Thursday, August 3, 2023

Yellowstone Revisited

What can I say about Yellowstone?  It is beautiful, awe inspiring and down right amazing.  In 2015 on our way to Alaska, we stopped at Grizzly RV Park at the west entrance to the park.  We had planned two days to explore.  The first day, we went to the area where all tourists go to see the geysers, Old Faithful, burbling mud pots and the other steaming thermal pools.  The second day we had planned to go on the 142 mile Grand Loop Road but alas it snowed that night and the road was closed.  So, our visit this trip is to see the Grand Loop Road and if time allows, we will go back and revisit the other section.


But first, just a bit of history about Yellowstone.  At the heart of its past, present and future lies a SUPERVOLCANO.  Huge volcanic eruptions occurred here, the latest about 631,000 years ago.  The center of what is now the park collapsed, forming a 30 x 45 mile caldera or basin.  The heat powering those eruptions still fuels the park’s geysers, hot springs, fumaroles and mud pots.  Make no mistake, the volcano is not extinct.  It is very much alive and scientists monitor it all the time.  The caldera is growing and at some time in the distant future, it will most likely erupt once again.  The ecosystems range from near-desert vegetation at the north to a subalpine meadow and forest on Mt. Washburn.  They support a variety of habitats that sustain diverse wildlife such as bison, elk, both grizzly and black bears, wolves, trumpeter swans and Yellowstone cutthroat trout.  People have also been apart of Yellowstone for more than 13,000 years.  Many Native American tribes still have a deep connection to it.  It is little wonder tourists are drawn to visit this unique place.


We entered the park from the Western Entrance.  Here the roadway follows beside the Madison River.  It is so amazing to see water so clear and clean.  After about seven miles or so, the road crosses the river which then becomes the Gibbon River.  I could write volumes but as they say,”a picture is worth a thousand words.”


The Madison River, home to ducks and swans and other birds and aquatic animals.
The water is so crystal clear, the fish can easily be seen swimming below. Cutthroat trout abound in these waters.

The Gibbon River, equally pristine winds its way along.  Jim and I stopped to take in the beauty.

The Gibbon Falls, 84 feet tall.  The sound of the water cascading over the rocks was deafening.








Monument Geyser Basin contains pools that bubble and steam with the heat.
A larger view shows the overall size of this basin.
One of the pools where the water ripples with the activity from below.  Tiny ducks were swimming in the water so we could only assume is was not hot.







It was nice to have someone take a picture of us with the beauty of Yellowstone in the background.
As we drove along, a car had stopped coming in the opposite direction causing a bit of a traffic jam.  I noticed he was trying to take a picture of something.  When I looked, there stood a lone bison.  He looked as if he was posing so I had to take a shot.
Tower Falls 132 feet tall.
Sun raven Pass, 8,859 feet elevation.  From above, it all looks unreal somehow.

Sulphur Caldron












At the end of our journey on the Grand Loop Road, we were tired but very glad we had the opportunity to return to this magical place.  Perhaps we will return tomorrow or the next day and revisit other sections of Yellowstone.

No comments:

Post a Comment