Alan in Holiday
Well unlike some, after a mere 10 days camping my body did not protest at the softness of a bed and I slept soundly, but my camping mindset continued as it was only later in the day that it occurred to me that I had totally forgotten to wash - a good job the bath and I had a meeting the previous afternoon!
The Grayline coach tour taking me to Yellowstone for the day was due to pick me up from outside the motel at 7.30 am so another early start and I was guiltily lurking outside the Teton Steak House restaurant door at 6.30 am waiting for them to open.
Our coach - not the ideal way to see the country
A pleasant morning and the coach was only a couple of minutes late. Christine was already on the coach and had secured a seat near the front behind the driver. I was feeling like a fish out of water as a coach tour is the last thing I would ever normally undertake, but in the circumstances it was the only way I would be able to see Yellowstone and having travelled over 5,500 miles it was an opportunity I was not going to miss.
My travelling companions for the day were as you would expect a mainly "mature" bunch - a few family groups but mainly retired and some loud. Our guide and driver Jesse was dressed the part and looked like the proverbial cowboy even down to the Stetson and boots.
Teton's heading north
Before reaching the boundary of Yellowstone we drove along highway 191 just inside the edge of Grand Teton National Park and through the JD Rockefeller Memorial Parkway. The views, even from the coach, of Grand Teton were spectacular, but I must confess to a feeling of frustration that I could only look through the glass and not walk. Fortunately our guide was very knowledgeable and a mine of information.
Its a long drive to Yellowstone (75 miles) and again I was reminded just how large the US is as for long distances, roads excepted, there were no signs of human habitation. Some of this is undoubtedly due to the protected nature of the wilderness area but the thought of winter here or the passage of some of the early explorers 200 years ago sent a shiver down my spine.
After a short stop at Flagg Ranch (no not the home of the cowboys but a sort of service station with petrol, food etc) we entered Yellowstone proper. All visitors have to pay a fee when entering National Parks - in Yellowstone case $12 per day visit. As an aside if you walk in "wild" (as we had when entering Grand Teton National Park from the west) there is no charge, you only pay if you enter via what might be termed the tourist route.
After entering Yellowstone we crossed the Continental Divide which pretty much follows the line of the Rockies Mountains from Canada into Mexico and beyond before entering the Yellowstone Caldera which is a vast crater 34 miles by 44 miles sitting atop an area of volcanic activity. Scary to think we were driving around inside the crater of a huge Supervolcano.
Almost immediately there was evidence of the great Yellowstone Park Fire of 1988 which resulted in approximately 36 % of the land mass of the park being burnt. Amongst the burnt trees there was evidence of nature reasserting itself with new growth of trees and fauna.
Having passed by Grant Village and West Thumb our first stop was at Old Faithful Village home of well "Old Faithful", one of the more reliable of the many geysers in the park. Apart from the geysers the village is home to the oldest hotel in the park constructed in 1903 entirely of wood - the Old Faithful Inn. It is also unfortunately home to a large area of rather less sympathetic buildings added in more recent years. I guess that I wanted to see the area undisturbed whereas a more pragmatic approach has been taken to coping with the inevitable tide of humanity that passes through the area every year.
Old Faithful erupts (sort of!)The Old Faithful geyser was scheduled to erupt at 11.50 am leaving us 45 minutes to kill, so Christine and I decided to investigate food and disappeared behind the old inn in the direction of a building described as the Yellowstone Grill. Unfortunately this turned out to be nothing more than a disappointing fast food joint with unappetising offerings. However even in here we met a character clearing the tables - a semi toothless elderly man, who claimed to be a nephew of General Chuck Yeager (of 1950's air speed record fame) as well as a preacher of religion, active in the local prison system. He practiced on us as well, before we made our excuses and escaped back to the geyser area to await the anticipated eruption of Old Faithful.
Already a large crowd had gathered in anticipation and having learnt that it commonly erupted to heights of 120 ft I decided to move back from the main crowd and attempt to capture the glory of a full eruption. At roughly the estimated time there was signs of life from the geyser, but nothing overtly spectacular. Just in case I took some photographs which was just as well as this apparently was it. Again possibly over hyped or perhaps my expectations were just to high and had been spoiled by the man made fountain in Lake Geneve which reaches heights of up to 460 ft.
Grand Prismatic Spring - Midway Geyser Basin
The eruption over we were swiftly herded back onto the coach and it was off to see some of the geothermal activity of the park. First stop was the Midway Geyser Basin which is home to two of the largest hot springs in the world - Grand Prismatic Spring, nearly 370 ft in diameter and Excelsior Geyser which is now classed as a spring.
Next stop was the Fountain Paint Pots which are classified as mud pots and located between Midway Geyser Basin and Lower Geyser Basin.
Back on the coach we headed down to Madison Junction and the Gibbon River so named after General John Gibbon who commanded the Montana Column that rescued the survivors and buried the dead of Custer's 7th Cavalry after the battle of the Little Little Big Horn in 1876. Time pressing we continued onto Canyon Village home of the famous Yellowstone Falls, which even allowing for the crowds was stunning.
Yellowstone Falls
Back on the bus (hurry, hurry) heading towards Lake Village shortly thereafter we experienced our first traffic jam caused by a herd of wild bison. The average American's reaction to seeing wild life seems to be to abandon all sense (and vehicles) grab the camera and dash off, seemingly oblivious to the fact that these are wild animals. I dread to think what would happen if a Grizzle bear were to show up. As can be seen from the pictures the herd were very close.
Man meets beast (and traffic jam)
By now it was time (16.20) to head back to Jackson and after stopping at the Yellowstone Lake Hotel, on Yellowstone Lake (7731 ft) the highest lake in the USA, we completed the lower loop of Yellowstone and retraced our route back via West Thumb.
Heading back towards Grand Teton National Park the views, despite the onset of rain were stunning and I was again very frustrated to not be able to stop at Tetons and Snake River overlook and take my own personal photograph of the Tetons from this spot made famous by Ansel Adams .
Near Snake River Overlook - moody Tetons
Arriving back in Jackson at 7 pm, Christine and I had a final meal in an agreeable Italian restaurant before taking our leave of each other. She was flying back to New York on Saturday via Jackson Hole Airport and Denver and had booked a days rafting on the Snake River for tomorrow (Friday). I was due an early start as in the morning I was off back to Salt Lake City to catch my Saturday flight home to the UK via Newark, New Jersey.
As I settled down into the comfort of my motel bed I reflected that it had been an interesting day and whilst perhaps not of the type I would have chosen, I had at least had an opportunity of a brief overview of part of Yellowstone and many memories to take home with me.