Yellowstone National Park

Day 2

After nearly perfect weather on the first day in Yellowstone National Park, we awoke on the second day to overcast and drizzle. The temperature was in the low 50s with a promised high to barely reach 60. I was tempted to forego shorts and wear the one pair of jeans I brought but decided against it.  I did, however, opt for a sweatshirt for most of the day.

We had decided the day before that this day we would head out early and try to visit the very popular sites before the crowds grew too large. The first destination was Old Faithful.  We arrived in the parking lot just in time to see the end of its eruption.  That would throw the rest of the day’s schedule off by a good hour now, as we had to wait for the next eruption, estimated for 9:09, plus or minus ten minutes.

To kill the time, we went into the visitor center when it opened at 8:00 and watched a couple of short film presentations before heading back out at the start of the twenty-minute window. That was when the drizzle started coming down a bit harder. We waited. It rained harder. The estimated time of 9:09 came and passed. The rain continued.

Finally, around nine minutes past the estimated eruption time, Old Faithful decided we were all wet enough and did its thing. I was able to snap off several photos while it spewed its hot water.  How well they will turn out I shall see on returning home. From Old Faithful, we now headed clockwise around the southern loop. 

Starting at Grant Village, past Old Faithful, and for miles up the western side of the park, we saw the damage that the June floods left. Sections of the road had been clearly washed away, but the Park Service was able to fill the gaps with gravel and sand to make the roads passable again.  There were several delays along the way caused by the construction crews, who were slowly rebuilding the proper roadbeds. Only a few roads, where the washout was extensive, remain closed (these may take a year or more to fix). It was a fine testament to the Park Service to have the main loop roads repaired and opened so quickly.

Our next destination was the Great Prismatic Springs, a large crater created from a semi-dormant geyser, and some bubbling waters around it. A boardwalk circles the outside of the springs, with some great views of the distant hills.  It was raining while we walked it!

When we reached the junction with the northern loop, we continued on the road north toward Mammoth Hot Springs and the visitor center there. As we pulled into the complex, which included several buildings in addition to the visitor center, we were surprised to see several elk standing along the street enjoying the grass. They seem to know that they are safe!

After Mammoth Hot Springs, we headed across the northern leg of the loop and turned south back toward our accommodations and dinner. We made one stop on the way at the petrified tree, a rather unusual piece of petrification – as it is vertical.

The day ended with dinner again at the Grant Village Restaurant and a quiet night in our TV-less and Internet-less room.  We were truly roughing it here.

This would end my second trip to Yellowstone, having been here back in 2006. The park is every bit deserving of its honor as the world’s first National Park.  The stunning scenery would be enough by itself, but the geysers, hot springs, mud pots, geology, and history make this a truly amazing place. The crowds can be distracting, but we found many places in our two days where there was no crowd and a chance to simply enjoy the outdoors.

Steve