Day 5 of 2019 Western US Tour, July 16, Grand Teton to Yellowstone

Another day full of activities as we were heading from Grand Teton National Park to Yellowstone.

Distant Mountains


Distant Mountains from Mormon Row


Grand Teton Part

Sunrise at Schwabachers Landing

It’s arguably the most enchanting view of Grand Teton National park, when the day’s first ray of light broke through distant horizon and illuminated the snow-crested summits of Grand Teton from velvet pink to metallic gold, with the reflection of winding snake river flowing in tranquil serenity. Not to mention dawn was the time of day that saw lots of animal activities (sadly we ran into none). So despite having to get up at 5 am and brave the bitter cold, I decided to go sunrise watching in Grand Teton National Park.

The three most famous spots for watching sunrise around the park were Schwabachers Landing, Mormon Row and Oxford Bend. Since Oxford Bend was much farther from Jackson (almost an hour of driving), we decided on Schwabachers Landing, which too offered reflection of Snake River.

Parking lot at Schwabacher Landing had space for about a dozen cars, that’s roughly the amount of photograph enthusiasts who were willing to get up early for the perfect shot.

Snake River

 Snake River
Snake River Snake River
Snake River
Ten minutes and a world of color separated these two rows of photos.


Grand Teton


Grand Teton


Ducks on Snake River


Ducks on Snake River
They sure rose early.

After waiting for about 10 minutes, clouds that surrounded Grand Teton Peak started to glow, ushering in a spectacular day.

Grand Teton


Grand Teton
Grand Teton
Grand Teton

Soon after that the peaks of Grand Teton put on a golden glow from the rising sun.

Grand Teton Reflecting Rising Sun


Grand Teton Reflecting Rising Sun Grand Teton Reflecting Rising Sun
Grand Teton Reflecting Rising Sun
Grand Teton Reflecting Rising Sun
Grand Teton Reflecting Rising Sun

Mormon Row

Since it’s still early in the day with mild lighting and beautiful clouds, I decided to stop by Mormon Row on my way back to hotel.

John Moulton Barn


John Moulton Barn
John Moulton Barn

At this hour at Mormon Row, sunrise spectators had all left, leaving the entire cluster of farmhouses to myself, and the huge span of farmland and surrounding mountains. A typical scene in America’s West where civilization was dwarfed by nature.

Farmhouses


Farmhouses


House on Mormon Row


House on Mormon Row House on Mormon Row
House on Mormon Row

After that, I drove back to Jackson and headed straight back to bed, trying to recover myself from such early rising. It wasn’t until 11am that we checked out of hotel, took a stroll around this beautiful town of Jackson while stocking up on some final supplies, before heading out for Yellowstone.

Streetview

 Streetview
Streetview


Elk Antler Arches


Elk Antler Arches
Antler arches have been gates to the Jackson Town Square since 1960. The antlers are from elk that winter on the National Elk Refuge. About 7,500 elk spend each winter on the refuge. The bulls shed their antlers each spring. Antlers are picked up by local Boy Scouts and sold by public auction in this square each May. All four arches were built by the Jackson Hole Rotary Club.

Even without its proximity to Grand Teton National Park, this could be a charming midwestern town.

Bucking Cowboy Statue


Bucking Cowboy Statue
Seemed to be a memorial to soldiers in war.


Decorated Veranda


Decorated Veranda
With flowers and a bear.


Rundown Motel


Rundown Motel
A not so fitting scene in a booming town.

Since we already visited Western loop of Teton National Park (Teton Park Road) the day before, this morning we would be visiting the Eastern loop (US191) and the few famous turnouts along it, with rising sun towards the East providing the perfect lighting conditions to the mountain ranges on the West.

Teton Point Turnout

Grand Teton

 Mt Moran
Grand Teton and Mt Moran


Snake River Valley


Snake River Valley
Layered terrace represented flow of Snake River in different geologic times.


