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National Parks Road Trip & Alaska Sea/Land Cruise - April-June 2015
Yellowstone National Park

Day 1 - Mammoth Hot Springs
    Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris Geyser Basin
    Norris Geyser Basin to Old Faithful
    Return Trip Leaving the Park
Day 2 - Undine Falls, Wraith Falls, & The Petrified Tree
    Grand Canyon Of Yellowstone
    Return Trip Leaving the Park

Day 1
Mammoth Hot Springs
When entering Yellowstone National Park through the north entrance we passed under the Roosevelt Arch, past the sign announcing that this is the Yellowstone National Park then through the gate where we presented our pass. It did not take long to get our first sighting of wildlife, we went only 100 feet or so and saw a pronghorn. Our first stop was going to be Mammoth Hot Springs, as we passed through the village built up near the hot springs we saw some elk grazing in a park like median strip.

Mammoth Hot Springs terraces are an amazing combination of colorful ledges and steaming springs and pools of hot water. Dormant hot springs result in rock formations referred to as cones, two large cones, Liberty Cap & Devil's Thumb, are at the lower terraces. We visited the Lower, Minerva, and Cleopatra terraces. There were several places along the terraces where we saw springs, but since the water runs over the rocks not in small gullies it is difficult to get a picture that shows them well. (Pictures)
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Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris Geyser Basin
Driving the road between Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris Geyser Basin making some stops along the way, we saw a lot of beautiful scenery and much wildlife. We drove along a section of road that appeared to just be hanging from the side of a steep cliff. When we got to the other side we stopped and read a sign describing what we had just driven on.

BRIDGING THE GOLDEN GATE
To reach Yellowstone Plateau from Mammoth Hot Springs, the Corps of Engineers in 1885 built a wooden trestle along the sheer wall of the "Golden Gate" (named for the light-colored volcanic rock). The alternative was the direct route through Snow Pass, scene of many carriage breakdowns. " So steep is the climb that if the tail board of a wagon falls out...the whole load is promptly dumped out in the road."
The route through Golden Gate saved half-day's travel up the plateau. Since 1900 two different concrete trestles have replaced the rickety wooden structure.

Our next stop was "Sheepeater Cliff" which was named for the Shoshone indians who because of there use of bighorn sheep were called "Tukadika" or "Sheepeaters". After leaving Sheepeater Cliff we were driving along enjoying the scenery when Dale suddenly said, "OHH, STOP! GO BACK!". Ernie backed up a little and there just off the side of the road was a buffalo (we know the proper name is American Bison, but we prefer buffalo). He was standing so still that Dale asked if they would put a stuffed buffalo out there, Ernie was about to reply that he doubted that when Dale said "IT'S REAL!". The buffalo had started to urinate, after he finished he slowly turned his head to look directly at us. This would be the first of many buffalo we would see at Yellowstone. When we started to drive away he slowly walked beside us until we were going faster then him. We went a little further up the road and saw another buffalo grazing in the grass, just ahead of where he was there was another one crossing the road.

We stopped at the Norris Geyser Basin. Steam vents (fumaroles) in Norris Geyser Basin are the hottest geothermal features at Yellowstone, some have reached 280°F (138°C). No individual geyser in Norris Geyser Basin is predictable like Old Faithful, but you can be sure that there will constantly be geysers erupting around the basin. There were two named features in Norris Geyser Basin: Colloidal Pool and Whirligig Geyser, we have not been able to find an explanation of why they are named as such. Whirligig Geyser did not erupt while we were there. People keep asking us for the highlight of this trip, we tell them it is impossible to pick one. As far as day one at Yellowstone is concerned, Ernie is torn between Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris Geyser Basin as the highlight of the day, leaning toward Norris Geyser Basin.

