Day 6 of 2019 Western US Tour, July 17, Yellowstone Geysers

A day spent on watching various geysers in the lower-left corner of Yellowstone’s figure-8 loop.

Overlooking Grand Prismatic Spring


Overlooking Grand Prismatic Spring


Since we had a rather action-packed day the previous day, from before dawn till after dusk, we woke up reasonably late today and checked out of historic Old Faithful Inn at 10am. Our plan for the day was to tour Upper Geyser Basin, from Old Faithful Geyser all the way to Morning Glory Pool in the morning, and then various clusters of geysers in the lower-left part of Yellowstone’s figure-8 loop later in the day, before reaching Lake Yellowstone Hotel where we would be spending the night.

Upper Geyser Basin

Old Faithful Inn


Old Faithful Inn
Always a welcoming sight in the Upper Geyser Basin area.

And there were lots of (probably too many) geysers along the way. The day’s warmer, and my nose seemed to have adapted to sulfide smell from the geysers, so that’s two miseries from yesterday being taken care of.

Bronze Spring


Bronze Spring


Little Anemone Geyser Erupting

 Little Anemone Geyser Erupting
Little Anemone Geyser Erupting


Anemone Geysers

 Anemone Geysers
Anemone Geysers


Geyser

 Geyser
Geyser


Plume Geyser


Plume Geyser


Waterflow

 Waterflow
Waterflow


Holes


Holes


Beehive Geyser


Beehive Geyser
It’s a small cone but it could erupt rather high into the sky.


Copper Kettle


Copper Kettle


Scissor Springs

 Scissor Springs
Scissor Springs


Depression Geyser


Depression Geyser


Hole with Flowing Water

 Geyser
Geyser


Old Faithful Inn across Firehole River


Old Faithful Inn across Firehole River


Arrowhead Spring


Arrowhead Spring


Lion Geyser Group

 Lion Geyser Group
Lion Geyser Group


Fallen Trees

 Fallen Trees
Fallen Trees


Wildflowers


Wildflowers

Heart Spring

 Heart Spring
Heart Spring


Old Faithful Geyser Erupting

 Old Faithful Geyser Erupting
Old Faithful Geyser Erupting


North Goggles Geyser


North Goggles Geyser


Ear Spring


Ear Spring


Pool

 Pool
Pool


Spring


Spring
I sort of liked the rim of this one.


Geyser Erupting

 Geyser Erupting Geyser Erupting
Geyser Erupting


Liberty Pool


Liberty Pool


Tardy Geyser


Tardy Geyser


Geyser

 GeyserGeyser Geyser
Geyser


Twilight Spring


Twilight Spring


Bubbling Geyser


Bubbling Geyser


Spasmodic Geyser

 Spasmodic Geyser
Spasmodic Geyser


Crystal Spring

 Crystal Spring
Crystal Spring


Belgian Pool

 Belgian Pool
Belgian Pool
Not many pools in Yellowstone were named after nations. For Belgian Pool, “it was renamed after a visitor from Belgium fell into it and died in 1929”.


Hills


Hills
Trees close to the geysers were dead from their poisonous fumes.

Then we bumped into Grand Geyser, world’s tallest predictable geyser, the only geyser along the way that had arrays of benches around its perimeter, like the famous Old Faithful.

Grand Geyser

 Grand Geyser
Grand Geyser

Click for information about Grand Geyser

Grand Geyser
Known for the height and beauty of its eruptions, Grand geyser’s activity is linked with that of nearby geysers. An intricate sequence of events that takes place over 7 to 15 hours culminates in explosions of boiling water and steam from Grand’s pool. A full eruption can last from 9 to 12 minutes and reach heights of 180 feet or more.