Frontier A320 on Final Approach of Jackson Hole Airport


Frontier A320 on Final Approach of Jackson Hole Airport


View from Teton Point Turnout


View from Teton Point Turnout

Snake River Overlook

This is an overlook along Snake River, made famous by Ansel Adams’ 1942 photograph below, of winding Snake River before soaring Grand Teton peak.

The Tetons and the Snake River (1942)


The Tetons and the Snake River (1942) by Ansel Adams
National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the National Park Service. (79-AAG-1)

Unfortunately since then trees along Snake River had grown, obscuring most of the Snake River from that previous photo. It looked like this nowadays.

Grand Teton behind Snake River


Grand Teton behind Snake River
Grand Teton behind Snake River

Leaving us only to admire the magnificence of distant mountains.

Mt Moran


Mt Moran

J.P. Cunningham Cabin

Built in 1888 in the Appalachian style by John and Margaret Cunningham, it’s one of the valley’s few remaining structures from the homesteading era. J Pierce Cunningham initially opposed the expansion of Grand Teton National Park but later became an advocate. He teamed up with neighbor Josiah “Si” Ferrin to write a petition signed by 97 valley rancher who agreed to sell their land to form a “national recreation area”. John D. Rockefeller, Jr.’s Snake River Land Company bought Cunningham’s land and other ranches. Rockefeller later donated over 33000 acres to expand the national park.

Sign


Sign


Grand Teton


Grand Teton


Cunningham Cabin before Mountain Peaks


Cunningham Cabin before Mountain Peaks


Cabin Interior

 Cabin Interior
Cabin Interior
The cabin was demoted to smithy and barn in 1895 when Cunningham’s main residence was finished, thus no interior decorations were left. And since nobody lived here anymore that required thermal isolation, gaps in the logs were left unattended.


Cunningham Cabin

 Cunningham Cabin
Cunningham Cabin


Prairie Dog

 Prairie Dog Prairie Dog
Prairie Dog
Well, capturing this little bastard must be a hell lot harder than Whac-A-Mole.


Bird on Post


Bird on Post

After that, we headed for Oxford Bend, passing a few lush ranches, and most amazingly, a cowboy on horseback.

Park Road

 Park Road
Park Road


Man on Horse

 Man on Horse
Man on Horse


Ranch and Herd

 Ranch and Herd Ranch and Herd
Ranch and Herd Ranch and Herd Ranch and Herd
Ranch and Herd


Forest

 Forest Forest
Forest

Oxford Bend

Another more photographed place of Grand Teton National Park along the winding Snake River. While last night we only made a brief stop here amid pouring rain, we took a more leisurely stroll here today.

Mt Moran


Mt Moran

Mountain Ranges from Oxford Bend


Mountain Ranges from Oxford Bend
Mountain Ranges from Oxford Bend


View from Oxford Bend


View from Oxford Bend


Forest by Snake River

 Distant Gravel Mountain
Forest by Snake River and Distant Gravel Mountain

After that, we headed out beyond yesterday’s realm towards Yellowstone.

Park Road before Snowy Mountains

 Park Road before Snowy Mountains
Park Road before Snowy Mountains


Park Road

 Park Road
Park Road

Jackson Lake Overlook

Despite this overlook being a parallel pullover area on the opposite side of road, it’s still hard to miss. And views of the largest lake in Grand Teton National Park were fabulous as we bid it farewell.

Mountains by Jackson Lake


Mountains by Jackson Lake
Mountains by Jackson Lake


View of Jackson Lake


View of Jackson Lake


Jackson Lake


Jackson Lake

As we made our way towards Yellowstone, the views along changed from endless lush plains decorated with small hills and ranches, to dense forest that had weathered wildfires and still thriving.

Park Road

 Park Road
Park Road


Forest

 Forest
Forest

Yellowstone Part

Park Road


Park Road


Lewis River in Canyon


Lewis River in Canyon
Lewis River in Canyon
These two photos were taken at an unmarked roadside turnout.

