Where to begin? This park has so much to see and experience. shall I begin with the geysers . . . or perhaps the wildlife . . . maybe I should start with the terraced hot springs . . . what about the waterfalls. Ah, so much to consider when trying to describe this place. I'll start with us.
After driving once again through Grand Teton National Park and along the John D Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway, we entered the gates of Yellowstone in the late morning. All through this region, I was taken aback by the pure lushness of the forest, and upon entering the park, it was only intensified. We arrived at the Grant Village and decided to stop for lunch, as we hadn't had any food yet. After a relaxing meal, we continue on to the mascot of the park, Old Faithful. While not the tallest of the geysers, it is the most predictable, with an average interval between eruptions of an hour and a half +/- ten minutes. Luckily we arrived just a few minutes before an anticipated eruption. We quickly made our way through all of the park facilities to the geyser viewing area. The park service has built a large board walk with bench seating for hundreds surrounding Old Faithful, and the crowds certainly turn out and fill them for this event. With no open seats in site, we simply stood behind the benches and waited. Just moments after arriving, we witnessed this geo-thermal wonder shoot scalding hot water 100+ feet into the air for a good three minutes or so. Of course, there were massive clouds of steam and gas spewing forth as well, all of which made for a splendid viewing.
Continuing on towards our campsite at Madison, we encountered a large number of visitor vehicles pulled off the road near a small river. Not used to this, we assumed there was something worth seeing here and decide to join them. There on the far shore of the stream, was a small herd of American Bison. So noble these beasts appear and so welcomed a site. We observed for a few minutes before moving on. However, this would be far from the last time we encountered these animals in the park.
We finally arrived at camp and began setting up the tent. Our campsite was very nice and had convenient access to a food storage box, the restrooms, and a small river. We called it a night and awoke early the next morning.
We decided to visit the numerous geyser basins between Old Faithful and our campsite on this second day in the park. I can't even begin to estimate how many hot springs and geysers and mud pots we observed. Each one of them with it's own distinct personality and characteristics, and each one a wonder unto itself. Of note, was the Grand Prismatic Spring, which is the largest of it's type in US and third largest in the world. In fact it is so large, the trail leading around it's edge gives a pitiful view of the feature. I had planned in advance and at the advice of a friend to hike up a small mountain overlooking the spring for a bird's eye view. Cass wasn't comfortable with the incline and waited at a nearby parking area while I made my way up a half-mile or so trail to the base of the hill. I climbed over fallen trees up a steep incline with poor footing looking for any type of clearing to get some shots of the spring below. Finally settling on a spot, I snapped a number of pictures of the magnificent feature. What an amazing site to behold. Those people below have no idea what they are missing. The large spring sizzles with steam rolling off it, but more noticeable than that is the magnificent coloration of the perimeter of the pools. Rings of deep reds, oranges, and yellows circle the ocean blue spring, all surrounded by a whitish surface. The color of the rings is caused by different strains of extremophile bacteria, which flourish at slightly different temperatures. Without a doubt, this is one of the most beautiful things I have ever laid my eyes on. With so much more to see and do, we moved on.
Making our way to the Mammoth Hot Springs area, we were once again in amazement of the site in front of us. Starting as far up the gigantic hill as one can see, stretch terraced pool spilling over into terraced pool. This repeats in what appears infinite times as the hot spring water makes its way down the mountainside. AS we learn, the terraced pools are formed by the mineral deposits as water slowly trickles down. The entire mountainside is covered in this calcium carbonate white, which patch's of reds, yellows, and greens where bacterial colonies have taken root. It's difficult to even describe in words the grandeur of this spectacle. Words may not do it justice, but I will forever remember the natural beauty I witnessed here. We walked a large section of the boardwalk that meanders through and around the various terraced areas of the hillside, at each turn in awe at some new formation of the minerals. Wow!!!
Returning to camp just before sundown, I decided to take a plunge in the river to clean some of the sweat and stink off of myself. The river has a strong current, but was not as cold as I expected. I did find it a bit difficult to walk along the slimy stones of the river bottom, but it was worth it just to refresh and recharge in the pure mountain stream. Time for bed.
Day three was our time to visit the famous Lower Yellowstone Falls and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone it has carved over the millennia. We first walked along the North Rim and got some fantastic views of the falls. I decided to talk a further steep trail down into the canyon for some close-ups. Really, really steep! After returning to the jeep, we drove a bit further to the South Rim and from here reached Artist's Point, which is said to be the most popular view in all the park. I can see why. This spot offers a completely unobstructed view of the mighty 300+ foot Lower Yellowstone Falls. Unlike the whispy falls in Yosemite Valley, this waterfall is as wide as the mighty river that feeds it and has carved out a canyon almost as mighty as the true Grand Canyon in Arizona, though not nearly as long. We take a few more pictures and decide to head on to our next destinations within the park.
