Yellowstone National Park - Our First National Park

Yellowstone is largely located in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the the US Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses Grant on March 1, 1872.
Yellowstone was the first national park in the U.S. and is also widely held to be the first national park in the world

Yellowstone spans an area of 3,468.4 square miles 8th largest 2.2 million acres, 5 largest are in Alaska. ..........

The Park comprising lakes, canyons, rivers, and mountain ranges is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest supervocano on the continent. The caldera is considered to be dormant. It has erupted with tremendous force several times in the last two million years. Well over half of the world's geysers and hydrothermal features are in Yellowstone and are fueled by this ongoing volcanism. Lava flows and rocks from volcanic eruptions cover most of the land area of Yellowstone.

I've included this map to give you an idea of not only the size of Yellowstone but the distances in driving and viewing.

We chose to headquarter at Gardiner, MT. which is to the north and original entrance to the Park. We primarily picking Gardiner as our touring headquarters because of Kyle and Garrett flying into to join us. They flew in and out of Bozeman, MT and toured Yellowstone with us over the Memorial Day Weeken.

We elected to tour the South drive the first day and follow the the Old Faithful route. It was only a 30 mile drive to the start of the south loop beginning at Norris Junction. The hardest part of this 20 miles was to pass all these interesting things drawing at ones heart. The south loop is only a 100 miles in length, but with our moseying here and there it was an all day event and over 200 miles with our in and outs.

Yellowstone's South Loop

We saw hundreds of Buffalo on this trip and all in their natural inhabitant. As ther are over 5,000 Buffalo in the Park they are easy to find. Their presense makes one imagine what this country might have looked like 200 years ago. Pristine!

If any of them look white and muddy, they were. They enjoy the hot springs and hot mud baths too.

Momma is staying close.

Nap time, so just leave me alone.

The Geyser Basins

We visited here the first day, and the girls wanted to come back to the Geysers Basin and see the red mud areas again.

Spectacular photo opportunities.

This clear water bubbling geyser held my attention. If you look in the large photo, you can see the hot water bubble beneath the surface. The next four phos capture that super heated water bubble, as it works it way to the surface.

This is a repeat of the super heated bubble raising to the top. You can tell that I was rather mesmorized by the continuing show. The show repeats itself every minute or so. Remember we are in the Yellowstone Caldera, and over half of the worlds geyser are here.

The Yellowstone tour bus of the 1930's. Fred Harvey was a hotel man and recognized this as an opportunity of letting people to see our National Parks. As soon as rail transportation was available, Fred Harvey seized the opportunity and built most of our great lodges in the National Park System. The train got them close, and Fred got them the rest of the way. When they arrived at the Grand Canyon or Yosemite, he had ground transportation, a wonderful natural lodge to accommodate them, and the food was Fred Harvey excellent.

I've told the story previously of Dottie's Aunt Muriel being a Fred Harvey hostess in the 1920's. She worked on the train running from Williams, AZ to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Their dress as a hostess was strictly Navajo, and she left Dottie several strings of her Navajo necklaces.

Built in 1903-1904 with local logs and stone, the Lodge is considered the largest log structure in the world. When we toured Yellowstone in 1947, the Lodge was open and in full operation. There was a Grand Piano in the Lobby, and my Dad talked my sister into playing La Cuckracha on the piano. Even I as the little brother was very proud of her ability and show womenship.

I mention the disaster of our trip with Carson and Renee in 1978. The grand piano was still in the lobby, but they had put a hasp and a Master Lock on the keyboard cover. A real class act, just like the rest of that trip.

The Old Faithful Lodge was closed because of Covid. But too, it looked very fragile.

Old Faithful erupts every 90 minutes, but what we we show here was a minor eruption which is about 2/3's the size of a full eruption. A Park Ranger explained that this phenomena just happens, and that in 45 minutes the full eruption would take place, and the cycle would be back in harmony. That is till Mother Nature decides to give us another minor eruption. She makes the decision not the Park Service nor the President.

Craig Pass

Snow? Oh yes, snow even on the 29th of May. Remember it is Spring Time in the Rockies! This is our crew with the addition of Kyle and Garrett, Robin's husband and son.

We talked about the Continental Divide earlier, when we were approaching Chaco Canyon. Well, here you are seeing it as this stream of water coming from the melting snow. It is headed to the rivers of Madison ~ Yellowstone ~ Missouri ~ Mississippi ~ Atlantic. The snow behind the hill is off to the rivers of the Lewis ~ Snake ~ Columbia ~ Pacific.

The rushing rivers of the Yellowstone Park enjoying in their abundance of the spring melting snow. These waters are crystal clear, fresh, clean and cold as cold.

Lake Yellowstone Lodge - 1891

We stopped just to visit the premier of Yellowstone Lodges and grab a sandwich, and then discovered that May 29th was the 0pening day of the season. You might think of us a early birds.

I must share with you a family experience. In 1978 I had an Industry meeting at the Teton NP in early August. We drove and our youngest two were with us. Not only did Renee and Carson share the Tetons, but we slipped in a few days for Yellowstone. I was really exited to bring Dottie and our two youngest ones to Yellowstone, as I had such found memories of our first family trip after WWII to Yellowstone in 1947.

We had known some 10 months ahead and had made reservation for our stay here in one of Lake Yellowstones Lodge's cabins. I'll never forget the check in; because as were walking away from the desk the cleck said "Oh! Mr. Ribble did I tell you where the showers are". It was an immediate Red Alert, so I replied "NO, but I'm assuming that the shower is next to the commode". No, no he came back. "You go out the way you came in, and it is about 3 miles to Fishing Bridge That is where the showers are".

That was just the beginning of a disasterous trip. I wanted this to be a fantastic experience for two young people and failed. Carson never made it back, but Renee is now seeing Yellowstone in its Spring Time greatness.

Pure elegance. The restaurant was closed, Covid. Regardless, it let your mind wander of sitting in front of these windows and enjoying breakfast. Delight in style........

I, as you have observed some of my other Logs, know that I'm a sucker for taking photographs framed by a window. Here it goes again.

The Girls wanted to return to the Lake Lodge for second time, or is it for some serious shopping???

I love the beauty of this staircase, it is very fitting for this complex. \

The old stair case above and the gorgeous juniper table are just examples of the beauty of this Lodge.

To put size in perspective look at the people walking along the shore, lower left.

Look across Yellowstone Lake in the following photo, when the Mountains jump in your lap.

Garrett reaches out with his 880 mm set up and brings that mountain range and island up close.

Canyon Village Elk Bulls

In Elk society in the spring and summer the Yearlings run together, the Bulls also, and the Cows are off by themselves caving.

To each his own. Garrett captured this one at 600mm. Such manly animals and their horns are still in their spring velvet.

This is a photo of the Village Idiot. I had shot my photos from the far side or middle of the road. The first thing I notice was a pilgrim running in front of me to find a good location for his shooting. Then within a minute here comes the Village Idiot; and he has to jump in front of the person, that was in front of me. He was actually standing off the pavement and the shoulder down in the grass less than 20 feet from this wild animal. I took his picture; so that when you read the headlines of "Bull Elk attacks Pilgrim in Yellowstone Park," you'll have a photo of him. And the dummy has gray hair, so this is not an excited kid.

Tomorrow we are going to the East and up the Lamar Valley to Cooke, MT

Yellowstone NP - South