GEEZER GEYSER GAZING…

Vent Geyser

Daisy Geyser

Our second week in Yellowstone marks the traditional end summer.  The park was full of families over Labor Day weekend, but in the days to follow, all that remain are, (to quote park employees) the newly wed and the nearly dead.  Our observation points to a much higher percentage of the latter.  ;o) We enjoy the peace, quiet and lower occupancy on the roads and trails… ) 

Truth - fewer autos and people but the same amount of bison!

Porcelain Basin

Porcelain Basin streams

Foraging here is a challenge beyond challenges… sigh….  The General Store has a really nice wine and beer selection, (woo hoo!!!) but the grocery section is filled with “camping junk food” and very little fresh produce or healthy options – guess folks on vacation don’t buy broccoli, LOL.  Fortunately we stocked up on fresh produce in the Tetons but after a week and a half we are running low and take a drive out of the park to Cody, WY and stock up at Albertsons. We also stop by McDonalds and use their free WIFI to take care some of business. The drive to Cody would be stunningly beautiful if not for the smoke.  Yes there is still smoke from California and Idaho marring the skyline but as the weather cools the air is clearing.  

Beauty Pool

West Thumb Spring

Chromatic Pool

The nights are getting colder.  We wake to temperatures in the high 20’s to low 30’s but the days are mostly sunny and warm.  The first part of the week is spent exploring more thermal features around the Old Faithful area, West Thumb and Norris.   We are still intrigued by the colors - the energy and we continue to work on capturing the visions of these areas. This is the unique and extraordinary Yellowstone.

Elephant Back Trail

In the latter half of the week we limit our adventures to a closer geographic proximity to our home base.  On The Elephant Back Trail we enjoy stunning (albeit a bit smoky) views of Yellowstone Lake. A ranger led hike to storm point through meadows bursting with autumn colors, spruce and fir forest, and the ever-present lodge pole pines is both beautiful and informative. We attend a Ranger talk about the ecology of the Yellowstone River and the role of the cutthroat trout in the entire park ecosystem and finish up the week with more hikes along the edge of the Yellowstone Grand Canyon and the Hayden Valley.  The geysers may be what triggered the creation of this park but the surrounding forests and meadows – the so-called ordinary features - are anything but.

sharing the trail

Wildlife is everywhere, in the obvious ever-present bison and elk.   It’s hidden in the rocks, the fallen trees of the forests and the high mountain meadows.  We pause and look closer to see the yellow-bellied marmot catching the last rays of heat before retreating to its den to hibernate for the winter, the pine martins foraging amongst the decaying logs and the black bear sow and her cubs, high on a hillside feasting on pinecones in anticipation of a long winter’s nap.