Day 11 – Yellowstone

Woke up this morning in Helena, Montana after driving out of Yellowstone yesterday. I was looking more forward to that than even the Grand Canyon, and I am glad we scheduled enough time on our itinerary.

Day One – Monday

It was fascinating to be sure, but the weather made what I was excited about rather disappointing.

We started the day in the mid-30s with overcast skies and winds sustained at 15mph and gusting around 30mph. (I had some cold weather clothing with me, but not for biting wind.) We even encountered some snow flurries in spots. The girls almost couldn’t believe it and loved watching the feather-light flakes stream toward the windshield as we drove. 

Almost immediately, we hit a traffic jam. As we inched forward, it was because everyone was stopped to check out the bison on the side of the road. Just chillin’ and grazin’ right outside our window.

Our first stop after clearing through that was the Grand Prismatic Spring. This was MY stop. I wanted so much to see the rainbow shades of the pond. (The vibrant colors are attributed to bacteria and other organisms that react with the mineral-rich water.) Because the water was hot and the air was cold, all I could see was steam, but man, it felt pretty good on my frozen face!

Then on to Old Faithful. Contrary to popular myth, this geyser does not erupt on the minute at specific intervals. And since an earthquake in 1959, the time between eruptions lengthened to approximately 94 minutes, with a 10 minute margin of error. As we walked from the parking lot, I heard the familiar refrain from Ainsley announcing, “It’s 11:11! Make a wish!” (This is apparently a thing with tweens these days.) The sign posted at the information booth predicted the next eruption at 11:11. What a coincidence. So we beelined it straight for the geyser, but it decided to keep us waiting until 11:18. I’ll be honest. It was anticlimactic. I mean, it’s Old Faithful. But okay, now I’ve seen it. Along with the HORDES of other people that day. The park service even built rows of benches for viewing the 90-second spectacle.

But my absolute favorite spot to see was Artist’s Point. It’s the spot that makes paintings and photos of Yellowstone so famous. And for good reason. There is a stunning view of the falls surrounded by canyon walls of, well, yellow stone. I could’ve stood there for hours, listening to the water and taking in the view. It was really unfortunate that I was so cold. If I ever make it back that way, I’d like to spend longer with the scenery.

We capped off the first day with the “paint pots” which are bubbling spools of viscous mud, similar to the consistency of tempera paint.

The lower loop road of 96 miles took 10 hours. At the end of the day, we welcomed a hot meal and a nice cup of coffee down the street inside a bookstore.

Day Two – Tuesday 

We knew this was going to be more like a half day on the upper loop road, and we really only wanted to check out the wildlife in Lamar Valley. The timing worked out so much better, and the weather was sunny and cool. I really could’ve used that the day before! But the drive was easy, and we even caught sight of a grizzly bear on the way and a bison who decided to go for a walk in traffic!

I absolutely loved the road over Mt. Washburn. It was a little reminiscent of The Sound of Music with green meadows and snow-capped peaks in the distance. It didn’t really feel anything like the rest of the park we’d seen.

Then, as soon as the road swept into the valley floor, I was captivated by the wide open spaces where free-roaming bison are accustomed to and unafraid of people and cars. We pulled over and walked partway into the field where a few of them were just napping or resting. I can’t imagine what pioneers and explorers thought coming across such a sight for the first time. I had a map and the internet telling me what to expect, and I was still blown away.

I am admittedly not a fan of Theodore Roosevelt. Research his policies and opinions on American Indians and you’ll understand why. However, I will openly praise his foresight and initiative to preserve the wild beauty of the Yellowstone area. If you’ve never been, you owe it to yourself to take in its pristine landscape.