Before heading north to Yellowstone, we made a quick stop at Oxbow Bend to get some pictures of the cloudy peaks. No more than 2 minutes after arriving and setting up the tripod, someone pointed out a commotion up the road. A mother moose and young calf were crossing the road and heading towards the river. It was an amazing scene with the mountains framed in the background and the two moose crossing the still river in the foreground.
We tracked the mother and calf across the river, where they got out, shook off the cold water, and then ran along the shore before turning into the thick willow brush.
Overall, we had unbelievable wildlife viewing luck while in the Tetons - as if seeing three bull moose wasn't enough, we ended with a mama and calf swimming right in front of us. What a great last experience in the Tetons before leaving for it's better known neighbor to the north, Yellowstone.
Heading to Yellowstone and Old Faithful Inn
Suckers for photos in front of National Park signs, we stopped at the southern entrance to Yellowstone to stretch our legs after a longer than expected car ride from Oxbow Bend. Although you practically enter Yellowstone right after leaving the Teton park boundaries, road construction had slowed our progress. It seemed the clouds had followed us north, but no sign of rain kept our spirits up for a day of geysers and thermal features.
Our base for the next three days in Yellowstone was at the Old Faithful Inn. We had made our reservations for this popular and historic lodge nearly a year before, and it was crowded with tourists lounging and wandering in the main lobby. The atrium is massive, with wooden beams extending seven stories above the ground floor. The lobby is basically what you imagine when you think "National Park Lodge" (Walt Disney World must agree with this statement since they modeled their Wilderness Lodge resort after this building...complete with their own
With check-in complete, we found the nearby chart with updated projections for eruptions of some of the major geysers in the area. The geyser times are estimates and most have a 2 hour range in which they typically will erupt. With information in hand and a plan to see as many geysers as possible, we stepped outside to explore the Upper Geyser Basin.
A paved pathway leads from the Inn through the Upper Geyser Basin. We had to take a slight detour since a bison decided to take a nap along the pathway oblivious to the inconvenience of his chosen location - a kind ranger stood nearby patiently directing visitors around the slumbering beast.
Our first stop was Daisy Geyser, where one of the Geyser Gazers was already waiting. The Gazers are a team of volunteers who monitor, record, and report the eruption times of the most popular geysers. This Gazer was kind enough to explain what to look for before the eruption and where the best viewing angles were.
After situating ourselves in a prime position to photograph the colorful runoff, Daisy Geyser erupted after only a 20 minute wait. As one of the geysers with a shorter eruption window, this provided the perfect introduction to Yellowstone's famous thermal features.
Continuing along the path to the northernmost point of the basin, we visited the famed Morning Glory Pool. Unfortunately, the best viewing spot was partitioned off by a film crew. However, we still enjoyed the intense colors caused by micro bacteria thriving in the various temperature zones.
The paved pathway turned into a boardwalk as we walked along the Firehole River. This area of the basin provides a truly impressive view that helped us gain an appreciation for the uniqueness of the Park. While the river framed by a backdrop of mountains would be lovely on its own, the steam rising up from thermal features along the riverbank was otherworldly (maybe even slightly under-worldly).
As we continued south along the boardwalk, Old Faithful Inn came into view and we could see the Old Faithful Geyser (the most famous geyser of all) erupting in the distance.
With the boardwalk, the Park Service makes Geyser Hill easily accessible. It's more of a 3-mile walk rather than a hike. Plus, the boardwalk keeps visitors a safe distance above the fragile earth and extremely hot water features. As the steam drifted across the boardwalk (we hardly even noticed the smell at this point), we continued to gain appreciation of the vast amount of thermal features surrounding us (literally hundreds). There is nowhere else on earth even comparable to this.
We viewed various geysers with their designated geyser gazers along the way, but not many were erupting. However, Anemone geyser, a lesser known little gem, erupts on a fifteen minute cycle. Although it only shoots a few feet into the air, the frequency of the eruptions provides instant gratification and is a real kid-pleaser.
Although most people watch the grand spectacle of geysers shooting hundreds of feet into the air, we found the abstract details of the various runoffs worthy of a close-up as well.
Earlier that morning, we wrote down the predicted times for that day's geyser eruptions. Since the park rangers don't pour laundry soap into the geysers like in New Zealand (see our Rotorua post for that story), they can't predict the exact time that a particular geyser will erupt. Instead, they provide a window of time in which a particular geyser is expected to erupt. The length of that window varies with each geyser - some are more predictable than others. Daisy, the first geyser we saw, has a rather short eruption window of about an hour. But Grand Geyser, our next stop, only erupts every eight hours and is only predicted within +/- two hours of a specific time. However, as the world's tallest predictable geyser with an eruption lasting over ten minutes, the reward is supposedly worth the wait.
