After three days of extremely low activity (while in West Yellowstone National Park, MT) bordering on complete laziness, Joani convinced me we should just take a drive. We headed out around 9:30. The weather forecast called for a 58% chance of rain, so I didn't expect to be out for long.
Just a few miles into the park, brake lights signaled some kind of wildlife event. There is always someone who feels the need to stop in the middle of the road, oblivious to everyone else, whenever they see an animal. It was a pretty long line since I could not see the end around a curve. As we got closer, the reason for the delay was a bit more understandable, as we were sharing the road with a buffalo herd. Every so often, one or more of them wandered right into the road halting our progress.
It's their road, we're just borrowing it!
Sam decided to give this big guy a piece of his mind from the backseat. Luckily, Bubba the Buffalo didn't care to reciprocate.
At Madison, we headed north by Norris, on past Mammoth and east along the north side of the park towards Tower Junction. I didn't think there would be a lot of people on this road since it was blocked by snow to the south and east making it a dead-end drive. I was wrong. There were a lot of people driving this road interested in wildlife viewing.
I was impressed by the sweeping vistas with all of the snow capped mountains. Yellowstone is home to more than 40 mountain peaks above 10,000 feet. If they don't look all that high, it is because they are on the Yellowstone plateau that is already between 7,000 and 8,000 feet.
Although the north side of Yellowstone lacks the thermal features you find in the rest of the park, its wildlife is plentiful and the scenery is magnificent.
Undine Falls is just off the side of the road, between Fort Yellowstone and Tower-Roosevelt.
To show how handy binoculars can be, this bison skeleton is in the picture below...
...If you zoom in on the middle upper third on the edge of the cliff-side, you will see what is left of a grizzly/wolf picnic.
A few more miles down the road was a large turn-out overlooking a broad valley. The collection of parked cars indicate wildlife. We spent 20 - 30 minutes studying the valley, and the opposite valley wall, with binoculars. Some patient searching showed us, not only the obvious bison but also a coyote and a bald eagle. Eventually, a trio of Pronghorn Antelope passed within 50 yards of us posing for a few nice close-ups as they grazed by.
I was thrilled when the bison acknowledged the presence of the coyote!
David used a camera mounted on his telescope to capture this herd lounging in, what seems to be, a mineral patch.
The antelope seemed unconcerned with the coyote's presents but eventually chased him off. (Zoomed to the max of my camera's abilities- makes for a fuzzy photo.)
This is the scene without zooming. How did anyone see the eagle on the ground near the very center of this picture in the first place?
We were told he was there, and after some searching, finally spotted him.
He sat in one spot for more than 20 minutes. We thought maybe he was lame until he finally took off. (Not a great picture, but I felt lucky to catch him at all.)
The Blacktail Pond area of the Yellowstone River Valley is so beautiful!
A pair of sandhill cranes seemed out of place to me, but they do belong here.
Pronghorn Antelope
"Where the deer and antelope play..." was stuck in my head for the rest of the day!
It was time to turn around and head back to the coach. I wish Kate could have seen this side of the
park!
Yellowstone Elk, having just shed last years antlers in March or April, are sporting the one or two-month-old growth of a new rack!
Mammoth Springs looks very different than it did a week ago - no more snow!
Bacteria is the source of
the vibrant colors in Yellowstone . When underground water shifts, causing springs to go dormant, the
travertine dries, the bacteria dies, and the color is gone, leaving white
travertine.
This active travertine terrace is very colorful.
Looking southwest, what a beautiful day...
...looking northeast, not so much!
It had gotten colder and I was tired, but as we passed the Artist's Paint Pots, I noticed it was no longer closed. We had to take a look. Like a lot of the thermal features in the park, some of the color was lost because the temperature in the pools had not recovered from the winter cooling.
There was a small bit of active mud, but ...
...the majority of the mud pots had too much water to be impressive.
Wait a minute! This small feature (24"x24") was covered with ice! How is that possible?
By now, I really just wanted to get home - our little drive turned into a 140 mile, 9-hour odyssey - but the sun and clouds conspired to have me stop several more times. I have to admit this sky was worth stopping for a few pictures!
The sun was getting low along the Madison River, looking out over Madison Valley.
Nine hours of driving and exploring, but finally, the view at sunset from our coach in Grizzley RV Park.
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