Yellowstone

We ate breakfast at our hotel on Monday (self-service waffles for me, possibly-powdered eggs for Kathy) and were on the road to Yellowstone by 7:00 am. Instead of going down Highway 191 through Big Sky, which is the fastest route, we drove east on Interstate 90 to Livingston, where A River Runs Through It was filmed, and then went south to enter the park at Gardiner, Montana under overcast skies.

The North entrance to Yellowstone Park is marked by Teddy Roosevelt's arch. From the arch we drove down past the Boiling River, one of only two swimmable thermal features in the park. There, a hot spring gushes into the Gardiner River, and I had my trunks, but, unfortunately, it was closed for this season. Bummer. 

In Mammoth Hot Springs we toured the visitor's center which was filled with early photographs of Yellowstone Park, as well as exhibits on the history of Fort Yellowstone, the Army installation which predated the establishment of the National Park. There were also some cool animal exhibits.

In Mammoth Hot Springs we walked the trail to the Lower Terrace, where the carbon dioxide combined with calcium forms colorful travertine terraces covering the entire mountainside. After walking up the trail to the lower terrace I found myself really tired. I think it's because instead of eggs for breakfast, I ate the waffles that were offered at our hotel. So, with Kathy's blessing, we skipped the longer walk to the upper terrace. 

Driving a little further towards West Yellowstone, we pulled over to this boiling pool with a steam vent that sounded like a jet taking off.

By then, we were hungry. We saw a picnic sign and found a parking place at Sheepeater Cliff, named for the original Shoshone who inhabited the area. The basalt columns reminded Kathy of the Giant's Causeway which she had visited in Ireland.

Continuing on our way, we pulled into several overlooks like Undine Falls. But, at the main park "sights", such as the Norris Geyser Basin, the parking lots were all full, with lines of cars waiting to get in. We figured we'd get an early start in the morning.

In West Yellowstone, we stayed at the Alpine Motel, a property I found in my Moon guidebook, and which isn't listed on Booking.com or Hotels.com. It's two blocks from the main entrance, and the room rate was a bargain.

We got checked in, unpacked, and then went to dinner at the Buffalo Bar. It started raining just as we got to the restaurant. Because of the heat we've seen, I didn't think we'd need our rain coats. I'm glad we had them. The town is absolutely packed with vacationers, mostly, it seems, families with children.

It rained through the night. There was some lightening on the mountains, but it wasn't close enough for thunder. In the morning, it was still cloudy, but not raining. We left the motel at 6:30 am, and were at the Old Faithful Lodge by 7:30. There was plenty of parking.

We found seats in front of the geyser, and for the next hour, about 200 or 300 other people tricked in, filling all of the benches. We tried to find out when Old Faithful would erupt online the night before, but couldn't figure out the timing. Thus, we apparently arrived just as the previous eruption finished. (Unless they turn it off for the night!)

In the afternoon, we had a reservation for an Old West Cookout at Roosevelt Stables, near the Cooke City park entrance. Normally the roads in Yellowstone are arranged in a Northern Loop and a Southern Loop. This season, however, the road between Canyon and Roosevelt Tower is closed, so we had to drive around, back through Mammoth Hot Springs. We thought that since we got such an early start, we'd be able to visit the Norris Geyser Basin, but again, the lots were full, with lines out to the entrance.

Instead, we drove straight through to Roosevelt Stables, checked in for the cookout and ate our lunch at the picnic tables, while watching the passengers board the stagecoach. Then, we headed through the Lamar Valley to the Cooke City entrance. Because of the Canyon road closure, this part of the park was much less crowded than the Southern Loop which has all of the famous sights. Our guidebook called the Lamar Valley the "little Serengeti of North America". 

Because of the heat, rutting season began a little earlier this year, and the bison travel from all over the park to the valley to meet up. There were herds of hundreds, all though the valley. We saw bison rolling on the ground, digging up the earth as they "wallowed" trying to remove the last of their heavy winter coats. We saw four or five males making moon eyes, bellowing at, and following a single female.

When the bison got near the road (or crossed it), the cars would all stop. The bison seemed oblivious. I'm glad this wasn't happening in the crowded portion of the park.

We also saw antelope, elk, and two black bears. One of them was chased away by a ranger. This is the picture Kathy got out the window of the other. (You'll have to take it on faith.)

Because of the constant wildlife delays, we barely got back to Roosevelt Stables by 4:45. The Old Western Cookout in Paradise Valley has been a Yosemite staple for several decades. For the price of a good steak dinner, you get a ride on a wagon through some beautiful countryside, as well as a running commentary on the wildlife and history of the area.

The cookout is held at the site of the first "hotel" in Yellowstone, established as a place for the mail carriers to stop on the two-day ride from Fort Yellowstone (Mammoth Hot Springs) to Cooke City. The hotel burned down in the early 1900s, but it's still a beautiful valley.

Dinner was steak (very good and as much as you want), cornbread, coleslaw, cowboy "butter" beans, corn, watermelon, cobbler, and cowboy coffee, all serenaded by live cowboy crooner, and ending with a sing-along of "happy trails", delightfully off key. (At least I was off key).

After dinner, Kathy got to visit the team of Belgian Draft horses, Red and Rusty, which pulled our wagon.

On the way back, we invited to ride in the front of the wagon. We got back to our car at 8:00 pm and back to the hotel by 10:00 pm. On the way we saw several elk browsing beside the road at sunset. Tomorrow we're going to see Yellowstone Canyon and Yellowstone Lake. We're going to start in the afternoon, since the parking lots seem emptier as it approaches sunset.