Back to Yellowstone

We had no way of knowing what an auspicious day it was going to be on Monday. The four of us had decided to start out after lunch and stay later in the day. We hoped that we would see more wildlife (and I don't mean campers that party into the early hours) than we did on our previous jaunt to Yellowstone. On Saturday, the only two animals that we saw were elk in the prone position, and they were NOT taking a nap beside the road. Sandy kept saying that she wanted to see elk, bison and at least one bear. I wasn't too keen on the bear sighting, since most of the time it would mean hiking into back country and getting up close and personal with one of those scary beasts. Yes, I realize that God made them, but I sure don't have to like them.

The forecast for the day was 40% chance of rain, and it was overcast and windy when we left our campsite. Within half an hour of getting into the park, we had our first elk encounter. The three elk were grazing contentedly right beside the roadway. All of them were wearing the latest fashion in collars.

Our first planned stop was the Fountain Paint Pot area trail. Steam from the Clepsydra Geyser, Morning Geyser and Fountain Geyser drifted over the area. It was cool and windy and I was glad I had on my warm vest as we walked the boardwalks.
The Upper Geyser Basin, which includes Old Faithful, is the greatest concentration of geysers in the world. They are connected by bike/pedestrian walkways and also boardwalks. Don and Jerry are chipper as they head off on the trail to Morning Glory Pool. It was a mile and a quarter each way and we hoped we wouldn't get rained on before we did the round trip. In this picture, it looks like it was all blue skies, but the weather was very fickle that afternoon.In the distance is the Castle Geyser.
Whew! It was hot and foggy at this spot! If your clothes had wrinkles before you went through this steamy section, they were certainly gone by the time you passed through!
The clouds were building up again as we passed by Giant Geyser. He was only huffing and puffing at us, and erupted only once in 2010. The eruptions can last over an hour and reach an impressive 250 feet, but we sure didn't wait around to see if it would put on a show for us today.
I loved the shape of the Grotto Geyser, with all its mounds and holes.
Success! We made it to our destination: Morning Glory Pool. It was named in the 1880's for the remarkable likeness to the shape of the Morning Glory flower. However, now it is more like Faded Glory. People throwing debris into the pool clogged up the sides and vent of the spring, which, in turn, reduced the circulation and temperature of the water. Every year the Park services try to clean out objects that have been thrown into the pool, but it will never return to its former glory.
Next stop: West Thumb Geyser Basin. This basin is situated in the West Thumb area of Yellowstone Lake. The turquoise blue waters of Surging Spring are beautiful against the cobalt blue waters of the lake behind it.
Sulphur Caldron was by far the stinkiest stop! The noxious sulphur smell was overwhelming. No wonder, the pool is ten times more acidic than lemon juice! The fumes from this bubbling pot assault your nose the minute you get out of your vehicle in the parking lot! Even after we left the area, the smell seemed to hang inside my nose and throat. This is not the spot to sit and eat your picnic lunch!
Our next stop was not a planned one. Right after Sulphur Caldron, we headed to Hayden Valley and came to a huge traffic jam. The cars were not even creeping along, they were completed stopped. Clearly, there was some kind of wildlife up ahead that made all the traffic come to a complete halt. Don pulled off on the side of the road, while Jerry and I headed up the road. It was a standoff between two very large bison and a Chevy truck pulling a trailer! These two guys were not backing down and didn't seem to care a hoot if any of us had to wait for them to leave the roadway. Of course, who is going to argue with a 2000 pound buffalo? Not me! Jerry is patiently waiting for them to clear away. I have decided to stay behind him and keep my distance from these creatures.
Here is a nice, close picture of the culprits! Sandy took this picture from her side of the truck as we passed within a foot of them. Neither smiled as she snapped away. I don't think they relish having their picture taken. Some of our kids were the same way at various times in their younger years....
I think it's time to head home when a bison sticks out his tongue at you. Where was his manners? At least I didn't stick mine out at him! Nanny, nanny boo, boo to you too!
Maybe I was just tired and cantankerous at this point. We got back at our campsite at 10 PM, late for us old folks!