On to Yellowstone...

Wednesday morning brought clear blue skies and sunshine. Although we didn’t intend to spend time in Cody as we did the last time we were through here, we did want to photograph some of the well-known attractions. First on the list was the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. The center has grown over five times in size. The grounds are adorned with a variety of stunning statues and of course the most important one is Wild Bill. He stands sentinel outside the building. There are Native American statues, a rodeo cowboy on his horse and many others. There are also some colorful teepees.
We also don’t want to miss a few snaps of the Irma Hotel. This was Wild Bill’s favorite spot to stay and the hotel pays him homage. Across the street is the Cody Theater, where nightly you can see live shows featuring singing and comedy. On the side street is the official Rodeo Headquarters’ office. Cody reminds me in size of Traverse City, Michigan. It is a destination for some and a stopping place for others. There are nightly rodeos June through August.
We were headed to Yellowstone by 8:00 AM. The road was beautiful¸ traversing Buffalo Bill State Park. It is situated directly on the Buffalo Bill Reservoir and so it affords incredible camping sites and picnic areas. We regretted not knowing about it as we would have enjoyed a night in this park. The road between Cody and Yellowstone also cuts through the Shoshone National Forest. This was the first national forest. Do you know what park was the first national park in the world? It’s Yellowstone, dedicated in 1872 by Ulysses S. Grant.
We entered the park and quickly visited the one campground that can easily accommodate RV’s. It is called Fishing Bridge. No luck for a site tonight, but we did find a site for tomorrow night. The campground staff provided maps and suggestions for our adventures in the park. Although we have been here before, there is very little that looks familiar. Roads are improved and signage is great.
We decided to head north along Yellowstone Lake and drive to the incredible falls on the Yellowstone River. Our travels were interrupted by some very rude buffalo that had the audacity to cross the road. Despite the warnings to stay at least 45 yards from wild animals in the park (100 yards for bear), park visitors are emptying their cars, RV’s and trucks in order to get the perfect picture. Mothers with little children, older people and others seem to throw caution to the wind when wildlife is sighted. One of the buffalo chased a lady towards her car. She squealed in utter fear and almost seemed to have a hysterical laugh after the buffalo lost interest. A guy with a rented RV looked astonished when the buffalo began to stalk him. He hurried to jump in the RV cab. A ranger came along and with his bullhorn and wrestled the crowd to their senses. We also saw a mule deer chomping on the side of the road, oblivious to the traffic jam he/she was causing with gawkers.
We continue heading up river and locate a spot called Artist’s Point. One can imagine what the name suggests. It is aptly titled. There are several elevations from which to photograph the massive lower waterfall. The fall is a 308 foot drop! Next, we move to the upper falls. Although powerful, the upper falls are not as beautiful as the lower. The drop is 109 feet.
We then decide to take the North Rim Drive. We are treated to several turn outs that afford incredible views of the lower falls and the Yellowstone River. This area is called the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Along the drive we are amazed to see a glacial boulder surrounded by a stand of fir trees. This thing was HUGE!
As with so many other National Parks we have visited, the crowds are multi-cultural. Many tongues are heard and you can’t help but feel proud to know that people from all over the world travel thousands of miles to visit our natural wonders. We even saw a motorhome that was from Germany. It had German plates and was a brand and style we have never seen. That must have cost a pretty penny to transport across the Pond.
Once finished with the waterfalls for today, we drove thirty or forty miles before we came upon our first geyser basin. Yellowstone is has the world’s largest and most varied collection of thermal features. Thermal features include geysers, hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles. They are beautiful but they also must be taken seriously. While geysers spew hot water, hot springs are made up of boiling water with mineral particles and microscopic organisms. The refraction of light gives them a unique color hue and some look very blue in the center, surrounded by an orange, crusty looking substance. Mud pots are acidic hot springs that bubble. Fumaroles are comprised of water vapor and gases expelled from the ground. Mud pots and Fumaroles are the stinky members of the family, giving off a strong sulphur odor. There are over 300 geysers and 10,000 thermal features in Yellowstone. Wow.
The park is so accessible and the hot springs are made safe with wooden walkways. Of course you can’t help “stupid”. We saw a teenage girl walking the raised edge of the wooden planks as if she was on a tightrope. If she lost her balance, she would plop her body into the boiling water. Her parents were walking with her, apparently disaffected. Maybe they were sick of their teenager and were hoping she might slip. lol Two little kids were throwing rocks into one of the basins. Their parents were nowhere to be seen despite the fact signs at the beginning of the trail clearly stated that children should be accompanied by an adult. When a park ranger saw them throwing the rocks (which could have created a boiling splash), she scolded them. They went running in search of their parents.
The highlight of the afternoon was our visit to Old Faithful. The surrounding area was barely recognizable but of course the reliable geyser hasn’t changed a bit. It is still shooting up around 130 feet every 60 to 90 minutes for around three minutes. It still astounds people. It’s almost like waiting for fireworks. The oohs and ahhs kept coming.
We want to come back on Friday morning and reshoot Old Faithful from a higher vantage point. The light wasn’t right and it will require morning light.
We head down the road towards the Grand Tetons, where we will camp tonight. We cross the Continental Divide on the way. We also see a lighted sign (the kind they use in construction areas) warns “Bear with Cubs crossing road next nine miles. Slow down.” Unfortunately, we didn’t see the furry family.