The Grand Group
The prominent sinter bowl next to Grand Geyser is Turban Geyser. A small crack left of Turban’s sinter shoulder is Vent Geyser. These three geysers share a subterranean source of hot water.
Turban Geyser erupts more frequently than the other two. Grand will erupt just before or after Turban erupts. The water level in Grand fluctuates with each Turban eruption, usually dropping noticeable. As an eruption of Grand Geyser nears, boiling water surges over the rim of its pool. Within seconds, Grand will erupt. Finally, Vent Geyser comes to life, jetting water to heights of 75 feet. Though Grand’s eruptions last only about 10 minutes, Vent and Turban can continue to erupt for an hour or more.
Source: Information board nearby.

But since its eruption interval was rather long, we didn’t feel like waiting here was a sensible choice. So we moved on.

Topsoil Spring


Topsoil Spring


Economic Geyser


Economic Geyser
“Economic Geyser is believed to be named for its behavior during its active days. It is reported that most of the water ejected drained back into the vent after the eruption, thus making the geyser appear to conserve its water.”

And we found a bastard that certainly ignored signs to keep on the boardwalk.

Bird Drinking from Geyser

 Bird Drinking from Geyser
Bird Drinking from Geyser


Wave Spring


Wave Spring


Beauty Pool

 Beauty Pool
Beauty Pool
Beauty Pool


Chromatic Pool


Chromatic Pool

Click for information about Beauty and Chromatic Pools

Living Color
The vivid colors of Beauty Pool’s basin and runoff channels are created by microscopic lifeforms. Incredibly, these organisms survive and thrive in an environment that would be lethal to us and most other living creatures. Scientists are just beginning to understand these lifeforms; amazingly, hot spring environments may sustain a diversity of organisms rivaling that of terrestrial rain forests.

Thermal Feature Color Gradient
In the geyser basins with alkaline or neutral pH (Upper, Midway, Lower, West Thumb, and Mammoth Hot Springs), color is primarily a function of what lives and grows in a feature. The graph to the right represents the upper environmental temperature limits for life and the corresponding colors (which vary over the course of a year as a consequence of seasonal changes) in the features or runoff channels.

Hidden Connections
Beauty Pool shares an underground link with Chromatic Pool (to your immediate left). When Beauty Pool is full, Chromatic Pool’s water level is much lower; sometimes the reverse may be observed. Many other features in the Upper Geyser Basin have demonstrated similar behavior. The factors affecting such exchanges of function are many and may include phenomena such as earthquakes and continuing mineral accumulations in each feature’s underground “plumbing.”
Source: Information board nearby.

Firehole River

 Firehole River
Firehole River


Oblong Geyser

 Oblong Geyser
Oblong Geyser
Being far away from trail, its crater was hard to see.


Geyser Eruption


Geyser Eruption


Giant Geyser


Giant Geyser


Bijou Geyser


Bijou Geyser


Bijou, Mastiff and Giant Geyser


Bijou, Mastiff and Giant Geyser

Then we came up to Grotto and Rocket Geyser, a rather unique duet of geyser eruptions. Probably because of their ugliness, they were not the most famous in the park.

Click for information about Grotto Geyser

Grotto is perhaps the most unusual of Yellowstone’s geysers. Geologists believe that hundreds (or thousands) of years ago, Grotto Geyser emerged in a stand of dead or dying trees and, through time, deposited layer upon layer of siliceous sinter (silica) over the stumps and branches.

Fast Facts:
• Grotto’s initial eruption can reach heights of more than 40 feet, but then generally subsides to about 15 feet.
• The duration of Grotto’s eruption can vary from about 50 minutes to more than 24 hours.
Source: Information board nearby.

Grotto and Rocket Geyser Erupting

 Grotto and Rocket Geyser Erupting
Grotto and Rocket Geyser Erupting


Variable Spring


Variable Spring


Grotto Geyser Erupting

 Grotto Geyser Erupting Grotto Geyser Erupting
Grotto Geyser Erupting Grotto Geyser Erupting Grotto Geyser Erupting
Grotto Geyser Erupting
Grotto Geyser Erupting Grotto Geyser Erupting Grotto Geyser Erupting
Grotto Geyser Erupting


Grotto and Rocket Geyser


Grotto and Rocket Geyser


Grotto Geyser Erupting

 Grotto Geyser Erupting
Grotto Geyser Erupting Grotto Geyser Erupting
Grotto Geyser Erupting


Grotto Fountain


Grotto Fountain
At least this was what the sign said.


