I hope most people read the title and thought "Yellowstone!" Though the history of how the concept of lands set aside to be preserved as National Parks came to be is probably more complicated and older than popular legend portrays (ain't that the usual case?), it is true that in 1872 the northwest corner of what is now the state of Wyoming, as well as slices of Idaho and Montana, became the first area set aside in the process that would later become the National Park system in the U.S. (Also generally considered the first in the World, that sort of thing can always be argued one way or another).
Thank the deity or deistic human beneficence of your choice. It took a while to work out the management details and balancing commercial access vs preservation, a battle that continues, but I take the National Park System as an example of our better instincts subtlety winning over our baser ones.
I moved to Colorado because I love natural beauty, and especially mountains. I have to fly frequently to California and I always book my seat to get the best views of the Colorado Plateau. (If I ever get tired of seeing the Grand Canyon from the air, I think that will mean a part of my soul has died.) I have visited many lands under the protection of the Federal government from here southwest to Joshua Tree and northwest to Olympic to as far West as the Big Island of Hawai'i. But Yellowstone never seemed to be along the path I was traveling.
Shocking really, because I find volcanic mountains to be especially fascinating. One of my great disappointments was road closures for maintenance at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park that kept me several miles from active vent viewing areas. So how could I be so much closer to what is probably the most active supervolcano on the planet and not have visited it?
Perhaps I was intimidated by the size of the park and knew there was no point in trying to do it over a long weekend. It is one of the largest in the Lower 48, with several distinct areas. And only the briefest of itineraries is an excuse not to visit its younger brother to the south, Grand Teton National Park. (Or, perhaps considering the origin of the name, I should say younger sister.)
Desperately needing some time in a special place this summer, I resolved to finally go. So I invited a fellow photographer friend to join me on my trip. We took most of 4 days to survey Yellowstone and Grand Teton via the main roads (skipping only two or three short stretches). Below are a few of the images I took a little earlier this month.
BTW, Ken Burns' latest documentary is about the National Parks and airs in September on PBS.
Let's start with a classic - Old Faithful
Another classic is the Lower Falls and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, with its painted walls.
I'm pretty sure the mist in the center is steam from a geothermal vent.
There is a variety of small, medium, and large permanent residents in the parks. All wildlife should have minimal human contact but I especially recommend keeping away from the large ones, though they sometimes come to you. I use a telephoto lens, and if the animal gives signs of annoyance, or curiosity, I back off!
First of all, it's Bison, not Buffalo, and they have right of way on the roads.
Awww, a baby Bison!
Some residents are more shy. This moose was way off hiding in the Aspen.
We realized this Elk was so alert because his main squeeze was grazing nearby.
The Uinta Ground Squirrels live under the cabins and help housekeeping clean up after lodge guests. This is where the No Feeding rule is most likely to be broken.
No more pic-a-nic baskets for Yogi - keeping temptation out of his way is strictly enforced. The rangers also made sure we all kept our distance from this Black Bear. I did not object.
July is still prime wildflower season in the Rockies, if the weather was right in the previous winter and spring. Luckily it apparently was as I was rewarded with lovely displays almost everywhere.
And the last section features what makes Yellowstone unique. The geysers are the most famous evidence of the volcanic activity going on below the surface, and they are amazing to witness. But the artist in me was most fascinated by the fantastic colors and patterns created by the other geothermal features through the deposit of minerals in various formations and the tiny organisms that live in the hot water boiling up from below.
The yellow line marks the size of the current caldera. Yellowstone's borders are over 60 miles north to south and over 50 miles from east to west.
This is Great Fountain geyser near the end of its show.
Features in the Basins and at Travertine Terraces. I have a lot of close-up abstracts to sort through.
Grand Prismatic Spring is generally ranked as the 3rd largest hot spring in the world. Tip: you can even see it pretty well on the Google map satellite image.
Leaving the Parks behind - Grand Tetons and the Snake River
Sunset over Yellowstone Lake. Goodnight.