Friday, September 12, 2008
Day 7: West Yellowstone, MT to Lake Yellowstone, MT No, we’re not referring to ourselves but the famous Yellowstone geyser. Five miles a...
Day 7: West Yellowstone, MT to Lake Yellowstone, MT
No, we’re not referring to ourselves but the famous Yellowstone geyser.
Five miles after we entered Yellowstone Park this morning, cars parked along the roadway foretold the presence of wildlife. When we reached the area, we discovered several elk on either side of the roadway, some within about six feet.
Signs throughout the park warn visitors to stay at least 25 feet away from wildlife… for the safety of the animals and the visitors. However, we saw some tourists go and stand about 3 feet from several elk while their daughter took their photo with the elk. Go figure!
We had another day of perfect weather. It was 31 degrees when we left the hotel in West Yellowstone this morning but quickly warmed up to the mid fifties-- perfect for a visit to Firehole Falls, a 40-foot high waterfall at the foot of dark rhyolite cliffs.
After visiting some other geyser fields, we made our way to the famed Old Faithful. Not favoring overcrowded sites, we were a bit skeptical about the Old Faithful experience, thinking it might be too jammed to enjoy. We were wrong! Although there was a significant group present for each eruption (times are publicized), the viewing area was sufficiently spread out that you could still get a good look with no interference.
This old geyser did not disappoint. She performed right on schedule to the delight of the crowd. Although we expected a reaction like cheering or applause, the response to the 70-80 foot eruption was more akin to subdued awe.
Thanks to Jeanne for telling us about the Old Faithful web cam. We had a lot of fun with it. The Old Faithful area is one of the few in the park where we actually had an AT&T cell signal, so we contacted family and friends and waved to them from the web cam while they watched on the internet. Other park visitors who heard us followed suit with their friends and relatives.
The web cams were located on a tree near the viewing area.
Near the geyser are a visitor center, post office, several gift shops, and a couple of lodges. We were enchanted with the Old Faithful Inn, one of the world’s largest log buildings, completed in 1904. The log rafters of the seven-story lobby rise nearly 80 feet.
The logs used in the construction are lodgepole pines, which comprise about 80 percent of the trees in Yellowstone.
Lodgepole pines, with their straight polelike trunks, are self-pruning and often have limbs only near the top of the tree. Lodgepole pine cones have two kinds of seeds, some of which are dispersed annually like other pines, while others which are released only after fire melts the resin sealing those seeds in the cone.
As a result of this phoenix-like quality, large tracts of Yellowstone which suffered forest fires in 1988 (and other smaller areas since) have been naturally replanted by the lodgepoles. Areas with fire-ravaged older trees are interspersed with baby lodgepoles throughout the park.
We ended the day at Yellowstone Lake, staying for the first time in lodging within the park. We lucked into a new cabin, which is very clean and pleasant but as promised on the Yellowstone web site, is not “corrupted” with telephone, internet or television. A neighborhood bison foraged by the roadside as we neared the lodge.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Day 6: Gardiner,MT to West Yellowstone, MT When we entered the park this morning, we learned that the Beartooth Highway was closed today d...
Day 6: Gardiner,MT to West Yellowstone, MT
When we entered the park this morning, we learned that the Beartooth Highway was closed today due to snow, so we were very glad we came in on it yesterday!
Things heated up for us in Yellowstone today. First we visited the Mammoth area and saw Minerva Spring (below) among others. The delicate travertine formations were created by hot spring waters. Heated by the volcano below Yellowstone Park, water travels through buried limestone and bubbles up to the surface to deposit travertine.
Some of the scenes around the Mammoth Hot Springs area have a surreal appearance. The minerals and heat of the springs have killed the trees and conspired with the mineral deposits of the springs to create an image reminiscent of a winter snow scene.
Heat-dwelling algae and bacteria grow abundantly in Orange Spring Mound water, creating the colorful display below.
This is one of many examples you can observe of plant material which has fallen into the hot springs and been covered with mineral deposits to create beautiful displays.
At 27-feet deep, Emerald Springs is lined with yellow sulfur deposits. The yellow color from the sulfur combines with the reflected blue light from the sky to make this hot spring appear emerald green.
The Yellowstone River plummets more than 500 feet to create the raging waterfalls that enter the 1000 ft-deep Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. More than 4000 feet wide at the top, the canyon snakes for 20 miles and is one of the most striking views of the park. 
Temperature today ranged from the lower 40's to the lower 50's. This morning's forecast called for rain all day, but as you can see from the photos, we had beautiful blue skies most of the day. Tomorrow we're back in the park and spend the night at the Yellowstone Lake Lodge Cabins, which means no telephone, no television, and no internet!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Day 5: Red Lodge, MT to Gardiner, MT We started the day looking for a letterbox outside Red Lodge. Although the clue was well written, we ...
Day 5: Red Lodge, MT to Gardiner, MT
We started the day looking for a letterbox outside Red Lodge. Although the clue was well written, we were not able to locate the box and suspect it has been the victim of mischief.
