Well... it was supposed to be raining today but it quit around 6:30 AM this morning. So it looks like we may have a nice day to be out and about. Today we're going to Canyon Junction to see the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We managed to get out of camp around 11:00AM and headed into Yellowstone.
Driving along the 14 mile stretch into the park we parallel the Madison River where our first stop is for a photo session with a mature Bald Eagle. Actually there are two of them perched in trees about 100 yards apart, right along the road.
Moving down the road a ways we next stop for a herd of Bison and a small group of Elk. There must have been about fifty adult bison along with another fifty calves. Some were moving across the river while others were moving along the river into the park.
The area we're in is probably a half mile square with the river meandering through beautiful meadows. About ten elk were bedded down along the river while three or four were browsing in the grass. Lots of cars were stopped and people were everywhere trying to get pictures. Many were too close, some squatted down within fifteen feet or so, another example of "brain disengaged".Leaving the buffalo behind we reached Madison Junction and turned left toward Canyon Junction. Our only stop on this leg was due to construction. After a ten minute wait, the "Follow Me" car showed up and we all made the three mile stretch of newly graded (not paved yet) road through the hills along the Gibbon River. At one point we pull out to do a short drive along the river and take a couple of pictures of the 84' high Gibbon Falls. Pretty spectacular!!
Some time around 1:00 PM we reached Canyon Junction and went in and parked by the Lodge. Tina and I had brought a lunch, so while the girls went to find a rest room in the visitor center, I found a picnic table and Don went into the snack shop to buy something for him and Diane. When everybody joined me at the picnic table we all enjoyed a bite to eat. I even shared my big chocolate and chocolate chip cupcake with Don - heh, heh! Notice the snow...After lunch we went into the visitor center and spent some time learning about how Yellowstone was formed along with the "Grand Canyon of Yellowstone". The Canyon is roughly 20 miles long, measured from the Upper Falls to the Tower Fall area. Depth is 800 to 1,200 ft.; width is 1,500 to 4,000 feet and is somewhere between 10,000 and 14,000 years old, although there has probably been a canyon in this location for a much longer period. Present thinking is that the canyon was formed by erosion rather than by glaciation.
We drove out of Canyon Village and immediately I went in the wrong direction. After a little discussion, Tina finally got me pointed in the right direction and we made it to the South Rim Drive and our first stop, the Upper Falls where we go out to the overlook for our first photos of the 109 foot waterfall. This is a pretty spectacular view point and everybody is out of the car to take pictures. It's chilly with the wind but otherwise we have a pretty nice day.After leaving the Upper Falls parking lot we drove to the end of the road and the "Artist Point" overlook. This spot give you a long range view of Upper Falls, the 309 foot Lower Falls and the Canyon itself. The colors of the canyon walls range from white to gray to yellow, brown, pink, purple and ochre. The canyon's colors were created by hot water acting on volcanic rock. It really is spectacular! Well, of course it is called Artist Point!
From the South Rim we drive back towards Canyon Junction and turn off onto the the one-way North Rim Drive. By now it is getting pretty cold, so when we stopped for a hike down to Lower Falls, the girls decided to let Don and I go by ourselves. The hike down into the "Brink of the Falls" at the top of Lower Falls is a 600 foot along fifteen or so switchbacks covering a little less than a half mile one way. We made it to the bottom (the top of Lower Falls) along with forty or so other hardy souls and spend twenty minutes taking pictures and enjoying the view. It's still so cold at the bottom of the canyon that the spray from the falls is turning into snow and coating the walls next to the falls with thick sheets of ice and snow.
Eventually we start back up and I kept telling Don it was "... just a little bit further" and "... it really does flatten out up ahead". At one point he asked me to wait so he could take my picture. Once he had me in position he asked me to take a step back. Ooooppps, that step would be off the trail. Don just laughed! So we made our way to the top and finally got to the car. It really was quite a hike, no wonder the girls didn't want to go with us.
Leaving the trail head we stopped briefly at "Lookout Point" before driving to "Inspiration Point which looks up the canyon toward Lower Falls. It really is an inspirational view, showing off the majesty of the canyon. As one of the original explorers put it, " ... from this point it is difficult to cope with or even comprehend the mighty architecture of nature." By this time it's getting late and with a forty mile drive plus a potential stop for road construction, we decided to return to camp. With a couple of unplanned stops along the way due to bison in the road, literally walking in the road, we got home a little after 5:00 PM to let the kids out and get dinner started. Tina made steak and eggs for us, then rather than play cards, we all decided to take a night off.
To see all our photos, click on:
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