June 29
On our way to Yellowstone NP we drove through the town of Cody, WY which is named after Buffalo Bill Cody. It is the last significant stop before heading into the park. Cody is a nice town that seems to be a thriving with the steady stream of Yellowstone travelers. We passed through the Shoshone National Forest which borders Yellowstone NP. The Shoshone River is dammed near a scenic tunnel to make Buffalo Bill Reservoir. The landscape became incredibly beautiful as we followed the pine lined river through rugged canyons and rugged mountains.
After about 160 miles and 3 ¾ hours, we pulled into Yellowstone NP at the east entrance at 6951 ft. Yellowstone NP preserves the largest collection of hydrothermal features on the planet.
We climbed up to Sylvan Pass at 8530 ft. There were still remains of last winter’s snow. Along the way the devastation due to huge fires was evident, especially the ones that burned 793,880 acres or 36% of the park in 1988. Formerly treed slopes were now had charred remains with nothing but grass. Some areas had some very small pine regrowth. Coming back down a bit the huge Yellowstone Lake came into view. It makes up only a small part of the park’s enormous acreage but is North America’s largest lake above 7000 ft. It lies in the center of a gigantic caldera, 30- by 45-miles, that was formed by the collapse of the Yellowstone super-volcano during its last massive eruption 600,000 years ago. As we followed the shore we spied our first hydrothermal activity. A smaller bubbling and steaming lake.
We pulled into our campsite at Fishing Bridge RV Park with full hookups (elevation 7792 ft).
After a quick lunch we decided to get started on our exploration. We headed north, following the banks of the beautiful Yellowstone River, and stopped at Mud Volcano. Prominent signs are posted with warnings about leaving designated trails and boardwalks. People have died as they broke through thin sinter (silicon dioxide) crust and plunged into scalding and highly acidic water. A 2/3 mile boardwalk took us past some amazing, bubbling mud pots, fumaroles, steaming hot springs, hissing holes, churning pools, acid lakes, and an awesome thundering cave that had bursts of steam coming out called Dragon’s Mouth Spring, an apt description. Strange microorganisms and algae that thrive in the noxious gases color the mud in areas. The whole area reeked strongly of sulfur. Seismic activity changes the landscape over the years as the ground shifts and vents are rearranged.
A very short distance up the road was Sulphur Caldron, four or five huge holes with steaming, churning mud. Around the holes the ground is totally barren. A lone bison grazed at the edge.
We then entered the Hayden Valley, a broad, scenic valley with the Yellowstone River flowing through it. It is famous for wildlife watching, especially grazing animals such as bison, elk and moose. We saw several large herds of bison, some quite close to the road.
We stopped at the Canyon Village area (16 miles away from the campground) were the Yellowstone River drops into a canyon after flowing out of the lake. We viewed the Upper Falls (109 ft tall) just off the South Rim Drive. Next we descended 368 metal stairs and some switchbacks to get a close view of the impressive Lower Falls (308 ft tall) that thunder over a lava cliff into the canyon. The slopes of the canyon are yellow, the origin of the name Yellowstone. We decided not to view the canyon from the North Rim Drive, instead pressed on to the Lamar Valley to the east of the Tower-Roosevelt area. It is a good area to look for predators such as wolves, bears, foxes and coyotes, and their prey. It is often called the “American Serengeti” because of the abundance and diversity of wildlife. It was getting close to dinner time so we didn’t drive very far into the valley. Bison were the only obvious animals we spied.
The scale of Yellowstone NP is immense. One can easily spend hours just driving from one end to the next, not including seeing the sights or stopping to view the animals. We didn’t want to do too much repetitive driving and detailed planning of the day’s activities is a must. So, since we were already so far north, we made a quick stop at Petrified Tree, a standing, petrified redwood trunk. Initially there were three but souvenir hunters chipped two into oblivion. A little way up the road was a standstill, a sure sign that people had spotted something. Cars were stopped every which way along the narrow road. Sure enough, a small black bear was at the wood line, but not close enough for good pictures from the car.
Already past dinnertime and at that magical dusky time, with about 44 miles to get back to the camper, we decided to drive the 6 mile, unpaved, one-way, Blacktail Plateau Drive. It was our last good chance to see big game and that elusive grizzly or elk. We slowly made our way, with our heads on a swivel, scanning the hillsides and forest for anything. Almost at the end we spied a small black bear far away on a slope. It was probably the same bear from earlier given we were backtracking the general area. A large weasel-like animal crossed the road. It might have been an American marder.