Lewis Falls

Our first stop in Yellowstone National Park was Lewis Falls. It might not be the most spectacular waterfall in Yellowstone, it’s definitely the most accessible being just 50 meters off US191. A short hike later one could actually reach the brink of it, though most visitors were pretty content with a selfie from a nearby bridge.

Lewis Falls


Lewis Falls


Lewis Falls

 Lewis Falls
Lewis Falls Lewis Falls
Lewis Falls

A downside of Lewis Falls was that parking was pretty limited, with most cars just parked on shoulders during our visit.

Fisherman on Lewis River


Fisherman on Lewis River

After that, we took a brief detour to Lewis Lake Boat Ramp and admired the expanse of Lewis Lake, before heading farther North.

Lewis Lake


Lewis Lake


View of Lewis Lake


View of Lewis Lake

West Thumb Geyser Basin

At about 3pm we reached West Thumb Geyser Basin, one of the two places with the most concentration of geysers in Yellowstone (the other one being Upper Geyser Basin near Old Faithful).
It’s also a place popular with visitors and tour buses. Probably due to the Basin’s limited size, its parking lot was almost, but crucially, not full. We would soon learn the next day that finding parking in popular parts of Yellowstone was actually a test of patience.

Steaming Geyser


Steaming Geyser


Geyser

 Geyser
Geyser Geyser
Geyser

There were too many geysers in West Thumb Basin. I tried to recover names for most of them, but at the end of day I sort of believed many of them were nameless.

Thumb Paint Pots

 Thumb Paint Pots
Thumb Paint Pots

Basin of Geysers

 Basin of Geysers
Basin of Geysers


Surging Spring


Surging Spring


Geyser

 Geyser
Geyser

Despite it’s the middle of July, it’s still rather cold in Yellowstone (sometimes with freezing temperature in the night). That’s especially true here in West Thumb Basin with winds from Yellowstone Lake. So I ended up in a unique interpolation pattern, positioning myself close to these geysers and heating myself up with their steam, and staying away from them refreshing myself in the invigorating but cold breeze from Yellowstone Lake, so that I didn’t inhale too much poisonous gas from the geysers. As I recall, that’s interestingly weird.

Collapsing Pool


Collapsing Pool


Ledge Spring


Ledge Spring


Geyser

 Geyser
Geyser


Bubbling

 Bubbling
Bubbling


Percolating Spring


Percolating Spring


Geyser

 Geyser
Geyser


Barren

 Barren
Barren


Abyss Pool


Abyss Pool Abyss Pool
Abyss Pool


Black Pool

 Black Pool
Black Pool
Black Pool
Not black at all.


Black Pool Flowing into Yellowstone River


Black Pool Flowing into Yellowstone River


Geyser

 Geyser
Geyser


Mountains across Yellowstone Lake

 Mountains across Yellowstone Lake
Mountains across Yellowstone Lake


Rugged Shoreline

 Rugged Shoreline
Rugged Shoreline


Fishing Cone


Fishing Cone
Fishing Cone
This cone got its name that people once put newly caught fish into the geothermal hot spring cone, and the fish was cooked. Now that boiling live fish was banned, that had become a legend.


Underwater Geyser Cone

 Underwater Geyser
Spring Geyser
Geyser Geyser
Geyser


Lakeside Spring


Lakeside Spring


Bluebell Spring


Bluebell Spring

Having spent a little more than an hour at West Thumb Basin, we headed off for Old Faithful, where our overnight lodge would be. The mountain road from West Thumb Basin to Old Faithful passed through some beautiful forests, and notably, the continental divide.

Park Road

 Park Road
Park Road Park Road
Park Road Park Road
Park Road

Old Faithful Inn

Initially constructed over the winter of 1903-1904, Old Faithful Inn was largest log hotel in the world (possibly the largest log structure). A National Historic Landmark and a symbol of the Yellowstone park.

