GRAND TETON & YELLOWSTONE
29 May - 4 June 2015
After four years of drought, flooding broke it and broke it in a
big way. We had already had 13+ inches of rain in May by midnight on the 28th.
More rain fell the morning of the 29th with more forecast. On the 30th, we
learned that more torrential rains fell before daylight on the 30th with more
forecast. Every place that could possibly flood did. Officially, May's official
total rainfall was 16.96 inches---the wettest May everl
We booked our private tour with Cox & Kings and
tailored it to see what we wanted to see. We also specified staying at Old
Faithful Inn. The local supplier was Wildlife Expeditions operated
by Teton Science School.
We were pleased that we did everything we
requested and more. Binoculars were available for us in the van and spotting
scopes were set up at many stops. Sarah Ernst, our guide, was knowledgeable.
She packed and served picnics for us and always had snacks and drinks available
in the van. She knew how to make photos through her spotting scope using an
I-Phone and did it for us several times.
Friday 29 May - The phone rang at 5:30; it was Garvin:
"Good Morning, Mr. Bonner. This is Garvin and I'm at the airport. Did you
know your flight has been delayed until 3:15?" We did not know this and
told him we would have to get back with him. [As much as we love Garvin and
rely on him, it's really not a good morning when he calls an hour and a
half before our scheduled pick-up time.] We called United Air Lines and
got changed to a 12:18 flight to Denver; then we were on a 6:45 flight from
Denver to Jackson Hole. So much for our previous schedule which would get us
into Jackson Hole at 12:35. We learned later that all incoming United flights
had been diverted to either Tulsa or Oklahoma City because DFW weather was so
bad the Airbuses could not land, We landed in Denver earlier than
scheduled---normal for a long layover situation. The flight from Denver to
Jackson Hole lasted just over an hour. We enjoyed the view from the window:
mountain tops completely covered with white snow looking like soft-serve ice
cream; black mountain peaks streaked with snow like rivulets of white icing;
black and green mountain sides splotched and spattered with white snow like
icing flung from a mixer. Below the mountains were green valleys with a
bluish-gray river winding through it.
Upon landing, a ramp was rolled to the plane's doorway and we
walked down it, across the tarmac through a cone-lined pathway and into the
terminal. We learned that it's a new terminal and it's well done in
"mountain style" with lots of wood and massive beams. We met our
driver who transferred us to the Rusty Parrot Lodge.
Saturday 30 May - The alarm sounded at 5:00 and the
wake-up call came at 5:30. We dressed, packed and were in the lobby shortly
before 6:00. Sarah, our guide, was there waiting. We loaded the bags in the van
and left the hotel. Our first stop was Creekside Market where we bought
breakfast. We sat at a table there and completed the required paperwork as we
ate. Sarah also talked about our program in general. We then left Jackson Hole
to spend the day touring Grand Teton National Park.
The magnificent Grand
Teton Mountains form a backdrop to everything; the morning was clear and
their white snowcaps shimmered.
Sarah provided a running commentary while
driving along the park's roadways. We searched for moose, but saw none. We did
see a Cinnamon Teal Duck paddling along.
At one stop, we saw Cliff
Swallows busily plastering mud to build nests under the eaves of a
building.
At some stops, we saw a couple of Pronghorns grazing
and a
brilliantly yellow Meadowlark sang for us.
We saw quite a few Ground
Squirrels---sometimes called Chiselers---scurry across the road or
through the sagebrush. The “towns” of Kelly, Elk and Moose are all
located inside the park. We drove to an area known as Mormon Row located
along the old road leading from Jackson Hole to Yellowstone National Park. Although
the farms are now abandoned and the property of the National Park Service, some
buildings remain. One of them is called the John Moulton Barn; with a
backdrop of the Grand Tetons, it is said to be the most photographed
barn in the US.
When we stopped to look at Teewinot Falls,
we saw a Mountain
Blackbird and then saw a Marmot sitting in the roadway. The Marmot
showed little fear and waddled toward us twisting its tail in a circular
motion.
Almost before we knew it, it was under the van and up in the under
carriage; whether it was chewing the wires or looking for road salt clinging to
the chassis is a moot point. Sarah lay on the ground to try and scare it but it
only ran off when she started the van.
Across a meadow we saw an Elk cow
lead her calf along the edge of the woods; several more cows were with her and
a Bull Elk lay under a nearby tree. While driving a narrow dirt road, we
came upon a Mule Deer Buck browsing; while we were watching him, a Mule
Deer Doe appeared in the underbrush. She was more skittish and soon ran
across the road and into the thicker woods.
Not far away, several stopped vehicles
denoted a "critter jam." We stopped, got out and saw a Black Bear busily
eating something---perhaps grass.
Around 11:30, we stopped at Signal
Mountain Lodge for lunch. Located on the shores of Jackson Lake, the
view from the windows was beautiful.
From there we drove to the top of Signal
Mountain. In the valley below, we watched some Elk, Bison and
Pronghorn graze in the old riverbed. Some areas of the valley floor were
carpeted in blooming Dandelions which shimmered yellow in the bright
sunshine.
We also saw Cow Lake which all the guides call Willie Lake.
Atop Signal Mountain we saw three plants with yellow flowers: Arrowleaf;
Yellow Violet;
Oregon Grape.
After driving down the mountain, we crossed
the Jackson Lake Dam and made a slight detour as a Coyote ran
across the road. Then we drove to Jackson Lake Lodge arriving shortly
after 2:00. Room 561 is on the second level of a cottage and has a balcony with
a view of the Grand Teton Mountains across Jackson Lake. There is
marsh between the room and the lakeshore.
Sunday 31 May - We
were packed and ready to leave when Sarah arrived at 5:30.
After loading our
things into the van, we drove out of Jackson Lake Lodge and onto a back
road of Grand Teton Park. Our hope was to find moose. A marshy backwater
area thick with willows seemed the perfect moose habitat, but all we found was
a beaver busily going about his work. After stopping to make photos of the
mountains, we took a road less traveled and drove up onto a hillside. A young Bull
Elk stared at us from the forest edge but quickly showed his white rump and
left.
Just down the road, we saw three Bull Moose browsing. We stopped
and watched until they crossed the road and disappeared into the woods. We made
several good photos, some of which show their antlers---springtime small and
still in velvet.
We then drove back down the hillside and continued on the dirt
road. We had to use the four-wheel-drive and crossed a creek multiple times as
we wound our way through backcountry. We found three young Bison Bulls resting
and chewing their cuds at an abandoned farmstead.
From there we continued to a
manmade lake where the spillway drainpipe exploded like a water cannon. We
watched some Wigeon Ducks from the dam and made more photos of the
mountains.
We finished our loop through the area seeing several birds like Blackheaded
Grosbeak , White Pelican and Great Blue Heron. Mountain Bluebirds flew
across the road and around creating brilliant blue flashes in the early morning
sunlight. At one point, five or six Pronghorns stopped their grazing and
trotted away.
Retracing our steps, we stopped at the Snake River Oxbow where
Mount Moran reflects into the calm water.
Several young Trumpeter
Swans swam near water's edge.
Returning to Jackson Lake Lodge, we ate the buffet breakfast in
the Mural Room. Saying "Good-Bye" to Grand Teton Park, we
headed toward Yellowstone National Park, our home for the next
two-and-a-half days.
It was 10:00 when we reached the park entrance. Just
inside the park entrance, we stopped at Crawfish Creek to see Moose
Falls plunge thirty feet into the stream below.
We also had a good
view of a bridge constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during
the 1930s.
Continuing into the park and driving beside the Lewis River
Canyon, we crossed the Continental Divide. We saw several Bison, the first of
many. Our route took us along the shores of Yellowstone Lake and we
could see the Absaroka Mountains and then the Red Mountains on
the horizon. We saw more Elk in several places. At Mud
Volcano, we saw our first "mud pots," boiling, bubbling mud
puddles. Coloration around the pots, caused by the interaction between the
boiling water and the mineral in the soil, provided intriguing combinations and
variations. The Mud Volcano itself no longer shoots a column of mud into
the air and hasn't since a couple of years after it was named about 1880. Dragon's
Mouth Spring, located just steps away gushes both steam and boiling water.
Bison,
part of the only truly wild herd remaining in the US, graze many areas, and
we saw massive, mature bulls; less mature bulls; cows; calves. Many vehicles of
all types clogged the roadways and travel proceeded slowly. We stopped a couple
of more times to scan valleys and hillsides for animals, particularly Wolves,
but found none out-of-the-ordinary. At The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, we
walked a catwalk to a viewing area to see The Lower Falls cascade 300
feet down the cliff face.
An Osprey sat on her nest constructed on a
pinnacle of sandstone in the canyon; we learned the nest appears in the first
photograph of the canyon.
Another Osprey perched on a tree growing into
the wall of the thousand-foot-deep canyon.
Colorful canyon walls provide and
excellent backdrop for wildlife and geologic features.
About 2:15 we stopped at
a picnic table for a light snack of cheese and crackers. After the thirty-minute-break,
we drove to Norris Geyser Basin and hiked around the Porcelain Basin area
marveling at all the colors created by the interactions and reactions of water,
minerals and microscopic creatures. In some pools, blue sky reflecting on the
particles in the water made the water appear bright blue.
From there we drove
to Old Faithful Inn and checked into room 1001 around 4:30. After dinner
in the Old Faithful Inn Dining Room, we went outside to see Old
Faithful Geyser erupt.
Monday 1 June [Our 48th Wedding Anniversary] - Leaving the
Inn at 7:15, we drove to the parking lot for the Midway Geyser Basin where
we parked and began our hike into the viewing area. On the way in we had to
stop for a few minutes because a lone Bull Bison grazed beside the
trail.
After assuring ourselves that he was calm, we slowly walked by off the
far edge of the trail. We continued our way up the gravel trail until we were
about even with the Grand Prismatic Spring itself;
then we began our
climb. Luckily, Sarah provided walking poles for us to use up the steep
terrain. What we were on was probably called a hiking trail, but it wasn't much
of a trail to us. Footing was treacherous as we twisted and turned our way
up---often climbing over fallen tree trunks and avoiding large rocks and trying
not to slip on loose dirt and patches of gravel.
Once completed, the view of
the Grand Prismatic Spring sixty feet below us was spectacular.
The
climb wasn't easy for us but was definitely worth it. We sat on a log and
admired the view for a while before descending; the descent might have been
more difficult and treacherous than the ascent.
Once back on the graveled
trail, we continued walking until we reached the turn off for Fairy Falls. We
walked the 1.6 miles through the woods to see the falls; we didn't think them
really worth the trip.
After resting a while, we trekked back to the van.
According to the sign, the distance to the falls from the parking area was 2.6
miles. Double that to 5.2 miles and then add the climb; we were exhausted. By
that time, it was 11:30. We left the parking area and drove to a rest area with
picnic tables where we enjoyed lunch. About 1:10, we began our drive toward the
north area of the park. Road construction caused a delay of 15 to 20 minutes.
The terrain changed. We saw Bunsen Peak as well as a Bison herd
containing calves; because the calves have reddish fur, guides refer to them as
"red dogs." We passed through an area known as the Hoodoos where
white the rocks appear to have been stacked and then knocked over. Shortly
thereafter we saw our first Mammoth Terrace showing the buildup of white
minerals on sandstone. By 2:40 we had reached Mammoth Hot Springs where
mineral rich hot water builds tier upon tier of cascading terraced travertine
stone. Predominately white, orange, brown and pink also shine in the sunlight.
Beside the boardwalk, several young Bull Elk relaxed on the hot ground.
Just a short drive away was the Yellowstone General Store, located in
the town of Mammoth Springs, where we stopped for huckleberry ice cream.
The administrative offices for Yellowstone National Park are located
here in former military buildings of Fort Yellowstone.
Driving out of
town and looking for Mountain Goats, we crossed the Montana border.
Finding no goats, we returned to town, drove through and headed the opposite
direction looking for Big Horn Sheep. Two Big Horn Ewes lay under
a line of trees.
Driving farther, we saw several Pronghorn as well as a
herd of Bison. Hoping to find a herd closer to the roadside, we continued
and then found what turned out to be a "Bear Jam." Sarah pulled over
and our timing was perfect as a Boar Rocky
Mountain Grizzly strode confidently and determinedly parallel to the road.
We enjoyed a great view from the van’s windows. A hundred or more people
were crazily running along the roadway, stopping haphazardly and doing almost
anything to get a photo or a view. After the Grizzly passed, we drove
farther and turned around. By the time we got back to the area, more people
were out of their vehicles and trying to see the Grizzly as he swam the
river; several dashed from side-to-side on the bridge. We drove past and
stopped to watch as a newborn Bison calf suckled.
We stopped again to
make photos of a Bison herd of cows, calves and young bulls.
Then we
headed back to Old Faithful Inn. We crossed Dunraven Pass and saw
Mount Washburn. As we descended, it began to rain and the rain continued
until we reached the hotel about 7:00. What a long, tiring but extremely
satisfying day! It was probably the most different anniversary we've ever had.
Tuesday 2 June - It was 9:10 by the time we left the
hotel. Our first stop was Fountain Paint Pots where we saw mud pots,
geysers, hot springs and steam vents. We enjoyed seeing the varied
colors and the different geologic features. We saw Clepsydra Geyser erupt
and at the same time, but behind us, Rocket Geyser spewed sideways.
We
then took a less-traveled roadway through an area with geysers and
hot springs. After driving by Fire Hole Lake, in reality a large hot
spring,
we returned to the main road. We drove through Hayden
Valley seeing some Bison but not much other wildlife. Around noon we
arrived at Yellowstone Lake Hotel, a massive yellow Colonial style
structure sitting on the shores of Yellowstone Lake.
We continued
driving along the way we entered the park on Sunday seeing Yellowstone Lake,
Lewis Canyon, Lewis River and Lewis Falls before reaching the park
entrance around 1:15. After lunch at Signal Mountain Lodge., we headed
for the Amangani.
We arrived around 4:00 and said "Good-Bye" to Sarah. Beatriz showed us to Suite 23, our home for the next two nights
Wednesday 3 June - We spent the day relaxing in the hotel. We ate three meals in The Grill, got massages and sat on the balcony. It was sunny and just a little breezy. We saw at least 6 Bull Elk across the way; most were resting and chewing their cuds but a couple were up and grazing.
It was a lazy dat and we enjoyed doing nothing. Today's news reported that yesterday in the Old Faithful area of Yellowstone were crowding a Bull Bison. When one Australian man got to within 3 to 5 feet of the animal, it charged him and tossed him to the ground a couple of times; his injuries were not life-threatening. We saw many instances of seemingly clueless people wielding cameras and approaching dangerously close to animals. All this despite writtenwarnings given to each park entrant, warning signs as well as verbal warnings by park officials.
Thursday 4 June – We ate breakfast and lunch in The Grill. Other than packing, we had no other plans. We had the room until time to leave for the airport. When we checked our flight, we learned it was delayed. Around 2:45, we took our bags down and checked out. Brandon, a hotel employee, drove us to the airport United 5514 was scheduled for a 5:27pm departure with an arrival at 6:55pm in Denver. Fortunately, the plane was a regional jet as it landed in Jackson at 5:33 and we departed at 6:04. That meant we landed in Denver just a few minutes after 7:00 and had plenty of time to hike from Gate B84 to Gate B41. United 1201 was scheduled to depart Denver at 8:05pm and arrive at DFW at 11:05pm. Officially those times show actuals of 9:08 and 11:31. In reality, we pushed back from the gate at 8:20 and sat on the ramp/tarmac until 9:08. Thunderstorms caused the delays and the flight ranks at the very top of the bumpiest ever. The seatbelt sign stayed on the entire time and the captain only let the cabin crew up for about 20 minutes.
