Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Yellowstone - 1: Teton Mountains, Hot Springs and Yellowstone Canyon

We returned from Padre Island, got our own tent/bags/cooking stove, and after the second Summer semester, in August 2012, set out on a big North-Western Loop (the map is below). The first stop (after the morning in lovely Laramie, WY) is Yellowstone National Park, sitting on top of supervolcano with out-of-this-earth colours, geysers and pools, bisons, wolfs and canyons.



This post is the first one about our Yellowstone experience, which in its turn is the part of the big journey, looping around North-Western US


The most visited National Park in US is Yosemite, but here is the traffic near Jackson Hole, WY, upon arrival to Yellowstone.


If you enter the park via Highway 287 from South, before even reaching it, you pass Teton Mountains. The most beautiful and awe-inspiring mountains I've seen so far. We were lucky with weather: there was a thunderstorm over the mountains, with heavy torn clouds, and unbelievable light highlighting the rain showers.



Snake river and the mountains


The clouds above Lewis Lake


Driving through the park, the rain cought up with us, and the whole experience is one of those you can get carried back to closing your eyes: falling dusk, wet-green forest closing on the winding road, rain bringing wet smell of fresh greens and grass, and surreal Vangelis music from the Blade Runner. (The picture below is from the next day, when Fatih was driving.)


We reached overcrowded campground in dusk, everything soaking wet. Next day, when it all miraculously cleared up, with bright sunshine and bisons



The territory is huge, and a lot of driving was involved: we made 400 miles just driving from place to place (sights are pretty spread out). First, Hot Springs, with hot mud springs




Mud, lots of mud...


... and lots of steam....


...and of course it stinks with rotten eggs




Doles and mountains and sky out of the car window


"Grand Canyon of Yellowstone" - the Yellowstone canyon, carved in the limestone by Yellowstone river (here you actually understand the name of the park, after wondering why it's not some sort of Geyser Valley National Park)...


...with the gemstone of this particular part of the park: Upper Falls of the Yellowstone. On the right the closeup of the rapids on the river


Turning 180 degrees, the opposite view


Life finds it way on the limestone slopes


The same Falls from the other side of the Canyon



Wandering off the trail to the emerald-green colours and hydrogen sulfide smells of the swamp near the hot spring


More vistas passing by the window...


as we drive to the next destination: Mammoth Hot springs.


TO BE CONTINUED

2 comments:

  1. Зубробизонусы круты, Апперфол хорош)
    Люблю вонючие и горячие источники.

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    Replies
    1. будет еще, когда-нибудь) это 1/5 часть всей йеллоустоуновской бродилки

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