Day 10
13610 mileage
7:35 A.M.
14486 steps
$70 All Access Pass savings
Ready for another bucket list item? So am I. Old Faithful, I am THIS close to you. It was a gorgeous clear C.O.L.D. morning in Jackson, Wyoming and our hotel treated us to an actual cooked breakfast. We had to space out in line and wear masks as the servers talked to us behind plexiglass shields to take our order. We could choose from scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, oatmeal, bagels, croissants, and juices. A little sense of a former life was a bit of a shock after three months of restrictions and quarantine.
In order to get to the turn off that leads to Yellowstone's southern entrance you have to drive along this huge expanse of land set aside just for an Elk Refuge. They come down off the mountains every winter and are protected on this incredible piece of property. This morning we were treated to actual elk on the road crossing right in front of us.
You continue on this long stretch with the Snake River running alongside your car, The same snake River that Lewis and Clark used on their trek to the Pacific. Moving along and you see the Grand Tetons rising like sugar coated arrow heads for miles in the distance. So beautiful.
We have to pass through the entrance for the Grand Tetons to reach the entrance to Yellowstone. You have to pay for both entrances, so be forewarned. It took us an hour and half of driving just to reach the entrance to Yellowstone from Jackson. Old Faithful was set to erupt at 11:15 A.M. so we headed in that direction. The visitor's center at Grant Village wasn't open, but two rangers there watching the elk wander around, told us that the store in West Thumb was open. West Thumb?
The saleslady inside was an angel! She quickly determined that this was our first adventure inside the 2.2 million acre National Park and takes us in hand. She lays out her trusty map and helps us plot our not just today's itinerary, but all three days telling us the highlights to definitely not miss. We had a rudimentary plan, but she really set us on the right path.
We made it in time for our scheduled viewing along the sparse crowd on the boardwalk. Some people were getting a wee bit too close without wearing masks, so we had to be patient and maneuver around them.
Standing there eagerly anticipating a natural wonder we were a bit let down at the sight before us. It gurgled and steamed and eventually spouted a stream about ten feet in the air. Wasn't this supposed to be able to reach heights of 185 feet forcing me to crane my neck so far back it would almost break? Is the steam from the cold air blocking the rest of the spout? I mean what gives?
The land around the geyser is so incredibly surreal. Full of these steam vents, basalt formations, fumaroles, and small geysers. There are numerous paths and boardwalks allowing you to go out and see some of them up close. I was fascinated by the hot springs with their colorations and gently bubbling surfaces. The clear waters made me want to dive right in, but it would probably melt my face off, so I refrained.
One of the stops we had to do along the way, Saleslady Checklist, was the Grand Prismatic Spring. The best location was a hike up to Fairy Falls. Off we went.
We rode north through the park past such features as Gibbon River (with no Gibbon), Beaver Lake (with no beaver), Swan Lake (with no swan) out to Mammoth Falls where we were treated to even more fascinating geological creations.
Now we turn around and drive all the way the way we came. Stopping to break the tedium at Gibbon Falls oohing and aahing over the shear wall of water as it cascaded down into the valley below. Just as we are good and tired from a long eventful day, this is when the buffalo decide to stage a coupe of the roadways. We about the seventh car back from the ranger vehicles as they tried to herd the well, herd, further down the road to a spot where they could move safely out of the way of human traffic.
We followed that stampede for about an HOUR before the land beside the road stretched out into a field large enough to accommodate the large furry animals.
Treat ourselves to a nice dinner at Glorietta Ristorante. Here's a picture of a bear butt, just cuz.
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