A very short distance from Norris Geyser Basin, and possibly technically part of the basin, is Steamboat Geyser. They can predict when Old Faithful will erupt within 10 minutes give or take, Steamboat Geyser has been known to have a major eruption any time from 4 weeks apart to 50 years apart. When Steamboat Geyser has a major eruption it is more than 3 times the height of Old Faithful and is the highest known eruption in the world. A major eruption of Old Faithful is about 110 feet, major eruptions of Steamboat Geyser have exceeded 300 feet. We were not there for a major eruption, but there was an impressive minor eruption while we were there. The last major eruption of Steamboat Geyser was September 3, 2014. (Pictures)
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Norris Geyser Basin to Old Faithful
Upon leaving Norris Geyser Basin we saw more buffalo including a small herd of about a dozen or so. They were so spread out across the grassland where they were grazing Dale was only able to get 8 or 9 in a picture at once. We then saw another area of geysers and hot pools that could be seen from the road, this may or may not have been Monument Geyser Basin. We did not stop for this area deciding to continue onto Artists Paintpot instead. Artists Paintpot is an area of boiling water pools, and boiling mud pools. We walked around this area then came to a long steep climb of stairs and ramps, Dale decided to stay at the bottom of this area. Ernie took the camera to the top where the boiling mud pools were. When Ernie returned to the where Dale was waiting she told him that the boiling water pool she was waiting near had been boiling so strongly that she backed up a little fearing if it got any stronger it might splash on her. When Ernie got there it was boiling hard, but not like it had been earlier. When we left Artists Paintpot we saw a larger herd of buffalo grazing, this time they were so close to the road we had to take several pictures to get them all.

A short ways passed the buffalo we saw steam vents with heavy steam coming from them just off the side of the road. We drove by Upper Geyser Basin, which was awesome from where we viewed it, since we did not feel the need to get any closer we stopped along the road to take pictures. Technically Old Faithful is in Upper Geyser Basin, but it is hard to tell since there is a visitor center, large parking lots, lodges, restaurants, and stores built up around it. We read on different sites on the internet, including some associated with the National Park Service, that Old Faithful is considered the must see site at Yellowstone, but that it is one of the least interesting sites. The ranger we spoke with at Steamboat Geyser told us pretty much the same thing, go to Old Faithful, take pictures, then go see the interesting things. We discovered the most interesting thing about Old Faithful is they can usually predict its next eruption within 10 minutes of when it occurs. It was raining so we decided to watch an eruption of Old Faithful from inside the visitor center which worked out really well. Since almost everyone wanted to be as close as possible they were outside and we were able to get right up to one of the windows for a perfect view. It started raining much harder so many people came into the visitor center, but we already had a great spot. Old Faithful steams constantly and erupts about every 90 minutes. The eruption lasts a few minutes then it starts to steam again. After seeing the eruption and getting pictures, we ran through the rain across the plaza of the visitor center then the road to the cafeteria. At the cafeteria we had a very good meal at a very reasonable price considering this is a major tourist attraction. As usual we said a prayer before eating, we think people at a table near us heard us as they stopped us as we were leaving and we had a very pleasant conversation including them telling us they are Christians. (Pictures)
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Return Trip Leaving The Park
As we retraced the route we had taken to Old Faithful, we had a leisurely drive enjoying the scenery, especially the rivers we passed while we were driving. Of course we saw more buffalo, one of which was walking down the middle of the other lane of the road. We stopped at Gibbon falls. Most of the way out of the park we saw ominous looking clouds, but it did not rain really hard where we were. We saw a half dozen or so elk grazing on a hillside. We stopped to get some pictures of some cliffs and interesting rock formations. As we left the park, we were already anticipating our visit to another section of the park the next day. (Pictures)
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Day 2
The next morning, was Sunday, we found a church on the way to the park where we attended service. We entered the park the same way as on day one, but when we arrived at the village near Mammoth Hot Springs we turned onto the opposite side of the loop from what we had done the day before. In the village we once again saw elk, this time there were dozens of them grazing all around the village in small groups. We saw many elk and buffalo as we traveled the park, because she had taken so many pictures the previous day, Dale decided to mostly take pictures of animals we had not seen much of on day 1.

