GoodBye to Yellowstone

On our last day off we travelled about 30 miles northeast to the Museum of the Park Ranger and the Norris Geyser Basin. The museum is a converted army barracks where soldiers stayed from 1886 to 1916 when they were in charge of the security of the park. In 1916 the National Park Service began, and the first park rangers took over the administration of the park.

Inside were rooms showing how the army men lived, and army and ranger uniforms were on display. In addition to a film, the ranger on duty was very informative.

The Norris Basin, named for the park's second superintendent, had boardwalks all around so we could walk and see the various geysers and pools. One geyser erupted continuously while we were there.

There were also many colorful pools.

 

 

Some of the rock around was a very bright green color which somes from the minerals and bacteria. The rainbow of colors that we saw were impressive.

LIFE AT YELLOWSTONE

We finished our last shift last night and feel kind of sad to leave all the friendly coworkers, supervisors, and other employees. The retirees with whom we worked ranged in age from the 50's to the 70's and came from a variety of jobs during their careers. There were couples and single men and women. The young folks from other countries, mainly Taiwan, were energetic and fun to be around. One evening one of the couples in the campground hosted a campfire where we made smores and mountain pies. It was the first time many of the Taiwan kids tasted them.

This past week we celebrated Christmas on August 25 following a tradition that started long ago in the park. On Christmas eve we had a program where some of the employees performed skits and sang and danced. This is part of the group of internationals who sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

After the program we went to the edr (employee dining room) to feast on homemade Christmas cookies, egg nog and other treats.

The next day we had a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings including homemade rolls and pumpkin pie. What a feast! Later in the evening we joined some friends at the Old Faithful Inn where Santa visited with the guests and they served hot apple cider and cookies. It was a beautiful setting and an enjoyable evening. Here's a picture from the second floor balcony. The chimney behind us goes up to the third floor and had fires blazing in all four fireplaces around it on the ground floor.

Here's a picture of part of the inside of the General Store where we worked.

Business has dropped off tremendously. About twenty of us are leaving now and another thirty or so follow next week. That leaves a skeleton crew to close the store down on October 15. So it's time to hook up the car and hit the road. We will treasure the memories that we made here at Yellowstone. We are leaving in the morning and making our way through Idaho to the Oregon coast. We hear how beautiful it is and want to see for ourselves.

More Yellowstone beauty/Visit to West Yellowstone

One evening we took the Geyser Discovery Stroll with a Ranger around the Upper Geyser Basin which is near Old Faithful.  She was very interesting and informative. We learned lots about the geology of geysers including the fact that there are more geysers at Yellowstone than all around the world combined. We were fortunate to get to Grand Geyser, the world's tallest predictable geyser, just as it was about to go off which is about every 6 to 7 hours. It gave quite a show lasting for about 15 minutes and shooting to a height of 200 feet. It stopped and restarted three times much to the delight of the crowd. It reminded us of people watching fireworks with all the "ooohs" and "aaahs". We both decided that is is our favorite geyser of all the ones that we have seen. Notice how far it is above the trees.

We walked past many other geysers, pools, and hot springs, and the Ranger told us about many of them and how they interact. The last stop was Morning Glory hot springs named from the morning glory flower. Back in the day (1800's) it was a beautiful blue color, but unfortunately it was vandalized in the 1950's when visitors took pieces of it for souvenirs and used it as a wishing well. Although it has been cleaned out it has not recovered its original beauty.

Last weekend we decided to explore the Midway Geyser Basin, about ten miles north of us, and hike to Fairy Falls. The Grand Prismatic Spring, a 250 by 350 foot hot spring, is the main attraction there. It is the largest hot spring in the park and the third largest in the world. When we walked up to it on the boardwalk it was so steamy that it was hard to see the beautiful colors. But when we began our hike to Fairy Falls there was a hillside that we climbed to get a picture from above. It was a pretty rugged to climb so we didn't go to the top. I remembered the saying "what goes up must come down." We had out walking sticks for balance but it was still hard to maneuver. This picture doesn't show the brilliant blue that we saw. Those little spots on the other side are people on the boardwalk.

