Day 1, Wed (8/28/13) – Travel Day
I woke up early on the day I long looked forward to…I was meeting my mother on the way to Yellowstone to celebrate her retirement!
Due to the early afternoon flight, I opted to take the cheap-man’s air-train to JFK instead of the lazy-man’s cab. I left with plenty of time and arrived to the airport with about 2 hours to spare. Remembering I had hotspot on my phone, I diligently addressed some last minute work issues, you know, to make my life easier while away. Hearing early the boarding call announced, I decided it was a good time for a last minute pit-stop and to fill my water bottle. As I headed over to purchase my overpriced chips to go with my homemade sandwich, I realized in horror that within the 20 yards between the bathroom and the snack stand, I had lost my phone and boarding pass (which I had in my hand except when I set them on top of my carry-on to wash my hands and fill my bottle). I quickly retraced my steps with no luck. I went from gate to gate asking where someone, honest, might turn in something and was directed towards the exit (not a chance!). One gate agent kindly made an announcement after which I went back to my gate to wait and panic. I had some reassurance that the phone could be (expensively and painfully) replaced with all its contents but I still had to replace my boarding pass. While I attempted to gather my thoughts, the agent at gate 62 (my gate) announced my name. I suspected it was because I was late to board, but much to my relief, it was because someone had turned in my phone and boarding pass! I asked if I was late, to which she replied that they hadn’t begun boarding my flight yet. What dumb luck!?
I boarded the plane thinking I was free of travel stress, until the pilot announced that weather was forcing our flight to be re-routed, a harsh reminder in the risks of connecting flights. With about a 75 minute window for my connection, panic took over much quicker than the passing minutes on the tarmac as realized I couldn’t reach my mom (already in flight from LAX). Ignoring the “turn off all electronics” direction after about 45 minutes of no updates, I left a message for my mother (praying that she remembered how to check her voicemail) that I would be arriving late. Then after another 15 or so minutes the pilot finally came on and announced he received the updated flight plan, but by my calculations, there was a good chance I’d miss my connection. I had previously mapped my alternate plans (driving from SLC to Yellowstone) and sent a text to my mom (I know she can read those) not to get on the plane to BZN if I don’t arrive on time and that we’d rent a car from SLC and drive from there instead. As my continued luck would have it, our flight arrived in plenty of time for me to make my 5:08pm connection (and even the 4:50pm connecting travelers would make theirs).
I wish I could say that arrival in BZN was uneventful, but as we waited for my mother’s bag, I received a message on my phone that my data was in “roaming”! What?! I have a national plan, and last time I checked, Montana was in the USA! After a brief call with T-Mobile, I was reassured that I would incur no additional charges (let this serve as my testimony of such if I have to dispute my bill later).
We lucked out with an upgrade Jeep rental and went on our merry way…although my GPS service was dodgy at best, I felt confident because we had very few turns to make once on the highway. The night quickly grew black and lightening loomed as we entered the park. We hit some showers, and some downpours, and drove head into the amazing thunder storm with impressive lightening. After entering the North Entrance and just a couple wrong turns and 3 hours later, we arrived safely at our humble accommodations at Canyon Lodge.
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| Our Ride |
Day 2, Thu – Circle of Fire
We had an early rise to meet the tour bus to explore the Circle of Fire (the southern loop). After fetching mom’s coffee and my mediocre (nuked) ham and egg sandwich at the deli we met up with our tour guide/driver, Jackie. She was a 60+ retired cop from North Carolina, and a pisser! She was an encyclopedia of Yellowstone knowledge (later I bought a book which I concluded she had memorized). She knew every statistic imaginable in this park, how many bison there are, the temperatures of all the thermal features, the elevations, and names of anything and everything named. A final total of only nine of us tourists made for a pleasant and at-our-own-pace tour. Of course I was the smart-ass asking all the ridiculous questions (along with my pal Bill), but she fired back with great humor, always keeping it entertaining.
First stop was Yellowstone Canyon Upper Falls (just around the corner of our lodge), then the Lower Falls. We weren’t lucky enough to catch the rainbow at the lower falls, 308 feet, and not 3x the height of Niagara Falls as many mistakenly purport. The views were spectacular!
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| Jackie and her bus |
We passed through Hayden Valley (known for wolf-pack sightings) alongside the Yellowstone River (the longest river in the US).
