Chapter 4: Yellowstone National Park

The next morning we skipped breakfast to get an early start. We only had the one day to do a whirlwind tour of Yellowstone National Park. We had our route thru the park all mapped out to maximize our time at the major sights. We were going to see the Mammoth Hot Springs, the Paint Pots, the canyon and falls, the Yellowstone River valley, Yellowstone Lake, and last but not least, Old Faithful. Along the drive to Mammoth Hot Springs we had our first sighting of Bison off in the meadows. They were rather far off and small but it was exciting to see them in the wild. At Mammoth Hot Springs we took some time off to have a quick breakfast in the cafeteria before we took a quick hike around the hot springs. Then it was back in the car, we didn't have time to dilly-dally. We made a quick stop at, and hurried thru, the Paint Pots then it was on to the canyon and falls. I was surprised at the depth of the canyon and the height of the falls. I wasn't expecting anything so large. There were a lot of trails to hike in the area to maximize one's view of the river and falls but Diane had blisters from the backpack and we were short on time, so, we just contented ourselves with two really short hikes to tourist overlooks.

^ Above is a shot of Diane standing by Mammoth Hot Springs. > To the right is a shot of the Yellowstone River winding its way thru the canyon.
^ Above are the Upper (left) and Lower (right) Falls of the Yellowstone River.

Along the drive from the canyon down to the lake we saw the most wildlife. At one point we got stuck in a Bison jam. A herd was scattered around the road. As I was slowly driving by them one stepped out in front of us. I had to stop as it slowly ambled across the front of the car and passed by the driver's door. I could have reached out the open window and scratched its smelly butt as it walked by . . . if I were stupid enough! Instead I just took its picture. We also saw many Elk and Pronghorns out in the meadows. From there we zipped on by Yellowstone Lake. We detoured briefly to check out the ugly Lake Lodge and Lake Hotel. From there we only had one more required destination, Old Faithful. We arrived there just minutes after an eruption, so we had to kill about an hours worth of time till the next one. We checked out the historic Old Faithful Inn and the gift shop . . . . and of course the ice cream stand . . . and then it was finally time to go back out and get a good seat. The Park Service had built a semicircular boardwalk and low bleachers around the star attraction and the seats up front fill in fast. When Old Faithful erupts, it starts out slowly, first just spitting out of the ground, then a pulsating 10 foot geyser, then finally a full blown eruption. I remember being a little disappointed. I thought it would be higher and more forceful. After the show was over it was back in the car. It was about 6pm now and we still had over 100 miles to drive to get to our next motel in Ennis. I was very glad when Diane volunteered to drive for the rest of the evening. When we finally got to Ennis it was dark. We were tired but it had been a good, full day. I especially liked the Bison, the canyon and the falls.

Above is the bison traffic jam we entered. There were bison to the left and right of us. Suddenly one stepped out onto the road in front of us and walked past the drivers door. I wasn't sure if I should roll the window down or keep it up for safety. I compromised and rolled it down part way and took the bison's photo as it walked by. To the right is "Old Faithful" during one of her eruptions. They happen about every 70 minutes.