Yellowstone

 



The southern entry

 

The northern exit showing why the park got its name



We parked up at the Southern Entry to Yellowstone NP for a couple of days as we waited for the “Gates to Swing” at exactly 0800 on May 12^th, not a second before. This was our preferred entry point rather than backtracking west 150 mile to the Western Entry which was already open. Our National Parks Annual Pass was still valid until end of June this year so despite not being the first vehicle in line we were in fact first through the gate and to drive along the snow bound road. The snow was up to 10 feet thick in parts where it had been pushed off the road with the snow plough.  The scenery was stunning with frozen lakes and snow covered waterfalls.

 

Deep snow still present along the entry road

 

The rivers are just thawing and look amazing

 

The melting snow is producing incredible waterfalls

 

Yellowstone NP is the world’s first national park, passing the US congress back in 1872. It is located on top of the same hot spot which created the Snake River basin which runs for 200 mile southwest through Idaho. The park is also part of the Continental Divide which separates east from west. Yellowstone Lake is the crater remains of the latest volcanic eruption which occurred about 640,000 years ago and was 1,000 times larger than the Mount St Helens eruption which we saw the results of last year. This eruption was the last of many which has created a very unique place on the planet.

 

A very colourful geyser



Adjacent Yellowstone Lake still partly frozen despite its average 42m depth



Fishing Cone where fresh caught fish in the surrounding Yellowstone Lake were immediately cooked by hanging above the vent. In the 1800's that is



Yellowstone NP is like the centre of the US, as it is the location for the head waters of the Snake River which runs into the Columbia River and then into the Pacific Ocean, also the Yellowstone River which runs from the lake into the Missouri River which then runs into the Mississippi River and then into the Atlantic Ocean. All massive river systems, fed mainly by snow melt and providing water and power to drive the US economy, without these snow covered high peaks the interior of the US would be a dust bowl like OZ.



The Abyss Pool is an amazing example of these features

Many different colours are created by the rock and chemicals which leach into the ponds



Steam rising from the ground indicates that the ground is super heated below

With the whole park sitting on the hot spot and despite the ground being covered with large patches of ice we saw many hot springs, fumaroles (hot mud) and geysers. The most famous geyser is named Old Faithful and erupts on queue every 90 minutes or so, it sprays water up about 100 feet into the air for about 5 minutes.

 

Old Faithful blows its top for us on queue

 

Hot spots like this one are all over the place spewing up mud

Its like the earth is on fire

 

The volcanic heat below boils the toxic sulphur laden water under ground and because of the chemical crystallisation choking the constricted outlet the pressure build up in the underground void creates an explosive eruption. It is even dangerous to walk in open ground as the surface is quite thin and some people have fallen into a void never to be seen again, boiled alive, and the yanks think OZ is a dangerous place to visit.

 

The Dragons Breath is a tunnel which has been created by continual back and forth water motion caused by the volcanic activity

 



This pond which is placid at present can suddenly blast up spewing mud for many metres around



 

A fallen pine frond which has fallen victim and will one day become a fossil

Yellowstone NP is also famous for the variety of native animals which seek refuge in this area away from the relentless hunters, when the snow melts the meadows are expansive and the vegetation lush and plentiful. We saw many bison close up and elk as well as bears which was an added bonus as these are very hard to spot.



Big and bold these guys do as they please



 

Still with some winter fur and a very obliging pose

 

End of spring is calving time and the bulls are very protective despite their docile appearance

 

A young calf getting the feel for walking

 

The bears are usually found along the road where some vigilant searcher has seen one and then the road becomes clogged with people creating a “bear jam”, camera’s with 1 and even 2 foot long lenses can be seen sitting on tripods along the roadway recording every movement made by these animals, not surprising they hibernate for 8 months each year. The numbers of both black and grizzly bears are very much lower than we thought and are grossly outnumbered by the tourists.