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| Bison Jam |
We visited Fishing Bridge and were welcomed with our first sight of bison (Bison Jam! No, that’s not a reference to bison picking up guitars…there is actually a term called Bear Jam, which is when the cars stop to view a bear, but not having experienced this, I applied the term to the Bison Jam we witnessed when the herd of bison blocked the road causing a jam).
We stopped off at the Yellowstone Hotel and collected the last of our passengers. I think I made a mistake not staying here, it had a spectacular view of the lake!
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| Yellowstone Hotel |
We continued on to West Thumb Geyser Basin to soak in the hot springs and the sulfur steam. It was a magnificent sight right on the edge of Yellowstone Lake.
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| West Thumb Geyser Basin |
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| Abyss Pool |
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| Abyss Pool |
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| Bacterial Mat |
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| Yellowstone Lake |
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| Lakeshore Geyser |
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| Seismograph Pool |
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| Bluebell Pool |
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| Always Changing |
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| Lily Pad Pond |
Our next stop was the best known geyser, Old Faithful which was well timed just minutes before the next eruption (which occur approximately every 90 minutes).
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| The crowds waiting for Old Faithful |
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| There she goes! |
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| Old Faithful! |
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| Mom |
We visited the Old Faithful Inn
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| Old Faithful Inn |
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| Old Faithful Inn (architect Robert Reamer) |
We continued the loop with more thermal features at Fountain Paint Pots.
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| Bobby Socks Trees (trees killed by thermal features) |
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| Short trees are only 24 years old |
Back at the lodge, we opted for Cafeteria food after the disappointment of Deli food, which also proved disappointing.
Day 3, Fri – Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces
On the third day of our trip we headed out to Mammoth Hot Springs with stops along the way at the Heart of the Caldera (650,000 years old), Tower Falls and Petrified Tree (the only one left after the masses taking away souvenirs).
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| Mammoth Hot Springs |
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| Mammoth Hot Springs |
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| Mammoth Hot Springs |
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| Mammoth Hot Springs |
Next stop was Roaring Mountain then the Ranger Museum and Norris Geyser Basin. The latter is where we saw Steamboat Geyser which, rarely erupts, but we just missed it by a hair (last eruption July 31, 2013, and before that was 2005).
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| Ranger Museum |
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Emerald Spring
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Steamboat Geyser
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Bacterial Mat
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Tree claimed by thermal features
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Cooler bacterial mat
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Bison rubbing
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Back at the lodge, we opted to share a pre-made sandwich at the General Store and held low expectations to offset any disappointment. It worked, the bread was a bit soggy but the turkey was very good.
Day 4, Sat – Jackson Hole/Grand Tetons, WY
We got an early start on Saturday to head down to the Grand Tetons. We a few times twice for wildlife with an elk sighting and then for a bison jam in Hayden Valley.
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| Amazing view in Hayden Valley |
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| Bison scratching itself against the pylon |
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| Wild-life |
We then had a number of scenic stops of Lewis Falls and the South Entrance. After a wrong turn, we ended up reversing our original plans and started on the less scenic 89/191. It was a bit hazy which made for some mediocre shots of Grand Teton and Snake River. We went off the highway to capture the Mormon Row Historic District where early homesteaders first settled.
Then we headed on to Jackson Hole (population < 10,000).
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| Jackson, WY |
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| Local Organic Ice Cream! |
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| Jackson, WY |
We took Teton Park Road on the way back stopping at South Jenny Lake where I dipped my toes in (no one told me to bring a swimsuit!) and snapped a shot of Cathedral Group.
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| Grand Teton |
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| Jenny Lake |
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| Wee chipmunk eating a berry |
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| Cathedral Group |
We stopped at Signal Mountain in hopes of getting a decent meal and watching a nice sunset over the mountains and lake. Mom ordered the chicken quesadilla and I got the hummus, feta and cucumber pita sandwich. However we got our meals my mom remembered in a panic that she had left her wallet in the ladies’ room (surely a clever trick to get me to pay for dinner). I finished my meal before she returned with the bad news that it hadn’t been turned in. While the food was good, I don’t think my mom was able to enjoy hers much. Before leaving the lodge, I helped mom get the banks on the phone to cancel her credit cards. Meanwhile, I went back to recheck the hostess, gift shop clerk and the bartender to see if it had turned up, and what do you know, mom hadn’t checked the bar where the wallet had been turned in about an hour earlier! What amazing luck!
