West Trip Day 5 - Yellowstone National Park

     Our reservations had us spending one night in Grant Village, and then three nights at a "cabin" in the Canyon Lodge area. The Canyon section was North of us. ( Click on this to get an idea of the park layout ) 
We planned on taking the long way around, heading west to Madison and Norris, and ending at the Canyon area. With this in mind, we could visit many park features and make it to our next location before dark.

       After quickly packing the vehicle, and checking out, we set out northwest along the park loop road. We started climbing in elevation until we reached 8262 feet. Here, there was a small lake and we noticed a sign for "The Continental Divide". We pulled over and checked the area out. The lake was called Isa Lake, and had a plaque explaining exactly what the continental divide was. From Isa Lake the lake drains in two directions straddling the divide. The east outlet of the lake drains into the Snake and Columbia rivers and eventually to the Pacific. The west outlet feeds the Firehole river on its way to the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico/Atlantic. Thinking of this as the peaked roof of the country, and you get the idea of how it works. Water falls to either side in separate directions. I have read about the Continental Divide trail itself but did not fully understand it until we reached this spot.

      Continuing northwest we came upon a pull-off for Keplar Cascades. This was a designated viewpoint for a beautiful waterfall courtesy of the Firehole river. This also happened to be the trail head of one of the many hikes we had picked, Lonestar Geyser. After gawking at the waterfall and the power of the river for a bit, we started prepping for our hike. We have a mental checklist of things that we do at each trail head to ensure that we are totally prepared. Sunscreen, bug spray, fill water, get snacks, verify pack contents, camera, set way point on the gps, tie up the boots and trekking poles, re-read any trail descriptions and survey the maps, etc.etc. . It takes some time to do this but it works for us and we help each other in the process. The trail started in another dedicated trail-head parking lot that we somehow missed on the way in. It was just a short walk away. At the foot of the trail there was a sign stating "WARNING: BEAR FREQUENTING AREA . There is no guarantee of your safety while hiking or camping in bear country". We were already aware of the dangers of being out in the wild here, but seeing a sign like this has the tendency to put you on edge.
      The hike itself was easy. It meanders along the Firehole river on an old logging road. The sound of the river was soothing, but we also had to keep in mind the wild-life that could possibly be lurking around. We still were talking loud around bends in the trail where we could not see, although the river was pretty much drowning our voices out. We became relaxed a couple of miles in and could truly enjoy our surroundings. We passed a family walking towards us on the trail and we asked if we missed the eruption. They said it was supposed to go off in about a 1/2 hour, no idea why they didnt stick around for it. Lonestar geyser is slightly predictable and erupts every 3 to 4 hours and is supposed to be magnificent when it does. The great thing is that you get to share the experience with only a few other people as opposed to the throngs of people that will view Old Faithful.

       The trail ended and a sign was there with a warning about thermal features, and burns that can result if you get to close. There in a clearing sat the geyser, an odd looking rock structure jutting from the earth. As soon as we started walking near it, as if a switch had been turned on, it started erupting. It was amazing to see and hear so much water and steam come out of the top. At times im sure it reached over 50 feet and it lasted for a good 15 to 20 minutes. There were 3 or 4 small groups gathered around and we all took moments to chat and to offer picture taking services.
      When the geyser stopped erupting we all gathered ourselves, and made our way back as a large group. Safety in numbers I suppose. There was a man, who was with one of the groups, that I had a conversation with the whole 2.5 mile hike back. He was from northern Utah, and led a boyscout troop up to Yellowstone for an outing. We chatted about home, and where he was from, and what we could expect for the remainder of the trip. Its great to learn from someone with experience.

      We arrived back to the trail head in one piece and were feeling great about the hike. We continued along the park loop road and decided that we had to see Old Faithful, the famous geyser. It was right on our way north, so why not. Pulling into the crowded parking lot the scene was completely different. Throngs of people and buses were everywhere. People were fighting for parking spots and it was quite chaotic. We found a parking spot and made our way to find a viewpoint of the famous geyser. The place was absolutely packed with people, at least a few thousand. When the geyser did go off ( right on time I might add ) it was magnificent for sure. But it was not an earned experience like we had at Lonestar Geyser.

       After the eruption and a quick PBJ sandwich we went into the Old Faithful Inn. The Inn is an amazing lodge built around the time that the park first opened, and rebuilt after it was destroyed by fire a few years later. The great hall of the Inn was magnificent, made from lodgepole pines, you could see 5 floors up. In the middle sat a massive stone fireplace. We went outside on the second floor and sat on the big open deck looking out at Old Faithful.

       Continuing on the park loop road we came to a one-way road called "Firehole Lake Drive". We took the road and viewed quite a few thermal features at small pullouts along the road. Near the end of the drive was FireHole lake and we got out and walked along the wooden walkway. In this area, and in a few areas of the park, there was the familiar sulfur smell that we got used to. Viewing the lake and the small geysers and pools boiling around was wild. The earth just feels like a living, breathing organism here. Its very hard to describe without actually being there. From here we drove to the Lower Geyser Basin. This was another walking boardwalk loop where we viewed a number of thermal features, including the famous Fountain Paint Pots. The paint pots are basically boiling mud pits, and if you have any sense of humor at all, you cant help but laugh. The mud makes some very funny fart type noises and gurgles. The mud also spits out in drops that fly 10 feet or more in the air. We were transfixed for a while at this section.

        We then drove further north and were getting close to Madison when we saw a possible "bear-jam". A bear-jam is lingo in the park when there are a number of cars just stopped and pulled over on the side of the road. You see people running with cameras in hand, sometimes haphazardly in the direction of the animal. Tourons indeed. In this instance it was not a bear, but a big bull bison and a female( cow )  across a river on the plain. It was our first time seeing a bison in the wild and it was quite a sight. We used my binoculars to get a closer view and the big male began rolling and throwing dust over himself. We learned that this time of year is the time of year when the males are getting ready to mate. During this time they basically want to hit things, each other, and try to create big clouds of dust to attract females.
      Feeling happy that we finally saw some mega-fauna we continued north. We arrived in the Canyon area of the park around 6:30 pm and the place was bustling with activity. Canyon is another small village near the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone river. We checked in and found our small cabin. The cabins are one room cabins with a small bathroom and stand-up shower. There are 4 rooms per building and it should work out great for the 3 nights that we are here. We went back to the village area and had a nice dinner at the Canyon Lodge Dining room. We really started to love this place and the services that they offered. Next to the restaurant there was a good sized grocery store and a camping supply store. Everything we could need was here. We hit the sack early and got ready for our planned adventure in the morning, Mt. Washburn!