Clouds and a few rumbles had threatened all afternoon. Rain began to fall and the temperature dropped. Driving back through the Hayden Valley, squinting through wet windows and slanting rain, Esther finally spied something big. A huge male elk in the distance! What a set of antlers! Unfortunately, he was just too far away to capture clearly with our old camera. There were many more bison closer to the road on the way back.
We realized that we would probably not have a cellphone signal or wi-fi our entire stay in Yellowstone.
June 30
As we were heading out this morning, our campground neighbor said that a grizzly bear was about a mile up the road. We hustled to go see if it was still there. Sure enough, a large male grizzly was foraging in a meadow about 400 feet away. A ranger told us it was a big bear, about 450-500 pounds, but that a really large bear would be around 600 pounds. It was a great way to start the day!
We headed west past the Norris area and then north on our way to Mammoth Hot Springs. On the way we stopped at Roaring Mountain, a mountain slope that has numerous fumaroles venting all over. It was really impressive! Next we passed Obsidian Cliff, a cliff with high concentrations of the black volcanic glass. At our destination we drove the one-way Upper Terrace Drive that gives you views of spectacular active and non-active hydrothermal formations, including massive white terraces composed of travertine (calcium carbonate). Some were colored yellow or orange with the thermophilic bacteria.
We stopped to get ice cream in Mammoth Hot Springs and saw a herd of female elk with two spotted fawns in a grassy park right in the center of all activity. Park rangers put cones around the area to keep people from getting too close.
We headed back south to the Norris area and the Norris Geyser Basin. This basin is among the park’s hottest and most acidic hydrothermal areas. We took the boardwalk down into the Porcelain Basin, the parks hottest exposed area. We were amazed by the different hydrothermal activities and the amazing colors. One of the geysers, Constant Geyser, erupted as we walked nearby.
On the Back Basin loop trail with an extensive boardwalk we saw many different mud pots, hot springs, fumaroles and geysers, including Steamboat Geyser, the world’s tallest active geyser. It has small eruptions often, but full eruptions are rare. The variety is amazing and evidently the landscape changes often based on shifting subterranean rocks, vents, and pressures.
We continued south and came upon another traffic jam. Of course we had to stop and see what was going on. A huge bull elk was near the road on our side. Esther and Liam jumped out to get a closer look and better pictures. The elk continued to come closer. Only a thin line of pines stood between us and the elk. William called to us and we saw another big bull crossing the road. None of the people maintained the mandatory 25 yard distance from the elk, including us. Then we noticed that the first elk wanted to join the other in crossing the road. There was a break in the trees where we stood. The elk walked through slowly right in front of us. He seemed a bit uncertain with all the people crowding around him. A few folks actually blocked his path to get the best shot, a potentially deadly maneuver. We couldn’t have asked for a closer encounter!
We went on to view Artists Paintpots where we saw more hot springs, fumaroles and an amazing, huge, bubbling mud pot. Large bubbles rose through the thick gray mud and exploded on the surface, sending pieces of scalding mud into the air. We all thought it was awesome.
After a quick drive-by of Monument Geyser Basin, we headed back to the campground, stopping at a Yellowstone general store to buy some trinkets, beer and groceries along the way.
We saw bison all day long, in herds or lone males. They are really almost everywhere. Various elk herds could be seen on the distant hills.
July 1
We left at 8am to see Old Faithful,the must-see geyser in Yellowstone, 38 miles away. The next estimated eruption time +/-10 minutes is posted at the visitor center. We had only about 20 minutes so we picked a spot on the benches directly in front of the famous geyser. We all guessed when exactly it would shoot its water high into the air. It teased us with lots of steam and a few gushes of water. Finally it erupted, not at its maximum height, but impressive anyway.
