Yellowstone: Freak Show of Nature

As we excitedly approached Yellowstone’s north entrance we drove past herds of pronghorn antelope. Closer to the park we had to stop and wait for elk to get out of the road. We made our way to the Roosevelt Arch at the entrance to the park and had to get out for a family picture. On the arch the words “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People” is inscribed. Words President Theodore Roosevelt, the great conservationist, used to claim that the common people of the United States had a right to national lands to enjoy and experience the wildness of unspoiled nature.  It’s a wonderful inheritance that we have decided to take advantage of to its fullest this year.





We made our camp at a site near Yellowstone Lake in the heart of the park just as the sun set.  It had been a long day of driving and we were all ready to rest by the time we finally got settled in and had dinner.

In the morning we rose and went for a ranger led hike which focused on the geological history of the soil, the trees and vegetation as well as the wildlife of Yellowstone. Kane and Kolton walked on either side of the ranger continuously shooting questions at him, making that ranger earn his paycheck that day!

One of the things I love about national parks is the Junior Ranger programs that each park has. It consists of age appropriate booklets with activities that help children (and adults) process what they observe and learn as they experience the diversity of the various parks. Truly educational in nature, these programs teach us about the unique anthropology, geology, history, vegetation and wildlife of each place. One of the requirements of most Junior Ranger program is that you attend at least one ranger led activity. We tend to go to at least one a day while in any given park. Once completed, the kids take their booklets to a visitors center and present them to a ranger who looks them over and makes any necessary corrections. The ranger then leads the kids in an oath to protect and preserve the national parks before presenting them with badges or patches representing each park.

Later that day we went to Mud Volcano for another ranger led presentation on the mud pots and thermal vents called fumaroles found around Yellowstone.  Yellowstone National Park just happens to be a giant super volcano that makes this place seems like a complete freak show of nature. The bizarre geological phenomena make one feel as if they have left Earth and landed on another planet.  One feature of the Mud Volcano tour included a vent called Dragon’s Mouth, where steaming sulfurous gasses belch out of a cave. The whole place smelled like rotten eggs making our kids plug their noses, make faces and giggle. Kane walked alongside the ranger throughout his presentation, grilling him for more information and answering all of his questions.

 

 

 

Fulfilling the age old obligation of going to Yellowstone, we spent the next day at the Geyser Basin and saw Old Faithful erupt three times. We saw several other geysers and hot springs. There were all kinds of warnings to stay on the path. One ranger held up his finger and reminded his tour group that “this is not a thermometer!” However there were lots of tourists who seemed to think that the rules of the park did not apply to them and were occasionally seen walking off the trails and sticking their fingers where they weren’t supposed to. There were also signs telling park guests that dogs were not allowed on the hiking trails. We witnessed a couple and their unleashed dogs on a hike being disciplined by a ranger. Hearing the woman give a lame excuse “Oh, I’m sorry we didn’t see the signs and our leash is back in the car,” gave us the opportunity to teach the kids that feigning ignorance and making excuses shouldn’t work for adults any better than children.

 



We took a short hike to a place called The Boiling River, where hot water pours out of the earth into the cool waters of the Gardiner River, creating a natural hot tub. We relaxed in the water and enjoyed watching all the people who came there.

By far and away our favorite place there was the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. There were several vantage points from which you could see this beautiful place. We stood near the waterfall and hiked to Inspiration Point. We watched the sun and smoke from a nearby fire play with the color of the water flowing at the canyon’s floor at a place called Artist’s Point. Part of the hiking that day was strenuous including a trail with steep switchbacks and, as Ken puts it, “Like 450 stairs.” Lucky for Kalista, the ‘Daddy Express’ was running, and she got to ride a good portion of it on Ken’s back.

 

 

 



Juxtaposed with the weird volcanic features and the beautiful canyon, there were also forests and grazing lands for the abundant wildlife at Yellowstone which include bears, wolves, mountain lions, antelope, elk, coyotes, foxes and bison. The bison were the most visible of all the wildlife at the park. Vast herds of buffalo roam throughout the park, often stopping traffic as they slowly make their way across the roadways. I’m pretty sure those guys were messing with folks, as if to say “Yeah, I’m walking right in front of your car. What are you gonna do about it?” As I was giving school lessons and making dinner one night, a bison walked out of the surrounding forest and right past our camper!

 

 

 

 

 

Yellowstone was an awesome place to learn about geology and wildlife, the kids all earned their Jr. Ranger badges before leaving the park and we headed south toward Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons.