Really I Mean it, We're Leaving

The northeast entrance of Yellowstone Park became the northeast exit for us.  It was across the mountain top, along a windy road that soon was overlooking the valley far below. 

Along the way we traveled through burned out forests and hills consisting of boulders appearing to have randomly been piled upon each other by some giant child.  

I suppose a more likely explanation is that they were part of one of the many giant upheavals that took place throughout the mountain’s formation when rock was formed then twisted by quakes that shook the earth.

 We were, once again, in a thermal spring area with the main break named Mammoth.  The scene of a large thermal outpouring, Mammoth is changing daily as one exit stops flowing and another opens up on down the hill.

Mammoth is actually a town within the park that was once the headquarters for the Army cavalry. The buildings were occupied from 1891 until 1918 though the park, was formed in 1872, becoming the nation’s first national park.  

Currently, Mammoth serves as the park headquarters, home to park rangers and civilian  workers that keep the park going such as the man who in in charge of the park post office maintenance.  One-by-one he is shutting down the post offices within the park.  The only one to remain open will be the office at Mammoth since the other areas of the park will only be accessible by snow mobile.

One of the most interesting things about the park headquarters is the fact that several elk make their home nearby just as their ancestors did before humans occupied the area.  Like teens hanging out at the local hamburger joint,  during rutting season, the elks gather around the headquarters buildings to “cruise” searching for a suitable mate.

This fellow above appears to be lounging in the wilds of Yellowstone.  That illusion is only the result of Jeff’s amazing photography. While I was in the post office mailing cards, he grabbed my camera and started shooting.

From another angle you see the same elk below.

There were signs everywhere warning tourists to stay away from the elk.  Evidently it was especially dangerous to approach the cows upon which he or one of the other bucks had set his eye. This fellow, below, hadn't read the signs. He looks too comfortable to be scary.

We did obey the signs so luckily neither of us was gored.

Between Mammoth and the exit gate we passed through beautiful country, driving between mountains going down toward the valley below . . .

. . . where in the distance we could see the aspen already dressed in autumn colors.

The land, once again grew sage and provided browse for buffalo that migrated to the area with the approaching winter.

The meadows were good places for trail rides. Several of the pull-off areas were only for trucks pulling and unloading horses trailers.

We observed one such group, with their guide, riding across the valley toward distant hills.

The meadows along the meandering creek were filled with buffalo

We had a chance to observe calves with their mothers . . .

 . . .and one animal enjoying a fun roll in the dust.

I knew that when we left I would miss the buffalo.

Other sights we passed were a petrified tree . . .

. . . other tourists . . .

 . . and more burned forest.

Just before the gate, we didn’t even bother to stop where a others had exited their vehicles to catch a glimpse a grizzly bear that is evidently a regular near this part of the road. Though I did want to see a bear, there were too many people and the bear was just too far away.  

We said good-bye to the park and drove east.

Good-Bye Yellowstone

It was time to leave Yellowstone Park.  Some of you readers may be saying "good riddance," for it has taken up several blogs but there is so much to see in the park that it is impossible to cover it all in just a couple entries. Be patient it will take a couple more.  We stayed two nights and three days in Yellowstone, and that was not nearly enough to see it all.  It would be nice to stay a week so that there would be time to take some of he hikes, sit and watch a couple sunsets, and maybe see a bear.  For us, though, the time is over.
We left at sunrise after taking a last look at some of the thermal springs around Old Faithful, we got comfortable in the van and started driving to see what visions would appear today.
Steam leaking from breaks in the earth mixed with fog in a clouds that added to the mystery of the morning. So far we were among very few people on the road.  We have tried to avoid crowds along our trip but at Yellowstone that is hard to do of you want to see the main attractions in just three days.
September is the last week that much of the park is open. Summer workers leave before October 1st, the stores close, all the lodges but one close and the campgrounds close.Maintenance crews were busy putting up tall poles along the side of the roads for the snow plow driver to use as a guide.
Here near the end of September there were few enough people that we had no trouble getting into sites or spotting wildlife, one on the more exciting things to being a first-time visitor.
We weren't disappointed this morning. It wasn't long before we saw elk along a creek. . .

and buffalo grazing in the meadow.