Though we visited many other falls and springs on day three, the best two words I can use to summarize our day would be "Surprise Buffalo!". Nearly everywhere we went this day, we were greeted with buffalo (American Bison). It does my heart so good to see this mighty animal flourishing here, know that my ancestors nearly wiped the noble beast from existence a hundred years ago. While visiting one hot spring area, a lone bison decided to scatter the crowds of people by walking up onto the board walk. At other sites, we saw the great beasts relaxing near geysers and hot springs. In some cases, laying down right beside them, apparently oblivious to the heat. i wonder if the thick sulfur fumes provide the bison with some relief from the pesky insects.
What I would give to be witness to one of the gigantic heard movements of the mid-1800's across the great plains and before the shortsighted and incomprehensibly stupid and cruel pioneers devastated their numbers for sport. Those herds were said to be comprised of millions of head, and while the park's population is only a meager 4000 or so, it still is a great reminder of the power and righteousness of the conservation movement. May future generations continue the legacy started here. Enough of that though, it was time to head back to camp and prepare for our last full day in the park. On the way back, we encountered deer, coyote, elk, and even more bison.
For our final full day in the park, we wanted to visit the Lamar Valley in hopes of seeing some gray wolves or grizzly bears. While the openness of the valley and the river that nourishes it is a site to behold, we were left empty handed with regard to seeing any of our four-legged friends. We did see a number of bison (surprise!) grazing in the valley and stumbled across a cliff overlooking the river that offered a bird's eye view of an osprey nest below. Very cool! Finally, we returned to camp. There was some sadness in our hearts in knowing this was our last night in this marvel of a park, but we knew we would return someday. How could we not?
When visiting Yellowstone, it is always worth taking the time (even if out of the way) to drive up through Grand Teton National Park, which is directly south along the highway. The Teton Range rises up magnificently over the lush landscape to heights hovering around 13k. This was our next stop on our journey.
We arrived in the gateway town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming and quickly found accommodations for the night. Camping would have been preferable, but campgrounds book quickly in this part of the country. After checking in, we chose to drive part of the way toward Yellowstone to enjoy the spectacle of the Tetons. They do not disappoint. The landscape is something out of a dream, with the ability to capture the amazing colors of the local wildflowers and a steep and snow-covered mountain range all in the same picture. Most of our time was spent simply enjoying the views of this place.
We did however, decide to go off-roading a bit when we saw a gravel road, which followed the canyon rim along the Snake River below. This was a very pleasant and scenic drive, and offered us a number of amazing views. In addition, we were witness to a number of Turkey Vulture's swarming some type of carrion below us. We also had the opportunity to see an elk on a ridge in the distance.
We returned to town and had a wonderful dinner at one of the local establishments, and then hit the hay in preparation for the next day, when we would enter the first and perhaps, grandest of all national parks, Yellowstone.
This was the first stop on our summer trip to Yellowstone. It was a convenient location to make camp, but after having visited, I wish I would have planned for more time here. The landscape is very interesting and deserving of a follow-up trip in the future. It does remind me a great deal of Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California, but on a grander scale and with fewer caves.
We arrived in the late afternoon to sweltering heat. The lack of trees in this lava-scape only worsened the uncomfortableness. To try and maintain some level of enjoyment, Cass and I decided to set up camp and then explore the park a bit in the jeep (with the AC on). This area is truly vast, and unlike many other lava beds I have seen, was the result of fissures opening up as opposed to actual volcanic eruptions. There are however, a number of cinder cones and spatter cones within the borders of the park. We continue to drive around a bit and got some ideas for what we might explore in more detail come the cooling relief of morning. Returning to camp at near sunset, we laid down for a restful night under the stars.
We awoke early and immediately began to break camp and repack the jeep. Our first stop was an area known as the Devil's Orchard. The name stems from two features. The first the upright pillars of cooled lava dotting the area resemble trees in some ways. The second are actually trees, but examples which have been plagued by a deforming disease known as witch's broom, which causes an excessive number of limbs to grow from a single point on the branch. This results in odd features that resemble numerous brooms placed throughout the tree's structure. It is even more visible after the tree's death, and in an effort to prevent the spread of the disease, early caretakers of this park, poisoned many of the afflicted trees. Many of those dead deformed trees remain standing along the Devil's Orchard trail, which we walked.
Moving on to other areas of the park, we visited the spatter cones, which are effectively very small volcanoes (house size) that sputtered lava bombs during the time when this area was more active. Interestingly, many of them conceal caves below. At least one of which, contained a fair amount of snow at it's base. I guess it doesn't receive enough sunlight through the small opening to melt even in this 95+ degree weather.
An hour two of exploring and we decided it was time to move on to our next stop. Overall, this was a stop well worth our time and I hope to spend more time here in the future.
