Category Archives: scenic drives

Side trip of Geysers and Hot Springs

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Geysers abound on Firehole Lake Dr.

Just past Midway Geyser basin is Firehole Lake Dr. The concierge stressed that I should be sure to take this side loop.  At first I thought it was just more thermal features. But it turned out to be a great drive.

Unforgiving Landscape

 

Great Fountain GeyserGreat Fountain Geyser

I missed Great Fountain Geyser. I think it had just gone off. I could see the steam clouds ahead of me but when I got there it was over. This is one of the four  highest spouting geysers in Yellowstone. It’s fairly regular too but where I’d just missed it I’d have about 12 hours to wait for the next eruption so I waved at the steam and moved on.

White Dome Geyser

Eruption Begins at White Dome

I passed some steaming lakes and springs then turned a corner to spot a geyser that had built up quite a cone at the base. This is White Dome Geyser. According to my Gaperguide the eruption cycle is about 10 minutes so I pulled over to go on Geyser watch. It must have just gone off before I arrived because it took the full 10 minutes before erupting. I was much closer to White Dome than I had been to Old Faithful so in some ways this was more exciting.

White Dome Plume of Steam

There’s a board walk that goes around the base of this geyser. Some tourists were reading the information boards when it went off. Their reaction was priceless. I guess if I’d been sanding there and been surprised I’d have looked funny too!

An Active geyser

Paint Pots or Ravens

Fountain FlatsAs White Dome subsided I moved on. I drove past more steaming hot springs and possibly some geysers. I passed Firehole Lake. Looks inviting but you’ll scald you skin off!  As Firehole Lake Dr connected with the main loop road I spotted a sign for Fountain Paint Pots. I was anxious for a chance to try photographing those bubbling mud holes.

In the large parking lot I was greeted by a huge raven. These large “crows” are everywhere around Yellowstone and this fellow Pretty Ravenwas particularly friendly. After a brief chat with Mr. Raven I followed a long boardwalk out of the parking lot past steaming hot pools of water. I didn’t see any bubbling mud. And the wind was cold!

Next Stop: Lewis Falls

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Lewis Falls is just a 30 Ft Cascade

Parking for Lewis Falls is mostly by the roadside. Its just a short walk up a slight incline to a rocky outcrop with a good view of the falls. Even I was up to this much. I skipped the rocky trail that takes you right to the falls. It looked a bit slippery and icy from the snow in the area. I’d skipped this stop the day before because there were so many people. This early I was the only one here. Lewis falls 30 ft cascade

Lodgepole pines frame the waterfallNamed for Meriwether Lewis

Just as the Lewis River is named for Meriwether Lewis so too is the falls unless you want to say its named for the river. Even with the frothing cascade it’s hard to believe this river is carving out a 400 ft canyon just a little way downstream! On the opposite side of the road from the falls the river spreads out to a wide calm river meandering through a peaceful meadow. I’m told this is a great place to look for moose but the meadow was empty when I was there.

Standing in a Volcano

Everyone knows that Yellowstone is a super volcano but within that giant caldera are numerous vents and smaller caldera. It’s these features that create the bubbling hot springs, geysers and mud pots. According to the Yellowstone Guide Yellowstone Treasures by Janet Chapple, Lewis Falls marks the southern boundary of the caldera. I think she means the super volcano caldera. My Gaperguide talked about the road following the rim of the caldera so I think they are the same thing. Kind of amazing to think you are in such a huge active volcano.

Take a minute to Fish

The day before I spotted an angler perched on the overlook. He was whipping his fly rod back and forth and finally the line soared out in a graceful arch. I couldn’t do that if my life depended on it. It seems that most of the rivers are restricted to fly fishing. Check with the local rangers for rules and permits before you give it a try. Snow in the forest near the falls  

Is there a Photo Opportunity Here?

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Moose are high on my Photo Wish List

A moose photo is a challenge, at least for me. They are solitary creatures. Moose are the largest species in the deer family. The males have huge flat antlers. Other members of the deer family have treelike branching antlers. Moose are called Twig Eaters. It’s their ability to survive on twigs and browse that gave them this nick-name but they are also well known for eating tons of  aquatic plants when they can find them. My first moose picture was in Maine in the summer of 2012.

Nice moose – bad picture. My 2nd chance came in Alaska in 2013 from a moving bus while the moose scrambled up a dirt bank.

Is this my chance for The Moose Picture?

If you’ve followed my blog for long you know that I went to Maine in June of this year (2017) to try to get an iconic moose photo for my wildlife collection. I saw moose but they were pretty mangy looking.

A Moose heading for the trees

They were also by the side of the road. One thing about wildlife photography is that there’s a lot of luck involved. You need to be in the right place at the right time and hope the animals cooperate. Now here I was once again on the side of a road, camera in hand, hoping for that picture that would let me cross MOOSE off my list.

