Another Day in Yellowstone

Our goal for our last day in Yellowstone:   drive the northern half of the Park, then head to Billings.

We started early - 6am - and were rewarded with an elk right next to the road as we left Grant Village.   Further down the road, we spotted a mule deer doe with her fawn.

While I appreciate the geological wonders of Yellowstone, I'm more than a tad nervous when I think about being in a 30x45 mile volcanic caldera.   So when I pulled into a parking lot at the Mud Volcano Trail, I planned to stretch my legs - not go on a hike.   The "rotten egg" smell hit us as soon as we opened the car doors.  Tom, the chemist, said:  hydrogen sulfide.  But it was the groan of the Dragon's Mouth Spring that pulled us up the trail to Dragon's Mount Spring.

Native Americans described it as "snorts of an angry bull bison."   We stopped to watch the steam and listen for birds (Yellow-rumped warblers, Chipping Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos).

But it was the manic antics of a Uinta Chipmunk, darting back and forth that captured our attention.   We watched, but we couldn't figure out what the little guy found so irresistible that he was willing to dodge the scalding shower of the Dragon's breath.

 

Then it was on to Hayden Valley and another traffic jam.

I saw bison, then a "mob" of ravens off to the east.  At first glance, it looked like they were following a herd of mule deer.  Nope.  It was a pack of wolves!  Before we knew it, they were gone.

Later that afternoon, we got much closer looks at two lone coyotes, hunting along the road in Lamar Valley.   More bison.

When we arrived at Mammoth, the northeastern corner of Yellowstone, we were puzzled by the new signs everywhere.  ELK ARE DANGEROUS - NOT NOT APPROACH.

We didn't have to drive very far before we discovered what was behind the signs.

Remember - it is illegal to get within 100 yards of bears - or 25 yards of other wildlife

Old Faithful and Road Construction

The morning sky was dark and the clouds were heavy with rain.  What can you do when it rains at America's first National Park?  Go see the geysers.

We headed over to check out Old Faithful.  We got a heavy dose of people, congestion and construction.  It was like going to the mall the day after Thanksgiving.

The place was mobbed.   Tour buses unloading at the Yellowstone Lodge.   People everywhere.

Old Faithful was scheduled to do erupt at 11am.  We had some time to kill, so I went looking for the visitor center.   I wanted a bird checklist.   I'd picked up one for each of the parks we'd visited - the Badlands, Custer State Park and Jewel Cave.  Nothing fancy - just a list of birds in scientific order.  Cost:  free.

I found the Visitor Center in a temporary trailer nearby.  (The new "green" visitor center is under construction.)  I went inside and asked.    The Yellowstone Association store employee pointed to the book shelf and said - it's over there.   The list of birds, on a 2-sided 11x17 piece of paper.  Cost: $1.50 plus tax.  Okay fine.

Outside, Old Faithful started steaming.  I hurried back to find Tom, who was sitting on the porch of the Lodge nursing a hot chocolate.  We were in awe of the hundreds of people standing in the rain, watching - and concerned about what the traffic would be like when it was over.

We timed it just right.

What to do next?  The National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson.  A great rainy day decision.

Wrong.

Four hours later, after way more than the "30-minute construction delay" we were warned about back in Yellowstone,  we arrived at the museum and headed to the cafe, relieved to see the "open" sign.  We were starving.

As I walked up to the counter, the cafe manager said:   "By my watch, it's 3:01.  Kitchen closed at 3pm.  You want lunch?  You'll have to go into town."

I explained what we'd been through.  The young manager said:  rules are rules.  Then he walked away.

So did we. 

Yellowstone - Scenic Byways, Road Construction and Bison

There are two routes to Yellowstone from the Badlands.

The southern route - US 26 from Casper, WY to Dubois - goes through the Bridger-Teton National Forest on the Wyoming Centennial Scenic Byway through Togwotee Pass (9,658 ft) north of Jackson.  The northern route -US 14 -  goes through Granite Pass (9,033 ft) on the Bighorn Scenic Byway.   On the advice of my trusted AAA travel consultant, we took the northern route.

In retrospect, it was not the best choice for me (vertigo issues) and the Prius (ground clearance issues). The road construction from Ranchester up the Bighorns to Burgess Junction was frightening.  Picture a one lane dirt road, two lane traffic, no guard rails and potholes so big they nearly swallowed the Prius. I cringe just thinking of the sound of the front fender scraping.

This stretch of road alerted me to one of the few "negatives" about the aerodynamic Prius:   the 5" ground clearance.

The up-hill ride into the Bighorns seemed to take forever.   But I managed to enjoy the fresh, new pavement (and the scenery) on the downhill side to Shell, Wyoming. 

We spent the night in Cody and got up bright and early for the ride in to Yellowstone on yet another scenic byway (named after Buffalo Bill Cody), through America's first National Forest, the Shoshone.  Great scenery. 


All along the road - from Yellowstone's east entrance to Fishing Bridge - was sobering evidence of past fires.

But not much wildlife action.  We stopped to watch White Pelicans and a very friendly Common Raven.

Then just before Fishing Bridge on the north side of Yellowstone Lake.  Off in the distance, Bison!

As I pulled on to the shoulder, a car coming in the opposite direction, slowed to a stop.  The driver rolled down his window and said:  "Don't stop here.  There's a big herd just down the road - in the road."  Before he could finish, a man in the car behind us honked impatiently, then zoomed past.  He would be the first of many drivers who just didn't seem to feel the harmony between man, nature and machine.

Minutes later, we caught up with the him, and a big herd of bison. 

We waited for the largest land mammals in North America to cross the road.  I've never been so close to bulls, cows and calves.   August is the end of mating season, and even the calves seemed to dwarf our Prius.  They snorted and bumped into each other. 

This bull sauntered right up to my window.

But no black-billed magpies riding their backs - picking the insects off their hides.  No cowbirds either.  Tom encouraged me to put the petal to the metal.  When the opportunity to move past them arose, I took it.