Although the Grand Teton area is a magical place, it was only the prelude to the real highlight and Olympus of all national parks.
Established in March 1872, it is the oldest national park in the world and covers an area of approximately 9,000 square kilometers, roughly the size of Corsica. Located primarily in Wyoming but also stretching as far as Montana and Idaho, Yellowstone National Park features breathtaking canyons, alpine rivers, lush forests, thermal springs and sparkling geysers. For the first geyser we hiked almost 8 kilometers (back and forth). This partially paved trail follows an old side road along the Firehole River.
When we arrived, the hot water spring caused by volcanism, which erupts approximately every 3 hours, was dormant. Enough time to catch your breath; we waited more or less patiently.
From time to time it steamed and bubbled a little, which is why we were in constant expectation.
But it took more than 2 hours until something finally happened.
The first eruption was still relatively restrained, but soon after the Lone Star sprayed all its charm.
In moving pictures it looked like this
Lennox was unfazed, finding the walk before and after much more exciting. If I probably saw it that way too, I would have noticed the bison that was standing right next to the path between the trees, as Sebastian told me. At least the Kepler Cascades couldn't be overlooked and didn't even require a further walk since they are located directly on the road.
Next we went to the Upper Geyer Basin. The Upper Geyser Basin, also known as the Old Faithful Region, is the region in the park that has the highest concentration of geothermal features in the park. While most people gathered around Old Faithful to watch its eruption, I followed a series of boardwalks, paved and dirt trails through the Basin to see more incredible geysers and hot pools. To admire everything, you can easily cover up to 10 kilometers there. That was understandably too much for Sebastian and so I sped on alone to explore one of the most fascinating places in the world.
The paths were almost deserted, which is why I was traveling at about 15-20 km/h in places. Up to an impressive encounter that I hadn't expected at all behind a curve.
Unlike in the picture, we suddenly found ourselves face to face. As my heart sank and I slowly shifted into reverse, Mr. Bison seemed to be eyeing me closely and noting me seriously. He turned his head away and seemed to wait a moment...then went on his way. Phew... that was exciting!
I still had a pulse as I drove on, but the myriad of colorful hot springs and the rising mist of erupting geysers calmed me down in no time.
Unbelievable impressions and the day was not over yet. Named for the unusual buiskite-like deposits that once surrounded Sapphire Pool, the Biscuit Basin is traversed by an easy 1km lollipop loop trail that passes many hydrothermal features such as Sapphire Pool, Avoca Spring and Jewel Geyser. The atmosphere was magical
and more magical the darker it got.
We illegally did not spend the night at a park campsite, but parked near the Midway Geyser Basin after dark, which we visited in the morning. We crossed the wooden bridge that spans the Firehole River; this flows peacefully along the road and lies below the active zone. Hot, steaming water constantly flows into the river from the hot pools located higher up. It's a great spectacle in itself, but the minerals released by the hot springs also leave behind a beautiful array of colors as they make their way into the river.
And this spectacle was just the beginning... more indescribable impressions followed.
But the highlight of the Middle Basin is undoubtedly the Grand Prismatic Spring. At 112 meters wide, it is incredibly large and known around the world for its rainbow colors.
Its colors can best be seen from a higher location, but unfortunately the way to the vantage point was not accessible with a wheelchair. Nevertheless, there was still a lot to see, e.g. the Lower Geyser Basin.
Not wanting to expose Lennox to the fumes of the Hot Springs, we also stopped at picnic spots like this one where he could run and sniff.
By the time we got to Gibbon Falls the blue sky had gone and the rain had started.
A few miles to the north is the generally less active Gibbon Geyser Basin with several scattered clusters of thermal features, the most popular of which are Artists Paint Pots, a group of over 50 springs, geysers, vents and most notably mud pots. These feature various shades of blue, gray and brown and have a range of different textures.
The rapid change in the weather left its mark and after a few unintentional showers from above I felt a little chilly. It's a good thing that the Norris Geyser Basin was on the program afterwards. It is Yellowstone's hottest, oldest and most dynamic thermal area. The highest temperature ever recorded in a geothermal area in Yellowstone was measured in a scientific borehole at Norris: 459°F (237°C) just 1,087 feet (326 meters) below the surface! There are very few thermal features below boiling point (199 °F at this elevation) in Norris.
