OLD FAITHFUL – 9/2/14

Driving through the Gallatin National Forest on the Westside of Yellowstone National Park was spectacular.  The road we took to West Yellowstone provided scenery of rolling hills and valleys, mountains, streams, and Earthquake Lake. 

There were outfitters that provided fishing trips on the Madison River located near the Canyon Earthquake Area.  This area was very enjoyable drive. 

                                             

We learned more about this area at the Earthquake Lake Geologic Area.  The dead trees located near the sides of the lake partially submerged in water are there as a result of the 1959 earthquake that caused them to slide down the hillside along with massive crashing boulders.  This area is still considered unstable and continues to have tremors.

The road continued to provide beautiful surprises as we approached West Yellowstone.  We saw a Moose grazing next to a stream we crossed. 

After entering the West Gate of Yellowstone National Park, we stopped at the visitor center on the Grand Loop.  The view out the back of the visitor center was one of the prettier vistas.  Much of Yellowstone was recently damaged by fire.

On our way to Old Faithful, we stopped at Geyser Basin to view the steam arising from the vents in the ground.

We stopped in at the Old Faithful Visitor Center that is located in front of Old Faithful and walked through the Old Faithful Inn.  Joe and I believe Yellowstone copied Fort Wilderness Lodge at Disney World.  It is amazing how familiar the Inn seemed after visiting Fort Wilderness Lodge on numerous occasions.

Old Faithful erupted as promised at the designated hour (+/- 10 minutes).  We watched the event with about 2000 other spectators (mostly senior citizens) in the viewing area which consisted of a double row of benches on a wide concrete sidewalk.  The Old Faithful Geyser area seemed to be more commercialized than any other National Park we have visited.  National Parks have always been a place of escape, to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation surrounded by quiet sounds and peaceful settings.  This is not what we experienced at Yellowstone National Park. 

We did see a few buffalo in the park, but not as many as we saw in Canada. 

On our way back to the campground, we stopped at one of the many pullouts along the way to look at the river and a small waterfall.

The next morning, we toured the northern part of the Grand Loop Road.  This is the area that has several geyser basins, the mud volcano, waterfalls, and other geological anomalies.  At the Norris Geyser Basin, several steam vents were close to the road. 

We stopped at the Lower Falls.  There is a nice paved trail leading down to the falls allowing a close look.  Dogs aren’t allowed on any of the trails and can only be walked in the parking lot.  Needless to say, our dogs weren’t too happy on this part of the trip. 

The northeastern part of the Grand Loop of Yellowstone had some interesting sites.  Sulphur Cauldron and the Mud Volcano were of particular interest.

Sulphur Cauldron

It appears our truck was having engine problems….it just happened to be a steam vent next to where we were parked.

Then we came to the Dragon’s Mouth Spring and Mud Volcano which is located almost across the street from the Sulphur Cauldron.  There was a boardwalk allowing you to take a closer look.  The first geyser we came upon was Dragon’s Mouth Spring.  An unknown park visitor named this feature around 1912, perhaps due to the water that frequently surged from the cave like the lashing of a dragon’s tongue.  Until 1994, this dramatic waver-like action often splashed water as far as the boardwalk.  The rumbling sounds are caused by steam and other gasses exploding through the water causing it to crash against the walls of the hidden caverns. 

Mud Volcano was located along the boardwalk.  In 1870, explorers stood in awe as Mud Volcano spewed mud into the treetops, shaking the ground with each eruption.  Two years later it was a pool of bubbling, muddy water.  Mud Volcano had blown itself apart!  Hydrogen sulfide gas rising from Yellowstone’s magma chamber causes a rotten-egg smell.  Microorganisms use this gas as a source of energy, and then help turn the gas into sulfuric acid.  Sulfuric acid breaks down the rock and soil into mud.

As we were walking toward the parking lot, we noticed bubbles (boiling water) in the collection pond next to the boardwalk.  The heat of the soil and water is the reasons the walkways have to be elevated in this area.  Near the parking lot area you can view the Mud Cauldron which is a steamy basin of mud.

      

 We turned at the Fishing Bridge on the eastside of the park to leave.  This road travels along Yellowstone Lake.  In the visitor center there were pictures showing steam vents at the bottom of the lake.  In some areas the water reaches extremely hot temperatures.  During the winter months, parts of the lake don’t freeze due to the differences in water temperatures.

Yellowstone was in interesting park from a geological point of view.  This park seemed to be over commercialized in places (i.e. Old Faithful area).  We headed out the east part of the park toward the Big Horn Mountains.  

SEATTLE TO MONTANA – 8/31/14 – 9/1/14

We visited with Joe’s Uncle in Seattle and lives in the heart of downtown.  He took us on a walking tour of downtown.  We visited the Public Market at Pike’s Place near the waterfront.  We bought some cheese at Beecher’s Cheese store where they were making cheese curds.  There were food vendors of all types and beautiful flowers everywhere.  Downtown Seattle was similar to any large city in the US, except it has lots of hills.  Many of the streets are being modified to be more “pedestrian friendly” with wide sidewalks that accommodate tables & chairs outside restaurants and benches along the street. 

 After our walking tour of downtown, we visited Chinatown and had a delicious lunch.  We then drove around passing the Space Needle on our way to the locks on the waterfront.  We were unable to find a parking place so we drove to a large dog park across town at the abandoned Sand Point Naval Air Station that has been repurposed for the community.   It was a good day, seeing some of Seattle and visiting with family.  We plan to visit this area again.

On 9/1/14, we left the Seattle area headed across the state of Washington.  Once you leave the Cascade Mountains the landscape looks a lot like upstate New York with rolling hills, pastures, and farm lands.  One thing we saw in Washington that was seen in other states that had large open spaces was the wind turbines again.  As we neared the Idaho boarder the land transitioned into desert like bluffs and hills with very few trees.  One stop that was very picturesque was Horse Heaven near Spokane, WA. 

The town of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho was one of the prettiest towns we went through.  The town was nestled around a mountain lake.  Every turn we took was a picture worth taking.  Trekking from Coeur d’Alene to Montana was a slow trip due to the steep hills and sharp turns on the I-90. 

One thing of interest we saw that was unique was a motor home towing a pick-up truck with his boat, motor, and trailer perched on top the truck.  That made for some interesting conversation and speculation as to how that boat and trailer got on top of the truck.  That still has us puzzled.

Idaho had some pretty vistas.  The part we drove through was only about 70 miles wide before we entered Montana on our way to Butte where we camped for the night.  We traveled nearly 600 miles that day.