On August 3, we flew from San Francisco (SFO) to Salt Lake City (SLC) on a United Airlines regional jet (Flight #6418). The flight was only three hours long - we took off around 7:00 p.m. and landed around 10:00 p.m.
Once we landed at Salt Lake City airport, we picked up our car rental at Enterprise (we got a reasonably new Volkswagen Passat) and drove about an hour to our Marriott Ogden Hotel. Parking at the hotel was tricky, as most parking spots were taken, so we had to do a bit of hunting. Eventually, we found a spot, checked in, and went to bed.
August 4, 2012
Today, we got up, packed our bags, and ate breakfast at the Marriott Ogden Hotel. After breakfast, we drove to Yellowstone National Park, stopping in West Yellowstone, Montana, for lunch.
Many coffee shops, restaurants, and outdoor gear shops sell fishing, hiking, and other gear.
There is even a gun range where one can shoot all kinds of automatic and semi-automatic guns (and even machine guns).
We were tired from the long drive and decided to have lunch at Woodside Bakery. Woodside had lots of freshly baked goods and sandwiches. After eating our sandwiches, we walked around West Yellowstone. I purchased some Bear Spray to protect against bears (this turned out to be a waste of money).
Alex had some ice cream at a nearby shop, and we stopped by Mocha Momma's Coffee for a cup of mocha and cappuccino. The coffee was delicious, and Mocha Momma's had a hip vibe. There are couches to sit on and a lot of other gear for sale.
After coffee, we drove into Yellowstone National Park's West Entrance (from West Yellowstone).
I didn't realize how many geysers existed in Yellowstone, so we stopped by to see them. The entire Yellowstone Park is a supervolcano that has erupted several times.
According to Wikipedia:
Yellowstone National Park (Arapaho: Henihco'oo' or HéetÃhco'oo[4]), established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872,[5][6] is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho. Yellowstone, widely held to be the first national park in the world,[7] is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially Old Faithful Geyser, one of the most popular features in the park.[8] It has many types of ecosystems, but the subalpineforest is dominant.
Yellowstone National Park spans an area of 3,468.4 square miles (8,983 km2),[1] comprising lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges.[8]Yellowstone Lake is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in North America and is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest supervolcano on the continent. The caldera is considered an active volcano. It has erupted with tremendous force several times in the last two million years.[10] Half of the world's geothermal features are in Yellowstone, fueled by this ongoing volcanism.[11] Lava flows and rocks from volcanic eruptions cover most of the land area of Yellowstone. The park is the centerpiece of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest remaining, nearly intact ecosystem in the Earth's northern temperate zone.[12]
Because of the many hot (and sometimes poisonous) geysers, wooden walkways have been installed for tourists. Stepping off is not recommended. There are also many springs and steam vents.
We walked around the wooden walkways, enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the many geysers. The smells are unpleasant (due to the high sulfur content of most geysers, the scent is often of rotten eggs).
The Jelly Geyser is impressive and makes a lot of noise.
Afterward, we drove south on Grant Loop Road (Highway 20) toward Old Faithful Lodge. On the way there, we stopped on the road because we saw many cars pulled over. We saw a couple of wild deer in the distance crossing a narrow stream. This was a wonderful and unexpected surprise!
We got pretty close to the deer, and I set up my Canon 60D with the 18-135 IS lens, using my Manfrotto monopod for support. I was surprised it was not scared of people and did not immediately run away.
I also had my Canon G12 with me, so I recorded a short video of the Deer encounter.
We returned to the VW Passat and drove to Old Faithful Inn. We passed a few more geysers but decided to keep going (as it was getting late). We parked at the Old Faithful parking lot just in time to see the famous "Old Faithful" Geyser erupt.
It starts with steam, and then the water eruption keeps increasing until it reaches its peak. Then, it gradually dies out,
I shot a video of several Geysers erupting in Yellowstone National Park using my Canon G12 camera.
There are a lot of other geysers around Old Faithful, and we walked in a loop to explore the area. The map below shows all of the famous geysers in the vicinity.