The hike to Fairy Falls was about five miles round trip. It was mostly flat with shady areas of lodgepole pines contrasting with open areas with flowers that we had not seen before. Fairy Falls is a delicate, 197 foot waterfall named for its graceful beauty. We enjoyed a picnic lunch while watching and listening to it.

 

 

 

I was quite exhausted by the time we finished, but recovered after resting a bit. It was well worth the effort.

 

On another day off we decided to visit West Yellowstone, MT which is a small tourist town about 30 miles away with a population of around 1500 just west of the west gate into Yellowstone. We have been repeatedly reminded by Larry that it quite often is the coldest spot in the nation. Fortunately when we visited it the temperature was in the mid 70's and it was sunny. In addition to the visitor center, hotels, gift shops, and restaurants there are several interesting attractions. The ones we chose to see were the IMAX theater and Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center. At the IMAX theater we viewed "Yellowstone" which was a movie depicting the many facets of the park including the history, geology, wildlife and plant life. It brought the park to life on the BIG screen.

 

We then proceeded to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center. We arrived just in time to view the wolf feeding and hear an explanation of the four wolves that we were watching. This is McKinley who is the Alpha male of the pack.

 



 

And this is Leopold, McKinley's brother, who is the third ranking or Omega male on the pack. 

 

 

They paced around and shortly after they were fed they curled up and relaxed in the grass. It was fascinating watching them. Since we haven't seen a wolf in the park we were happy to see some even though they were in captivity.

 

After walking through the naturalist cabin and eagle aviary we stopped at the bear habitat where two bears, Grant and Roosevelt, were tromping around and playing with each other. They were brought to the park last fall when their mother was euthanized out of concerns for public safety. They were born in 2011 and weigh about 250 pounds. There were ravens all around them, and at one point one of the bears took off after one of them. It was funny to watch their antics. 

 

 

Before we left we watched a movie, "Living in Bear Country," which showed bears in the wilderness and the need to keep a safe distance away from them.

 

Since we still had time we decided to go back to the IMAX theater and see "Lewis and Clark" which was a story of their journey west and all the hardships that they encountered. It was amazing that only one person died on that trip. It makes me want to read and learn more about the Lewis and Clark trail. When we left the theater we noticed a snow coach beside the building. We had heard about tourists who come in winter when the roads are closed and are taken into the park on them. It looks like a fun way to travel in the snow but we won't be here to try it.

 

 

On our way back to Old Faithful we took a two mile road called Firehole Canyon Drive which is parallel to the main road but follows along the Firehole River. This is the area that is open to swimmers during August. The water is warm enough because the hot water from the springs and geysers flows into it. We saw swimmers enjoying it but didn't stop and go down to feel how warm it was. We did stop to see Firehole Falls, a 40 foot falls that was not spectacular but pretty in its own small way.

 

 

We worked four days this week, have three days off, work three days next week, and then we are finished for the season. We're beginning to get the RV ready for the trip and planning to visit a few places that we still want to see. Time has flown by so quickly, and we are somewhat sad that it is coming to an end.

Hike to Riddle Lake/Drive over Beartooth Highway

Two weekends have passed since I last wrote, and I feel like I am late turning in an assignment. Too many things are happening, and I didn't get to it. So I'll write about the weekend of August 11-13 now and catch up on this past weekend as soon as possible.

On Saturday we joined friends on a hike to Riddle Lake which was about five miles round trip. It was a mostly flat walk through meadows and woods on a delightfully sunny day. The only animal we encountered on the path was a mule deer who watched us as we watched him. After a few minutes he got bored and went into the woods.

Since inquiring minds want to know, we bought a book titled Yellowstone Place Names which explains where different places in the park got their names. Riddle Lake was originally named Lake Biddle on the Lewis & Clark map. A later map marked it as Lake Riddle and that name stuck. Here is our first view of it.

There were lily pads along one side and two swans made their way through them while we were there. It was very peaceful, quiet, and enjoyable. After we hiked back out to the car we had a picnic lunch and made our way to Moose Waterfall, named with the philosophy that natural features should be named for local fauna. While we were there several people decided to jump in and swim around the falls. It was fun to watch but much too cold for us. You can see one man in the corner of this photo.