Old Faithful Inn


Old Faithful Inn
Old Faithful Inn


Old Faithful Fin West Wing Exterior


Old Faithful Fin West Wing Exterior
Different styles of wood on each floor.


Old Faithful Inn


Old Faithful Inn Exterior
Old Faithful Inn Exterior


Lobby

 Lobby
Lobby

In a tiny corner down its ground floor hung some vintage photos of visitors arriving at Old Faithful Inn with horse-drawn wagons. Now the wagons were replaced with automobiles, but the hotel itself looked as prestige as in the photos.

Chimney


Chimney

During the day (also into night), the lobby of Old Faithful Inn was always bustling with crowds in admiration, with higher floor balconies seated with souls in chat or at rest. A violinist occupied a corner on the second floor, a perfect place for those seeking peaceful meditation amid clamorous air. A last stronghold of civilization among miles of wilderness.

Lobby


Lobby
Lobby


Bathroom


Public Bathroom
Some rooms in the old building do not have private bathrooms, only communal ones like this.

After having decided to visit Yellowstone over the summer, I had been refreshing Yellowstone’s lodging page ever now and then hoping to find some newly released hotel rooms (it’s free cancellation beyond 30 days so many booked speculatively and then cancelled). Incredibly only a few weeks later I found a vacancy at Old Faithful Inn West Wing, and without hesitation I snatched that.

Corridor


Corridor

It turned out that West Wing was added to Old Faithful Inn in 1927 (East in 1913), so it’s not the original log structure (and I doubt it’s wooden at all). On the good side, this is “premium” room with more amenities from this century.

Old Faithful Inn West Wing Exterior


Old Faithful Inn West Wing Exterior

Room

 Room
Room


Sink


Sink


Shower


Shower


Bear Shaped Soap


Bear Shaped Soap
The same soap was offered at basically every hotel in Yellowstone National Park, and since it’s so cute, our entire souvenir collection were made of these soaps.


North Wing Lobby


North Wing Lobby
Sort of unbelievable there’s such a quiet place in a busy hotel with many reading desks.


Wildflowers along Creek


Wildflowers along Creek

After checking into this historic Old Faithful Inn and still with time left till Old Faithful Geyser’s next eruption, we headed for a nearby convenience store for dinner.

Hamilton's Store


Hamilton’s Store
Initially built in 1897, this building was actually older than the nearby Old Faithful Inn. Hamilton’s Stores lost the concessions in 2002, so the building was now officially “Yellowstone General Store”. However, the wooden porch with words “Hamilton’s Store” was still visible in this photo. This photo was taken the next day after hiking Upper Geyser Basin.

Dinner


Dinner
Calorie bomb for the three of us.

And after that, we watched an eruption of Old Faithful Geyser, which was unfortunately a few minutes late, leading to some quite anxious waiting.

First Eruption of Old Faithful Geyser

Old Faithful Geyser

 Old Faithful Geyser
Old Faithful Geyser

Arrays of benches surrounded the southern rim of Old Faithful Geyser, which during peak summer season weren’t nearly enough. On the good side, there was still plenty of boardwalk (and gravel ground behind that) left.

Old Faithful Erupting

 Old Faithful Erupting Old Faithful Erupting
Old Faithful Erupting
Old Faithful Erupting Old Faithful Erupting Old Faithful Erupting
Old Faithful Erupting


It’s beyond words watching the power of nature at play here.
Old Faithful Erupting

 Old Faithful Erupting
Old Faithful Erupting Old Faithful Erupting Old Faithful Erupting
Old Faithful Erupting

Hill Overlooking Old Faithful

After that, I figured there was still time left till sunset, so I went to explore a few geysers on Upper Geyser Basin, together with an observation point on a small hill overlooking Old Faithful.

Firehole River

 Firehole River
Firehole River


Chinese Spring


Chinese Spring


Geyser

 Geyser
Geyser


Blue Star Spring


Blue Star Spring
With its amazingly concave surface.


Firehole River

 Firehole River
Firehole River


Trail

 Trail
Trail
Until immediately before summit, the trail had been wide and easily accessible like this.