 

A black bear foraging for food

 

A rare sight to be seen so close as this

 

The fangs tell the story, after a long sleep they are now hungry and cranky, best to keep a safe distance

It is late spring here at present and still very cold, many parts of the park are closed along with most of the campgrounds despite all paperwork stating they are only closed for winter. Winter can last from 3 months to 9 months apparently, according to the authorities, depending on snow and ice conditions. Summer is the peak season from the start of June going through to September and we were advised to be well away before it started. At present the park is catering to busloads of Asian tourists coming here and then onto the Grand Canyon. All racing around like headless chooks spoiling their scenic photos by putting their heads in the way.

Some game campers, the nights at present are getting down to 0 degrees

 

After completing the southern portion of the park we found a nice campground just north of our exit point for $10/night, it allowed us to come and go as we pleased and gave us access to the less crowded northern section where the chances of seeing more animals was better. We saw our first bears at 3 separate sightings and close to the road along with varying numbers of other onlookers. The bears appeared to be living “in the wild”, they were comfortable with the crowds and went freely about their business which was feeding on plentiful fresh grass shoots. Currently they are hungry after a long hibernation and woofing down everything they can get, even a stray human if possible.

 

A black bear which we thought may have been a grizzly, however this one doesn't have the shoulder hump, they can range in colour from blonde, brown or black

In the northern part of the park is a spectacular geological phenomena called Mammoth Hot Springs where hot water with dissolved CO2 makes a solution of weak carbonic acid. This water bubbles up through the limestone bedrock rather than the rhyolite which is typical further south. The calcium carbonate crystals are deposited and form the Travertine rock terraces seen in the photos.

Colourful thermophiles create a changing palette of colours

 

A cascading flow shapes the terraced hillside

 

Ditto

 

Liberty Cap 11m high was created by a hot spring that was active for a long time, its internal pressure was sufficient to raise the water to a great height

 

We hiked a few trails in the park always diligent not to become the stray human. Prior to arriving we purchased a can of bear spray, which is basically capsicum spray and is supposed to repel an aggressive bear clawing and mauling you to death. Firstly you have to get the spray out of the holster in time and make sure the bear is down wind so you don’t get the spray in your own eyes. This is all very difficult while trying to take photos as bears can run at 35 mph. At this point in time we have been very grateful we haven’t had a close encounter while hiking and not sure if we ever want too.

 

The Yellowstone River running through the northern section of the park

 

 

A layer of columnar basalt volcanic rock weathered away showing the upper layer of pumice and ash which covered it

 

The endearing term of “Teddy Bear” comes from the forward thinking US president Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt while he was travelling in Canada in the 1920’s. His companions managed to corner a grizzly bear so the president could shoot and kill it, however when he saw it he refused to shoot, and from that heroic action came the creation of the miniature cute replicas we know today. Wonder if the current president would pursue the same course of action.

 

Not a "Teddy" but cute anyway



A Killdeer, which is part of the plover family found a home among the hot springs



 

We will leave you here for now as we head north into Montana, a state which deserves a whole blog for itself, so much to do and see, just hope it starts warming soon.

 

One of the spectacular waterfalls in the park

Yellow stone  walls along the Yellowstone River Canyon

 

Bye For Now

 

 

Beers and Cheers with a favourite Sailor Jerry's rum and tonic with a dash of lime

 

J & J

 

Back In The USA

Well here we are back in the US for another thrilling adventure over the next 4 months. Since leaving in September 16 the RV has been in storage at a gated park in Bakersfield, California and costing just US$37/month, shame the boat’s not as cheap. Our flight over with Virgin was great, virtually had the whole rear end of the plane to ourselves. We both set up a bed each across 3 seats so had a very pleasant rest watching movies and eating the copious amounts of food provided, hope it’s the same going home. We breezed through customs and arrived at Avis for our rental 1 hour early, dodged our way through the LA traffic readjusting to driving on the right side of the road as we went. The trip to Bakersfield is only a couple of hours so we were at the park before lunch.

 

A good investment for $50

Borrowing a ladder from the guy we purchased the cover from last year I climbed up onto the roof of the RV and removed the cover, 7 months left in storage and now just as we’d left it, albeit 1 deflated tire on the left hand rear set, it was better than we had expected thankfully. After hooking up both batteries and with crossed fingers the trusty Ford V8 started first go, turned the propane (gas) on and fired up the fridge, all was good to go, YEE HAA!!!