Since we had a three day weekend, on Sunday we decided to venture into Montana by way of the Beartooth Highway and stay overnight at Red Lodge, MT. Charles Kuralt, On the Road television correspondent referred to it as "the most beautiful drive in America." From the northeast entrance of Yellowstone to Red Lodge is 68 miles of amazingly beautiful scenery. The road goes up over a mile with switchbacks all along the way. There are lookout points all along, and we stopped at many of them. The highest point is 10,947 ft. Here's a view from that point.

This spot is called Bear's Tooth is where the road got its name. Neither one of us could recognize the  tooth. It may be that one mountain peek in the middle. There was still snow on some of the mountains.

We took so many pictures, and it's hard to decide which ones to include. The pictures just don't do justice to the breathtaking scenery.

This view is from a lookout at 9,000 ft.

The drive took several hours because we took our time. We arrived at Red Lodge, check in at the Inn, had dinner, and walked around town. There were lots of gift shops and saloons. It seems very popular with motorcycle riders who take the highway on their way to Yellowstone.

The next morning we intended to stop in at the Red Lodge Museum but it didn't open until 10 a.m. and we were ready to leave before that. So we took another scenic route west and then south to Cody, WY. We got there in time to take the Trolley ride around town. Although we had been to Cody several times before, we learned lots about the history of the town and saw homes of many of the famous residents. The tour guide brought Buffalo Bill Cody and Annie Oakley to life by explaining how life was back in their days. It was an interesting tour in a fun cowboy town.

One of the suggestions of the tour guide was to stop at the Wild Sheep Museum. Since we had a little extra time we went in to explore. It was small but very well done. We learned lots about sheep and saw a film describing them and their habitat. It was time well spent. We hope to see one in the park.

All in all it was a great way to spend my birthday weekend.

Since we have less than two weeks left we are starting to feel the time crunch. There are still lots that we want to see and do, and we are chipping away at the list. The store is getting less crowded probably because school will soon be starting for many. Instead of the "geyser rush" sometimes it's only a "geyser trickle." The temperature has dropped into the 30's a couple of nights, but it is still getting up to the middle or high 70's. We are planning our trip to Oregon for after we leave Yellowstone.

Hiking and biking in Yellowstone

We decided to stay in the park last weekend and explore the area around Yellowstone Lake on Saturday. The lake is the largest in the country above 7,000 feet. We visited the Lake Yellowstone Hotel which is the oldest building in the park built in 1891 and saw pictures and read descriptions of life back then. After checking out the visitor center we had a picnic by the lake. It was peaceful and serene.

On the advice from friends we took an hour boat ride which was narrated by a park ranger. It gave us an appreciation of the size of the lake and more history of the park.

After the boat ride we drove to a parking area and took a two mile hike to the lake at Storm Point. It started out at Indian Pond which was formed as a result of a hydrothermal blowout.

The trail was mostly flat and wove through meadows and woods until we reached the lake. We made noise as we went along and Dan carried bear spray. We didn't want to startle any bears in the area. Fortunately we only saw some tiny squirrels, butterflies, and grasshoppers. When we reached the water there were rocks all around which we assumed was Storm Point. I haven't found out the story behind the name.

The trail followed the water for a while then turned back through the woods filled with lodge pole pine, the most common tree in the park. It was delightful walking through it.

Then the trail opened back up into meadows and looped around to the starting point. There was an abundance of beautiful wild flowers along the way that made the hike very enjoyable and not as strenuous as others that we have taken.

On Sunday we took a bike ride to see the Lone Star Geyser. The bike/hike trail is about two miles from Old Faithful and goes about three miles from the road to the geyser following a river at some points. Lone Star erupts about every three hours and lasts for about fifteen minutes. While we were waiting we chatted with some folks who work at another General Store in the park near the northern entrance. We ended up waiting over an hour, but it was well worth it. The eruption was very forceful and continuous. It delighted the group of about thirty people including several families who walked or biked out to see it.

On the way back to Old Faithful we stopped at Kepler Cascades which is a small falls where the river flows over a hillside and continues on its way. It's another example of the beauty that pops up all over this park.

We are still liking our jobs, the friends, the food, and the fun. The store is still very busy especially after Old Faithful erupts. This weekend we are going hiking with friends on Saturday and driving the Bear Tooth highway to Red Lodge, MT on Sunday. More to come......