We continued on the boardwalks and trails to view many, many other geysers and pools, including Beehive Geyser that shot water out of its cone at incredibly high pressure. Our timing was perfect as its eruptions are irregular and happen only once or twice a day. We got lucky again when Daisy Geyser just happened to erupt, misting us with water as we ate our lunch. We thought this was great as it was about 85 degrees and sunny. A few of the geysers we wanted to witness erupting were unfortunately not timed to our schedule: Grand Geyser, the tallest predictable geyser in the world, Riverside Geyser which erupts in an arch over the Firehole River, Grotto Geyser, Giantess Geyser, and Castle Geyser. Morning Glory Pool is a beautiful, deep pool or bright blue water surrounded by yellow and orange bacterial mats. Some of its incredible blue beauty has been diminished by vandalism, people throwing tons of coins, rocks and other objects into its vent, lowering the spring’s temperature and increasing orange and yellow bacterial growth.
We continued north toward the Madison area and turned onto the one-way Firehole Lake Drive which took us past Great Fountain Geyser. Further north we drove the one-way Firehole Canyon Drive which follows the Firehole River through a canyon. In our research we had heard there was a warm swimming hole in the area with 15 ft cliffs to jump off. We had even packed our swim suits. Unfortunately, it seems everyone else knew about it too as it was just too crowded for us.
We stopped at a picnic area going south again and waded in the shallow water of the river. We hadn’t brought our water shoes and the river bed was uncomfortably rocky.
After that refreshing stop we continued our sight-seeing with the Lower Geyser Basin with its Fountain Paint Pots. A ½ mile boardwalk trail takes you past a large mud pot with lots of bubbling and numerous smaller geysers, several of which always seem to be erupting simultaneously.
Next was the Midway Geyser Basin and its famous Grand Prismatic Spring. It is the largest and one of Yellowstone’s most beautiful hot springs, a gigantic blue pool with its nearly day-glow orange bacterial growth all around. From the air it almost looks like it has orange tentacles as the hot, acidic water that supports the bacteria flows outward to drain into the Firehole River. The Excelsior Geyser Crater really caught our attention though. It is the third largest geyser in the world. Some time in the past, this geyser had a massive eruption the blew a huge crater which is now filled with clear water of various shades of blue. It is very shallow at the edges, like a tropical beach, and plunges incredibly deep in the center. It looks very inviting but the rising steam gives away its deadliness.
As we were all a bit worn out, having been on the go constantly for 8 or so hours, we skipped Biscuit Basin and headed straight for Black Sand Basin which is named for obsidian sand that is supposed to be at the edges. We saw no sign of the black volcanic glass, or didn’t know where to look. However, there were more beautiful and strange hydrothermal formations, such a Emerald Pool, Sunset Lake, and Rainbow Pool.
We did notice that the west side of Yellowstone seemed to be much more dry and generally uninviting and had less large wildlife visible than the lusher western and northern areas we had explored previously.
July 2
Our plan was to take a break from the high-density tourist areas and do some nice backcountry hiking. We decided on the 6-mile round trip De Lacy Creek Trail which starts about 8 miles west of the West Thumb area and ends at Shoshone Lake, Yellowstone’s largest backcountry lake. Three miles lead us through the edge of lodgepole pine forest and meadows along the De Lacy Creek. We brought our newly purchased Bear Deterrent Spray, just in case as grizzlies can be a real threat to backcountry hikers here. We saw a doe and her fawn along the trail.
The lake was still and we were the only people there. The shore was made up of fine obsidian gravel and sand, so it had a black and white speckled look. Large driftwood logs were washed up on the beach, making convenient seats. The boys took off their shoes and rolled up their pants legs. For about two hours they played in the shallow, cool water. We saw a spotted leech crawling on a submerged piece of wood. We didn’t give it a chance to latch on to any of us. Eventually other people showed up and we no longer had the place to ourselves. Getting going early in the morning has its benefits.
Of course, Ethan got progressively wetter and ended up completely soaked. The hike back to the car was uneventful. With all the people going up and down there was no hope of seeing any other wildlife. Maybe that was a good thing in the case of a bear.
On the drive back we stopped at one of the few picnic areas that somehow got a cell signal. Esther managed to upload some updates but found the signal too unreliable to get many pictures posted. We already have a huge backlog. Hopefully we wont have to wait until we get home!
After giving up on that, we went to the Bridge Bay ranger station to purchase our 7-day kayaking permits for the following morning.
July 3
We got up at 5:30 this morning to get an early start on kayaking. Unfortunately, we had the absolute worst campground neighbors ever who made a racket until way past quiet hours. We dozed fitfully and William finally asked them to be quiet, which helped a little while.
