From the Beautiful to the Bizarre - Yellowstone Continued

Mammoth Hot Springs

The algae in the warm pools have tinted the travertine red, orange, green and brown.

The lower and upper travertine terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs are the product of dissolved subterranean limestone which is continuously deposited as the hot spring water cools when contacted with the air.  The colored runoff from the otherwise white terraces is due to the bacteria and algae that flourish in the warm waters. There are also many sulphur springs here to enjoy, but the smell is pretty offensive. Smells like rotten
eggs.

Friday, July 25th, 2014 - Day 56

 We did it!  We were out of the house ( it’s funny how I know consider it my “house” ) and at our destination of Mammoth Springs before 7:30 AM!  We had the place to ourselves!  We walked the many boardwalks, and climbed lots of stairs, enjoying the many thermal exhibits and had a picnic breakfast I had packed.

Empty parking lot!  What a feat to beat the thousands of people here!

We browsed the general stores, enjoyed the morning then went back and had much needed naps.  We then checked emails and took it easy since it was another brilliantly sunny but very hot day, and these early mornings are rather tough.

Saturday, July 26th, 2014 – Day 57

Boy, I wondered if the sky could possibly be bluer!  Once again, with breakfast packed, we headed out a little after 7:00 AM and drove about an hour south, to Norris Geyser Basin. When we arrived there were not more than a half dozen cars in the parking lot.  Nice!

Norris Geyser Basin is North America’s most volatile geo-thermal area.  Norris is also home to the majority of the world’s acidic geysers, fed by the basin’s abundant supply of foul smelling sulphur.  It is said that “in Norris the earth sighs, boils and rages like nowhere else on earth”.

The early morning sun filtering through the steam from the hot springs at Norris Geyser Basin. 

While the boiling waters, bubbling mud and spouting steam vents were particularly beautiful in the morning light, we soon got a little bored.  Luckily we happened upon a Ranger giving a tour and joined everyone as she explained each of the different areas, why they look as they do, and how they are constantly changing.  It certainly made the 3 mile walk very fascinating.  

About 11AM we got back to the entrance and found busloads of people, not a parking space to be had, and a line down the road waiting to get in!  It is pretty difficult to get up and out that early, but it really pays off if you want to avoid the crowds. 

The day was still young and very, very beautiful, so we decided to take the long way home and check out what they claim is the “Grand Canyon of Yellowstone”.  

Norm checking out a model of all the hiking spots. Hmmmm.... which ones to choose?

We stopped at nearly every observation point, marveling at the Grand Tetons in the distance, as we chatted with several couples that had the same plan. 

It was another 11 hour, very long, but wonderful day.

Sunday, July 28th 2014 – Day 58

This is our last day in the northern part of the park, and we feel we have seen most of it.  I had wished to take kayak white-water lessons on the nearby river, but the sun was so intense it might have been torture.  So we decided on a hike we heard a lot about – Beaver Pond Trail.

We finally arrived at the Beaver Pond.  But there was no evidence of any
beavers .  Oh well.

We started a little after 8AM up the mountain behind Mammoth Springs. 

We were greeted by a “severe bear warning” poster before we even hit the trail, so that made me quite nervous and wishing someone was around to join us. 

Gee, what's the fuss?  This grizzly is quite
friendly!

 The first 3 miles was in  lovely wooded, but very hilly terrain.  As Norm joined me making all kinds of noise, pretending we were a large group of people, we felt very foolish, but better foolish than dead, I say. ( Well, I never actually “said” that, but it applies).  We were very disappointed in the “Beaver Pond” because it appeared they had not been there in years. 

The route back took us out into the open.  We walked another 3 miles in the blazing sun hoping to see some wildlife without a mob of people.  No luck!  But we did see some pronghorn after we got back in the car and took a side road.  At least we were the only ones around, so that made it very nice.

Boy, the sun is sure intense!  Do I look like a cowboy/girl?  I don't know how
they did it!  It's hard to breathe under that hankie!

Norm still on the lookout for wild animal sightings.

Finally found some pronghorn after we got back into the car and drove 5 miles on an old carriage road. It was easy to imagine what it was like to be on a stagecoach riding through the area. 

In the afternoon, I did some more laundry.  Tomorrow we will move to the more southern area of the park to explore what is around there.

Monday, July 28th, 2014 - Day 59

Today we moved to Grant Campground inside the National Park.  This will be our first time with the RV without the wonderful comforts of modern living.  No electricity, water and the all important sewer connections, TV, nor internet.   We considered it “Walmart camping in the woods”. Or, a “Bear-proof tent”!  An adventure to see what we are still made of.  Just three years ago we loved to spend a week in a tent, so this can’t be so bad, can it?

One thing we were told, and we read, was that Yellowstone is BIG.  It is one thing to hear, another is to experience it!  It really is HUGE!  Everything takes at least an hour to get to.  If the bison are in the road?  It could take 3 hours more.  Distances are pretty long, and speed limits are slow.  Anywhere from 25MPH to a speedy 45MPH.  