Exploring Idaho

Since we had a three day weekend we decided to go west to Idaho and see some of the sights that our co-workers told us about. On the way out of the park we drove a short loop off the main road called Firehole Lake Drive. All along this drive we saw geysers and hot spots. Here is the Great Fountain Geyser. It did not erupt when we were there.

This is White Dome Geyser. It also just had steam coming up from it.

Steady Geyser is just as its name suggests. It continuously erupts in a steady flow.

Firehole Lake is a beautiful steaming lake.  We are continuously amazed at the geyser basins and the variety of geysers and hot springs in each area.

We continued our trip out of Yellowstone Park, through West Yellowstone, MT, and into Idaho. We drove along the Mesa Falls scenic byway to Mesa Falls. We were able to go down stairs to a viewing platform where we could see the Upper Falls (114 ft) from just a few feet away. The sound and smell of the water rushing down was delightful.

 From all the moisture the hillside across from the falls was covered in moss. We enjoyed the spectacular views in the cool forest setting.

The lower falls, about a mile away, was smaller (65 ft), and we could not get as close to it. The Civilian Conservation Corp built the Grandview overlook in the 1930's which gave us this view. It was also a peaceful area.

We continued on our way southwest through the towns of Rexburg, Idaho Falls, Blackfoot, to our destination, the city of Pocatello. We chose this city because it was central to what we wanted to see and we could use our Choice Privileges points at a very nice Clarion Inn. All along the way we saw acres and acres and acres and acres of potato fields.

They have an interesting way of stacking their hay in Idaho. We saw many areas looking like this.

We enjoyed our stay at the Clarion Inn where they had an indoor pool and hot tub. Since we do not hav tv reception at Yellowstone we were delighted to catch up on the news and watch a good movie.       

On Sunday we traveled northwest to Craters of the Moon National Monument. About 15,000 years ago lava well up from long fissures in the Snake River, called the "Great Rift", to produce a vast ocean of rock. This 750,000 acre area has been preserved for viewing and exploring. At the visitor center we saw a film describing the early exploration of the area and heard a ranger explain the different kinds of rocks that we would see. Notice all the sagebrush around the area.

After checking out the exhibits at the visitor center we drove along the seven mile loop which took us through the various volcanic features of the park. It was very interesting to see so many different types of volcanic rock.

We hiked one of the trails which took us up close and personal to the lava beds.

It was amazing to see the blue and orange colors of some of the rocks.

There were hillsides covered in small white dwarf buckwheat flowers. We couldn't believe how they could grow our of the lava.

In another area there were hillsides with smooth textures rock.

There was a cave area at one of the stops where lave tubes could be seen. We were too late to meet up with the ranger who took a group into one of them, and we decided not to explore on our own. We were glad that we took the opportunity to visit this area of the state. It's like nothing we have ever seen before.

On our way back we stopped at EBR (Experimental Breeder Reactor) Atomic Museum which is located out in the middle of nowhere. In 1951 it became the first power plant in the world to produce usable electricity using atomic energy. A young man gave us a guided tour explaining each area and answering questions. It was very informative and interesting.

The next morning on our way back we stopped at the Idaho Potato Museum in Blackfoot, ID, the potato capital of the world. Since we had previously passed all the potato fields we thought it would be a good idea to learn about the lowly potato, Anything and everything you ever wanted to know about potatoes (or didn't want to know) was here. We saw how they originally planted and dug the potatoes by hand to the modern day machine processes. Of course there was a great big potato out front.

We saw the largest pringle ever made, and we even learned how the nickname "SPUD" came about.

We don't know why but our last name was painted on a John Deere potato cutter.

After our visit to the museum we took a different route back through more scenic areas of Idaho. We drove to Idaho Falls and followed the Snake River for a while to the Teton Scenic Byway which took us to Victor, ID. We then crossed the Teton Pass through the mountains to Jackson, WY and north through the Grand Teton National Park to Yellowstone.

Pictures just do not capture the beauty that we saw all along the drive. Dan estimates we drove between 500 and 600 miles over the weekend. We feel blessed to be able to see this amazing area of the country.