Saying Goodbye to Yellowstone

Our final trip into Yellowstone National Park this year was filled with several good sightings.

We saw this coyote jumping into holes hunting for some food.

Headed to Black Sand Basin...

A raven waited around to see if anyone would drop any tasty morsels.

Looking down Iron Creek at Black Sand Basin while a small geyser erupts.

And more of Black Sand Basin...

Upon arrival at Biscuit Basin, we found that we humans were not alone.

The bison (aka buffalo) calmly waited for all the humans to pass...

to give itself a good head scratching on the boardwalk...

and then slowly make its way across to the other side to promptly relieve itself.

Splish, splash we're not taking a bath in Mustard Spring.

It was kind of steamy at Midway Geyser Basin today.

On Firehole Lake Drive, we came across the Great Fountain Geyser. It erupts about every 12 hours and it was "scheduled" to erupt in about 45 minutes, so we decided to stick around and wait.

We waited and waited. The approximate time of eruption came and went. We waited another 30 minutes for the inevitable.

The wait was rewarded as the Great Fountain is one of the largest and most dramatic geysers in the park.

This cone-shaped geyser is Castle Geyser. It too only erupts a couple of times a day. It erupted while we were waiting for Great Fountain.

For more pictures, click here .

To be continued...

New Old Faithful Education & Visitor Center

On our way to see the new visitor center at Old Faithful, we could see what appeared to be a new mountain; actually, it was the smoke from the Antelope Fire.
A bull elk watches over his harem.

One last stop before the visitor center was the Firehole swimming area. Very popular in the summer, there were only a few here today even though it was a nice warm day in the 70s.

The Firehole is warmed by the runoff of distant hot springs and geysers.

Marlon couldn't resist taking this picture of the sun while here.

We finally made it to the NEW Old Faithful Education and Visitor Center which opened on August 25th.

Looks like snow on the roof already. Nope, just a design to make it look that way.

The 26,000 square foot building's price tag was $27 million, funded by both public and private sources.

The large windows provide a direct view of Old Faithful, which will be quite nice when winter arrives.

The building is filled with many different interactive displays providing information about all the natural features and wildlife of the park.

Here at Yellowstone, there are more hot springs and geysers than the rest of the world combined.

In the Young Scientist area geared to kids, you can watch a working model of a geyser build up pressure and erupt.

Here's a view of the new building from the walkway to Old Faithful.

The Old Faithful Observation Point can be reached via a moderate 1/2 mile hike ascending 200 feet above the Old Faithful Geyser Basin. We made it to the top with time to spare.

Doug decides not to get scalded by following the boardwalk since a small geyser was continuously erupting and landing on the walkway.

By the time we finished walking about the Old Faithful Geyser Basin it was getting late. Here's the visitor center at night.

For more pictures, click here or flip through the entire album below by clicking on the small pictures on the right.

To be continued...

Fall in Yellowstone National Park

We and Candice went into the park today to see some of the fall colors. This bison (or buffalo) was taking it easy in some of the grass that had changed colors.

This elk tried its best to blend in with its surroundings.

The grass around many of the geysers had already turned from green to yellow (or is that brown?).

The mud pots were still muddy.

Fall is here at Yellowstone National Park, but you have to enjoy it while it lasts.

We stopped by Upper Yellowstone Falls and captured these pictures.

Notice the steps on the other side. Who in their right minds would go down them?

Wildlife was all around us today. To see some of it, we had to keep a sharp eye out.

Well, we found our way to those steps in the prior picture. Uncle Tom's Trail has over 300 steps. Luckily, they removed the extra 200 steps and the rope ladders the trail originally had.

Looking down where the steps begin to the workout that awaits.

You want to hold onto the rails here and imagine that now you had to climb down some rope ladders too.

Down at the bottom, it was time for a snapshot and a brief rest.

We were standing on the platform to the right of the Falls when we snapped the first picture of the steps earlier.

The parking lot for the other side of the Falls is above this ridge.

A longer shot of the Falls.

The only problem going down Uncle Tom's Trail is that you eventually have to go back up Uncle Tom's Trail. Let the huffing and puffing begin!

Buffalo roam...

and wallow in the dirt.

One last look at the Buffalo.

In the distance, you can see the thermal water running into Yellowstone Lake.

I see you!!!

Human feet are bigger than elk feet.

This is the West Thumb Geyser Basin which sits next to Yellowstone Lake.

Time for a picture.

I guess humans use this trail so it must be okay to walk on.

I just want to get to the other side.

We have crossed the Continental Divide many times this summer.
It was getting late. Before heading home, we got these great pictures of Yellowstone in the evening.

For more pictures, click here .

To be continued...