This is Part 2 of a planned 5 part series on Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks. We will spend 5 days and nights exploring the natural wonders of each park and the surrounding cities; our travels will take us on a circuitous route from Bozeman, MT to Jackson Hole, WY and back again. In Part 2, we'll travel Yellowstone's Lower Loop Road, encountering an Old Faithful Geyser eruption, several the park's famous thermal sites, the Grand Canyon at Yellowstone (featuring some breathtaking waterfalls), and the aptly named Grand Prismatic Spring. You can Click Here To Read Part 1.
Today, I find myself eagerly up before dawn for the second day in a row. I'm not a morning person, but that always seems to change when we're on vacation. I can't sleep in when I have an adventure waiting for me. I've mapped out an extremely full itinerary for the day, following the circuitous route of Yellowstone's Lower Loop Road, and stopping off at nearly every major sight along the way.
Our first stop this morning, though, is literally across the parking lot from our hotel. We are headed over to Old Faithful to see the 6:17am eruption. Old Faithful erupts about 17 time a day and is fairly predictable (within plus or minus 10 minutes--thus the faithful in its name). So, we have a fairly good idea of when we need to be there. We arrive a bit early, though, (around 5:45am) to check out the Upper Geyser Basin in the pre-dawn light and ensure that we don't miss the eruption.
It's chilly this morning--as it is most mornings in Yellowstone, even in mid-summer--and our breath creates little white puffs of smoke in the air. The geyser basin is smoking, too. From a distance, the ash grey and reds of the basin, set on the backdrop of a pink and orange sky, make it appear as if the entire landscape is awash in fire. It's only steam, though--a result of the fiery (volcanic) activity taking place right under our feet.
We don't wander far in our explorations. We want to be front and center to witness the eruption. Old Faithful gives a few warning spurts, and then it's spraying into the air, gaining height as it builds momentum. The geyser can reach as high as 184 ft, but it averages around 130 ft. during an eruption--at either height, it's truly impressive. An eruption can last anywhere from 1.5 to 5 minutes. We don't time how long this one lasts, but we have ample time to get plenty of good photographs and then stop to enjoy the phenomenon out from behind a lens shutter. [You can find answers to Old Faithful frequently asked questions on the NPS website here.]
Once the eruption is complete, we begin our exploration of the Upper Geyser Basin. The Upper Geyser Basin is made up of a stretch of trails and boardwalks connecting the area's most active (and scenic) thermal features. There is quite a density of geysers and pools to see within this stretch of a few short miles. Our first stop, though, is off the Upper Geyser Basin boardwalks. We are tackling the steep round-trip hike up to Observation Point.
We're wandering into the forest on this short hike, and we're quite alone this early in the day. I'm glad we remembered to bring our bear spray with us--better safe than sorry. On a hike in Yellowstone, you want to ensure you make some noise. One option is to simply call out "BEEEAAAAR" periodically; you might feel a bit ridiculous, but you never want to surprise a bear. If they have ample warning that you are approaching, they will typically move on; if they are taken unaware, they are more likely to attack. The only problem with making so much noise is that you will more than likely scare off the rest of the wildlife you encounter, as well. That being said, we do manage to spot (and not frighten off) a few animals along the way.
The trail is steep but clearly marked. It's definitely a good warmup for a day that will be filled with a LOT of walking. At the top, we have sweeping views of the geyser basin below. This would be a good spot to take in an Old Faithful eruption from a different angle, but we have other plans for this morning. Instead, we complete our hike, descending the trail, and head for the boardwalk encircling Geyser Hill.
Each geyser is unique. They can erupt with predictability or without warning, can spew continuously or for only minutes, can surface frequently or lie dormant for years. They can shoot hundreds of feet into the air or only a few, can come out as a thin spray or a wide spew. Many have indicators (or approximate schedules provided by the park service), but we've decided not to attempt to schedule our explorations today to any specific thermal events. If we encounter another eruption, it will simply be a bonus.
Photos: Top Left: Geyser Basin Boardwalk Path; Top Right: Doublet Pool; Bottom Left: Spasmodic Geyser; Bottom Right: Giant Geyser
The Geyser Hill section of the basin features several pools and geysers (none currently spouting), but the one feature that sticks out most to me in this section is Doublet Pool. The milky blue color of its water and the defined, scalloped edges of its border are quite unique. The latter are the result of hard water deposits for the concentrated levels of silica in the water, to which the unique hue of the pool can also be attributed.
After exploring the boardwalk ringing Geyser Hill, we head northwest on the boardwalk slats to survey more of the Upper Geyser Basin's thermal features. We pass several geysers and pools along this path, to include Spasmodic Geyser (which is in eruption fairly frequently at about every 1-3 hours but only reaches a height of about 15 ft.) and Giant Geyser (which can remain dormant for several decades but when it does erupt, can reach 250 ft.).
One thing is abundantly clear--the ground here is HOT. Water is literally boiling beneath our feet. We watch in amazement as several pools bubble and spew. It's easy to see how geysers are so frequently activated in this section of the park. The activity going on underground is more awe-inspiring than even what we can see here on the surface.
While we encounter a lot of "grey" features in this area of the park, there are still splashes of color mixed in. Several of the basin's pools exhibit a varying, vibrant spectrum. Most of Yellowstone's vibrant colors are thanks to a combination of some sorts of mineral deposits and thermophiles (heat loving microorganisms that can vary in color depending upon water pH and temperature).
As we reach the end of the stretch of boardwalk we are traversing and hit a paved trail, we encounter Grotto Geyser. The geyser has a unique shape we have not encountered elsewhere. Geologists believe it is a result of trapped tree trunks now encased in geyserite. We check the feature out and then initially move on, but soon we realize an eruption is beginning and double back to watch. We are fairly lucky in getting to see this one--it erupts only about once every 8 hours (however, once begun, the eruption can last several hours).
Photos: Left: Riverside Geyser; Right: Fan Geyser, Mortar Geyser and Spiteful Geysers
From Grotto Geyser, we continue north along the paved path past Riverside Geyser (known for often producing a rainbow when it erupts) and then a grouping of geysers a little further up the Firehole River (Fan, Mortar and Spiteful). While we don't get to witness any further eruptions along this stretch, the steam emitted by each of the vents is still a sight in itself. Our final destination before we reverse direction this morning is next--the colorful Morning Glory Pool.
The Morning Glory pool was once a brilliant blue color, resembling the flower for which it is named. While the pool is still quite beautiful, it is not the stunning sight of its former glory. The pool's disfigurement serves as a warning of how easily visitors can damage Yellowstone's fragile ecosystem. Over the years, park visitors have thrown coins, garbage, and clothing items into the pools. All of this trash inevitably blocked the heat vents at the bottom, affecting the temperature and the delicate balance of thermophiles that grow there. As a result, slowly, the beautiful blue of the pool is receding. Hopefully, this pool's story will be a reminder to visitors to leave the park's other thermal features as they found them.
Photos: Castle Geyser
Backtracking a bit on the path we just traversed, we explore the area around Punch Bowl Spring and Black Sand Pool, and then we walk southeast on the paved trail back toward Old Faithful. The walk back is scenic, and we take in the view of the thermal activity from a bit of a different angle. Of the features we encounter, the one that sticks out to me most is Castle Geyser. While it only erupts about once every 13 hours, this one is worth stopping to take a look just for its distinct shape--reminiscent of a sandcastle.
It's nearly 8am now, and people are beginning to get out and about. I'm glad we had a chance to explore the geyser basin in relative peace. We plan to hopefully remain ahead of the crowds for a little longer today and begin our Lower Loop Road journey soon. But first, we need to fuel up for a long day--while we have food options nearby.
In Yellowstone, food options are few and far between. Most of the major junctions have some form of sustenance (even if it's just snacks in a general store), but certainly not all of them. Combine that with the fact that it can take quite a while to get from junction to junction in Yellowstone, and planning to eat a hearty breakfast is smart. Before we make it to the Old Faithful Inn on our walk back to find breakfast, though, we spot the fun looking Hamilton's Store and decide to take a quick detour inside to look around. Once inside, we see that they have a small breakfast counter and decide this will do perfectly for a quick meal.
I'm more of an oatmeal and blueberries kind of girl for breakfast, but today, that is not on the menu. There actually isn't a ton on the menu, but that's just fine with us this morning. We order caffeine (coffee for my husband, tea for me) and each opt for a sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich on an English muffin. It comes with two hash browns, as well (I at least keep to eating only one of those). It hits the spot after the morning's exertions, and soon we are off to the car to begin our drive.
Map of Yellowstone
Source: nps.gov/yell (you can find the map link here)
Today we're taking Yellowstone's Lower Loop Road (counterclockwise). The first leg of our journey is from Old Faithful to West Thumb--a 17 mile stretch of road that takes about an hour to traverse. The West Thumb Geyser Basin is certainly not at the top of Yellowstone's most famous hot spring sites, but it's still worth visiting this boardwalk loop that fronts Yellowstone Lake. Plus, it will give us a chance to stretch our legs after an hour in the car.
About 4 miles before reaching our first destination, we cross the continental divide. We actually crossed over it several miles back, as well, but we have gained further elevation since that point (at 8,262 ft) and are now at an elevation of 8,391 ft. The Continental Divide, also referred to as the Great Divide, separates the watersheds of the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic and Arctic Ocean. In other words, it is the point from which one one side, the watershed ultimately flows toward one ocean and on the other, it does the opposite.
Shortly after, we find ourselves at the West Thumb Geyser Basin. The basin is ringed by a 1/2 mile boardwalk loop, with a path added through the center of the loop for a better look at some of the central thermal features. There are several interesting thermals along the boardwalk trail here, but my favorite is definitely Abyss Pool. Abyss pool has the honor of being amongst the park's deepest measured hot spring (53 ft.). Unlike many of the thermal features that look deceivingly colorful and inviting, this one looks almost sinister, bordered by dark colors, to include blood red. I love its uniqueness.
Photos: West Thumb Geyser Basin (Upper Right: Percolating Spring; Middle Left: Collapsing Pool; Middle Right: Blue Funnel Spring)
We spend a bit of time exploring the boardwalk in full and come across a few fun features, to include the bubbling Percolating Spring, the crumbling Collapsing Pool and the funnel-shaped Blue Funnel Spring. Many of Yellowstone's famous sights are named for their appearance. West Thumb itself falls into that category. West Thumb is a jutted portion of Lake Yellowstone. It got its name from Lake Yellowstone's loose resemblance to a hand and West Thumb's loose resemblance to its thumb--pointing west, of course.
The geyser basin provides our first glimpse of Lake Yellowstone--specifically the West Thumb portion. Part of the boardwalk trail skirts the lake's waterfront. Interestingly, there are geysers located near the shoreline in the water's shallows that we can spot from the trail, as well.