Perfect Weather, First Hike

Grand Teton from Sleeping Indian Overlook, on the drive to the trailhead at String Lake

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I wanted to choose the best possible hike for my first in Grand Teton National Park.  The Park could close on Wednesday if congress does not approve a budget.  Also Wednesday is supposed to be cloudy and possibly rainy—not good for pictures.  So I chose the hike from String Lake to Bear Paw Lake with a longer trip back around the west side of String Lake.

Grand Teton from the airport

a child poses

a photographer’s backdrop

Mrs. Douglas Fir smiles

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Grand Teton
from Sleeping Indian Overlook

Grand Teton
from Sleeping Indian Overlook

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Grand Teton
from String Lake

Grand Teton
from String Lake

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The child poses

before the photographer’s backdrop

Mrs. Douglas Fir smiles

Bear Paw lake

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Along the trail to Bear Paw Lake

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Just a Few Shots

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Mt. Moran

Grand Teton Peak
in the middle 13,370’

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I had hoped to find the aspens in their full fall glory, but didn’t really count on it.  What did I do in this life to be so fortunate?

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

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It‘s not as deep or wide as the real Grand Canyon, but its spires inspire, and its hoodoos haunt just like the real thing.

Lower Falls from the north rim

Lower Falls from the north rim,
zoomed in on Uncle Tom's Trail

"Uncle" Tom Richardson descended on a rope in 1898 that led to a spectacular view of the falls.  He had a vision of leading visitors to wonderland.  His installed rope ladders and double ropes, greatly simplifying the climb.  From the photo above, his clients look perfectly calm and properly attired for the treacherous descent—ladies in long skirts, gentlemen in coats and ties.  It’s hard for me to believe the picture was not taken in a studio, save the strikingly familiar view of the falls in the background. 

Looking at the falls from the north rim, I could see Uncle Tom’s Trail as it is today with steel steps and hand rails.  Even now it looks treacherous.  

Lower Falls from botton of
Uncle Tom's Trail

Lower Falls from botton of 
Uncle Tom's Trail

But after climbing down, it’s easy to see how Uncle Tom had a vision.  If he could get people down here, they would love him forever. 

From where I stood at the bottom, looking up at the top of the falls I saw the easy-to-reach lookout platform gained from the north rim on a normally steep hike.  Of course those few of us at the bottom belittled such modern tourist conveniences.  Give it up for Uncle Tom and the hardy people who loved him. 

On a softer note, I must say that early mornings on Madison River a few miles east of West Yellowstone give a very pleasant start to every day that I’ve been here.  

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Mt. Washburn

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I hiked to the highest summit in Yellowstone where even the hardy lodgepole pines give way to harsh winters.  Grass and a few scrubby trees are all that make it here.

From the summit I could see most of Yellowstone Park and looked into the world’s largest caldera.  It doesn’t look like the caldera of Kilauea on Hawaii or any other volcano.  In fact it was only recently identified as a volcano.  Because it is so big, it’s called a super volcano, capable of eruptions dwarfing anything ever seen by humanity.  The most recent, 640,000 years ago, was a thousand times the blast of the Mount St. Helens in 1980. 

Most volcanoes spew where tectonic plates rub together.  Yellowstone’s supervolcano is unusual in being in the middle of a plate.  Most of these kind are in the middle oceanic plates.  Yellowstone is very rare, being on land called the North American Plate.  

Since the last eruption, the caldera has risen 2,000 feet due to an upwelling of magma below the earth’s crust.  Some experts think this forshadows another eruption.  Ironically, rising land due to hot magma led to colder air.  About 20,000 years ago,Yellowstone was under about 4,000’ of glacial ice.  Cold ice because of hot magma.  

Breccia, volcanic rock from past eruptions.  

Far to the south I see the Grand Tetons in this highly zoomed and edited picture.

Bison and Steam

Today I hiked in Yellowstone National Park, the first of two wilderness destinations.  I say "wilderness" of a place where busloads of tourists stop at popular picture spots like Old Faithful.  I avoided these places today and will skirt around them tomorrow and the rest of my five days here.  Once parked at the trailhead, I saw no one.

Before sunrise, along the Madison River, big animals are thinking breakfast.

Elk and bison graze in morning meadows.

Then in the distance plumes rise in what look like campfires.  But coming closer, I see they are not smoke, but steam. 

Sulfur fills my nose as bubbling pots tickle my ears like some great feast being prepared.  I feel a rumble under my feet. Mysterious plumbing down there. Occasionally a splash of hot water spurts up.  

Yellowstone is the world’s first national park.  It is the largest in the lower 48 states.  New geysers erupt.  Hot springs suddenly stop flowing.  Old faithful is not so faithful anymore.  Thermal features may be anywhere, under your feet, I hear them, feel them burgling.  Old ones dry up; new ones break through the crust.  I absorb the smells, colors and sounds, feel the steam and the smell of sulfur.  I want more.  

East to Yellowstone

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West Yellowstone

I drove from Boise, Idaho, to just west of Yellowstone National Park today.  In the 1850’s wagons traveled this general route on the Oregon Trail.  These ruts in the land were carved by thousands of mules, wagons, and people walking with a destination in mind.  I am tired from driving these last 900 miles since Corvallis, and it seems like it took me a long time.  I have often said that riding a bicycle is faster than driving a car.  It seems faster when I get there, and I’m looking for an old wagoneer here in West Yellowstone who will say the same for driving mules.  

Tomorrow I plan a hike in the park.  But tonight I will sleep in this little cabin.