 

Pealing back the shell to reveal all is good below

We parked up in the overnight section of the park and hooked into the power, filled the water tank, checked all systems were operating properly and then unpacked. A short drive down town to drop of the rental and then back for a well-earned snooze, provisions could wait till tomorrow. Rather than hang around at the park we decided to get moving so we organised 4 new rear tires with the 2 inside rears put on the front, virtually new all-round now. A trip to Walmart for provisions, another trip to a mall for Jen’s new sunglasses and away we went.

 

Lake Isabella is a playground for strutting boating enthusiasts, showing off their rooster tails

 

First stop was Lake Isabella, east of Bakersfield and south of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, we skirted north of it last year on our way to the Sequoia NP. A lovely overnight stop away from the city noise. It’s good to see some familiar faces as we observed a squirrel family going about its daily chores while we sat and had lunch.

 

A cottontail rabbit hiding amongst the boulders

 

 

A busy squirrel enjoying some of our scraps, a good change from his winter stores of nuts



We’ve arrived a month earlier this year so it’s still spring, the air is cool with blue skies and since the west had a lot of rain and snow this winter plenty of water runoff in the streams, also a greenish tinge to the landscape, with plenty of wild flowers in bloom. Not bad for a desert!!

 

A flowering Joshua Tree

 



A very pretty desert cactus in bloom



After a night at Lone Pine in the Alabama Hills east of Mt Whitney we headed NE off the highway and climbed up to 10,000 feet into the snow to a very isolated park where the oldest trees in the world can be found. The bristlecone pine trees only survive in this one location where the conditions are suitable and little human influences affect their very slow growth. The forest was discovered by Edmund Shulman in 1953 and here he determined the extraordinary age of several specimens and was amazed at how close the growth rings were being only quite a small tree.

A very popular pastime with many Americans, not sure if this guy is very comfortable however

 

A very chilly entry to the Bristlecone Pine Tree Forest at 10,000ft

 

A bristlecone pine tree, some are more than 4,000 years old

 

 

Because these trees grow so slowly they become very gnarly over time and very beautiful, the strong pine smell in this area is amazing

 

Looking back from the forest on White Mountains (10,000ft) to the distant Sierra Nevada Mountains (14,000ft), a huge glacier formed valley separates the 2 mountain ranges.

 

Into Nevada and again like last year it did not excite us, it’s a poor desert and has very little of interest, mostly mining operations, long straight roads and not much else. We were happy crossing into Idaho which presented us with greenery and a very active farming community.

A road less travelled, looking back from Nevada to California

A desert dweller common in the Nevada Deserts

Southern Idaho is a huge agricultural hub fed by the Snake River which originates in NW Wyoming and travels over 1,000 mile connecting to the Columbia River in Oregon before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. This year especially has seen huge snowfalls and rain, making the river swollen and according to locals the most spectacular for years. All along the river are waterfalls which are put to good use by providing hydro power to the local communities and other cities across the country.

Idaho is famous for it's potatoes grown en-masse and with the fertility of this area it's not surprising

1800's RV for the pilgrim's as they crossed the country, not so luxurious in those days

A major event happened in this region about 10,000 years ago. A huge inland lake covering 600,000 square mile with an average depth of 100ft broke its natural dam wall and sent a 370ft high wall of water travelling at 70 mph down the adjoining Snake River Canyon, scouring out the base and creating the falls along its length. The most spectacular of which is the Shoshone Falls at Twin Falls. The event was known as the Bonneville Flood and the remains of the Bonneville Lake is the vast salt desert of Utah home to Salt Lake City.

The Shoshone Falls at Twin Falls Idaho on the Snake River, last year it was just a trickle, this year quite spectacular

To the north of Twin Falls is an area of recent volcanic activity (geologically speaking) which has been active from 20 million till 1,500 years ago caused by a hot spot under the Earth’s Crust creating what is called the Craters of The Moon landscape, with massive lava flows covering 750,000 acres. This site is part of the larger Snake River Basin where all this activity has occurred and covers the whole Southern section of Idaho, any rain and snow fall leaches through the lava and travels up to 100 mile underground spilling into the Snake River through springs in the canyon’s walls.