So, we were all a bit groggy when we drove south to Lake Lewis about 35 miles away as the sun was coming up over Lake Yellowstone. We passed a small herd of elk on the side of the road.
We put in our kayaks at the Lake Lewis boat launch on the south side shortly after 7am. The plan was to cross Lake Lewis for about 1 ½ miles, head north on the Lewis River for 3 miles and reach the southern shore of Lake Shoshone, the end opposite yesterday’s hike. The water on Lake Lewis was calm and we were really the only ones around, just as we like it. There were warning signs about how cold the water was, but it seemed uncharacteristically warm for a snow melt fed lake at nearly 8000 ft in elevation. Huge amounts of lodgepole pine pollen was floating on and in the water, looking like gold dust. In fact, everything gets covered with pollen here very quickly. When windy, one can even see the pollen being blown off the trees in huge yellow clouds.
We paddled to and along the west shore where we saw a small thermal basin with various hot springs. A small, solitary boulder at the shoreline had a single hole, no larger than the width of a pencil, at its top with hot water flowing out. It was amazing and weird. The lake water where the springs flowed was as warm as bath water.
In the distance, Esther spied two large birds strutting through a meadow along the shore. With the binoculars we thought they might be sandhill cranes, but the colors were wrong.
We took a more direct route towards the river entrance. At first we weren’t sure it was the right place, but after paddling a while we confirmed it was the river. For about two of the three miles we paddled upstream. The current was not very strong. We kept a constant lookout for moose, which was the next animal we wanted to see, and bear. The banks were lush and green with lodgepole pines and meadows. Birds called lesser scaups, ducks we think, could be seen cruising along. Occasionally we got too close and they lifted off noisily. We saw several very large cutthroat trout in the clear water. The strangest sight was a chipmunk swimming across the river right in front of our kayaks. That little critter could really move! There were also leeches crawling in the shallow water.
We knew that the river would become very shallow for the last mile. We got out and waded along the rocky bottom pulling our kayaks behind us. Where the water was deep enough to paddle, the current was too strong. So, we proceeded very slowly, getting wet and getting rocks in our sandals.
After wading around many picturesque bends, we finally arrived at the river’s beginning, the southern end of Lake Shoshone. We didn’t want to rest too long since the lakes are notorious for their afternoon winds and waves. We still had the Lewis Lake crossing ahead of us. After a short break we paddled back down the river. This time the current was with us. Some stretches were a little more swift which the boys enjoyed. There was indeed a wind on Lewis Lake by the time we got there, but thankfully it was in our favor. The crossing was still slow and we finally arrived, worn out, after 9 hours in the boats. Ethan got some assistance by a towrope alternately pulled by William and Esther during the toughest stretches. The boys proved much stronger than last year and did great! No moose or bear…
On our drive back we came to a traffic jam. At first we thought it was another animal sighting. No such luck. Someone found out an accident had occurred with a horse trailer and that the road would be blocked for a long time. In Yellowstone there really is no alternate route, side street or shortcut. The major loop road is arranged in a rough figure-eight and is the only way to get around. If one leg is blocked, a detour might be 40+ miles at speeds between 25 and 45 mph. Lots of folks decided to turn around. We waited it out. Eventually we made it back to the camper. After dinner we rewarded our hard work with ice cream from the local Yellowstone gift shop and grocery store, conveniently located close to the campground.
Thankfully it looked like the rude campers from the night before were not returning. We really need to get some sleep!
July 4
We decided to have a leisurely day after yesterday’s exertion. Mid-morning we headed north and hiked the Cascade Creek Trail that begins west of the Canyon Junction. The five mile round trip took us through forest and wildflower meadows to Cascade Lake. It was a popular trail. The devastation of the huge 1988 fire was evident. They dead trees had fallen crisscross on top of each other all along the slopes with new growth forcing its way between them.
We saw two loons diving repeatedly in the lake, several lone bison bulls, ground squirrels, and a few chipmunks. We think we saw bear claw marks on some of the pines. I finally got a decent picture of some American white pelicans. We always thought pelicans lived near oceans and brackish water and never thought they would be found in fresh water.