The trail to Observation Point was only 700 meters long (80 meters elevation gain), passing through some forestry landscape. Technically that’s bear country so caution should be exercised.

Field of Trees

 Field of Trees
Field of Trees


Trail

 Trail
Trail


Boulders before Summit


Boulders before Summit

And at the summit, stunning views of Upper Geyser Basin with skies in vivid colors preceding sunset.

Old Faithful Surroundings


Old Faithful Surroundings


Overlooking Old Faithful Inn

 Overlooking Upper Geyser Basin
Overlooking Old Faithful Inn and Upper Geyser Basin


Old Faithful Lodge


Old Faithful Lodge


Valley of Geysers


Valley of Geysers

After that, I headed along another trail in forest towards Solitary Geyser.

Hill with Trees and Flowers


Hill with Trees and Flowers


Plant


Plant


Fallen Trees

 Fallen Trees
Fallen Trees Fallen Trees
Fallen Trees

Solitary Geyser probably got its name from its remote location that invited few visitors. Otherwise judging by its size and its eruption frequency, it should be more popular, even at this time of day near dusk.

Solitary Geyser


Solitary Geyser

In 1915 a pipe was used to tap water from this hot spring and lowered its water level by 3 feet. The calm spring became a geyser erupting every few minutes afterwards. Although the pipe was removed and the former water level restored, geyser activity continues.
Solitary Geyser erupts about 4 feet every 5 to 7 minutes.
Source: Information board nearby.

Solitary Geyser Erupting

 Solitary Geyser Erupting
Solitary Geyser Erupting


Trail

 Trail
Trail

As I walked back towards Old Faithful Inn I passed one branch of Upper Geyser Basin.

Geyser Erupting


Geyser Erupting


Beach Spring Erupting

 Beach Spring Erupting Beach Spring Erupting
Beach Spring Erupting Beach Spring Erupting Beach Spring Erupting
Beach Spring Erupting


Geyser in Meadow

 Geyser
Geyser


Aurum Geyser


Aurum Geyser


Geyser Hill


Geyser Hill

And the steaming clouds from the cluster of geysers were adding traces of magic into the air. Given that few people still hang out at this hour, it felt like one was walking in misty heaven.

Doublet Pool


Doublet Pool


Misty


Misty


Steaming Field


Steaming Field


Waterflow

 Waterflow
Waterflow


Boardwalk


Boardwalk


Geyser Erupting

 Geyser
Geyser


Sponge Geyser


Sponge Geyser Sponge Geyser
Sponge Geyser


Pump Geyser


Pump Geyser


Teakettle Spring


Teakettle Spring


Flowers

 Flowers
Flowers
Amazing signs of life in gravel field.


Vault Geyser


Vault Geyser


Steaming Field


Steaming Field


Infant Geyser


Infant Geyser


Sulfide Spring


Sulfide Spring

Second Eruption of Old Faithful Geyser

Just as I was about to cross Firehole river again, it happened to be eruption time of Old Faithful Geyser and that I found a bench by Sulphide Spring. This time it was closer to dusk and low-lying clouds had dispersed, so photo-wise there’s better contrast between steam from geyser and background skyline. A downside was that this time I was farther away from Old Faithful (250 meters compared with 100 meters from surrounding benches to Old Faithful Geyser), so it was a small struggle for my 120mm camera as I had to crop the photos.

Old Faithful Erupting

 Old Faithful Erupting Old Faithful Erupting
Old Faithful Erupting
Old Faithful Erupting Old Faithful Erupting Old Faithful Erupting
Old Faithful Erupting


Old Faithful Erupting


Old Faithful Erupting


Wildflowers


Wildflowers


Old Faithful after Eruption


Old Faithful after Eruption

Then it was almost time for sunset, and about time to end a rather long day.
END

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Day 5 of 2019 Western US Tour, July 16, Grand Teton to Yellowstone by Huang's Site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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