The herd of bison in Hayden Valley often stops traffic for up to three hours.  We waited about 45 minutes.
Check out the crazy lady hanging out her car dangerously close to those wild beasts!

We had a great view of a huge bison herd just hanging out in Hayden Valley as we drove through.  The height of the motorhome was akin to Stadium Seating for an event.  We watched them stand, fight, and seemingly fall asleep in the middle of the road.  And their sounds!  They sound like tigers! If I closed my eyes, I would imagine I was on an African Safari! 

After about 40 minutes, a Park Ranger finally came and moved the herd like a cowboy on his trusty horse. (shouldn't he be driving a Mustang?).

Norm and I arrived at Grant Campground several hours later than we anticipated, set up, then set off to hit the Visitor’s Center, and return to really “ camp “.

Tuesday, July 29th – Day 60

The Yellowstone "must see" Old Faithful geyser.  We were not impressed.

Well, you can’t go to Yellowstone without visiting the famous geyser Old Faithful; the symbol of America’s first national park. 

 This geyser still erupts quite “faithfully” spouting water and steam in a range of 106-184 feet in the air about every 90 minutes, lasting about 5 minutes. 

Twenty minutes before the big event, busloads of people were dropped off, and a hush descended the crowd.  Sputtering began, then with a “whoosh” it erupted.  Is that it?  THAT is Old Faithful?  Hate to say it, but Norm and I were quite disappointed.  The lack of any response in the crowd tells me our opinion was shared.

Yellowstone Park has many gorgeous hot springs.  The white trunks on the trees in the background
are due to the silica in the springs.  

Norm and I waited over an hour for this lack-luster geyser.

We walked along the board walk looking at the more than 20 geysers and pools in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone.  Some were constantly sputtering, some gurgling, some were spouting steam. 

 We overheard the Park Ranger say that Riverside geyser, her favorite, was scheduled to erupt in 10 minutes!  We practically ran about a ½ mile to get a seat and wait a few minutes.  And wait. And wait.

An hour later we were rewarded with spurting hot water and steam.  It lasted longer than our attention span.  We then both agreed, these mud pots and geysers are just not our thing.  There were a couple of beautifully colored pools that we enjoyed more.

Morning Glory Pool near Old Faithful geyser .  Really beautiful, and so very weird!

We had reservations at what was claimed to be the nicest restaurant in the park for Wednesday night.   White linens and all!  I did not want a repeat of our last dinner back in Banff, so I wanted to go check the menu, and I hate to admit it- the prices as well.  

Internet photo of Lake Yellowstone Hotel dining room where we
enjoyed a fabulous meal!

It was about 5PM when we arrived at Lake Yellowstone Hotel's dining room.  The menu looked great, and the prices were within reason.  What we did discover with this little excursion was that the drive from Grant Campground to Yellowstone Inn was longer than we would want to make the next night.  We looked around and were quite horrified at how people were dressed going to this lovely restaurant!  Haute Couture Hiking wear?  Sweaty is acceptable? What has this world come to?  

I hate to eat in a “special” place feeling and looking as though I have been though a war-zone, but the menu looked so wonderful, and we were there. If I had come the next night in the outfit I was planning on, I would have almost looked foolish. Like they say, " When you're in Rome......."

  They had a lovely table by the window available for us, so with a little “freshening up “ in our respective restrooms, we sat and had a delicious meal of bison tenderloin, although dressed as we were, with no make-up or even lipstick on, I felt it definitely took away from my ( not Norm’s ) experience. 

At this point, we have been very lucky to have spent 7 days in Yellowstone National Park, and we discovered the terrain in the lower portion is not our favorite.  We prefer the mountains to foul-smelling cauldrons of bubbling mud and steam . 

Horseback riding is one of the many ways to see the park.

 So with our remaining 2 days, we went back to the Canyon area and hiked around it, then took the time to get the Chevy HHR tow car serviced.  Oil change and new brakes were in order.  Having seen all we want to here, we decided to move on a day early.

During our stay here at Grant Campground, I have had the opportunity to learn something about myself. I learned that I actually prefer the luxury of full service motorhome camping, and would most likely be miserable back in a tent!  I thought I was born to tent-camp!  10 years of Girl Scouting taught me how to tame the wilds - build a shelter, cook eggs in a paper-bag, and pee in a self-dug hole, for heaven’s sake!  At 59 years old, should I admit that I no longer want to do that?  That I actually prefer running water?   Norm never really camped before he met me, but he has no problem admitting that a soft bed, and warm shower and a cold beer is the nicer way to “camp”.  Sissy.

I also must say we learned how to "zig" when the masses "zagged", therefore, we did not feel that Yellowstone was very crowded at all. Where are the millions of people?  I have read that if you get out onto the trails, you will encounter only 10% of the visitors.  We can vouch for that.