June 24 2018 Yellowstone

Sunday, June 24

 36 degrees at 5:30 when we rise and head towards Yellowstone.  Absolutely gorgeous light.

We see a few deer as we head southwest in thick forest.

 Temperature drops to 32 as we enter the park about 6:10 and there are already several cars at the pullouts in Lamar Valley.  This is the area of the park where you are most likely to see wolves and we think many folks with binoculars and big lenses are there for that.   We pass by most of them, but stop a few times to admire the herds of bison.  Just amazing in the beautiful valley.  The river is high and wide most places.  There are some antelope grazing near the bison too.

Deer and antelope will dash across roads or avoid them altogether.  Bison OWN the roads and meander at will.

This one was near the road and gave me the stinkeye.  The herds here are carefully monitored and numbers are kept under control so that the available land can support the numbers.  Excess are culled and sold.

We turn south and almost immediately come upon this hungry black bear munching away.

 Up and over a high pass where there are traces of snow again, then a few lakes with many geese and this beautiful swan.

  

We drop into Hayden Valley and begin to see hints of thermal activity here and there.

 Then we reach huge and beautiful Yellowstone Lake.

There are a number of elk grazing in grassy areas near the lake.

 We are basically making a large oval drive and near the bottom of the oval we begin to see more steaming fumaroles or hot pots. As we begin driving north again we are in the thermal geyser/hot pot/paint pot/ active area of the park.  We decide to skip Old Faithful since things are getting crowded and we have seen it a few times before. The newest active feature is Steamboat and the parking area here is also overwhelmed.

 Instead we stop at Biscuit Basin and walk through fields of thermal features:  Black Opal Spring,   Jewel Geyser,  Shell Spring,  sputtering Avoca Spring and more.  Pretty amazing when you think what is beneath what we are seeing!

 This area had a 7.5 earthquake in 1959, during which Black Opal Spring spouted like a geyser.  It is now a calm but steamy pool.

 The water is amazingly blue in some pools - almost the color of a painted swimming pool - with exceptional clarity when the steam stops.  Depending on the winds, we walk through some steamy areas.

 Here is Jewel Geyser.

 Avoca Spring is a real boiling hotpot.

It is noon now and the parking areas are mostly full, with people parking along roadsides and anywhere they can squeeze in.  We take a few small roads through other thermal areas and go by Firehole Falls which we remember seeing  in January when it looked quite different! Note the heron fishing at the bottom of the Falls!  

Lots of fisherman along the Firehole river. 

 I don't know how we've missed the Mammoth Hot Springs formations on previous trips, but we manage to find a parking place there today. It is an otherworldly place!

The terraces are steamy and beautiful and we hike the long boardwalk to Canary Springs.  The chemicals, heat and elements create travertine in lovely falls and ledges and other formations.  There is a small amount of active water continuing to build and carve the fantastic landscape.

 From here we go into the nearby town of Mammoth Springs where a herd of elk lazes and grazes near the visitor's center and post office.  Signs in various spots warn you not to approach the elk but Greg watches as these folks inch closer and closer till the elk snaps and nips at the lady.  She moves quickly and a ranger comes over to read her and anyone nearby the riot act.

Greg read that the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel offers showers for campers for $4, so we take advantage of it.  Nice long hot shower....ahhhh.   From here we go to the visitor's center where we can get wi-fi but still no phone service.  A sign there indicates that Mammoth Campground is not full, so we drive the 1/2 mile or so there and get a campsite for the night.  Then we go back into town for a bit.

Spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight and suddenly Greg tells me to look out the side widow.  An elk is casually grazing his way through the campground only a few feet away from us.

 Both of us are fairly exhausted today, so this was a good place to stop.  Greg figures that he drove almost 250 miles today, all within Yellowstone Park!