We arrived at the viewing area for Grand Geyser about thirty minutes before the middle of the four hour window. Since it had not yet erupted and we were so close to the middle of the window, we naively optimistically hoped we would not have too long of a wait before the "Grand" eruption. So, we found some space on one of the benches in the viewing area and sat down - the necessity of benches should have served as a warning of just how long people wait for this geyser to erupt.
While we waited, a couple of marmots served as entertainment while they sunned and played on the rocks behind the geyser. The lady seated behind us provided even more entertainment with her guesses as to what kind of creature this furry little critter could be. For those unfamiliar with this mountain creature, a marmot is a furry little mammal similar to a groundhog - the key to this story is that these animals weigh less than fifteen pounds. However, the lady, who clearly did not read her Park brochure (which provided a illustrated guide of the common animals), continued to spout off ridiculous guesses such as Buffalo, Mountain Lion, and Grizzly Bear. Bless her heart.
The crowd continued to grow as time passed within the predicted window. Once you've invested a certain amount of time, you refuse to leave because you're convinced it will certainly erupt just minutes after you walk away. We were all in at this point. Grand's cycle adds to the anticipation. Prior to the actual eruption, a series of small water bursts tease you. Eventually, one of those small water bursts produces enough water to overflow in to the surrounding pool creating a series of waves...when that happens, you know the actual eruption is just seconds away. Every time we saw the pool gradually filling during one of the small water bursts, we convinced ourselves that this time would lead to the eruption. As each cycle passed, we commiserated with the other visitors waiting near us. Finally, after more than 3.5 hours of waiting (and one hour outside of the predicted window, which means that those who arrived at the earlier half of the window actually waited even longer than us), the long awaited moment arrived. It was Grand.
Because we waited so long for this eruption (and because you just read this entire story of our wait), we had to include a second picture. You know, to make it worth it. When Grand Geyser (eventually) erupts, it actually sets off some other much smaller geysers in the same pool, which really adds to the spectacle.
All
Aside from the historic and charming ambiance of Old Faithful Inn, it provides a killer location for geyser viewing. We ran back to our room to change since the temperature was starting to drop before heading back up the paved pathway in hopes of watching Castle Geyser erupt.
Fortunately, our patience at Grand Geyser appeared to have added points to our Geyser Karma bank, and Castle Geyser went off just moments after we arrived. Not only were we thrilled at our timing, but the lighting and mist provided perfect conditions for an afternoon rainbow.
Feeling lucky, we set out on a quest to see one of the only remaining geysers included in the daily predictions from the Park Service that we hadn't yet seen - Great Fountain Geyser. We were getting geyser greedy. So, we got in the car and headed to Firehole Lake Drive. Well, first we stopped at Biscuit Basin, but Ashley was unimpressed so we quickly moved on to Firehole Lake Drive. Unfortunately, our luck had run out and we literally just missed the end of Great Fountain Geyser's eruption, but we could see the remaining water draining from the pool and steam coming out of the vent. Since Great Fountain Geyser only erupts every twelve hours, we weren't waiting around for the next one. Alas, we didn't complete our quest to see all of geysers with predicted times, but it gives us a goal for our next visit.
Slightly disappointed, but not dismayed, we returned to the Inn to catch the sun setting over Upper geyser Basin.
Not yet having our fill of geysers for the day, we joined the gathering crowds to watch Old Faithful erupt just steps away from our hotel. Old Faithful has an impressively expansive boardwalk that wraps around the geyser providing 360 degrees of viewing opportunity. A crowd seemed to gather at Old Faithful for each and every eruption no matter the time of day.
As its name suggests, Old Faithful erupted within minutes of its predicted time. After we walked back to our room in the brisk evening air, we marveled at our long day that had begun watching a baby moose swim across a river in a completely different National Park and ended watching perhaps one of the most iconic symbols of the National Park System.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Yellowstone Lake
We were up before dawn in order to get to Hayden Valley for some early morning wildlife viewing. It was actually during the drive there that we saw the first animals - a trio of large bull elk near the lake. Looking for carnivores, we continued on to Hayden Valley after only a short look out the car window.
Fog blanketed Hayden Valley as we entered, limiting views. We pulled off at a popular viewpoint overlooking the valley approximately 1.5 miles north of Trout Creek. Unfortunately, the fog prevented prime animal spotting so we only saw some geese, female elk, and bison - no wolves or bears.
After giving up on our morning animal spotting, we drove to the Canyon Village area of the Park to grab a quick breakfast at the diner before hiking in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.
Our first stop at the Grand Canyon (well not the Grand Canyon...) was at Artist's Point on the south rim. Artist's Point provides the most photogenic view of the lower falls cascading into the canyon creating rapids that wind through the yellow and orange hues of the canyon walls.