Cass and I had offered to take our friends Tony and Carole to see Yosemite this summer. They had only moved to the area from the east coast a little over a year ago and had always been curious to see the famous Yosemite Valley. As our friends are not avid campers, quite so much as we are, we spent our first night in the small town of Lee Vining, along the shores of Mono Lake. While there, we enjoyed a wonderful meal at the Whoa Nellie Deli, which is set inside the Mobile Gas station at the entrance to Tioga Pass. While it's not exactly fine dining, the food is gourmet and great; the best gas station food you will ever have anywhere!
We awoke early Saturday morning and made our way into the park. I think they were amazed a the grandeur of the mountains. Few places can compare. Throughout the day, we visited many sites within Tuolumne Meadows and then inside Yosemite Valley itself. Finally, after our adventures, we drove to our next hotel in Mariposa. A nice dinner, some wine, and we were all ready to hit the hay.
On the agenda for day three was a trip to Glacier Point and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. For the grove, we opted to take the open tram tour, as the hike uphill through the grove can be exhausting for those not used to it. I think everyone enjoyed it though and of course, our friends were amazed at the massiveness of the trees.
We then made our way to our last planned stop during our visit, Glacier Point, which in my opinion is one of the grandest views in all the world. From high above Yosemite Valley, it is possible to see Half Dome, El Capitan, and of course the Merced River cutting through the granite. Truly magnificent and I think Tony and Carole enjoyed this stop most of all. I hope we have inspired them to come back.
I had attempted to visit this national monument a couple of years ago, but instead got involved helping clear up a traffic accident on the way there. After watching the road openings for a few weeks, I decided that this weekend would be the perfect time to finally see this natural wonder. It seemed as though the stars had aligned for my trip. My wife and I had no other plans this weekend and as I discovered this was one of the few weekends it was possible to drive all the way into the monument instead of taking the shuttle bus from Mammoth Ski Resort.
I got an early start and enjoyed a nice brisk drive from Reno to Mammoth Lakes. As we have been having superb weather for the past several days, I had the top down on the jeep. I always enjoy traveling this way when possible. It seems to give me more of a sense of oneness with the world around me than staring at it through the windshield, as described in "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". Once I had arrived in town, I stopped at the ranger station to purchase a National Parks Annual Pass. Cass and I have several trips planned over the summer and just seemed like a cost effective way to pay the entrance fees.
The drive into the monument itself is harrowing, as much of it is along a steep one-lane road, descending down into a narrow valley. A few patches of snow still cover the hillsides, even with temperatures reaching around 90 in this area for the last week; today being the warmest. Continuing on to the trailhead, I note a huge number of visitors in the parking lot today. I guess the ranger was right when she described today as National Get Outdoors Day. After a quick check of my gear, I headed out to the first of the two natural wonders planned for this trip, Devil's Postpile. A short quarter-mile trail and I was upon it.
While I have visited the similar Columns of the Giants site, this really is a much better example of columnar basalt formations. Much of the formation is perfectly vertical, with one end having been twisted by geologic forces sometime in the past. As I read, a large percentage of the columns at this site are hexagonal, and seeing the debris that has fallen from the columns above makes one almost believe they were manmade. The formations are so nearly perfect geometrically. Long hexagonal columns lay littered along the ground, some as much as 12 feet long. Truly a marvel of the natural world that the chemical and geologic process at work there could create such a thing.
After taking several pictures, I decide to follow the loop trail up the steep incline to the top of the formation. Once they, I am amazed at how much the top of the columns resemble landscaping work for people's patios. Perfect or near perfect stone work acts as a cover to the ground on the top of this place.
Moving onward, I decide to head for Rainbow Falls, a short two-miles south of the post pile. Though in this heat and with very little shade available to me along the trail, this will end up being a fairly tough two miles, especially on the way back when the sun is beating directly down on me. Along the way, I encounter terrific views of the San Joaquin River below, of forest decimated by wildfire, and of the intersection with the John Muir trail, which I hope to hike someday soon.
As I approach near to the falls, I can hear the thundering sound of water falling over the eroded cliff. And then, I turn a corner to be greeted by a constructed look-out area just above the falls. In contrast to Burney Falls, which I visited just a couple of weeks ago, this is a perfect single drop fall, wide in expanse and powerful in force. I estimate the fall is about one hundred feet tall and is bound on either side by sheer cliffs. Also worth noting, an extremely visible rainbow makes its appearance just south of the falls. I guess we know how it got its name.
Continuing on around and down an extremely steep set of stairs, I make my way down to the base of the falls to be greeted by children playing in the mist generated by the water's collision. After having visited Burney last weekend and with Yosemite and Yellowstone in our plans for the summer, I guess this will be known for us as the year of the waterfalls.