I never grew tired of seeing the buffalo. I still can't get over the size of their enormous heads.  Their size must give them confidence because none of the buffalo seemed very bothered by us.

But there was much more than animals to see today.  We made it to Devil's Cauldren . . .

and Mud Volcano.  

Remember that Yellowstone is an active volcano.  It last erupted 240,000 years ago. The thermal pool area is actually the caldera of the volcano where heat from the earth's core come to the surface through cracks and fissures in its surface. Yellowstone's wooden boardwalks around boiling springs are actually built within the rim of the volcano.  Once you realize that, it changes your view of the landscape.  We could see how the mountains around us were actually the edges of a giant bowl inside which we were driving and walking around.

Even waiting road construction was interesting. The road was lined with steam leaking up around us and boiling water flowing through the streams.

As we headed north and toward the northeast entrance, we left the caldera and drove into the mountains which surround Yellowstone. An older, narrower road, this loop is less traveled and also less developed. It is here that the wolf pack travels, the grizzlies forage and to where the buffalo migrate. We were interested to see what it would hold for us.

Yellowstone Canyon

Our trip to Yellowstone canyon began with a stop at the Canyon Lodge restaurant for a meal and a visit with our friend, Jenny.  Jenny came to Yellowstone a few years ago for a summer job and has returned each summer since.  

After trying to connect through phone or computer for several days, we finally found her working in the restaurant.  Though she is an assistant manager, she had some time to visit with us while we ate.  It was good to see her.

From the canyon restaurant, we drove around the canyon rim, stopping several times for overlook viewing into the canyon.

Yellowstone Canyon is formed by the Yellowstone River cutting through the volcanic deposits that make up its banks. The dramatic cut  is accentuated by the fact that the terrain close by is flat meadow land where the buffalo roam. (Yes, I went ahead and said it.) In fact, one roamed right up the highway in front of us.

Be sure to notice the motorcyclist in the photo.  He seems to be oblivious to the fact that an American Bison is lumbering past his right thigh.

He kept walking toward us, initially  keeping to the line at the edge of the road until he decided to cross the road into our path. 

A car coming in the opposite direction decided it was smart to pull up to the buffalo as it tried to cross over the road. 

This meant that, for a moment, the buffalo  was trapped between our cars, though still in front of ours. We could not move away from the buffalo and the car blocking its path would not move. 

 The buffalo wavered, tried to change directions but was blocked from turning by our car. It seem like a good time to get my video camera out but then the other car moved out of the way and I lost my chance to win ten thousand dollars.

There are two major falls that are part of the Yellowstone River Canyon. Their unoriginal names are the Upper Falls and Lower Falls.  Non-coincidentally, that is also their placement in the river.  The upper falls are smaller than the lower falls, but you can get much closer to the upper.

The overlooks include stone steps down to almost the river level.  From that point we joined a couple dozen other tourists to view and photograph the rushing river.

Jeff and I had been canoeing enough to be able to imagine what it would have been like to be paddling down the river, which moments before was almost placid with a few ripples as it eased over stones on its way. With the warm sun of late summer resting easily on our shoulders we would discuss the slight sound of water we heard in the distance. With little warning the sound would become a roar as we were propelled forward over the falls dropping over three hundred feet onto the boulders below.

A shiver passes through my belly, drawing my innards tight as the thought again runs through my mind.

While looking from above the lower falls, we see far down river to another overlook full of people looking up river toward us. With my camera I zoomed them as close as friends.  We would soon be standing in their place.

Once we reached the overlook on the south rim of the canyon, we climbed down more steps, walked down a knee-friendly ramp and peered up the river at the lower falls.

Once again it was time for the zoom.  I tell you this so that you understand how far away we were and how awesome the falls were.

It was just water but what a force that water was.  It cut through millions of yeas of stone and it attracted thousands of people every year. People who were willing to drive hours or days just to wait in their car in line with other cars for a chance to park and walk with hundreds of other people to stand in a small spot to feel very small against the side of Yellowstone Canyon.