After observing the Old Faithful Geyser erupting, we walked over to the Beehive Geyser and waited as it started spurting. It kept doing so for a while, and we thought it would never erupt. But erupt it did! The column water shot very high in the air.
Then, as quickly as it started, it ceased erupting and died.
We continued our walk around Old Faithful, exploring all the surrounding geysers. We crossed the bridge across the Firehole River.
We saw a nice overlook on Old Faithful Lodge:
Numerous geysers, springs, steam vents, and multi-colored pools are everywhere. The smell is of sulfur, but it's bearable.
After completing a walk around the loop, we decided to stop in the Visitor Center to inquire about getting dinner reservations and to see what kinds of restaurants were available.
We had dinner at the Geyser Grill because we could not get dinner reservations at Old Faithful Inn (they were all booked). The food was mediocre (tolerable), but the service was prolonged. None of the restaurants in Yellowstone were perfect; all ranged between terrible and mediocre. Thankfully, the food improved significantly when we crossed Grand Teton National Park.
After dinner, we drove to Canyon Lodge, where we made hotel reservations and checked into Canyon Lodge Hotel. Canyon Lodge had sparse accommodations (no TV) but was suitable for sleeping.
The next day, I got up early and drove to take sunrise photos of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The sun was just rising, and the view over the waterfalls was breathtaking. It's really something one has to experience with his own eyes.
The whole canyon was roughly cut by glaciers.
I returned home, and we all got up and had breakfast at the Canyon Lodge. The breakfast buffet was barely edible (like all food in Yellowstone). We decided to drive around and see what else was out there. Within a short time, we ran into a large herd of buffalo.
We stopped by, and I took out my Canon 60D camera to shoot some close-up photos. The buffalo (bison) herd had many young and old buffaloes. Many of the buffaloes were drinking water; some were grazing, and others were fighting each other, locking their horns.
After encountering the bison, we decided to drive toward the Mud Volcano.
After visiting the Mud Volcano area, we decided to go for a short hike. We had a few trails to choose from, but we agreed on Natural Bridge Trail, which was highly recommended in the tour book.
We started in the Bay Bridge Marina (near Yellowstone Lake) and hiked uphill to Natural Bridges.
The hike was short, and we soon reached the bottom of Natural Bridges.
We decided to hike upwards and get a closer look at the Natural Bridge. The hike up was short but a bit steep in places.
The way down the Natural Bridge trail was much more accessible.
We saw some large mushrooms in the bushes by the trail.
After the hike, we returned to our car and drove to Yellowstone Lake. We decided to rent out a motorboat and motor around the lake. We rented one of these small motorized boats with an off-board engine.
I motored out of the protected marina into Bridge Bay on Yellowstone Lake. The lake was calm inside, but the wind picked up, and the chop was much heavier outside the marina.
We motored the little craft around Stevenson Island, the little island with a shipwreck. The wind and chop were much more robust in the open water. By regulations, we were prohibited from taking the boat outside Rock Point.
After boating, we stopped by for dinner at the Yellowstone Lake Lodge Cafeteria. The food at the Lodge was terrible, as usual. The only way to describe it is as "tasteless potatoes and chicken." Perhaps the staff is gunning for the worst food in the Yellowstone Award. I understand why RVs are so prevalent in Yellowstone - you can cook food!
After dinner, we decided to stop by the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone for more lovely sunset photos.
Exhausted from hiking, we returned to our tiny room and fell into deep sleep.
August 6, 2012
The next day, we decided to get up really early - around 5:00 a.m. - and drive to Lamar Valley so that we could be there to observe all the wild animals that only come out in the early morning.
We saw a lot of bison, a few spotted antelopes, and a couple of wolves.
On the drive in Lamar Valley, we stopped near a rock to observe a rainbow and a large nest of birds. There was a photographer/videographer shooting photos and videos (I believe for National Geographic).
On the way back, we stopped for breakfast at the Roosevelt Lodge.
