The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone cuts through layers of geological time to reveal astonishing shapes and colors, the river slicing through the rocks most susceptible to its power. The ospreys rule this world from their nest atop the spire.
We forget that 60% of Yellowstone was devastated by fire in 1988 or that constant change and transformation is the primary rule of nature. All over the park there is evidence of the resurgence of growth that follows destruction. Indeed, some trees cannot reproduce except with the help of intense heat. Along a hiking path you may discover a puddle teeming with masses of eggs. But, the vast deepness underlying much of the park is a geological just-below-the-surface hot spot releasing huge amounts of energy from the magma. With two-thirds of the geysers in the world and mud pots, fumaroles, and thermal pools all in a concentrated area, portions of Yellowstone feel like a visit to the nether world. Dante would have loved it. You can’t help being dazzled by the beautiful patterns created by the bacteria thriving in this alternate world, boiling up from regions beneath. Watching the excellent Park Service film at Old Faithful makes you question the sanity of staying for even five minutes in the world’s most seductive anteroom to Hades.
Spotting animals is one of the real pleasures of visiting Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Some are easy to find and many are not. Checking with the rangers and getting out on a lot of hikes is well worth it. We were early enough in the season to avoid the “bear jams” of distracted motorists for which Yellowstone is famous. But, even now, we tourists tend to cruise along the roads scanning the vast fields trying our luck or looking for people stopped by the side of the road with big scopes who seem to know what they are doing. We saw, but didn’t photograph, a garter snake, ravens, an osprey, and a bald eagle. You’ve seen our photos of dusky grouse and bears and deer and moose. We have more to share below: a coyote, a marmot, a woodchuck, a melanistic woodchuck, a mountain bluebird, a bison, a really cute ground squirrel. Still on our list to see are any of the mountain cats and, of course, wolves. It’s always good to have more to see. Someday we’ll see wolves in the wild and that will be a thrill worth waiting for.
There’s a certain ambivalence about trying to find bears. The vague sense of danger is always there. Wearing a bear bell on a hike makes you think you’re scaring off the elk and just letting the bears know you’re in the neighborhood. Of course, elk seem like they couldn’t care less about humans (see our shot from about 10 feet away). So, sorry we weren’t closer for the grizzly and cub photo, but we listen to the rangers. We bought some bear spray that we hope to never use. The grizzlies were near the Yellowstone Lake Hotel. We were fascinated by the silent drama as a herd of elk carefully entered the area where that grizzly and cub were feeding. They didn’t want to add variety to the grizzlies’ diet (and they can run a lot faster than we can).
The Yellowstone Lake Hotel remains in the old tradition and sends a chill through the bones of fans of The Shining. No TV (true throughout the parks); no Internet or business center; a Dining Room with rattan furniture, white tablecloths, and a wood floor with a runner down the middle of the room; and a grand staircase with different woods on different floors. And then there are those long hallways. Who is staying in room 237?
Entering Yellowstone by the southern gate, we encountered more and more snow along the side of the road. At times, the two lane road cut through drifts higher than our minivan. This was a striking first impression. And, we soon discovered why we had entered the land of fire and ice and everything in between. There were lakes still frozen. In certain parts of the park we didn’t need to look for fumaroles and vents and geysers, they were around every bend in the road, so numerous that many aren’t even noted. Yes, it made sense to be driving an Odyssey.
Yes, moose love to munch on bushes and stand in the water while they slop it up like crazy.
The scenery doesn’t disappoint. The mountains just jut out of the plain, dominating the view. At times they look like they must be a set from an old MGM movie. And, Hidden Falls thunders out of nowhere. These are our contribution to heroic Teton photography.
The Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale, Wyoming, was a real treat. As it turns out, the actual mountain men were clean shaven and not savage looking brutes. How do you think some of them were able to marry into respectable Native American families? They were just trying to make a living the hard way. Unfortunately, their success and ruin rode on the fortunes of the beaver pelt trade. When the fashion changed to silk hats, they were a thing of the past.
If you want to have a snow ball fight in the middle of May, head to the summit of Signal Mountain. By the way, there is really good cell phone reception up there. That and some amazing views.
A big part of coming out west and to the national parks is an opportunity to see wildlife. I guess they were attracted to our camera or something, because our expectations were wildly exceeded! You’ll recognize most of them. The show off bird is a dusky grouse.