Part of a massive lava flow which occurred just 2,000 years ago

Cinder Cone fragments parts of the cone wall blown about 1 mile from the cone at the time it erupted



Question: What do you do with an extinct volcano. Answer: Turn it into a digital hotspot



Further up river is the lovely city of Idaho Falls, spectacular for many reasons. Firstly its falls and secondly because it provides a free tourist park right alongside the river, with complimentary dump facilities. One night is the limit but at this time of year before the tourist season no one seemed bothered with checking. It was an ideal place for us to provision, laundry and purchase our hiking boots, waterproof leather US style but apparently put together in China. What isn’t these days. Very comfy and much better for walking through snow than the canyon busting black double bunger thongs. The boot salesman was more than surprised when informed we had walked through the snow at Bristlecone Forest in our THONGS!! Americans call them G strings!!

Idaho Falls on the Snake River, these falls are located in the city centre and although not high they run along the river for nearly 1 mile

A beautiful Siberian Husky with the most insane blue eyes and a natural aggressive look but very docile



Our camp at Idaho Falls on the banks of the Snake River



This Canadian Geese family were our neighbours at the campground in Idaho Falls

Our first major park for the year was Grand Teton NP in Wyoming only 100 mile from Idaho Falls (elevation 4,700ft) but a world away with regards climate, landscape, scenery, animals, etc, etc. To get to Jackson Hole, the southern entrance we had to traverse the Teton Pass at 8, 500ft and totally snow covered, the road opened and maintained by snow ploughs. The town of Jackson was once the most expensive real estate in the US as Wyoming has no income tax thus bringing loads of rich New Yorker’s claiming residency and as a result all the workers have to live on the western side of the Teton Pass in Idaho where real estate is much cheaper, therefore needing the road open all year round.



This monument is made from Elk antlers which the animals shed every year before winter, growing another set before the next breeding season



The Teton Mountains early in the morning, temps were down to 0 degrees in the mornings

A close encounter with a bull Bison we named Bill, but somehow it doesn't have the same ring as a Buffalo Bill

The photos can tell the story of this unique area as words cannot describe the scale and beauty, the mountain range is simply stunning and was created by a 40 mile long fault along the eastern edge creating uplift while the crust to the east slides under in a westerly motion. The rock at the peaks are some of the oldest on the planet dating back 2 billion years. Mount Moran’s peak is sandstone and was once a beach, unfortunately the snow covers it at this time of year so the coloured layers can’t be seen.



An early settlers house with stunning mountain views, Grand Teton is the highest peak, they were given 160 acres free providing they stayed 5 years, raised cattle or sheep and grew crops, not many survived in the 1800's, not sure what the Indian's thought of this arrangement.

Stunning views on Jackson Lake

We were a little disappointed with the numbers of “wild “ animals as most of those that we saw appeared to be grazing in enclosures created possibly for their protection from vehicles and human intrusion, many were very skittish when we approached and most kept a long distance away. The female elk and bison are pregnant at present and due to drop late May or early June so this could also explain their behaviour. The bison (wrongly called buffalo) are supposed to be uncontainable but the ones we saw were just like cattle and surprisingly few in number.  We have been informed by locals that bison may appear docile but can quickly become very aggressive and are in fact responsible for most deaths and injuries to humans in the parks.

 

A bull elk we named Eric playing chicken with the traffic, big aren't they.

Eric posing for us, he decided to stay and keep us company for the night, but more likely keeping between us and the herd of his females in a paddock below. Note the new antlers which grow an inch per day.

 



Wild as can be, a wolf we spotted with a fresh kill, a game raven along side is waiting its turn 

 

The Southern access to the famous Yellowstone NP is at the northern end of Teton NP and opens on May 12^th so we are hanging to enter as soon as it opens. We are stopped at the closed off entry awaiting permission to pass so will leave this blog here and hope you enjoy the photos.

 

An American Bluebird

An American Robin

A Yellow Breasted Chat



An American Magpie, these have a black tail about a foot long and are very aggressive towards the squirrels at nesting time



A Sandhill Crane

 

 BYE FOR NOW

Beers and Cheers with our favourite Coors Boutique a real classic


J & J