Sightseeing Day: Yellowstone National Park, Upper Loop Drive
Up early again to go on our second tour day. I didn't have anything really filling for breakfast, so we nibbled on our breakfast bars. I made sandwiches today after yesterday's $19 lunch. I didn't want to make sandwiches that would spoil, so opted for PB&J. We were so organized this morning that we were 20 minutes early for the van. It's really nice that they pick you up at the campground so you don't have to fuss with your car.
We were first on the van this morning. The only other folks were a nice family from California. They had one daughter and one son, ages 5 and 8, respectively.
Our first stop was to catch a glimpse of two bull elk. Really cool as this was the first time we have seen bulls with racks, and there were two of them.
Our next stop was Roaring Mountain. The mountain is a desolate sight. It is dotted with steam vents or fumaroles. The leaching of sulfuric acid has created this stark, barren environment. It never erupts, the steam just escapes. Sometimes the sound is so loud it sounds like roaring animals--hence the name.
Next was a stop to view a waterfall that is along side the highway, but for the life of me, I can't remember the name--nor can I find it on any of the Yellowstone maps. We got out of the van in a roadside turnout. To the right was the waterfall, the the left was the round-bridge road, and across the street these colorful cliffs (see the close-up picture).
Next we stopped at Mammoth Hot Springs. This was the most unusual sight I have ever seen. I felt like I had been transported to another planet. I could have stayed here for hours just viewing the colors and formations. It was a long boardwalk and I just forced myself to keep going. It was before lunch and I thought I'd be able to make it because I hadn't worn myself out yet. Dave, on the other hand, didn't want to wear himself out so early, so he only walked about half of the boardwalk. We'll have to go back someday for him to see all of it. It was magnificent. The colors. The formations. And, yes, it did have an aroma that wasn't the most pleasant in some spots. These hot springs really gave off a lot of heat and moisture. So, on my way back up the boardwalk and stairs, I had a lot of difficulty with my asthma trying to catch my breath. I wheezed off and on the rest of the day. Enough about me. Here's the pictures. I'll try to explain what you are viewing, but there is no way to capture the depth and magnitude of what I'm sharing with you.
First let me say that this area produces over 2 tons of new rock sediment each and every day. The rock is called travertine. Yes, it's the same rock that is commonly used in buildings and flooring. Travertine forms because the calcium carbonate water bubbles up through limestone. When the water cools it causes some bacteria to harden, which makes the travertine. The finer the travertine or silica deposits, the whiter the residue. The travertine can take on many shapes, forms, and colors. Travertine is very strong, but is very porous. It has been used as a building material since Roman times.
This next picture is a hot spring that flows constantly. The gold color is bacteria that forms in the particular temperature of this hot spring. The next picture is a close-up of the same hot spring and shows the travertine that builds up as this spring flows.
The following picture shows one of the boardwalks that jets out over the hot springs. And, next is a close-up view of that same portion of the hot spring. Most of the boardwalk just skirts the hot springs area. Each year, the springs seem to take over one or two sections of the boardwalk, and some of the walk must be rebuilt.
As we walked along the boardwalk, we saw different perspectives of the same hot springs area. I have placed the following pictures in the order (generally) that we viewed them. You will see some close-up views immediately following some of the "normal" views.
In first picture, you can see the steam rising from the blue area, which is a spring. The terraced area in the background is at the edge of the hill. All of this white travertine flows down a large hill, which you'll see in later pictures, and flows toward the town of Mammoth. In some pictures, you can see portions of the town below (in the background through the trees).
The picture with the tall spire is a view from the parking lot below the hot springs. (Notice the boardwalk that you can take up to the springs--we took the boardwalk from the top, not the bottom--yippee.) The spire is hundreds of years old and was at one time an active hot spring. To the right of this spire is a small hot spring (out of the picture) that has bubbled up in recent years.
There was a woman standing next to the spring that was hesitating about putting her toes in the water. Our guide warned her not to do so. She just looked at him as if he was from outer space, and defiantly put her foot in the water.
