we moved on.
The drive took us through a large bison reserve and we spotted many of the large mammals munching away on tall grasses. Every now and then we would be teased by a small geothermal pond that was a prelude to the spectacular show that would later be the highlight of our trip (in my humble opinion). It is not uncommon for this geothermal activity to be accompanied by the wonderful odor of sulfur.
Our first stop was at Artist Point overlooking the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The overlook requires a little bit of a walk up an incline followed by a series of steps to get to the best viewing spot. Looking to the right you see mostly cliff faces that drop down to the canyon floor, while on the left is a view of the Lower Falls. Lower Falls is the taller of two falls along the Yellowstone River heading into the canyon. The falls are a frequent subject of paintings and photographs, as the name of the vista suggests.
Next up was lunch at the Canyon Village Center. We opted for sandwiches and chips at an outside picnic table, as the temperature was now more comfortable. One very interesting thing found at the center is a booth where you can rent bear repellent spray. You rent by the day, but wind up purchasing it if you need to use it or if you discharge the spray.
Pressing on, we passed stands of Lodgepole Pines intermixed with mountain meadows. We were now following the Gibson River on our way to Madison. We again passed several areas that experienced fires in the past 10-20 years. Research has shown that the Lodgepole Pine’s cones actually need a high heat fire to melt their waxy coating before they will release their seeds for germination. The first year after a fire, the area is mostly wildflowers but, by the second year, young seedlings of lodgepole pines are visible and growing.
Our next stop was by far our favorite at Yellowstone, the Lower Geyser Basin which included the Fountain Paint Pots, the Red Spouter and the Celestine Pool. The geothermal activity of The Park is on full display here. It is also very popular and Tristan amazed us all by navigating the tour bus through the many cars that were parked everywhere, including made up spots. But he found a bus spot fairly close to the starting point of the trail.
The trail here is actually a raised boardwalk that not only protects the environment, but keeps the heat from the ground and thermal pools from burning visitors’ feet; the boardwalk is circular and we decided to proceed counterclockwise as a large group of students was starting the path clockwise. We passed continuous geysers, pools that looked like bubbling pudding, and areas with volcanic rock. Close to the entrance to the path is a stand of trees referred to as the “bobby sock” trees. They are dead lodgepole pines that, through capillary actions, have sucked up minerials from the hot springs run off. Mostly silica, the base of the trees look as though they have been dipped in white paint.
Moving on, we arrived at Old Faithfulth Lodge just after an eruption. Based on historical timing we had about 70 minutes to visit the lodge and for us to pick up something for dinner back in our room (dinner last night was way more than we wanted tonight). We walked over to the general store for cheese and bread and then headed back to the Vistor Center. Crowds were beginning to fill in the viewing area, but we scored seats in the front row inside the visitors center. Glenda and Howard watched from an outside bench to the our far left offering them a good view once they stood on the bench.
Old Faithfull was pretty much on schedule and provided a interesting show, however, I still think the Fountain Paint Pots were more to my liking. Back on the bus for the short ride back to Grant Village. Changing into our PJ’s we enjoyed our dinner and cocktail before turning in. Tomorrow is to be a long bus day.
Pictures 8/13/18
After breakfast we were off to the Grant Visitors Center. The center is named after president Ulysses S. Grant, as he signed the first law protecting Yellowstone in 1872. We were greeted by a female elk grazing on the grass between the center and the lake. The center has an educational movie about the controversial policy of letting forest fires burn rather than attempting to put them out.
Reboarding the bus, we followed the Yellowstone River. The plan for today is to make a big loop around the southern portion of the park, ending with an opportunity to watch Old Faithful. Not too long after heading out, we observed our first bison. Just a lone soul and, after slowing for a few pictures, we moved on.
The drive took us through a large bison reserve and we spotted many of the large mammals munching away on tall grasses. Every now and then we would be teased by a small geothermal pond that was a prelude to the spectacular show that would later be the highlight of our trip (in my humble opinion). It is not uncommon for this geothermal activity to be accompanied by the wonderful odor of sulfur.
Our first stop was at Artist Point overlooking the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The overlook requires a little bit of a walk up an incline followed by a series of steps to get to the best viewing spot. Looking to the right you see mostly cliff faces that drop down to the canyon floor, while on the left is a view of the Lower Falls. Lower Falls is the taller of two falls along the Yellowstone River heading into the canyon. The falls are a frequent subject of paintings and photographs, as the name of the vista suggests.
Next up was lunch at the Canyon Village Center. We opted for sandwiches and chips at an outside picnic table, as the temperature was now more comfortable. One very interesting thing found at the center is a booth where you can rent bear repellent spray. You rent by the day, but wind up purchasing it if you need to use it or if you discharge the spray.
Pressing on, we passed stands of Lodgepole Pines intermixed with mountain meadows. We were now following the Gibson River on our way to Madison. We again passed several areas that experienced fires in the past 10-20 years. Research has shown that the Lodgepole Pine’s cones actually need a high heat fire to melt their waxy coating before they will release their seeds for germination. The first year after a fire, the area is mostly wildflowers but, by the second year, young seedlings of lodgepole pines are visible and growing.
Our next stop was by far our favorite at Yellowstone, the Lower Geyser Basin which included the Fountain Paint Pots, the Red Spouter and the Celestine Pool. The geothermal activity of The Park is on full display here. It is also very popular and Tristan amazed us all by navigating the tour bus through the many cars that were parked everywhere, including made up spots. But he found a bus spot fairly close to the starting point of the trail.
The trail here is actually a raised boardwalk that not only protects the environment, but keeps the heat from the ground and thermal pools from burning visitors’ feet; the boardwalk is circular and we decided to proceed counterclockwise as a large group of students was starting the path clockwise. We passed continuous geysers, pools that looked like bubbling pudding, and areas with volcanic rock. Close to the entrance to the path is a stand of trees referred to as the “bobby sock” trees. They are dead lodgepole pines that, through capillary actions, have sucked up minerials from the hot springs run off. Mostly silica, the base of the trees look as though they have been dipped in white paint.
Moving on, we arrived at Old Faithfulth Lodge just after an eruption. Based on historical timing we had about 70 minutes to visit the lodge and for us to pick up something for dinner back in our room (dinner last night was way more than we wanted tonight). We walked over to the general store for cheese and bread and then headed back to the Vistor Center. Crowds were beginning to fill in the viewing area, but we scored seats in the front row inside the visitors center. Glenda and Howard watched from an outside bench to the our far left offering them a good view once they stood on the bench.
Old Faithfull was pretty much on schedule and provided a interesting show, however, I still think the Fountain Paint Pots were more to my liking. Back on the bus for the short ride back to Grant Village. Changing into our PJ’s we enjoyed our dinner and cocktail before turning in. Tomorrow is to be a long bus day.
Pictures 8/13/18
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