It’s a Moose on the Loose

As I reached Gros Ventre I ran into the biggest traffic jam yet. I kept driving but very slowly. I didn’t see anything. Then about halfway down the gauntlet of cars I saw it, a massive bull moose. He was in no hurry, or so it seemed. I saw the antlers first. The afternoon sun reflected off them but his dark coat seemed to blend into the brush. I expected him to head for the hills.

Come on Mr. Moose

Hey Mr. Moose give me a something worthwhile. I tried. He was certainly handsome enough. A nice shiny coat, big antlers and he was just strolling along. I snapped picture after picture but I just couldn’t capture the image I was looking for. I guess my moose photo quest will continue.

The Herd at Elk Flats Ranch

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Is that a Herd of Cows?

I’d just reached the open land of Elk Flat Ranch when I spotted a herd of something. The dark spots were scattered across the landscape. At first I thought they were cows, after all this is cow country. A lone car was pulled over while the driver scanned the horizon. Maybe there was more there than meets the eye so I stopped too. Good thing I did. I was about to see 3 of the major herd animals all in one place. The black spots I thought were cows were actually bison!

Bison and Elk at Elk Flats Ranch

B is not just for bears

Not just for bears, B can be for Buffalo or more correctly Bison. Those dark spots I was watching turned out to be bison. As I watched them I saw some other movement in the herd that didn’t seem to flow with the bison. I’d forgotten to pack my binoculars so I grabbed the camera. Not as much magnification as I’d have with binoculars but better than my naked eyes. Right in the middle of the Bison herd was a small herd of Elk.

Elk on the run

Elk & Bison herd

The elk herd consisted of several females and at least 2 bulls. The bulls were a mismatched pair, one set of antlers much larger than the other. The bigger bull seemed to be bullying the smaller one. Both were running circles around the females. It was like watching a National Geographic wildlife special for real! But wait, there’s something else moving in that herd and it’s not a bison or an elk.

Prong Horn Antelope too

On the outskirts of the combined Bison/Elk herd I spotted two moving objects that were much lighter in color and moved very differently than the lumbering buffalo or the elegant elk. It’s a pair of prong horn antelope. Could this be where the “deer and antelope play”? The prong horns seemed to be  with the herd and yet apart as they bounced around the fringes. Soon they would be joining other prong horns to start their annual migration.

Prong horn join the mixed herd

From zero to 4 in 30 minutes

From no animals to 4 different species in about 30 minutes! Bears, bison, elk & prong horn. Not bad for the afternoon! But I still have about 50 miles to go to get back to the Teton Club. Maybe there’s more in store.

Midway Geyser Basin

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Crossing the Firehole RiverThe Moonscape that is Midway Geyser Basin

Midway Geyser Basin is my next stop on the lower loop road. You can see the stream rising in huge clouds as you approach. There’s a large parking area and even now, in the off season, it’s pretty full. Its hard to imagine what it would be like at the height of the tourist season. A solid wooden bridge crosses the Firehole River. Steaming, boiling water flows down the bank into the river.run off into Firehole river

Huge billowing clouds of steam blow across the bridge and walkways.

 

Excelsior Geyser Crater

Boardwalk zigs and zagsExcelsior GeyserExcelsior Geyser Crater

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Boardwalk crosses the Firehole River before zig-zaging first to the right then back to the left always climbing upward. The first hot spring we pass is the Excelsior Geyser Crater. Its the water from this crater that is flowing into the Firehole River. Dumping 4000-4500 gallons of boiling water per minute into the river its not surprising that there are always clouds of steam. Excelsior Geyser used to erupt in a powerful plume from 100-300 ft high but after some particularity powerful eruptions it subsided to the simmering hot spring that it is today. Scientists speculate that those powerful eruptions damaged the internal plumbing ending the  more spectacular thermal displays.

 

Grand Prismatic Spring SignGrand Prismatic Spring

Bacterial matt at Grand prismatic

Orange algae and bacteria float on the Grand Prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest in the world. The vivid colors in the spring are the result of microbial mats around the edges of the mineral-rich water.

 

The mats produce colors ranging from green to red. In the summer, the mats tend to be orange and red, whereas in the winter the mats are usually dark green. The center of the pool is sterile due to extreme heat. The deep blue color of the water in the center of the pool results from the intrinsic blue color of the water. The effect is strongest in the center of the spring, because of its sterility and depth. Usually the photos you see in magazines are taken from above.

From the boadwalk

The View From Above

Fairy Falls

Unattributed photo from the internet.

Most photos of the Grand Prismatic Spring are taken looking down. Many are aerial views taken from airplanes or maybe a helicopter. There is also a trail that leads from the Grand Prismatic Spring to Fairy Falls. Along the way there are 2 other geysers and a lookout above the hot spring. The trail is only .5 miles but it climbs 105 ft. I’ve added this hike to my bucket list. For now it was time to leave the clouds and steam of Midway behind and turn for home. 

Aerial view Grand Prismatic Spring

Unattributed photo from the internet. I wish I could have taken this one.