He told us that later that night the top layer of her skin would began to peel off her foot from the heat she didn't realize was so hot and from the bacteria that eats the oils in our skin. He said whe would wish she had listened.
Not only does touching the water mess with our skin, but the oils from our skin destroy some of the bacteria and travertine growth of the spring. He said that people like her would eventually cause more and more of the park to be closed to the public. There are signs everywhere that you are not supposed to do this, and our guide was very pro-save-the-park, which everyone should be. He, more than once, informed tourists of their mis-behavior. And, I thought I was a Pam Police!
The next two pictures are actually on a drive from the top of the hot springs area down toward the parking lot. Most people do not get to see this area because they have large vehicles (RVs) or are on larger tour buses. The very narrow road is only open to cars. According to our guide, this monolith grows rapidly. It won't be long before the road will be moved as the monolith is almost in the street now. The darker area in the picture is water seeping from the monolith. The material left behind as the water flows is also travertine.
After taking in this beauty, we stopped in Mammoth for lunch. Although I had made our PB&J's this cafe was pretty nice, and everyone else was buying lunch. So, we opted for a burger and fries. The bill with each of us getting a drink, was only $12. A much better experience than our previous days' $19 lunch! (We ate our PB&Js for dinner.)
The town of Mammoth was a post way back before the Civil War. Many of the town buildings have been maintained since the Civil War. I don't know why I didn't take pictures of the town. Duh.
After lunch, we drove through some minor hills and pastures. And, then we came upon this original tour "bus" from the pre-Model A Ford days when folks came to the area to sightsee. When the "bus" comes to the street, a man stops traffic to let them pass.
Vistas just keep getting better and better. We had to get out and walk another boardwalk, which was preceded by a couple of flights of stairs. But, we were assured that it was worth the hike, so tackle it we did.
Here's the overlook area we stood upon. On the left is Dave with the husband of the group that was with us. In the center is our guide. On the right of the picture is the mother and the kids.
We looked to the left and saw this brilliant blue water in a rainbow-colored canyon.
We looked to the right and saw rugged walls with the fast-running water below. Wow. We could hardly take it all in.
After we walked back to the car along the boardwalk, we had another stop; but this one was for special wildlife. Check out the Osprey nest in the center of the picture. I have included a close-up if you have trouble spotting them in the distance picture.
As our day came closer to the end, we had a final drive over the top of the mountains. Dunraven Pass was a steep and winding road. I was certainly glad we were not pulling the RV. We saw so many folks drive huge RVs and all I could think of is that they would have to miss all the view because the road was so tretcherous. So glad we paid a guide. We would have missed most of this journey's splendor for not knowing where to stop and what to look for.
Here's a view of another beautiful waterfall: Tower Falls.
Note: As I post this entry, it is over a week later, and this fire is still raging. It's the fire that stopped us from doing the complete Lower Loop drive. Not only is it so sad to see the loss of forest land, but the loss of wildlife just sickens me. Many animals know how to escape the fires by moving awasy from the smoke and some get into the lakes. But, some are caught because of shifting winds. It was on the news that a fire-fighter encountered a bear trying to escape the fire and was roughed up a bit. Both escaped any serious harm.
I'll bring this LONG blog entry to close on a funny note. Our last stop was at Beryl Springs. As we slowed to observe the bubbling and steaming springs, our guide offered us a walk along the boardwalk to get a closer look. But, one whiff of the sulfer-laden springs created a unisoned cry from all the van passengers of "DON'T STOP."
I never expected the beauty of Yellowstone National Park to be so overwhelming. I have shared just a tiny portion of the vistas with you. This is a must-see experience that no one should miss (I think second only to the actual Grand Canyon). I am considering navigating Dave back to Yellowstone on our way home. If the fires have cleared the Grand Tetons, I am sure we'll venture back northward to see Yellowstone--that is, if the snow hasn't yet started to fall.
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