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| Our view from dinner at Signal Mountain |
It was now dark and we were both exhausted from being out all day and eager to get back to the room. I was getting frustrated with the traffic and the rude folks leaving their high-beams on after which I realized I had mine on behind a vehicle. I proceeded to mundanely explain to mom my confusion about the high-beam control on the rental operating differently than all of my previous cars and that I couldn’t see the indicator because of the steering wheel, which I then adjusted. Just as this conversation ended a truck pulled up behind me too close for comfort, especially as I slowed down for the 35 MPH zone. So I pulled off to the right of the lane at the next passing zone, but he made no move, but kept too close and I had no chance to pull out for him to pass. Just as I was at my wits end, the red and blue lights flashed on. What?! I wasn’t speeding! So I don’t know if he was a Park Ranger or a State Patrol, but he approached the window and asked for my license and registration while explaining that flashing high-beams at a car is illegal in Wyoming. No joke, I got pulled over for flashing my high-beams. I summarized the fresh conversation about my confusion in operating the high-beams, then he asked me how much I had been drinking, to which I replied nothing. He then explained that he thought I was swerving when I pulled to the right to allow him to pass. We all had a great big laugh about it and then he informed us that there were elk bugling (mating calls) and to head to the West Thumb junction to hear them. We did, but didn’t hear anything, but it was better than getting a ticket…for flashing someone!
Day 5, Sun – Cook City/Red Lodge/Bear Tooth Highway, MT
We decided to sleep in a bit before heading to Cook City for lunch via Lamar Valley, as advised by many locals. We exited the North East Entrance traveling through Lamar valley when we got caught in yet another bison jam. We took in a couple sights, and many more bison before we reached Cook City, an old western town. We ate at a little café that had the best French dip ever! We met a local who gave us advice and maps directing us through Bear Foot Highway to Red Lodge and then south to Cody before returning to our lodge via the East Entrance. It was great advice and other local Wyoming folks seconded the itinerary. Bear Tooth Highway was a very scenic route which brought us to the top of many peaks to view other peaks. At the Index-?? Lookout we saw all the peaks lined up. Then we headed to the Clay outlook where we met a forest firefighter who has been “managing” a local fire and recounted his story of a close encounter with a black grizzly bear about 10 feet away and who was later found in a camper’s tent. He reported that experts are attempting to trap the bear and release him in a safe unpopulated area.
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| Clay Butte |
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| Daredevil mom strikes again. |
Another spectacular shot from the extremely long and windy road!
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Rock Creek Vista Point, MT
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We stopped in Red Lodge, another old western town, this one a bit more significant than Cook City. They have a supermarket and even a library! We stopped for some soft serve along the ?? River. We did a short drive through town before heading through some old coal mining towns to Cody. We made just a quick stop at Walgreens (Cody is another WY city with a population < 10,000)
Day 6, Mon – Discovery Center
We awoke too late to go wolf spotting, but we didn’t miss two elk jams at Norris Canyon Road and along Gibbon River as we headed to West Yellowstone to visit the Bear and Wolf Discovery Center. We finally got to see our bears and wolves, although not in the wild.
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| Wolf den |
We then stopped at Midway Geyser Basin which I had been looking forward to since guide Jackie mentioned it. But much to our disappointment, the rain and cooler weather created too much steam and obstruction to actually witness the beauty of Grand Prismatic or Excelsior geysers.
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| Grand Prismatic, what you can see. |
So off to our destination, Old Faithful. Again, we had impeccable timing, just moments before the next eruption. We witnessed, then split, mom shopping and I took a stroll to see the other geysers.
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Castle Geyser
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Shield Spring
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On the return we got caught in a coyote mini-jam.
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| Coyote |
Day 7, Tue – Re-do
We had a bit of a sleep-in before heading to the Upper Falls and Mud Volcano on another gray morning. I don't recommend visiting Mud Volcano if you have any sensitivities to bad smells, it will make you gag or worse.
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| Mud Volcano |
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| Dragon's Mouth |
We visited Fishing Bridge and were welcomed with our first sight of bison (Bison Jam! No, that’s not a reference to bison picking up guitars…there is actually a term called Bear Jam, which is when the cars stop to view a bear, but not having experienced this, I applied the term to the Bison Jam we witnessed when the herd of bison blocked the road causing a jam).
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