USA NORTHWEST 2014
~YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK~

Photos © R.Leeuw

We started out in Portland,OR and drove via Seattle,WA - Coeur d'Alene,ID - Missoula,MT to Yellowstone Nat'l Park.
It was to be one of the definite highlights, as we had the weather cooperating beyond belief and saw plenty of wildlife.

The scars of the huge wildfires are evident, but also how the fires allow nature to rejuvenate with new growth.
If you want to read a gripping book about wildfires, I suggest you get a copy of 'Jumping Fires' by Murry A.
Taylor: the life of a smoke jumper.
The fires here in the park in 1988 made headlines: en.wikipedia.org - Yellowstone_fires_of_1988

Nice formation in the cold, clear sky I thought.

The cold, clear days made the geysers very noticable; veritably a unique landscape here.

Ada made this nice close up: boiling hot!

This black crow was not impressed by me; it probably knew I could not approach it over the thin crust of earth here.

An eerie landscape

I was not looking for my dreams to interpret my life, but rather for my life to interpret my dreams.
- Susan Sontag

A study that was completed in 2011 found that at least 1.283 geysers have erupted in Yellowstone. Of these,
an average of 465 are active in a given year. Yellowstone contains at least 10.000 geothermal features
altogether. Half the geothermal features and two-thirds of the world's geysers are concentrated in Yellowstone.

The morning frost had not yet disappeared from the grass, although we are far from early risers!

This bison allows itself some quality time, resting in the sun.

The park draws an international crowd of visitors. The numbers are staggering: I later learned that the 2015 numbers
went over 4 million visitors to this park! Grand Teton Nat'l Park counted 3 million. Such a popularity creates its own problems.
Since we visited so late in the season (which also has its drawbacks), we did not encounter so many people, fortunately.

When compiling these pages I was reading a biography of famous explorer and mountain man, Daniel Boone (written
by Robert Morgan) and while I knew of his pathfinding exploits in Pennsylvania & Kentucky, I was surprised to learn
that Boone actually made it this far, in 1810! While he was hunter & trapper, he was also a visitor. We are in his footsteps!

The immediate area to the geyser activity can be either (or both) grey or very colourful.

It is a world filled with gurgling water noises and a smell of sulphur.

Better not step too close!

Endless fascination.

What painter could come up with this?! (Photo by Ada)

A world of fire and water

One travels here from woods to mountainous to desolate, desert-like scenery.

This Bison got so close to the road, that even with her compact camera Ada was able to get this wonderful shot.

Addressing an itch, I suppose; and it has been here before.

We drove to Mammoth Hot Springs, north in the park. Distances are considerable here.

We had to take road works in account. Beyond Old Faithful, the road south was blocked and
those roadworks delayed us on our drive north (and while returning, heading south, to West Yellowstone).

Unique except for similar activity in Turkey, but I have yet to go there.

The first time I visited Yellowstone NP was in 1986 and it was as impressive as I remembered it!

Beauty kills here..

You don't want that in the back of your garden.. Below image explains it all.

A coyote goes almost undetected in the high grass. I was really pleased with my new Tamron 150-600 telezoom lens.

A visitor at the Emerald Spring studies the sign depicted below.

Steamboat Geyser, it burbled quite violently but never to the height shown on the sign below.
We waited only a few minutes of course. The noise of the boiling water is quite impressive, a noise from inner earth.

That is not a flashlight you see on my camera, but a gps thingie; unfortunatley I often forgot to attach the gadget.

Heading for the exit and Cody, we had time to explore the area around Canyon Village.
This was en route, driving east, towards Canyon Village. All services for gas and groceries
were closed, though the Village did have a store with souvenirs and had some wrapped sandwiches for sale.

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Grand it is, with a 'golden' shine to it.
That colour there explains the name, 'yellow stone'. Although trappers and prospectors who visited
the Yellowstone region had knowledge of the canyon, the first significant descriptions were publicized
after the Cook–Folsom–Peterson Expedition of 1869 and the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition of 1870.

We visited several of these viewpoints, but time did not permit us to hike any great distances.
You may like to check this link: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Online Tour

Besides in 1986, we also visited Yellowstone NP in 1994. I went down that trail then, but
I did not have the heart to do that again for the climb up again!

We came across Antoine, a lone cyclist on a great tour and adventure. He left Montreal months ago, was heading south
and intended to cross into Mexico and continue into Latin America as much as he could, health & equipment permitting.
I have much admiration for this man, if you see him wish him well.

Today the canyon is still being eroded by the Yellowstone River, as much
as it did many centuries aga.

Oh, let's have one more... Ada 'saw' this shot and pointed
it out to me as the battery of her camera had gone flat.

The colours are quite astounding!

Driving towards the exit of the park, we came across this large bison herd.

Glad I had the car between us, I can tell you..

We left Yellowstone Nat'l Park impressed with what we'd seen and with hopes to return one day again.
We started the day with temperatures around 3 C, ice on puddles, and ended the day, in Cody, with 22 C.
Only weeks later the weather turned here and snow fell ! For all that, any day in October can bring snow.
We've been fortunate.

USA NORTHWEST 2014
THE START: OREGON & WASHINGTON
PORTLAND, OR
WHALEWATCHING FROM ANACORTES
PAGE TWO: IDAHO & MONTANA
NATIONAL BISON RANGE
PAGE THREE: WYOMING
YELLOWSTONE NAT'L PARK
JACKSON,WY
PAGE FOUR: IDAHO
CRATERS OF THE MOON
THE END: OREGON

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INDEX TO MY TRAVEL PAGES

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