On the way back to the camper we drove the North Rim Drive of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Previously we drove the South Rim Drive. We stopped at the Grand View Overlook for some spectacular scenery of the deep canyon. The cliffs and slopes have some incredible colors, yellow to orange to pink. We continued on to the Inspiration Point overlook. Unfortunately, in 1975 the area experienced a 6.1 magnitude earthquake and a huge chunk of the observation platform and surrounding cliff crashed into the gorge. The walkway was fenced off and the view into the canyon wasn’t quite as spectacular as it once was. Evidently, the canyon is still subjected to hydrothermal activity and tremors that make the whole area unstable.
Continuing south through the awesome Hayden Valley with its multiple herds of bison, we pulled over at LeHardys Rapids of the Yellowstone River. A short walk leads you to a platform directly by the rapids. In June and July cutthroat trout swim upriver to spawn at the mouth of the river at Yellowstone Lake. Supposedly you can see them jumping the rapids on their way upstream. We didn’t see any jumping trout. Maybe in a week or so it will be peak spawning season.
An older couple approached us and pointed out a harlequin duck that was sitting on a small, solitary rock in the middle of the rapids. We all took turns looking at the duck through their birding binoculars. It had beautiful plumage. Evidently they are a rare sight in Yellowstone.
July 5
It rained all night and part of the morning. As soon as it stopped we headed out to take advantage of our last day in Yellowstone. We hiked the Clear Lake/Ribbon Lake Loop. We started at the Wapiti trail head right off the South Rim Drive of the Canyon area. The 6 mile round trip loop took us first across awesome meadows with aromatic sagebrush and an incredible variety of wildflowers. We had to maneuver around a lone bison bull that was blocking our trail. A hawk flew above us and perched in a nearby tree. We descended into a lush lodgepole pine forest. After roughly 1.5 miles we passed Clear Lake which is a hydrothermal area. Again we saw mudpots and fumaroles. The area around Clear Lake has that bizarre barren look. We frequently came across solitary bison bulls. The mosquitoes were relentless. William pointed out a very close mule deer doe grazing in a small clearing. Somewhere we passed Lily Pad Lake. At about the halfway mark we reached Ribbon Lake. We didn’t walk down to it but took a spur that brought us right to the edge of the south rim of Yellowstone Canyon. The canyon was very deep and the view was awesome. After a quick snack break we continued our hike. We weren’t quite sure which was the right trail since we didn’t recognize the names on the markers. The trail marked on the trail head map seemed obvious but once in the woods it was a bit confusing. We took our best guess and found the correct trail, a much less traveled part of the loop. We got rained on for about 5 minutes. At one point a snorting sound behind some trees gave us all an adrenaline rush. It turned out to be a small herd of bison instead of a grizzly. Whew. Again we hiked through dense forest, a hydrothermal area, and back across meadows.
July 5
It rained all night and part of the morning. As soon as it stopped we headed out to take advantage of our last day in Yellowstone. We hiked the Clear Lake/Ribbon Lake Loop. We started at the Wapiti trail head right off the South Rim Drive of the Canyon area. The 6 mile round trip loop took us first across awesome meadows with aromatic sagebrush and an incredible variety of wildflowers. We had to maneuver around a lone bison bull that was blocking our trail. A hawk flew above us and perched in a nearby tree. We descended into a lush lodgepole pine forest. After roughly 1.5 miles we passed Clear Lake which is a hydrothermal area. Again we saw mudpots and fumaroles. The area around Clear Lake has that bizarre barren look. We frequently came across solitary bison bulls. The mosquitoes were relentless. William pointed out a very close mule deer doe grazing in a small clearing. Somewhere we passed Lily Pad Lake. At about the halfway mark we reached Ribbon Lake. We didn’t walk down to it but took a spur that brought us right to the edge of the south rim of Yellowstone Canyon. The canyon was very deep and the view was awesome. After a quick snack break we continued our hike. We weren’t quite sure which was the right trail since we didn’t recognize the names on the markers. The trail marked on the trail head map seemed obvious but once in the woods it was a bit confusing. We took our best guess and found the correct trail, a much less traveled part of the loop. We got rained on for about 5 minutes. At one point a snorting sound behind some trees gave us all an adrenaline rush. It turned out to be a small herd of bison instead of a grizzly. Whew. Again we hiked through dense forest, a hydrothermal area, and back across meadows.
On our quest for wi-fi we ended up at the Lake Lodge. For one hour Esther got to upload some pictures to our trip log and the boys updated some of their games for the longer drives ahead. It rained all evening. We really did get extremely lucky with the weather all week long!
The Davids' Cross-Country Trip 