Spa Geyser


Spa Geyser


Square Spring

 Square Spring
Square Spring


Culvert Geyser


Culvert Geyser


Firehole River

 Firehole River
Firehole River


Mortar Geyser


Mortar Geyser
This piles of rock certainly looked like being bombarded.


Spiteful Geyser


Spiteful Geyser


Hill overlooking Firehole River


Hill overlooking Firehole River

Then, we found another little creature running around.

Squirrel

 Squirrel Squirrel
Squirrel Squirrel Squirrel
Squirrel

Finally, we were at the end of our morning excursion, Morning Glory Pool.
Standing by its side, it’s hard to gauge its depth from its concave structure that displayed various colors, each unique to a particular kind of bacteria.
It used to have a blue-ish color, but with many visitors tossing coins into the pool and clogging entryways, hot water supply and thus appearances of the pool had changed, to a green-ish color nowadays.

Morning Glory Pool

 Morning Glory Pool
Morning Glory Pool
Morning Glory Pool


Wildlife Photographer


Wildlife Photographer


Squirrel

 Squirrel
Squirrel


Norris Pool


Norris Pool


Riverside Geyser


Riverside Geyser


Marathon Pool


Marathon Pool


Spa Geyser


Spa Geyser

On our way back, we took a detour on a trail leading to Punch Bowl, visiting a few more geysers along the way.

Meadow


Meadow
Parts of grass tinted white by geyser activities, making this a magical scene.


Waterflow

 Waterflow
Waterflow Waterflow
Waterflow


Splendid Geyser

 Splendid Geyser
Splendid Geyser


Meadow with Wildflowers


Meadow with Wildflowers


Waterflow


Stains from Waterflow


Brilliant Pool

 Brilliant Pool
Brilliant Pool


Bank Geyser

 Bank Geyser
Bank Geyser


Field with Dead Trees


Field with Dead Trees


East Round Spring


East Round Spring


Firehole River

 Firehole River
Firehole River


Trees along Trail

 Trees along Trail Trees along Trail
Trees along Trail

Grand Geyser Eruption

At this time, there was a clamor across Firehole River, about Grand Geyser bursting into eruption.

Grand Geyser Erupting

 Grand Geyser Erupting Grand Geyser Erupting
Grand Geyser Erupting Grand Geyser Erupting Grand Geyser Erupting
Grand Geyser Erupting Grand Geyser Erupting
Grand Geyser Erupting

So I rushed there, and caught the end of its eruption.

Geyser Erupting


Geyser Erupting
A smaller geyser nearby. Many geysers near Grand Geyser group were interconnected.


Grand Geyser Erupting


Grand Geyser Erupting Grand Geyser Erupting Grand Geyser Erupting
Grand Geyser Erupting Grand Geyser Erupting Grand Geyser Erupting
Grand Geyser Erupting


Grand Geyser after Eruption


Grand Geyser after Eruption
Vent Geyser was venting out steam.

After that, we resumed our tour.

Churn Geyser


Churn Geyser


Scalloped Spring


Scalloped Spring


South Scalloped Spring


South Scalloped Spring


Trees along Trail

 Field of Trees
Trees along Trail
The ones in the front were tinted by geyser eruption and dying.


Crested Pool

 Crested Pool
Crested Pool


Shield Spring


Shield Spring


Castle Geyser

 Castle Geyser
Castle Geyser

Click for information about Castle Geyser

The massive cone is a sign of old age. Eruption after eruption, probably for thousands of years, scalding water has deposited this silica mineral formation. By contrast, Old Faithful’s fledgling cone may be only a few hundred years old.

