Everyone knows about the wild life in Yellowstone.
“Don’t feed the bison!”
“Watch out for moose!”
And we saw that type of wildlife.
But we also saw how wild life could be–just by walking around.
Wildlife in Yellowstone: animal style.
We were warned and hoped to see some creatures we don’t see at home.
The first sightings were small: chipmunks, ground squirrels, birds.
The Yellowstone newspaper warns you: don’t get close. And the Yellowstone Visitor Guide even includes a handy “ruler.”
We didn’t see any elk or wolves, bobcats or bears.
But we did see bison several times and three young moose. (Mom was beside the river beyond the trees while her children crossed the road in front of us!)
We couldn’t do anything about how close any of those moose or bison were–they walked in front of our car!
(This led us to wonder if “wild” animals actually were stationed near the road so tourists could be thrilled? Nah.)
But animals were not the only wild life in Yellowstone.
We were dealing with thermal events like this one:
Wherever you walk in this park–always on the marked trails–you encounter sights and scenes that look–and sometimes smell–hellish.
Look at the sky in the photo on the right.
We hustled out of the geyser area near Old Faithful to take refuge in the Old Faithful Inn.
A sweeping thunder, lightning, and even a hail storm blew through!
And then there’s the water!
We spent a morning hiking around the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Valley.
We saw picturesque views from Inspiration Point and then traveled along the northern rim.
Hiking down to the Brink of Lower Falls included a dozen switchbacks on a nearly 1/2 mile trail.
Returning uphill and pausing as necessary, I reached the parking lot in 13 minutes.
I love the energy of a wild river while standing at the brink of a waterfall and feeling the rush of water over the top.
We also took a conventional photo!
There’s a lot to see in Yellowstone National Park and two days was barely enough. We particularly enjoyed visiting the Visitor Centers at Old Faithful, Canyon Village, and West Thumb.
Canyon Village Visitors Center featured information about geysers, the caldera that makes up Yellowstone National Park, and the enormous energy waiting under the (thin?) earth’s crust.
West Thumb featured a fascinating exhibit about the 1988 fires that roared through the park two years after our family visited.
The exhibit examined a fire’s wild life through the forest and the tree regrowth efforts required by fire.
We learned a lot. (And wondered why we hadn’t brought any children with us!)
As a personal added treat–I saw my friend Karen Barnett’s novel about Yellowstone, Ever Faithful, in the bookstore.
Tweetables
Appreciating the wild life–in many senses–at Yellowstone NP. Click to Tweet
Waterfalls, animals, geysers, oh my! Two days in Yellowstone. Click to Tweet
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