After snapping a few photographs of the falls, we started walking back to the car. Fortunately, a friendly fellow photographer noticed us packing up our camera gear and recommended staying a few more minutes to see a rainbow that would soon appear in the waterfall mist. Taking her advice, Nate quickly reset up his tripod and adjusted his camera settings as the prismatic colors started to appear in the mist. The rainbow added additional beauty to an already impressive viewpoint so we were thrilled that the nice lady suggested that we wait around a few more minutes. Shortly after it appeared, the rainbow slowly faded away.
Satisfied with our view of the lower falls, we dropped off some of the camera gear in the car and gathered our day packs to take a hike through the area. Starting at Artist's point, we hiked along the South Rim Trail to Uncle Tom's trail and connected to the Clear Lake Trail, which took us away from the Canyon. This hike was yet another recommendation from our hosts at Teton View Bed and Breakfast - staying at small, locally run lodging really has it's advantages.
On the way to Clear Lake, we hiked through a small, isolated thermal area that would likely be a popular feature in any part of the country. However, during our hike, we had the place to ourselves which provided a unique opportunity to view mudpots and fumaroles without the crowds. We recommend a visit to this area of the Park because of its off the beaten path location and solitude.
Continuing along the trail, we passed by Clear Lake (which smelled strongly of sulphur), Lilypad Lake, and a pine forest before again reaching the canyon rim. Further downstream from the falls, this part of the trail provides steep drop offs with
The Clear Lake trail provided a tramp through diverse and constantly changing landscapes - thermal areas, lakes, pine forests, and deep canyons. Plus, throughout the hike, we rarely saw other Park visitors. One of the main complaints from visitors to Yellowstone is difficulty escaping the crowds. The trail provides a great example of how easily you can discover your own private piece of Yellowstone if willing to go even slightly into the backcountry. The three mile trail was probably no more than a mile from a main parking area and road, but we felt like we were miles away from civilization.
For a different perspective of the falls, we drove around to the north rim of the canyon, but didn't stay long because we had plans to spend the afternoon around Yellowstone Lake.
Once reaching Yellowstone Lake, we pulled off at West Thumb Geyser Basin, which consisted of a boardwalk through a thermal area along the edge of the lake. We strolled along the boardwalk admiring the steam rising off the sapphire springs with the lake and distant mountains in the background.
Our favorite feature was Fishing Cone - though underwater in this photograph, this cone pokes out of the lake in the dryer season and boiling water spills out of it. In the early days of the Park, visitors reportedly caught fish in the lake and cooked them in the hot waters of Fishing Cone while still on the line!
Next, we stopped at Fishing Bridge (which you are not allowed to fish from) in hopes of grizzly sightings. Since it was midafternoon, we failed to see any bears as they were likely napping in the shade. We weren't too disappointed since we planned to visit animal hangout Hayden Valley later that evening.
Before leaving Florida, we scheduled early dinner reservations at the Yellowstone Lake Hotel. The hotel is over one hundred years old and overlooks Yellowstone Lake - as its name suggests. We arrived early so we passed the time enjoying microbrews in the comfortable chairs in the lounge with picture windows overlooking the lake and a pianist playing classical tunes in the background. Even if you aren't staying or eating at this hotel, we recommend stopping by for cocktail hour.
Refueled from dinner, we drove towards Hayden Valley and returned to the same pull off we visited in the morning. Only a few minutes after arriving, a grizzly bear sauntered over a hill and into view (See brown dot in the center of the photo below). He (or she) slowly made its way across the valley digging and snacking before disappearing back into the dense woods. A second smaller bear also made a brief appearance before catching the scent of the larger bear and darting off in the opposite direction.
We stayed until after dusk and enjoyed the golden light cast over Hayden Valley - gaining a greater appreciation for the beauty of the valley now that it was no longer encased in fog as it had been earlier in the morning.
Mammoth Terraces and Norris Geyser Basin
Rising before the sun yet again, we set off on another adventure filled day. Before leaving the Old Faithful Inn, we admired the eerie steam rising from Geyser Hill in the crisp morning air.
As we drove north to Mammoth, a large male bison strolled next to the road in the morning fog - either oblivious to or purposefully ignoring our car passing by.
Located in the very northwest corner of the Park, Mammoth Terraces represents yet another unique geological feature of Yellowstone and contains multiple historical buildings since this portion of the Park used to be part of an Army fort.
Mammoth Terraces is a hot spring with an upper and lower terrace as the hot water creates limestone formations over time. The springs and formations are constantly changing and can vary from year to year. First, we explored the upper terraces which had minimal water flow during our visit.
Somewhat disappointingly, the lower terraces did not exactly match the amazing photographs we had seen from recent years. Most of the formations lacked the cascading water that made the terraces seem so impressive in photos. However, the small sections that still had flowing water still gave a glimpse of just how uniquely beautiful the terraces must be in full glory. Hopefully, you'll catch the terraces in full flow when you visit.