Castle Geyser has dramatically changed its surroundings. By flooding the area with hot, silica-rich water, the geyser has devoured part of a pine forest and turned it into a thermal desert. Tree skeletons are entombed within the cone.

Castle Geyser’s eruptions are predictable; two per day are typically recorded.
Source: Information board nearby.

Upper Geyser Basin


Upper Geyser Basin

After that, we were back at Old Faithful Inn. It’s 1pm, lunch time. For that, we headed for Old Faithful Lodge Cafeteria, which was one of the best decisions we made in the park.

It had long been a notion to me that America’s National parks were like the wild frontier away from civilization, where other than hunting, man had to resort to MRE-grade food, I mean, in a glamorous way, like chocolate bar and croissant bread. Unlike many of my friends, in such a place of wonder I would be more than okay with the latter two, I just didn’t expect I can have this:

Lunch


Lunch
Lunch

They called this “Grain & Noodle Bowls”, which was like Panda Express, plus a few lovely toppings and wonderful sauces, and crucially, minus all the excessive and unhealthy cooking oil. And given its premium location inside a park, the larger bowl (with two proteins) seemed like a bargain at 13.95 before taxes. Yes, I had to wait in line to get such bowls, but so was my school’s Panda Express. And for the lucky few with a window seat, Old Faithful Geyser was just out of the window. How wonderful my life could be if they expanded this back home.

Third Eruption of Old Faithful Geyser

After lunch, it was close to another forecasted eruption of Old Faithful Geyser. So we watched it again, this time, among more crowds.

Old Faithful Geyser Erupting


Old Faithful Geyser Erupting Old Faithful Geyser Erupting
Old Faithful Geyser Erupting


A video of the eruption was under processing.

After that, we got onto our car and started our tour of various clusters of geysers along Grand Loop Road. We planned to visit Black Sand Basin first, but its parking lot was tiny and full, so we moved on next to Biscuit Basin.

Biscuit Basin

Click for information about Biscuit Basin

This thermal basin is particularly volatile, unpredictable. On August 17. 1959, an earthquake recorded at 7.5 on the Richter scale had its epicenter just a few miles to the northwest. Four days later, Sapphire Pool began to erupt violently, blowing away the large rock biscuits around the crater. Biscuit Basin was named for those biscuit-shaped mineral formations.
Source: Information board nearby.

Firehole River

 Firehole River
Firehole River


Wildflowers


Wildflowers


Pool


Pool


Black Diamond Pool by Firehole River


Black Diamond Pool by Firehole River


Black Diamond Pool


Black Diamond Pool Black Diamond Pool
Black Diamond Pool


Wall Pool


Wall Pool


Waterflow

 Waterflow
Waterflow


Tiny World


Tiny World
The level of detail in geyser runoff was astonishing.


Dead Trees at Rim of Geyser Runoff


Dead Trees at Rim of Geyser Runoff


Jewel Geyser


Jewel Geyser


Field with Dead Trees


Field with Dead Trees


Shell Spring


Shell Spring


Silver Globe Geyser

 Silver Globe Geyser
Silver Globe Geyser


Silver Globe Cave Geyser


Silver Globe Cave Geyser


Avoca Spring Erupting

 Avoca Spring Erupting
Avoca Spring Erupting
Avoca Spring Erupting


Avoca Spring


Avoca Spring


Silver Globe Spring


Silver Globe Spring


West Geyser


West Geyser


Seaweed Spring


Seaweed Spring


Seaweed Spring before Mountains


Seaweed Spring before Mountains


West Mustard Spring


West Mustard Spring


East Mustard Spring


East Mustard Spring


Black Pearl Geyser


Black Pearl Geyser


Sapphire Pool

 Sapphire Pool
Sapphire Pool
Sapphire Pool Sapphire Pool
Sapphire Pool


Runoff from Sapphire Pool


Runoff from Sapphire Pool


Black Opal Pool


Black Opal Pool

Firehole Lake Loop

After that, we headed for Firehole Lake area, which consisted of a one-lane detour (Northbound only) from Grand Loop Road, with many roadside geysers.

Firehole Spring

 Firehole Spring
Firehole Spring


Surprise Pool

 Surprise Pool
Surprise Pool


Distant Geyser


Distant Geyser
Possibly Botryoidal Spring

Judging by their size, the following two geysers should be famous. But it seemed that not many visitors to Yellowstone would take this detour and visit them.

Great Fountain Geyser

 Great Fountain Geyser
Great Fountain Geyser


White Dome Geyser


White Dome Geyser

A larger parking lot (20 spaces) was located at the side of Firehole, Black Warrior and Hot Lake, which were inter-connected. Like most others, we stopped there for a walk.

Firehole Lake

 Firehole Lake
Firehole Lake


Mist on Firehole Lake


Mist on Firehole Lake


Young Hopeful Geyser


Young Hopeful Geyser Young Hopeful Geyser
Young Hopeful Geyser
Young Hopeful / Grey Bulger Geyser

It’s interesting to note that I only recalled seeing sign of “Young Hopeful Geyser” in the area (photo above). However, by Wikipedia, “Young Hopeful is currently dormant” with all the eruptions coming from Grey Bulger Geyser. By this it seemed that “Young Hopeful” was no longer hopeful after all.

Geyser


Geyser


Artesia Geyser


Artesia Geyser

After that, Black Warrior Lake was just across the road.

Steady Geyser

 Steady Geyser
Steady Geyser


Wrinkles on Black Warrior Lake


Wrinkles on Black Warrior Lake


Black Warrior Lake


Black Warrior Lake


Hot Cascades

 Hot Cascades
Hot Cascades


Hot Lake

 Mist on Black Warrior Lake
Hot Lake and Mist on Black Warrior Lake


Mist on Black Warrior Lake


Mist on Black Warrior Lake

At the exit of Firehole Lake Drive was Fountain Paint Pot parking area.

Fountain Paint Pot Area

Dead Trees

 Dead Trees
Dead Trees
A salute to the lives that were once here.


Earth

 Earth
Earth


Bacteria Mat

 Bacteria Mat
Bacteria Mat


Silex Spring

 Silex Spring
Silex Spring
Silex Spring

Then there’s the famous Fountain Paint Pot, with its lovely bursts of bubbles that looked teleported from some post-apocalyptic world.

Fountain Paint Pots

 Fountain Paint Pots
Fountain Paint Pots
Fountain Paint Pots Fountain Paint Pots
Fountain Paint Pots

Click for information about Fountain Paint Pot

Making Mud
This vat of bubbling mud contains the perfect mix of ingredients to create mudpots: heat, gases, water, volcanic rock, minerals, acid, and even living microorganisms! Heat-loving “thermopiles” consume some of the gases and help convert them into sulfuric acid. The acid breaks down rock to form clay — clay that mixes with water in mudpots.
Year after year, this huge mudpot — called “Mammoth Paint Pots” until 1927 — has changed with the seasons. Fountain Paint Pots spits thin, sloppy mud in spring. In drier conditions, thick bubbles of mud and gas ooze through cracks, then burst and collapse, forming cone-shaped mounds.

Understanding the Extremes
Earth’s extreme habitats are studied by scientists who seek to understand life’s ultimate limits. Knowledge gained from Earth-bound studies aids scientists who search for life (and evidence of its past existence) in the extreme environments found elsewhere in our solar system.
Source: Information board nearby.

Red Spouter


Red Spouter
Created by an earthquake in 1959, Red Sprouter splashes muddy water in spring, mud in summer and vents steam in autumn.


Leather Pool


Leather Pool


Gentian Pool among Field


Gentian Pool among Field


Fountain Geyser

 Fountain Geyser
Fountain Geyser
Most of it hidden under vertical geyserite walls.


Clepsydra Geyser Erupting

 Clepsydra Geyser Erupting
Clepsydra Geyser Erupting Clepsydra Geyser Erupting
Clepsydra Geyser Erupting


Celestine Pool


Celestine Pool

After this, next on our itinerary was Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world. (One should certainly rate it as the most beautiful.)

Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook

Arguably the best view of Grand Prismatic was from a nearby hill, where one had to hike 1.3km from Fairy Falls Trailhead parking lot. Probably because of Grand Prismatic’s popularity and Fairy Fall’s remote location (4km of hiking one way from parking lot), almost everyone at Fairy Falls Trailhead was heading for Grand Prismatic. As a result, finding parking spots was challenging at the trailhead.

Bird

 Bird BirdBird Bird
Bird
Possibly a raven?


Steel Bridge Pool

 Steel Bridge Pool
Steel Bridge Pool


Firehole River

 Firehole River
Firehole River

The trail to overlook was slightly dusty but otherwise in perfect condition, along meadow decorated with wildflowers.

Wildflowers

 Meadow with Wildflowers
Meadow with Wildflowers


Silent Pool


Silent Pool


Firehole River


Firehole River

Finally, we were on the hill overlooking Grand Prismatic Spring in all its splendor, beyond what words can describe.

Overlooking Grand Prismatic Spring

 Overlooking Grand Prismatic Spring
Overlooking Grand Prismatic Spring
Overlooking Grand Prismatic Spring

Compared with its huge amounts of visitors, the hillside overlook with its limited space was crowded all the time, which could make taking the perfect photo/selfie difficult.

Field by Grand Prismatic Spring


Field by Grand Prismatic Spring

And after that, we headed back.

Bird

 Bird
Bird


Meadow

 Meadow
Meadow


Tire Pool


Tire Pool

Grand Prismatic Spring Up Close

The worst parking experience in the park, period.
The official parking lot only had about 60-70 spaces, so more often than not vehicles queued up all the way to the main park road. Then people decided it might be better off to just park on the side of main park road, and NPS sort of had to condone this. The result was that a stretch of main park road, about a kilometer long, was parked with cars all day long, with traffic jam of cars circling around for a parking spot.
Conclusion: bring patience, prepare to spend 30 minutes on parking.

Firehole River


Firehole River
With runoff from Excelsior Geyser


Runoff from Excelsior Geyser

 Rim of Excelsior Geyser
Runoff at Excelsior Geyser Rim

Click for information about Excelsior Geyser

In the 1880s Excelsior Geyser erupted in bursts 50 to 300 feet high. The thermal violence formed the jagged crater and apparently ruptured the geyser’s underground system, causing eruptions to cease after 1890.
On September 14, 1985, Excelsior roared back to life with forty-seven hours of major eruptions. It is impossible to predict when this dormant but powerful geyser’s next eruption will occur.
Source: Information board nearby.

Excelsior Geyser

 Excelsior Geyser
Excelsior Geyser
Excelsior Geyser

It was a rather windy day at Excelsior Geyser (and I guessed so for the season), there were too many hats and scarves inside Excelsior Geyser, obviously blown off track from unsuspecting visitors. Not a very pleasant sight.

Excelsior Geyser

 Excelsior Geyser
Excelsior Geyser
Excelsior Geyser Excelsior Geyser
Excelsior Geyser


Steam from Grand Prismatic Spring


Steam from Grand Prismatic Spring


Grand Prismatic Spring

 Grand Prismatic Spring
Grand Prismatic Spring
Grand Prismatic Spring


Steam from Grand Prismatic Spring


Steam from Grand Prismatic Spring

From the hill overlooking Grand Prismatic, one might appreciate its gigantic scale and wide spectrum of color; and here by its side, I think it’s the transient beauty of shifting veil of steam that’s most adored.

Grand Prismatic Spring


Grand Prismatic Spring Grand Prismatic Spring
Grand Prismatic Spring
Grand Prismatic Spring


Opal Spring

 Opal Spring
Opal Spring


Turquoise Pool

 Turquoise Pool
Turquoise Pool

Finally towards the end of day, we were back at Black Sand Basin, probably the smallest geyser basin of the day. It’s past 7pm and parking had certainly eased up.

Black Sand Basin

Jagged Spring

 Jagged Spring
Jagged Spring


Cliff Geyser


Cliff Geyser


Cliff Geyser Erupting

 Cliff Geyser Erupting
Cliff Geyser Erupting


Iron Spring Creek


Iron Spring Creek Iron Spring Creek
Iron Spring Creek


Geyser

 Geyser
Geyser


Geyser Erupting

 Geyser Erupting
Geyser Erupting Geyser Erupting
Geyser Erupting


Green Spring


Green Spring


Cinnamon Spouter

 Cinnamon Spouter
Cinnamon Spouter


Field with Wildflowers


Field with Wildflowers


Field

 Field
Field


Sunset Lake

Sunset Lake Sunset Lake
Sunset Lake
A fitting place to tour at the end of day.


Rainbow Pool


Rainbow Pool


Emerald Pool


Emerald Pool


Boardwalk


Boardwalk

Steam from Sunset and Rainbow Pool


Steam from Sunset and Rainbow Pool

After that, it’s more than an hour’s drive through dense forest to Lake Yellowstone Hotel, where we would be spending the night.

Lake Yellowstone Hotel

The type of room we booked was individual cottages 100 meters away, but the place to checkin was still Lake Yellowstone Hotel.

Room


Room
This photo was taken by my parents.


Cottage Exterior


Cottage Exterior
The bright yellow color was in perfect symphony with nearby Lake Yellowstone Hotel.

The original lake hotel was constructed in 1891, making it the oldest operating hotel in the park. In its lobby still hung pictures of wagons in front of original Lake Hotel, of guests arriving by steamboats touring Yellowstone back in 19-th Century.

Wagon in front of Lake Hotel


Wagon in front of Lake Hotel
Photo courtesy of John L. Stoddard’s Lectures, Vol. X., Copy. 1898

Since then, the layout of the lobby barely changed, with guests enjoying a chatful night accompanied by views of Yellowstone Lake under setting sun.

Lobby

 Lobby
Lobby


Driveway


Driveway


Exterior

 Exterior
Exterior

Just across the hotel entrance was an overlook of Yellowstone Lake. After we checked in and received keys to our overnight cottage, we enjoyed the breeze and lovely views of distant snowy peaks under setting sun, before heading off for dinner.

Stevenson Island in Yellowstone Lake


Stevenson Island in Yellowstone Lake


View of Yellowstone Lake


View of Yellowstone Lake


Snow-Crested Mountains across Yellowstone Lake


Snow-Crested Mountains across Yellowstone Lake


Shores of Yellowstone Lake


Shores of Yellowstone Lake

It’s already half past 8 and near its closing time, but the Lake Hotel’s dining hall was still popular with guests. So we decided to head for the nearby Lake Lodge and tried out its cafeteria.

Lake Lodge


Lake Lodge
This photo was taken by my parents.

Unfortunately, I missed the “healthy Panda Express” from lunch so much, that I didn’t find dinner and Lake Lodge cafeteria much appealing (another reason was that it’s near closing time too so choices were limited). But after dinner, we had the surprise encounter of a few bison hanging out in the field just across Lake Lodge, that certainly light up our day.

Bison Encounter

Bison


Bison Bison
Bison


Distant Mountains Glowing under Setting Sun


Distant Mountains Glowing under Setting Sun


Bison

 Bison in Field
Bison in Field
Bison in Field


Bison

 Bison
Bison
Bison Bison
Bison


Meadow and Mountains across Yellowstone Lake


Meadow and Mountains across Yellowstone Lake

END

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