As I approached Yellowstone from the North driving through Paradise Valley, it became clear that the vast terrain I was traveling through would continue. Montana is a landscape with immense sweeping plains, long mountain chains, and big blue skies. Animals and geologic formations don’t abide by artificial boundaries like national park or state lines, and so the only interruptions to my otherwise smooth and natural entrance were manmade – shops full of t-shirts and coffee mugs, and cafes sustained by the tourist economy. As I passed the Roosevelt Arch off to the right, I thought of Teddy’s importance to the conservationist cause and how his travels to this very spot helped inspire his influential voice. It is a cool connection with past generations, to realize that many before have felt the same sense of awe upon seeing a National Park for the first time, and perhaps even felt the same sense of inspiration. Yellowstone has likely had this effect as much as anywhere, seeing as how it was the first National Park established in the United States, back in 1872, and is one of the most highly visited of the NPs. And the vastness certainly does not stop at the park entrance, as Yellowstone is the 2nd largest of the the NPs in the lower 48 (setting aside all those giants up in Alaska).
My first stop in Yellowstone was at Mammoth Hot Springs. Travertine terraces are formed here by hot springs dissolving and then reforming the original limestone into a mound of rocky steps. Glistening, boiling water slowly cascades down the calcite formation, the differing colors due to thermophilic organisms.
I then began driving east toward the Lamar Valley and soon enough had my first bison sighting. Not just one bison, but dozens of them – some crossing the road blocking traffic, others chest butting each other, an occasional bison body slamming himself onto the ground, and many grunting as they smacked on fresh grass while exhaling bison breath. These guys certainly are beastly animals. After having to backtrack due to a road closure, I finally arrived at Canyon Lodge where I met my family, who would be my travel companions for the next several days.
Our first full day in the park we made a quick stop at Artist’s Point on the south rim of the canyon and then continued on to Norris Geyser. Given the extreme temperatures that come with geothermal activity, not many types of vegetation are able to flourish, so the result is a barren landscape almost like a bombed out war zone, only the thermophilic organisms punctuate it with occasional bursts of color. The sulfur presence is strong and so be prepared for a throwback to the days of middle school flatulence jokes. After the sulfurous onslaught of the Green Dragon Spring, we decided we needed to recalibrate to fresh air, so stopped for a relaxing picnic lunch alongside the Firehole River, also the first of our river damming exploits. The next stop on our tour of geysers was the Midway Geyser Basin, home of the Grand Prismatic Spring, my favorite of the geothermals. We finished our tour with a necessary viewing of Old Faithful, who once again pleased the crowds.
The next day while driving east through the expansive Lamar Valley, we made a detour over to Slough Creek and quickly began a hike into the fringes of the Yellowstone backcountry. Being in grizzly bear country, we had our bear spray holstered. Apparently, the best ways to stay safe from bears are to hike in groups and make noise, ideally with human voices. Luckily, we had the best bear deterrent this side of the Mississippi within our outfit. For the majority of the first couple miles, Audrey waxed poetic about her shiny new bike, replete with pink and purple sparkles, and the advantages of a cat motif bike bell instead of ponies or princesses.
Dane may not have the verbal firepower equivalent to a machine gun like Audrey, but with the mind of a young philosopher, engage him on age-old questions such as whether you’d rather face a pit of snakes, a mountain lion, or a pool of acid, and his lower volume but smoother cadence dialogue is also quite effective. Needless to say, we saw no bears.
Our hike here again reminded us of the diversity of landscape that is present within Yellowstone. After a hilly, wooded section, we arrived at an inviting, open meadow – mountains nicely framing a nearby pond, horses trotting up along the trail in the distance. We even felt a few raindrops, after many days of complete dryness, before turning back to the trailhead.
The last day in Yellowstone began with a hike along the North Rim Trail of the Grand Canyon. Hiking the rim allowed for periods away from the crowds at the main vantage points, which allowed me to really take in the magnitude of this wide chasm with alternating shades of red and brown, through which a raging river flows and thunderous falls add yet more drama. In the afternoon we meandered along Pelican Creek out to the windy and aptly named Storm Point. Skipping rocks along the shores of Yellowstone Lake, I felt like I could have just as easily been on a beach along the Puget Sound in Washington or somewhere else in the Pacific Northwest. There is an impressive variety of terrain throughout Yellowstone, even when considering its large size of 2.2 million acres.
Lamar Valley in the northeastern part of the park is sometimes called America’s Serengeti due to its abundance of wildlife and far-reaching grasslands where you can see for miles. Hayden Valley has a similar landscape, but it is more centrally located within the park and is conveniently located near the Canyon Lodge where we were all staying. Our last evening we found a bluff overlooking the valley, set up our chairs and blankets, distributed cups of wine, and soaked in the vistas. Off in the distance, a bald eagle soared over his little patch of America and disappeared into the Western horizon.