After viewing the lower terraces, we grabbed our daypacks and walked to the Beaver Ponds trailhead. Only a few steps down the path, a doe with two fawns lept across the trail and up the hillside. What a great start to the hike and Ashley particularly oohed and ahhed over the fawns' white spots.
Multiple rangers had
Much of this trail is open without much tree cover so we were happy to have our sunhats and sunscreen. For at least the first half of this hike, we did not see another single visitor. We had read that most visitors don't venture more than a half-mile from the roads so these hikes really allowed us to enjoy the solitude of nature despite the literally millions of tourists that visit Yellowstone each summer.
Eventually, the trail led us through woods where we encountered a bison carcass - well, actually, just the bison head (fur still attached) - which was pretty creepy. Since we knew bears defend carcasses, we quickly moved on along the trail - so quickly that there are no photos of said head. Darn.
The trail passes by five ponds with the fifth (pictured below) being the largest. Although we didn't see any beavers in these ponds, a park ranger told us that beavers are slowly returning to the area. Interestingly, he credits this to the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, which help control the elk population and in turn allows for new willow growth near water that attracts beaver.
After our peaceful and uneventful hike (no bear attacks thanks to Ashley's singing), we drove towards Gardiner to see the famous Roosevelt Arch at the northern entrance to the Park. Dedicated by Teddy Roosevelt in 1903, the arch is inscribed with a phrase from the legislation that created Yellowstone - "For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People." As National Park enthusiasts, we think this wording captures the essence of the National Park System.
On our drive back into the Park, we stopped at the marker for the 45th Parallel for a photo-op. Ashley's fun fact of the day was that we also saw the southern hemisphere's 45th Parallel this year during our trip to New Zealand.
Driving south from the Mammoth Area to the Norris Basin, we encountered a bear jam - our first black bear of the trip. If dozens of other cars hadn't pulled over ahead of us, we would not have even noticed him since he was lying in the grass under a shade tree and would only occasionally pop his head up.
After our black bear encounter and Beaver Pond hike, we were ready to return to the thermal features. Norris Geyser basin is split into two distinct parts - Porcelain Basin and Back Basin. We only had time to visit Porcelain Basin, but it ended up being one of our favorite thermal areas in the Park. As with the other thermal areas, a boardwalk allows visitors to safely view the features up close.
In particular, we enjoyed the naming of some of the features - Black Growler Steam Vent (which greets you as you enter the basin), Whale's Mouth, Whirligig Geyser, and Constant Geyser. If naming thermal features is a job, sign us up!
We enjoyed photographing the variety of colors caused by the microbacteria living in the steaming runoff.
Not far from Norris Basin, a short one mile hike led us to Artist's Paint Pots, which provided some of the best examples of mud pots in Yellowstone. We watched as bubbles formed and eventually popped (with a humorous sound), spraying small blobs of mud into the air. Some bubbles must get rather large and shoot the mud a great distance as we noticed dried mud on the railing. Watch out!
Grand Prismatic Spring lives up to its name and truly is one of the more spectacular sights in Yellowstone. The sapphire center surrounded by rings of varying colors required us to use a wide angle lens to even attempt capturing the entire pool. While the colors seem inviting, the winds occasionally blew steam across the spring and into the onlookers' faces as a reminder of the extremely hot temperatures in the pool. Although we did not have time during this trip, the Fairy Falls trail leads hikers up a hill (in the background of the photo below) providing an elevated view of Grand Prismatic. It's definitely on our to do list next time we visit.
As the water temperature cools from the center to the edge of the pool, the colors change from a vibrant blue to orange to yellow to brown - representing the different kinds of bacteria that thrive in each temperature range.
When the wind switched directions and provided a break from the mist, we convinced another visitor to take our photograph in front of this popular Yellowstone hot spot.
As the afternoon progressed, we returned to Upper Geyser Basin to view Riverside Geyser's eruption. Although we had planned on watching it on our first day in the Park, our epic wait for Grand Geyser overlapped with the eruption. Fortunately, staying at Old Faithful Inn allowed us a second opportunity to easily view Riverside Geyser - it's uniquely scenic location overflowing into the Firehole River made it one of the features we most wanted to see on this trip.
To cap a long but fun-filled day, we grabbed some drinks and found a seat on the second floor deck at the Inn in time to watch an evening eruption of Old Faithful. Luckily, we met some fellow Gators who were kind enough to take our picture. The Gator Nation is everywhere!
Afterwards, we enjoyed our last evening at Old Faithful Inn. Tomorrow, we relocate to the more rustic accommodations of Roosevelt Lodge near Lamar Valley.
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