Roosevelt Lodge was established in 1905, commemorating a camping trip to the region by President Theodore Roosevelt, who regularly visited the park and enjoyed staying in this section of the park. Theodore Roosevelt was an avid outdoorsman and liked to hunt and fish.
From Roosevelt Lodge, we drove to see Tower Falls.
Nearby, we stopped to see the Petrified Tree.
The map below shows the location of the Petrified Tree and other unique Yellowstone attractions.
Nearby, we stopped at another waterfall - Undine Falls.
From Undine Falls, we drove to Mammoth and saw the famous Mammoth Hot Springs. Mammoth is small but has a Visitor Center, restaurants, and tourist shops.
According to Yellowstone Park's Service:
Several key ingredients combine to make the Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces: heat, water, limestone, and a rock fracture system through which hot water can reach the earth's surface.
Today's geothermal activity is a link to past volcanism. A partially molten magma chamber, remnant of a cataclysmic volcanic explosion 600,000 years ago in central Yellowstone, supplies one of the ingredients, heat.
Hot water is the creative force of the terraces. Without it, terrace growth ceases and color vanishes. The source of the water flowing out of Yellowstone's geothermal features is rain and snow. Falling high on the slopes in and around Yellowstone, water seeps deep into the earth. This cold ground water is warmed by heat radiating from the magma chamber before rising back to the surface.
Hot water must be able to reach the earth's surface in relatively large volumes to erupt as a geyser or flow as a hot spring. In Yellowstone, many conduits remain from the collapse of the giant caldera; frequent earthquakes keep this underground "plumbing" system open. Even though Mammoth lies north of the caldera ring-fracture system, a fault trending north from Norris Geyser Basin, 21 miles (34 km) away, may connect Mammoth to the hot water of that system. A system of small fissures carries water upward to create approximately 50 hot springs in the Mammoth Hot Springs area.
Another necessary ingredient for terrace growth is the mineral calcium carbonate. Thick layers of sedimentary limestone, deposited millions of years ago by vast seas, lie beneath the Mammoth area. As ground water seeps slowly downward and laterally, it comes in contact with hot gases charged with carbon dioxide rising from the magma chamber. Some carbon dioxide is readily dissolved in the hot water to form a weak carbonic acid solution. This hot, acidic solution dissolves great quantities of limestone as it works up through the rock layers to the surface hot springs. Once exposed to the open air, some of the carbon dioxide escapes from solution. As this happens, limestone can no longer remain in solution. A solid mineral reforms and is deposited as the travertine that forms the terraces.
Many wooden walkways have been installed to let visitors explore all the fascinating formations.
Besides, there are many pools of hot water, some colored in various shades of gold/yellow.
The town of Mammoth looks relatively small from the top of Mammoth Hot Springs. Parking can be tricky to find on a busy August day. When we got there, it was overcast. Eventually, it started drizzling and raining quite hard.
After eating some ice cream at Mammoth, we drove south, stopping at the Hoodoos. Alex was in a mood to do some rock climbing, and we stopped for 30 minutes to let him explore and burn up some energy. The Hoodoos provide an excellent place to boulder and do some rock climbing. Some are tall and provide picturesque views of the surrounding valleys. Unfortunately, it started raining in half an hour, so Alex had little time for fun.
Our Red VW Passat, as viewed from the top of the Hoodoos.
As it started to rain heavily, we drove South, stopping at Sheepeater Cliff. It's another cool-looking place, but the rain was too heavy for us to do sightseeing.
As we had a long day and were tired, we drove back to Canyon Lodge, had dinner, and relaxed for the rest of the day.
August 7, 2013
We got up at an average, reasonable time and explored some nearby trails - namely at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.
We decided to try Uncle Tom's Trail on the path to an overlook of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The trail is not very long but pretty steep in places. At the trail's end, one gets a fantastic look at the Lower Yellowstone Falls.
There were many steep descents on the way down Uncle Tom's Trail.
We continued walking on the Southern Rim Trail to Artist Point, where an excellent platform overlooks the Grand Canyon and Lower Falls.
