Xanterra, the lodging and activity managers in Yellowstone, treated my family to a private tour today. Our guide, Mike, is perhaps one of the most knowledgeable tour guides in Yellowstone!
The advantage of having a private and knowledgeable guide is the fact that one can be educated on aspects of the park they may otherwise overlook or never discover.
We took the "Grand Loop" tour which travels the entire park rims. Mike arrived at 0845 to pick us up at our campsite. We headed out to the Upper Falls area which is a gorgeous and massive waterfall. We were able to walk the brink of the fall and stand merely feet from the Upper Fall. My goodness, it was powerful. It sounds as if an angry lion was continuously roaring. The breeze created by its force was so strong I had to hold my hat on my head!
The purpose of today's trip was to expose me to the park and give me an overview of the vast amount of things one can see while visiting the park. It was a 9-hour trip with many beautiful stops. However, when you try to see this many sights in one day, some sights are sacrificed at the expense of others. Seriously, you could spend months exploring merely one of Yellowstone’s features.
We left Upper Falls and headed to Crystal Falls. There's a short backcountry trail that leads to an amazing overlook of the water fall 1.5 miles above sea level. It was neat to see a little backcountry and such an amazing overlook.
As we drove to see the Petrified Tree, which still stands, I was able to see both the devastation and new creation caused by the wildfires of 1988. These fires burned 1/3 of the park. Although it is nearing 20 years, I could still see blackened trees in places; however, most trees are now gray. There is an uprising of new tree offspring which will stand for many generations.
Upon arriving at the Petrified Tree, we saw a bull moose 20 yards from the trail. That was exciting, as we didn't see a moose yesterday. The Petrified Tree is surrounded by greenery providing a smell that is very pleasing in the mountain breeze.
On our way to Mammoth Hot Springs, we passed several unique features of Yellowstone. However, for the sake of time we were able to see everything while driving. Again, I cannot adequately describe the glory of Yellowstone. Mammoth Springs is no exception. Mammoth is splendid in its beautiful multi-colored and multi-textured layers. These various colors and textures are said to be created by water which seeps into porous rock then heats under pressure. This in turn causes the water to rise back to the top, often bubbling above ground providing a haven for organisms to prosper.
Another thing I want to share is Isa Lake, which is located on the Continental Divide. Isa Lake is not big or glorious. However, it is unique in its own right. Isa is the only lake known to flow into both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The water departing from the east, travels to the Pacific while the westbound waters arrive in the Atlantic. This is quite opposite of what one might assume.
We also stopped in to see Old Faithful. Disappointingly, we arrived 5 minutes after she erupted. Old Faithful is pretty reliable, as she erupts every 90-93 minutes. I plan to return tomorrow and see it firsthand.
One the way back to our camp site, we traveled along the edge of Lake Yellowstone. It sits at 7733 feet and is 390 feet deep! And no, I didn't dive in to test this truth! Lake Yellowstone has mountain ranges exceeding 10K feet all around it and it is said to be the largest lake at such high altitude.
I am leaving out several sights. I could write for days and still not disclose all my findings. Therefore, I encourage you to visit Yellowstone. It has everything: mountains, geysers, wildlife, lakes, rivers, waterfalls and the list goes on!
One last thing. Last night after I submitted my blog, I took a short 5-mile bike ride to a nearby creek. It was almost dark when I arrived there. The water is so clear in the moonlight you can see fish nearing the top. The air is so clean and refreshing, it is worth the ride.
On my way home, I saw a couple of animals dart out of the woods onto the road. I stopped my bike and wouldn't you know it was two wolves! I don't scare easily but I do respect the wildlife. Therefore, my heart rate did rise! The wolves stood their ground, right in the middle of my path, and stared me down. I decided to get off the bike and stand behind it. Adding to my discomfort, my pants leg caught in the chain and sprocket, ripping my chain off! So I went from helpless to very helpless in a matter of seconds! Nonetheless, I was able to get my chain on with the help of the lights beaming from an oncoming vehicle which in turn scared the wolves back into the woods!
Moral of the story...there are still big bad wolves!!
Forever West
Jeremy
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