No letterbox, but we found a treasure in the Beartooth Highway. With a reputation as one of the most scenic highways in the U.S., the highway features breathtaking views of the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains, as well as open high alpine plateaus dotted with glacial lakes and forested valleys.
According to the road's official web site, the highway, which passes through the Beartooth Corridor, is one of the highest and most rugged areas in the lower 48 states, with 20 peaks reaching over 12,000 feet in elevation. In the surrounding mountains, glaciers are found on the north flank of nearly every mountain peak over 11,500 feet high. The road itself is the highest elevation highway in Wyoming (10,947 feet) and Montana (10,350 feet), and is the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies. To say that the road is winding and curvy is quite an understatement. In fact we switched off driving every 10 miles (30-45 minutes) because it was took so much concentration.
Today we saw a crew placing snow poles along the highway (see photo below). These are the poles which mark the highway during deep snow. When we asked, we were told the poles are 12 to 24 feet tall and that the snow actually gets that deep. The Beartooth is closed in the winter.
Finally after driving 2,100 or so miles, we reached the entrance of Yellowstone park! 
Ten mles or so into the park, we set off on what was identified as an "easy" one-mile hike. We usually do some moderate hiking in Blowing Rock and haven't really had any problems, so we were both shocked when we were huffing and puffing after a short walk up what we would normally consider a mild hill. Then we realized we were feeling the effects of being above 9,000 feet above sea level. Our Georgia lungs and muscles were definitely not ready for this. We finished the climb and were rewarded with the sight of the beautiful Trout Lake.
By the time we reached Yellowstone, the temperature, which had been at 50 degrees when we left Red Lodge, MT, this morning had fallen to the upper thirties to low forties. Back on the main road after our hike, we saw a dozen or so cars stopped ahead and joined them to watch a large herd of bison (200-300) crossing from one side of the road to another. The rain that had been falling switched to marble-sized hail, but the bison had on their winter coats, so they didn't seem to be bothered. 
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Day 4: Casper, WY to Red Lodge, MT Another picture postcard day... if we only had Woodie with us to take the photos that were postcard-wor...
Day 4: Casper, WY to Red Lodge, MT
Another picture postcard day... if we only had Woodie with us to take the photos that were postcard-worthy! We drove through northwest Wyoming and saw so many beautiful scenic vistas but had no idea how to capture them in a photo. Woodie, we need you!!
Driving through Boysen State Park and the Wind River Canyon was awe-inspiring. The Wyoming badlands were gorgeous. We just kept gaping and wishing Woodie were here to capture it all in pictures.
As we went farther north in Wyoming and into Montana, it was like lovebug season in south Alabama or visiting the Mississippi delta. It made us wonder about a couple we met this morning as we and they were about to leave the hotel in Casper. They were from Omaha, also headed for Yellowstone, about our age and traveling on a motorcycle. I happened to notice as they rode off that they were wearing helmets with no face coverings. Bet they're still picking bugs out of their teeth even now!
Signs throughout the park warn visitors to stay at least 25 feet away from wildlife… for the safety of the animals and the visitors. However, we saw some tourists go and stand about 3 feet from several elk while their daughter took their photo with the elk. Go figure!
After visiting some other geyser fields, we made our way to the famed Old Faithful. Not favoring overcrowded sites, we were a bit skeptical about the Old Faithful experience, thinking it might be too jammed to enjoy. We were wrong! Although there was a significant group present for each eruption (times are publicized), the viewing area was sufficiently spread out that you could still get a good look with no interference.
This old geyser did not disappoint. She performed right on schedule to the delight of the crowd. Although we expected a reaction like cheering or applause, the response to the 70-80 foot eruption was more akin to subdued awe.
Thanks to Jeanne for telling us about the Old Faithful web cam. We had a lot of fun with it. The Old Faithful area is one of the few in the park where we actually had an AT&T cell signal, so we contacted family and friends and waved to them from the web cam while they watched on the internet. Other park visitors who heard us followed suit with their friends and relatives.
The web cams were located on a tree near the viewing area.
Near the geyser are a visitor center, post office, several gift shops, and a couple of lodges. We were enchanted with the Old Faithful Inn, one of the world’s largest log buildings, completed in 1904. The log rafters of the seven-story lobby rise nearly 80 feet.
The logs used in the construction are lodgepole pines, which comprise about 80 percent of the trees in Yellowstone. 
Lodgepole pines, with their straight polelike trunks, are self-pruning and often have limbs only near the top of the tree. Lodgepole pine cones have two kinds of seeds, some of which are dispersed annually like other pines, while others which are released only after fire melts the resin sealing those seeds in the cone.
As a result of this phoenix-like quality, large tracts of Yellowstone which suffered forest fires in 1988 (and other smaller areas since) have been naturally replanted by the lodgepoles. Areas with fire-ravaged older trees are interspersed with baby lodgepoles throughout the park.
We ended the day at Yellowstone Lake, staying for the first time in lodging within the park. We lucked into a new cabin, which is very clean and pleasant but as promised on the Yellowstone web site, is not “corrupted” with telephone, internet or television. A neighborhood bison foraged by the roadside as we neared the lodge.