Undine Falls, Wraith Falls, & The Petrified Tree
Our first stop was at Undine Falls. It is just a short walk from where we parked to a great viewing location for Undine Falls. Undine falls is on Lava Creek. We continued on to Wraith Falls where it is a half mile walk to the viewing location. When we reached the viewing location there was a couple there that offered to take our picture in front of the falls. The falls are on Lupine Creek. On the trail to the falls there is a bridge that crosses Lupine Creek. As we returned down the trail to the car we encountered a Unita ground squirrel, which struck poses for Dale's picture taking.

Our next stop was the Petrified Tree. On the way there we saw some pronghorn and a male mule deer. At one point we came to a complete standstill in the traffic with cars pulling to the side and people walking down the street, we were told that there was a black bear farther down the road. By the time we drove to there the bear was gone, but people were still stopping and getting their cameras ready. When we arrived at the Petrified Tree there were so many cars we had to pull over well before we got there. We walked down a little ways and found everyone looking into a meadow below the right side of the road and several people walking around on the far side of the meadow. We were trying to figure out where this tree was when we realized everyone was watching a black bear browsing in the meadow directly in front of us. After watching him for a while Ernie started to wonder where the Petrified Tree was and started looking around. It was up on a little hill directly behind us on the other side of the road. We would have had to walk to the end of the road then back up a trail to the tree then make the return trip. We could see the tree really well from where we were, so Dale took a picture of the tree from there. Unlike at the Petrified Forest, where all the trees are laying on the ground, this tree and several others at Yellowstone are standing. As far as we could determine this is the only petrified tree at Yellowstone that is easily accessible. (Pictures)
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Grand Canyon Of Yellowstone
The day we arrived at the motel we were given a map of the park, before looking at this map we did not know there is a Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We have seen and rafted the through the Grand Canyon in Arizona and biked through the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, each of these grand canyons are spectacular in their own way. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is not an exception, the scenery is breath-taking and the waterfalls are spectacular and powerful. The rest of the route we were following goes along the Grand Canyon with turnoffs onto North & South Rim roads that lead to awesome views of the canyon.

The canyon is approximately 24 miles long, between 800 and 1,200 ft. deep and from .25 to .75 mi wide. What everyone knows as "The Grand Canyon" in Arizona is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and attains a depth of over a mile. So unlike "The Grand Canyon" which is awesome because of its magnitude, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is awesome in its beauty. You can clearly see the colors and rock formations on the other side of the canyon as well as on the side you are at and the Yellowstone River running through it.

Shortly after leaving the Petrified Tree area we stopped at an overlook where we got our first look at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and we were instantly awed by the view. A short ways further along we stopped to view Tower Fall which is on Tower Creek and has a vertical drop of 132 ft. We stopped for lunch at Canyon Village.

After lunch we went to North Rim Drive. At stops along North Rim Drive we had wonderful views of the canyon and the Lower Yellowstone Falls. After flowing over the falls the Yellowstone River enters the beginning, south end, of the grand canyon. The Upper Falls are 109 ft. high. The Lower Falls are 308 ft. high, nearly twice as high as Niagara Falls, and is the largest volume waterfall in the Rocky Mountains. The trail to the brink of Lower Falls was closed part way along it, so we were not able to go all the way to the brink.

Returning to the main road from North Rim Drive we stopped at the brink of the Upper Falls. We were able to go all the way to the brink of the falls. We traveled along to South Rim Drive where we had more great views of the canyon and the Upper Falls. From Artist Point at the end of South Rim Drive we had a great view of the Lower Falls. (Pictures)
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Return Trip Leaving The Park
Content that we had seen so much of God's great creation in the last couple of days we started back. We were relaxing and enjoying the scenery for about ½ hour when we saw cars heading in the other direction that were stopped because two buffalo were in the road with others just off the road. After we stopped to wait for them to leave the road the ones in the road began walking toward us, one of them was walking along the center line of the road. As he got close to the car Dale became nervous that he would walk into it so she stopped taking pictures. When he got within a few feet of the car he moved slightly to his right (to avoid the big shiny rock in his way) and walked past the car within inches of the side of it. After he passed, the street was clear and we continued on our way. A short ways further along, we saw an osprey soaring above us. There were some ominous looking clouds, but we did not get any significant rain and it was nice and sunny by the time we got back to the motel. (Pictures)
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Last updated:   jul 13 2015