Also absolutely impressive was the area around the Roaring Mountains, which were named after the numerous fumaroles on the west slope of the summit, which in the early 20th century were loud enough to be heard several kilometers away.
Afterwards we paid a visit to the Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces. Despite everything we had seen up until then, it just didn't get boring. Nature seemed to come up with something new around every corner. Mammoth Hot Springs is a large travertine (limestone) formation formed over thousands of years. More than two tons of hot water flow out of Mammoth Springs every day. As the water cools, calcium carbonate is deposited, which over time forms the characteristic pools and platforms. Traces of iron oxide undergo the same phenomenon, which explains the reddish tinge of some terraces.
Near Mammoth Hot Springs is Liberty Cap, a strange, conically shaped rock formation 10 feet tall. A result of deposition from an ancient hot spring that dried up more than a century ago.
Not far from there is the park's headquarters, where we hoped for an internet connection... but instead we found a herd of elk enjoying themselves in the green meadows surrounding the Yellowstone Justice Center. The name Wapiti comes from the Shawnee Indians and means "white rump". Due to our panoramic bus window, we were able to watch the stately animals from the bus and cook dinner at the same time.
A couple from Switzerland joined us during the evening. They parked opposite us with their truck, which had also been shipped and converted into a mobile home, had spotted our German license plate and knocked on our door to say "Hello". We enjoyed the company and exchanged ideas while not losing sight of what was happening around us. It got exciting when a second deer bull approached the herd, which of course displeased the boss of the gang and made it unmistakably clear to the young, slender offspring bull.
Time passed and in no time it was dark when there was another knock on our door, but this time it was a park officer who kindly pointed out to the four of us that it would be quite unwise and expensive to stay in front of the courthouse, especially since camping outside of the park's campsites is absolutely forbidden! So we trundled and each went his own way. A campsite was out of the question though as most (7 out of 13) were still closed due to the devastating floods a few weeks earlier and the rest had been booked for months. So we parked under cover of darkness in a parking bay again. On the way there, there was a bit of a thrill when I could see a bison on the side of the road in the pitch black and loudly drew Seb's attention to it, so that he braked in time, the bison could cross the road and we got away without a radiator ornament weighing several tons.
That night it got bitterly cold for the first time and in the morning I actually had to dig out long trousers and a thick sweater, while Seb' was still wearing shorts and flip flops. It was already our 3rd day in the park and there was still so much to see... like the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Countless vantage points provided a glimpse into the caldera of the supervolcano responsible for creating the natural wonder of Yellowstone.
The Hayden Valley was no less beautiful - a huge open grassland teeming with wild animals. This area features rolling hills, tree islands and several large thermal areas. The slow-flowing Yellowstone River travels south to north across the valley floor and is a magnet for all kinds of wildlife. If you have not yet seen bison, you will definitely find something here. The imposing animals graze everywhere in large herds.
Also in the Hayden Valley, the Mud Volcano area has many mud pots and hills dotted with steam cooked trees. The hydrothermal vents here are some of the most acidic in the park.
The last stop should be the West Thumb Geyser Basin, but access was blocked for some reason. A little annoying but not to change. We decided to leave the park on the west side and spend the night in Montana.
We treated ourselves to a couple of spare ribs and burgers at what seemed to be the most popular restaurant in town (Firehole Bar-B-Que) and used the IOverlander app to search for a parking space for the first time that evening. I chose a pitch near Hebgen Lake.
When we arrived, a Mercedes Sprinter with a German number plate was already parked there. Of course we had to say hello! We invited Denise and Peter over and chatted for a while about our plans and experiences. It's always interesting to meet such globetrotters and it turned out that the two also write a blog (pedena.de) about their trip. In the morning we said goodbye to each other but so much in advance: It was not our last encounter with the two of them. We drove back to Yellowstone NP one last time, but only to leave it on the west side. The magic of this masterpiece of nature remained unbroken to the last meter!
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