Yellowstone National Park
July 3rd, 2022
Well we had three routes we could take from Jackson Hole to West Yellowstone (name of a small town). 1) Take 191 North to the Southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park and continue to West Yellowstone. This would be the easiest and most direct route, however, with the new license plate entry rules we would not be allowed in on Sunday. 2) Take highway 22 over Teton Pass… not a favorite and several local folks advised against it. 3) Go South to highway 26 and go around the Tetons to West Yellowstone and this is what we did. Easy drive, only 200 miles, done.
Along the way we could see the Tetons, in fact when we got to our campground in West Yellowstone we could still see them off in the distance. We splurged on this campground, it is very nice but expensive. It is also only about two miles to the West Entrance of Yellowstone, a big plus. We are here for nine nights to cover over the 4th of July. We leave on the 5th. It is a good thing we did because with the new license plate rules our time in Yellowstone will be cut in ½ to four days. Our license plate ends with an odd number, so we go on odd calendar days.
Click here for some photos Rene’e took of West Yellowstone Montana…
The National Park has not been very busy as we thought it might. In fact, it has probably been less busy than normal and the local businesses are suffering. We headed into town on Tuesday and there were not very many people. I asked an owner of a store what he thought and he said the flood, economy, and gas prices were to blame. We have been getting to the park entrance gate at about 9:00am and get right in. Then spend the day inside the park and head back. The Park is the Worlds first National Park and it is beautiful and mystical at the same time; it is sitting on a large supervolcano caldera of which the heat fuels the geysers. This heat also draws in the wildlife. Some geysers are around 500 degrees, they are boiling hot; yest they are boiling! We have seen all kinds of wildlife from bears, to moose, elk, and bison, lots of bison. The bison here are huge, not like the smaller bison of Custer State Park in South Dakota and all the wildlife here runs free and are absolutely wild. On Monday the 27th we visited Old Faithful and the area. The bison were everywhere and some about 25’ from the board-walk; they own the place. On the Tuesday news we saw someone get too close and get gored by a bison, then another the next day. The bison look like they don’t care about all the people but it is at that time that they will charge and will hook you in the gonads good, just for fun. We also went to the Prismatic Spring, an iconic location in Yellowstone. Some only come here just to go to this colorful area. Click here for information on the Park.
On Wednesday we went to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. What a speculator place. Out of now where sites this giant canyon that is 20 miles long and 1,000 feet deep, that the volcano underneath formed 160,000 years ago with a crystal clear blue river that flows in its depths. We also toured the Hayden Valley just South of the Canyon and saw a lot of bison. Then we visited the Mud Volcano; a lot of bubbling, boiling mud holes that make a blurp-blurp sound. I’ve seem this before, Scout Camp at an out-house. I did 11,000 steps that day, about 5miles and Rene’e did her electric wheel chair. I was more nervous about her electric wheel chair on the boardwalks with no railing than she was. If you got in her way she would just run you over.
Click here for some Canyon and other river photos…
Click here for some Mud Volcano photos…
On our way to Hayden valley, we came upon a stopped car with a woman crying saying “she can’t breath!” I pulled over and saw her mother, a 55 year-old lady in the passenger seat having a lot of difficulty breathing and not too responsive but her color was ok. At one point in the car her face turned blue and she just stopped… I though she died. I slapper her face and hollowed at her and her color came back. Her daughter kept yelling “mamma mamma help!” With the aid of another man we got her out of the car, laid her down and helped her daughter start CPR. Several others stopped and took turns doing CRP so we left. We met an ambulance heading their way and a life-flight helicopter landed not too far away. Not sure whatever happened to her. I think she may have had a stroke or similar. The worst part was the initial walk to her car… had no idea what I would find; very scary. Do what you can now with the ones you love… because you never know when it is your time… or theirs.
The weather has been great this week. Lows in the 35-40 range with highs in the 75-80 area. I put on jeans in the morning and change to shorts around 10 am. The humidity these past couple of months is not what we are used to. It stays about 10%; we have to use lip balm and moisture drops for our eyes. My allergies, on the other hand, do not bother me at all. I am not looking forward to the high humidity in Kentucky.
On Friday we went to the Prismatic Spring overlook via a trail that starts at Fairy Falls Trailhead (about 1.5 miles round trip). Renee waited in the truck while I hiked up hill for some photos. It is hard to see all the colors of the Prismatic Spring at the boardwalk level (although still beautiful) but the overlook just West of it gives you a real good top-down view.
Click here for some photos of Grand Prismatic Spring…
Just found out that the National Park Service has opened up about 90% of the North area and they are doing away with the license plate entry requirement starting July 2nd. So, on Saturday we headed to Mammoth Hot Springs and a few other places. The road from Mammoth Hot Springs (Grand Loop Road) to Canyon Village was spectacular. We climbed and climbed to an elevation of almost 9,000 feet, into the snow and then back down. Along the way se saw numerous elk and a grizzly bear.
Sunday was a work & rest day. Laundry and eating out for supper. Monday there are several 4th of July activities in town with fireworks at night.
Heading to Fort Harrison near Helena Montana on Tuesday then on to Glacier National Park that Sunday.
Later…
