Back to Yellowstone

With only a day to spend in Yellowstone, I decided to focus on the part of the park I’d missed on my June trip, the geysers. When I was there in June it was so crowded that I decided to focus on the Grand Tetons instead. Originally I’d planned on returning through the park on this trip, but the haze in the park and the smoke-filled skies in Montana and Idaho have changed those plans, and I’ll probably go back through Utah instead.

I didn’t count on the high number of retirees in the park, though. I’m not sure it was any less crowded than it was in June. It was so crowded that I refused to visit the most famous geyser of all, Old Faithful, and focused on the side trips where buses and RV’s were banned. For me, it was a good trade-off.

It has been over 30 years since my first visit to Yellowstone, and I’d forgotten how magical they seem as you first approach them. No wonder the Indians considered these sacred grounds; it would be sacrilegious to think otherwise.

geysers in the distance

A closer look,however, makes it clear why the Indians were also awed by this land. It shouldn’t take warning signs to make visitors realize the dangers here, the dead trees greeting you as you approach the geysers should tell you danger lies here.

dead trees

The areas surrounding the geysers may appear bleak from a distance,

pool surroundings

but some pools have a strangely silent beauty

ethereal blue

while others have a more dynamic beauty.

Fountain

2 thoughts on “Back to Yellowstone”

  1. As usual Loren, brilliant photographs. I have not been to Yellowstone – it is one of the areas on our list to go to – but these are magnificent. Did you see any bears? I have travelled a lot in the area and seen plenty of black bears, but I read Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley (for the tenth time, as it is one of my favourites) recently and he spoke of bears in this area.

    1. I saw lots of bears when I was here 30+ years ago, but I didn’t see any the last two times I was there. I assume there still there, though, since there are bear-warning signs everywhere.

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