AN AFTERNOON IN YELLOWSTONE
September 26th 2021
We did it again... Yellowstone National Park, twice in one week... and I still don't have a touristy t-shirt to prove it. But I guess time flies when you're surrounded by the smell of sulfur and boiling pots of mud.
You may be thinking, 'what's the rush? Yellowstone isn't going anywhere. Take your time kids.'
Well, au contraire, friends. The infamous Montana winter weather is quickly approaching. The kind of cold that makes it hurt to breathe and your snot turn to shards of glass. Big Sky is no stranger to -20 or lower! It's supposed to start snowing next week, and at the moment, my closet reflects having lived two years in a climate where you can cook an egg on the asphalt, so things are looking good.
That being said, we figured going back to the World's first National Park, and trying to see as much as possible before the weather gets out of hand, was the best way to fill a free afternoon. With our apartment being 40 minutes from the park, can you blame us? Not to mention, the drive there and back is half the fun! And this time, we brought Barnabus. He had no idea what was going on, but that's beside the point. He had a great time sitting in the back seat, his gray muzzle making him look like a wise and distinguished observer of the finer things nature has to offer. We packed a lunch, it was a beautiful day... if that doesn't sound like the perfect Sunday, then I don't know what does.
This time around, knowing we didn't have to rush home to take the dog out, we took our time. If you didn't know, the roads in Yellowstone National Park that are lined with all of the main tourists destinations and must see stops, are along a huge "figure 8." Since there was no snow this time, and no road closures, we were able to do the entire bottom loop. We left a lot later in the day, arriving at the park around 2PM, so the sun was lower, and because of the fall colors in the trees, it appeared to be Golden Hour pretty much the entire time we were in the park... AND the animals seemed to be more active.
We started at the West Entrance, and went right at the fork, towards Grand Prismatic Springs and Old Faithful. This is the direction we went the last time, but we were trying to get past the point where the road was closed last time due to snow. Luckily, the road was open, and we were able to climb elevation to more than 8,300ft., and see Yellowstone Lake. It was all mountains and trees, and then out of nowhere, sapphire blue water, less than ten feet from where we were, lining the two lane road. We were able to drive along the lake for quite a while, and it was STUNNING. Also, massive. We couldn't believe the color and vast size of this lake. So we made it a mission to find a picnic spot close to the water, and we couldn't have stumbled upon a more beautiful spot. It was a random parking lot off to the right of the main road, past West Thumb. We couldn't see the lake from the road or the parking lot, so we weren't really sure if this would be the place. We walked towards this little "trail" where you could see very light signs of foot traffic. We figured we would walk a bit and see where it took us. We didn't have to walk far before realizing, we may have been in the best picnic spot in the park.
It was a dream. There was a beach, with small waves rolling up on shore, and actual sand. It was a little hidden cove, not another human in sight. We were met with a light breeze coming off the lake, and when I closed my eyes, I was standing in front of the ocean again. There was something so familiar about the sounds and the feeling, it was like being home. Everything I've been missing about California, was right there, if i just closed my eyes. I didn't want to leave. We ate our sandwiches just staring out at the water, letting Barney roam, and silently worrying about bears. There were warning signs on the table, and we didn't bring our bear spray. So we enjoyed the time as much as we could, and after Barney got in the water for a bit, we headed back to the car, not wanting to push our luck. Running into a bear out in the middle of nowhere, hidden from the road, with no cell phone reception, no weapon, and no spray, might have ruined the moment.
Next stop- Faherty Rapids. This was a surprise little stop off the side of the road, that was very unassuming. It appeared to just be a small parking lot with an outhouse. But Croix decided to stop after seeing a sign, and I'm glad we did. Following a short walk down some stairs, you are right along side the rapids. The trees were really showing their Fall colors, the golds and oranges reflecting off the water with sunshine peaking through the trees behind us. It was peaceful, and there was hardly anyone on the deck. It was a nice stop, and if you are going to Yellowstone in the Fall time, we recommend you see it.
After leaving the rapids, we pulled off the road at yet another random parking lot, where you can see tiny log barriers protecting steaming holes in the ground, that would be very easy to accidentally step in. This is something you will see all over the park... hardly any fencing, lack of railings, no signage or warnings that you may lose a foot, but many places you shouldn't be. I saw a lightly used path that led to a cliff, and walked down, where we sat to take in the views for a few minutes. The river and rapids were down below, and from where we were sitting, you could actually see boiling spots in the river, where bubbles were coming to the surface. Is that not absolutely crazy?? This all exists, in the USA, on top of a massive volcano... what a world.
Before we knew it, we were in the famous plain area known for the herds of Bison that spend their time there, Hayden Valley. This was high on our list of what we had been wanting to see in Yellowstone. Lamar Valley is also known for wildlife, but it is much further and far more remote, hence, all the wildlife. But for this trip, Hayden Valley would suffice for us. There were multiple herds across the plains, and we were finally able to introduce Barnabus to his own kind.
We planned to end our day at Yellowstone by stopping at Gibbon Falls, a beautiful cascade of falls, not too far from the park's entrance. It's easy to park and walk over very quick to the edge and see it from the street. If you are into waterfalls, definitely make it a stop.
The day wouldn't be complete without some sort of unexpected animal sightings on our way out of the park. Throughout the day, we had talked about the animals we would love to see, and I couldn't shut up about wanting to see a moose. We had seen one during our move, as we drove through Idaho/West Yellowstone, and it absolutely blew my mind. Ever since then, I've been so stoked about it, I have been dying to see another one. They are such impressive animals. We are about to be at the park exit and we see a bunch of cars stopped... Before you get secondhand excitement for me, no, it wasn't a moose... but we were fortunate enough to see a bison, grazing just off the side of the road. Once we pulled the car over, we realized there was also a huge male Elk in the same field. The bison drew quite the crowd, many people getting way too close, forgetting that bison can charge and kill you. I may or may not have been one of those people. But Croix heard the Elk bugle, and we both gravitated towards him based off the fact that we have seen a lot less elk than bison and there were far fewer people around him. He was awesome, grazing in the field with the trees and mountains behind him. Because of this, and everything else the day had held, we left the park on a high note.
We were heading home, talking about the day, our favorite moments, what we would like to see again, and of course, keeping our eyes peeled for deer, bears, elk, wolves. It truly is one of the most beautiful drives we have ever experienced, and we are not taking for granted just how incredible it is during Autumn, knowing soon it will be covered with snow. As we are discussing what's truly important (what we are having for dinner), we notice that there are a couple cars pulled over looking at something across the road. It must be an animal. We have a system since moving here when it comes to situations like this... we see cars stopped, I start to involuntarily hit Croix's arm and yell as if we are about to go down a ditch, and he pulls the car over while rolling down the windows. It works for us. So we pull over, and lone behold... there's a full grown adult moose on the other side of the road... a MF MOOSE. Day complete, month made.
It was such an awesome close to an amazing day. Not the best picture of a moose in the world, but who cares about pictures, that's besides the point, we saw a MOOSE. We had an incredible day and made memories for us, not other people... no screens, no social, no posting, no "entertainment"... just nature, with the love of my life, and Croix. kidding. But seriously, we can't wait for more adventures. This place never ceases to surprise us.
Til next time, Yellowstone.