The views of the surrounding Grand Canyon are truly breathtaking.
Uncle Tom's trail winds around the canyon with open spaces and wooded areas.
There are many great overlooks on Lower Falls and the Grand Canyon.
After all the hiking up and down the trail, Alex took a break and rested.
Uncle Tom's Trail ends at Artist Point, where a large platform and a great observation point overlook Lower Falls and the rest of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.
After all the hiking, we were hungry and stopped by the Canyon Lodge for lunch. Yucky food, as usual!
After lunch, we drove to the Norris Geyser Basin to look at more of Yellowstone's Geysers.
The Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest and smelliest of the Yellowstone Geysers. The sulfurous smell is impossible to get away from. As much as I liked Geysers, I was eager to escape Norris, as the scent eventually irritated me too much.
According to Yellowstone Park Tours:
Rainbow Colors, hissing steam, and pungent odors combine to create an experience unique in Yellowstone. Porcelain Basin is open terrain with hundreds of densely packed geothermal features; in contrast, Back Basin is forested and its features are more scattered and isolated.
After walking around the Norris Geyser Basin, we ran into a rabbit on our way to the exit.
As we were tired, we drove back to Grant Village Lodge for dinner, as we had reservations for 8:00 p.m. The food was edible, but nothing to write home about.
In the morning, we decided to try our luck and have breakfast at the Lake House. I always wondered if we could have worse quality food at Yellowstone than we've had. It did not take long to answer this particular question. Without a doubt, breakfast at the Lake House was the worst we've ever experienced. It's hard to believe that this low-quality food is still served. There was hardly anything to eat, and what was available was horrible.
On a positive note, the view of Yellowstone Lake was good, and it was the last time we ate there!
After breakfast, we decided to do a bit of hiking on the Riddle Lake Trail.
The Riddle Lake Trail starts in a wooded area and continues to the nearby Riddle Lake. We saw a few people fishing in the lake.
While walking on the trail, I ran into a large Elk! I was excited to see a wild Elk up close and approached him closely. I wanted to capture a beautiful, close-up photo. Inna cautioned me about getting close to a wild animal with large antlers.
The Elk was foraging for food and eating grasses.
We took a break after all the walking, resting on a log.
After hiking the trail, we drove to Old Faithful, crossing the Continental Divide.
According to Wikipedia:
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas, that is, the continental divide that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from (1) those river systems that drain into the Atlantic Ocean (including those that drain into the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea), and (2) along the northernmost reaches of the Divide, those river systems that drain into the Arctic Ocean.
There were many beautiful wildflowers here.
We continued driving to Old Faithful to look at the geysers.
We stopped by there for dinner as we had dinner reservations at Old Faithful Inn. The food at Old Faithful was of much better quality than that of all other restaurants at Yellowstone. However, it was still mediocre overall.
After dinner, we explored the geysers a bit more.
The sun started to set, and it began getting dark.
Once it got dark, we drove back to Grant Village Lodge for our last night in Yellowstone.
We saw some beautiful sunsets over Lewis Lake.
Alex was very tired and fell asleep immediately after we returned to our Grant Village room.
"Rainy," the Moose helped him sleep.
August 9, 2013
Today, we decided to have breakfast in Grand Teton National Park, so we drove early.
We stopped by Lewis Falls, a picturesque spot, to take photos.
According to Wikipedia:
The Lewis Falls are located on the Lewis River in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States.[2] The falls drop approximately 30 feet (9.1 m) and are easily seen from the road, halfway between the south entrance to the park and Grant Village.[3] The falls are on the Lewis River, just south of Lewis Lake.[2]
After Lewis Falls, it was a short drive to Grand Teton National Park, where the rest of our journey continued.
Overall, we had a fantastic time in Yellowstone, exploring the multiple geysers, hiking on trails, and observing wild animals, including bison, Elk, and wolves. Alex enjoyed rock climbing the Hoodoos, and we all enjoyed motorboating on Yellowstone Lake.
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