Pictures of the Week 2008-37
Since the loop from Idaho
Falls to Yellowstone National Park, and then to Grand Teton National Park and
return to Idaho Falls was so long, we decided to drive north towards West
Yellowstone and get a cabin for the night. That way we could get an early start
into the parks the next morning.
On the drive north we took the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway. It was a lovely drive. We made stops at both Upper and Lower Mesa Falls. Mesa Falls is where Henry’s Fork of the Snake River is squeezed into a gorge that drops 115 feet. You could get close to the upper falls as shown in the photo--that’s Dave on the right side of the falls. The lower falls had to be viewed from a distance, but it was still impressive. While at the falls we couldn’t help but notice huge goatsbeard going to seed. They sure looked like big dandelions!
On the drive north we took the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway. It was a lovely drive. We made stops at both Upper and Lower Mesa Falls. Mesa Falls is where Henry’s Fork of the Snake River is squeezed into a gorge that drops 115 feet. You could get close to the upper falls as shown in the photo--that’s Dave on the right side of the falls. The lower falls had to be viewed from a distance, but it was still impressive. While at the falls we couldn’t help but notice huge goatsbeard going to seed. They sure looked like big dandelions!
Yellowstone is the world’s
first national park and one of the largest in the contiguous United
States. Sprawling across volcanic
plateaus in the northwest corner of Wyoming, Yellowstone contains more than 2
million acres of steaming geysers, crystalline lakes, thundering waterfalls and
panoramic vistas. It’s one of the world’s
foremost wildlife sanctuaries.
We entered the park through the west gate. Dave asked the ranger where the most animals were concentrated. He replied the Lamar and Hayden Valleys. So we started driving to Lamar Valley which is near the east gate. To adequately see the park you need at minimum a week. Since we had been to the park before we were most interested in wildlife and a few places off the beaten path--if there is such a thing in Yellowstone. There are always lots of tourists.
It was a lovely blue sky day--perfect for taking photos. One of our stops was at Tower Falls. In our minds it is what classic waterfalls look like. A little further down the road we stopped at Calcite Springs. This is where the Yellowstone River flows above a volcanic fracture and wisps of steam mixing with the chemicals in the soil are slowly turning the cliffs above the river to a whitish yellow color.
We entered the park through the west gate. Dave asked the ranger where the most animals were concentrated. He replied the Lamar and Hayden Valleys. So we started driving to Lamar Valley which is near the east gate. To adequately see the park you need at minimum a week. Since we had been to the park before we were most interested in wildlife and a few places off the beaten path--if there is such a thing in Yellowstone. There are always lots of tourists.
It was a lovely blue sky day--perfect for taking photos. One of our stops was at Tower Falls. In our minds it is what classic waterfalls look like. A little further down the road we stopped at Calcite Springs. This is where the Yellowstone River flows above a volcanic fracture and wisps of steam mixing with the chemicals in the soil are slowly turning the cliffs above the river to a whitish yellow color.
Arriving at Lamar Valley we
found large groups of bison, but all were great distances from the road, so we
spun around and headed towards Hayden Valley.
A short time later as we were driving a sow Black Bear with a cub
strolled out beside the road. The
cub became infatuated with digging under a rock right beside our truck. So Barb snapped a few photos before we moved
on to allow others the opportunity to see the bears.
Numerous bison were in Hayden
Valley. However, none were on the road
like we have seen before. The valley is
such a gloriously scenic setting. It has few trees and the grassland is ideal
for grazing animals. It never fails to impress us. We snapped a few photos and
then continued our trek towards the south entrance of the park and then Grand
Teton National Park.
Our route took us along side
Yellowstone Lake. Occasionally we would pass a big bull bison beside the
road. A few years ago a ranger told us
that the elevation of this massive lake is rising. Yellowstone lies on one of
the planet’s few dozen hotspots where hot molten rock rises towards the
surface. Numerous eruptions have
occurred at the hotspot within the past 17 million years. Not a real comfortable thought as you are
driving on the caldera knowing that some day it may blow!!
It wasn’t long before we started noticing the
weather was changing rapidly. Our blue
sky day had changed to storm clouds.
And, before long a cloud burst!
Drops of rain the diameter of baseballs started hitting the windshield!
And they were full of slush. Thank
goodness they didn’t turn into hail!
The Teton Mountains are Barb’s
favorite mountains. They are so dramatic
with all their interesting shapes and sharp jagged peaks. The last time we
visited the park the weather was sour and we didn’t get good photos. So, she was really disappointed when the
weather flip flopped on us this trip too.
She envisioned getting photos of the awesome Teton Mountains with a blue
sky background. It just wasn’t to
be. The downpours stopped by the time we
reached the national park but it remained mostly cloudy. After snapping a few photos of the mountains
we tucked our tails between our legs and drove back to Idaho Falls. Another 13-hour day of sightseeing was on
record.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns