{"id":3831,"date":"2020-01-07T12:25:33","date_gmt":"2020-01-07T04:25:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.huangyizhou.com\/?p=3831"},"modified":"2020-01-07T12:25:33","modified_gmt":"2020-01-07T04:25:33","slug":"20190719yellowstone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.huangyizhou.com\/index.php\/2020\/01\/07\/20190719yellowstone\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 8 of 2019 Western US Tour, July 19, Yellowstone Canyons"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our fourth day in Yellowstone National Park, spent between majestic Yellowstone Canyon and Mammoth Hot Springs, and some stunning landscape and wild animals in between.
\n

\"Lower<\/a>

<\/br>Lower Yellowstone Falls in Canyon<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Yellowstone Canyon at Dawn<\/span><\/h3>\n

Since I had a pretty restful night last night, I decided to rise early and catch sunrise somewhere around Yellowstone Canyon. So just before 6am I arrived at Grand View on the north rim.<\/p>\n

Grand View<\/span><\/h4>\n
\"Moon<\/a>

<\/br>Moon over Yellowstone Canyon<\/p><\/div>\n

At dawn, the distant horizons were wearing a dazzling spectrum of colors in welcome of a new day, in contrast to the cold-colored, clarity-inviting rocks and torrents in the canyon.<\/p>\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

 \"Yellowstone<\/a><\/br>Yellowstone Canyon at Dawn<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

<\/br>Yellowstone River<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

 \"Yellowstone<\/a><\/br>\"Yellowstone<\/a><\/br>Yellowstone Canyon at Dawn<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

But somehow, compared with the photos I took later in the day, I did not find these photos at dawn particularly appealing, to justify the hardship of rising this early.<\/p>\n

\"Lower<\/a>

 \"Lower<\/a><\/br>Lower Yellowstone Falls at Dawn<\/p><\/div>\n

And I was waiting for a shot of first light of day painting Lower Yellowstone Falls gold, which didn’t seem to happen until sometime later. So, I decided to switch instead to Artist Point on South rim.<\/p>\n

Artist Point<\/span><\/h4>\n

It took about 20 minutes to drive from Grand View to Artist Point, about time Lower Falls received its first light of day.<\/p>\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

<\/br>Yellowstone Canyon<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Lower<\/a>

<\/br>Lower Yellowstone Falls<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

 \"Yellowstone<\/a><\/br>Yellowstone Canyon<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Compared with Grand View, here at Artist Point views of Lower Yellowstone Falls were better. But while the waterfall was radiant with daylight, so was the horizon behind it wearing blue, not much different from midday.<\/p>\n

\"Lower<\/a>

<\/br>\"Lower<\/a><\/br>\"Lower<\/a><\/br>Lower Yellowstone Falls in Canyon<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

<\/br>Yellowstone River<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Wildlife<\/span><\/h4>\n

But on my return trip, I did capture some wildlife, which more than made up this morning excursion.
\n

\"Elk\"<\/a>

 \"Elk\"<\/a><\/br>\"Elk\"<\/a><\/br>\"Elk\"<\/a> \"Elk\"<\/a><\/br>Elk<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Bison\"<\/a>

 \"Bison\"<\/a><\/br>\"Bison\"<\/a><\/br>Bison<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Bison\"<\/a>

<\/br>\"Bison\"<\/a> \"Bison\"<\/a><\/br>Bison<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Yellowstone Canyon during Day<\/span><\/h3>\n

Just like three days ago with sunrise watching in Grand Teton National Park, I headed right back to bed for some more sleep. This time, by the time we checked out of hotel it was 10 am.<\/p>\n

Artist Point<\/span><\/h4>\n

We still chose to head for south rim first during the day. Frankly, apart from more cars at the parking lot, I really couldn’t tell much difference in photos from four hours ago.<\/p>\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

<\/br>Yellowstone Canyon<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Lower<\/a>

<\/br>Lower Yellowstone Falls in Canyon<\/br>This really looked not that different from my photos at sunrise.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Wildlife<\/span><\/h4>\n

We even spotted an elk at approximately the same location, don’t know whether that’s the same elk in the morning.<\/p>\n

\"Elk\"<\/a>

 \"Elk\"<\/a><\/br>\"Elk\"<\/a> \"Elk\"<\/a><\/br>Elk<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Elk\"<\/a>

<\/br>\"Elk\"<\/a> \"Elk\"<\/a><\/br>\"Elk\"<\/a> \"Elk\"<\/a><\/br>Elk<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Uncle Tom Area<\/span><\/h4>\n

Unfortunately, Uncle Tom’s trail, which was some metal staircase leading down to the bottom of Lower Yellowstone Falls, was closed for renovation. So the only attraction in the area was an lookout of Upper Yellowstone Falls.<\/p>\n

\"Upper<\/a>

 \"Upper<\/a><\/br>\"Upper<\/a> \"Upper<\/a><\/br>Upper Yellowstone Falls<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Crystal<\/a>

<\/br>Crystal Falls<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

The lookout was pretty crowded with views partially obscured by trees, so we didn’t stay there for long before heading to North rim.<\/p>\n

\"Deer\"<\/a>

 \"Deer\"<\/a><\/br>Deer<\/p><\/div>\n

And since Brink of the Upper Falls was closed during our visit, our next stop was Brink of the Lower Falls.<\/p>\n

Brink of the Lower Falls<\/span><\/h4>\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

 \"Yellowstone<\/a><\/br>Yellowstone River in Canyon<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Bison<\/a>

 \"Bison<\/a><\/br>Bison by Parking Lot<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

The trail to Brink of the Lower Falls was a 700-meter zig-zag along the canyon cliff, with 90-meter elevation drop. With Uncle Tom’s Trail closed, it’s probably the only way to reach for views inside Yellowstone Canyon (Red Rock Point only offered views of the waterfall). The trail was pretty flat with lots of benches for handicapped<\/del> people to rest on.
\nBy the way, parking was rather challenging here during the day.<\/p>\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

<\/br>Yellowstone River in Canyon<\/p><\/div>\n

And once at the bottom of the trail, one can almost touch the torrents of Yellowstone River, if its roaring sound alone wasn’t enough to impress.<\/p>\n

\"Lower<\/a>

 \"Lower<\/a><\/br>\"Lower<\/a> \"Lower<\/a><\/br>Lower Yellowstone Falls<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

<\/br>Yellowstone River near Lower Falls<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Bison<\/a>

<\/br>Bison by Parking Lot<\/br>After we spent 35 minutes climbing up and down the lower brink trail, this bastard barely budged.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Canyon Lookout \/ Red Rock Point<\/span><\/h4>\n

While we were at Brink of the Lower Falls, we found there was a viewing platform on the North rim side in front of us, which turned out to be Red Rock Point, probably named after a red-colored cone-shaped rock in its surrounding.
\nThe irony was that, while at Red Rock Point, we were so spellbound by the magnificence of Lower Falls, that we didn’t pay any attention to that red rock at all.<\/p>\n

\"Lower<\/a>

 \"Lower<\/a><\/br>Lower Yellowstone Falls<\/p><\/div>\n

It’s a 400-meter trail with 70-meter elevation change to reach Red Rock Point. The trail wasn’t in as good condition as lower brinks (as it’s used by much fewer people), but it’s by no means technical. <\/p>\n

\"Lower<\/a>

<\/br>Lower Yellowstone Falls<\/p><\/div>\n

Since Uncle Tom’s Trail was closed, it’s the closest one can get facing Lower Yellowstone Falls.<\/p>\n

\"Lower<\/a>

<\/br>Lower Yellowstone Falls<\/p><\/div>\n

Grand View<\/span><\/h4>\n

Yes, we made a brief stop here too, before heading off to Inspiration Point.<\/p>\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

<\/br>Yellowstone Canyon<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

<\/br>Yellowstone River<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Inspiration Point<\/span><\/h4>\n

Among all the car-accessibly lookouts, Inspiration Point was located farthest from Lower Yellowstone Falls. But it offered panoramic views of richly-colored canyon cliffs, from which one sure can draw inspiration from.<\/p>\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

 \"Yellowstone<\/a><\/br>\"Yellowstone<\/a><\/br>Yellowstone River in Canyon<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

<\/br>Inspiration Point<\/br>This piece of rock was the original Inspiration Point. Visitors long ago would enjoy even broader views from that as an earthquake in 1975 severed off portions of the rock (and now it’s fenced off). It sure make for a perfect Assassin’s Creed’s leap of faith.<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

<\/br>Yellowstone River in Canyon<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

 \"Yellowstone<\/a><\/br>\"Yellowstone<\/a> \"Yellowstone<\/a><\/br>Yellowstone Canyon<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

<\/br>\"Yellowstone<\/a><\/br>Yellowstone River in Canyon<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Finally, after 1pm, we left Yellowstone Canyon and headed North for Roosevelt Area.
\nJust before Dunraven Pass, we stopped at a roadside pullover with wonderful views of lush hills decorated with patches of snow, among wildflowers and distant Yellowstone Canyon.<\/p>\n

Roadside Pullover<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"Hill\"<\/a>

<\/br>\"Hill\"<\/a> \"Hill\"<\/a><\/br>Hill<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Distant<\/a>

 \"Distant<\/a><\/br>Distant Yellowstone Canyon<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Wildflowers\"<\/a>

 \"Wildflowers\"<\/a><\/br>Wildflowers<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Park<\/a>

 \"Park<\/a><\/br>\"Park<\/a> \"Park<\/a><\/br>Park Road<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Mount Washburn<\/span><\/h3>\n

On Google Maps, we saw an unpaved Chittendon Road leading all the way to the top of Mount Washburn, which seemed to be a much better option than climbing 400 meters in elevation to its summit.
\nHowever, it turned out that Chittendon Road only led to a parking lot halfway up the hill, with the rest of it fenced off for official access only. (We should have consulted to OpenStreetMap for this…)
\nBut nonetheless, we took some time to soak in the beauty around us before we left.<\/p>\n

\"Packs<\/a>

<\/br>Packs of Ice on Mount Washburn<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Hill\"<\/a>

<\/br>\"Hill\"<\/a><\/br>Hill<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

It was rather windy halfway up Mount Washburn, so a bee found one of my fingers to be the perfect sanctuary against that. But unfortunately for me, that brought me a few days of soring pain.<\/p>\n

\"Mount<\/a>

<\/br>Mount Washburn<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Distant<\/a>

<\/br>\"Distant<\/a><\/br>\"Distant<\/a><\/br>Distant Mountains<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

And the next segment of Grand Loop Road was what I thought the most scenic in the park, with vast open fields expanding towards the East, adorned with patches of trees under changing shadows from clouds.<\/p>\n

\"Forest\"<\/a>

<\/br>\"Forest\"<\/a> \"Forest\"<\/a><\/br>Forest<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Mount<\/a>

 \"Mount<\/a><\/br>Mount Washburn<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Field\"<\/a>

 \"Field\"<\/a><\/br>\"Field\"<\/a><\/br>\"Field\"<\/a> \"Field\"<\/a><\/br>Field<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Park<\/a>

 \"Park<\/a><\/br>Park Road<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Tower Falls<\/span><\/h3>\n

Not far from Tower Junction, we made a brief stop at Tower Falls, that featured a beautiful waterfall and a general store.<\/p>\n

\"Wildflowers\"<\/a>

 \"Wildflowers\"<\/a><\/br>Wildflowers<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Tower<\/a>

<\/br>Tower Falls<\/br>Named for the tower-like rock formation at its brink.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

The waterfall was located just 250 meters from a popular parking lot.<\/p>\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a>

<\/br>Yellowstone River<\/p><\/div>\n

Bear Sighting<\/span><\/h4>\n

Which was made more popular with the sighting of a bear in the bushes.<\/p>\n

\"Bear\"<\/a>

 \"Bear\"<\/a><\/br>\"Bear\"<\/a><\/br>\"Bear\"<\/a><\/br>Bear<\/p><\/div>\n

This time wildlife patrol wasn’t as prompt, and before this bear disappeared into the woods it had already drawn hundreds of spectators.<\/p>\n

After that, we moved on to Roosevelt Lodge, where we planned to have lunch.<\/p>\n

\"Cliff<\/a>

 \"Cliff<\/a><\/br>Cliff by Road<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Cliff<\/a>

 \"Cliff<\/a><\/br>Cliff across Yellowstone River<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Mountain\"<\/a>

<\/br>Mountain<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Field\"<\/a>

 \"Field\"<\/a><\/br>Field<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Roosevelt<\/a>

<\/br>Roosevelt Lodge Entrance<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, even at 3pm, we were told a table in Roosevelt Lodge’s cafeteria would not be available for at least 30 minutes. So we decided to drive on and leave our lunch to Mammoth Hot Springs area.
\nThe country road from Tower Junction to Mammoth Hot Springs passed through some lush forest and open fields, still a treat to the eye.<\/p>\n

\"Field\"<\/a>

 \"Field\"<\/a><\/br>\"Field\"<\/a> \"Field\"<\/a><\/br>Field<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Park<\/a>

 \"Park<\/a><\/br>Park Road<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Mountains\"<\/a>

 \"Mountains\"<\/a><\/br>\"Mountains\"<\/a> \"Mountains\"<\/a><\/br>Mountains<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Bear<\/a>

<\/br>Bear in Bushes<\/br>Capturing this little creature while driving was pure luck.<\/span><\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Mountains\"<\/a>

 \"Mountains\"<\/a><\/br>\"Mountains\"<\/a> \"Mountains\"<\/a><\/br>Mountains<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Park<\/a>

 \"Park<\/a><\/br>Park Road<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Rocks\"<\/a>

<\/br>Rocks<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Field\"<\/a>

 \"Field\"<\/a><\/br>\"Field\"<\/a><\/br>\"Field\"<\/a> \"Field\"<\/a><\/br>Field<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Field\"<\/a>

 \"Field\"<\/a><\/br>\"Field\"<\/a> \"Field\"<\/a><\/br>Field<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Distant<\/a>

<\/br>Distant Mammoth Hot Springs<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Mount<\/a>

 \"Mount<\/a><\/br>\"Mount<\/a><\/br>\"Mount<\/a> \"Mount<\/a><\/br>Mount Everts<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Mammoth<\/a>

<\/br>Mammoth Chapel<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Just outside Mammoth Chapel, we made a brief stop watching a pack of deer enjoying themselves on the lawn. They certainly seemed adapted to civilization nearby?<\/p>\n

\"Deer\"<\/a>

 \"Deer\"<\/a><\/br>\"Deer\"<\/a><\/br>\"Deer\"<\/a> \"Deer\"<\/a><\/br>Deer<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Mammoth<\/a>

<\/br>Mammoth Dining Room<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

After some feasting at Mammoth Dining Room, it was 4:30 pm as we started to tour Mammoth Hot Springs area, which was possibly the largest travertine hill in the park.
\nWe started with its lower part first, which featured many terraces.<\/p>\n

Mammoth Hot Springs<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"Distant<\/a>

<\/br>Distant Mountains<\/br>Grand Loop Road bridge over Gardiner River.<\/span><\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Mount<\/a>

 \"Mount<\/a><\/br>Mount Everts<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Dead<\/a>

<\/br>Dead Trees<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Terrace\"<\/a>

 \"Terrace\"<\/a><\/br>Terrace<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Minerva<\/a>

<\/br>Minerva Terrace<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Waterflow\"<\/a>

 \"Waterflow\"<\/a><\/br>Waterflow<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Pools\"<\/a>

 \"Pools\"<\/a><\/br>Pools<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Mound<\/a>

<\/br>\"Mound<\/a> \"Mound<\/a><\/br>\"Mound<\/a><\/br>Mound Terrace<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Spring<\/a>

<\/br>Spring Coming out of Mound Terrace<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Cleopatra<\/a>

 \"Cleopatra<\/a><\/br>Cleopatra Terrace<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

And our luck with wildlife never seemed to run out for the day.<\/p>\n

\"Deer\"<\/a>

<\/br>Deer<\/br>Just next to Cleopatra Terrace.<\/span><\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Pool\"<\/a>

 \"Pool\"<\/a><\/br>Pool<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Minerva<\/a>

<\/br>\"Minerva<\/a> \"Minerva<\/a><\/br>\"Minerva<\/a> \"Minerva<\/a><\/br>Minerva Terrace<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

After that, we drove uphill for its upper part, which featured the beautiful Canary Spring, and a big but not-so-interesting Main Terrace.<\/p>\n

\"Canary<\/a>

<\/br>Canary Spring Hillside<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Park<\/a>

<\/br>Park Road<\/br>Bunsen Peak on the left.<\/span><\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Main<\/a>

 \"Main<\/a><\/br>\"Main<\/a> \"Main<\/a><\/br>Main Terrace<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Underwater<\/a>

 \"Underwater<\/a><\/br>Underwater Structure<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Dead<\/a>

<\/br>Dead Tree on Terrace<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Main<\/a>

<\/br>Main Terrace<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Canary<\/a>

 \"Canary<\/a><\/br>\"Canary<\/a><\/br>Canary Spring<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Distant<\/a>

<\/br>Distant Canary Spring<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

After that, we drove around the Upper Terrace Loop, which featured more springs and terraces. Probably because they were spatially scattered and not as aesthetically appealing, NPS made this into a one-lane road, instead of a boring 2.5km boardwalk.<\/p>\n

\"Tree<\/a>

<\/br>Tree Growing out of Rocks<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Orange<\/a>

<\/br>Orange Spring Mound<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Angel<\/a>

<\/br>Angel Terrace<\/br>With so many dead trees it really looked like hell here. Not sure angels would love this place.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Before we left, we visited Liberty Cap area (since we couldn’t find parking there at first).<\/p>\n

\"Liberty<\/a>

 \"Liberty<\/a><\/br>Liberty Cap<\/br>A dormant hot spring cone.<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Dead<\/a>

<\/br>Dead Trees<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

And for some weird reasons, the 250-meter round trip trail to Palette Springs seemed to be a favorite for tour groups, making it the most crowded spot of the Mammoth Hot Spring area.<\/p>\n

\"Palette<\/a>

 \"Palette<\/a><\/br>\"Palette<\/a> \"Palette<\/a><\/br>Palette Springs<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Devils<\/a>

<\/br>Devils Thumb<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Palette<\/a>

<\/br>Palette Springs<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

At this point, we realized we probably ran into too many wildlife today.<\/p>\n

\"Deer\"<\/a>

 \"Deer\"<\/a> \"Deer\"<\/a><\/br>Deer<\/p><\/div>\n

Finally, it’s time to leave. Our overnight lodge was just outside the town of Gardiner.<\/p>\n

\"Mammoth<\/a>

<\/br>Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Post<\/a>

<\/br>Post Office<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Mount<\/a>

 \"Mount<\/a><\/br>\"Mount<\/a><\/br>\"Mount<\/a> \"Mount<\/a><\/br>Mount Everts<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Rocks\"<\/a>

<\/br>\"Rocks\"<\/a><\/br>Rocks<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Gardner<\/a>

<\/br>Gardner Canyon<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Just as we were crossing Gardner Canyon, we (along a few other cars in front of us) spotted a pack of goats on the cliff.
\nSo we stopped for a while, admiring how swiftly these agile creatures were flying up and down the mountain.<\/p>\n

\"Goats\"<\/a>

 \"Goats\"<\/a><\/br>\"Goats\"<\/a><\/br>Goats<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Goats\"<\/a>

 \"Goats\"<\/a><\/br>\"Goats\"<\/a> \"Goats\"<\/a><\/br>\"Goats\"<\/a><\/br>Goats<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Goats\"<\/a>

 \"Goats\"<\/a><\/br>\"Goats\"<\/a><\/br>Goats<\/p><\/div>
\n

\"Goats\"<\/a>

<\/br>Goats<\/br>It seemed that this one was wearing a neck monitor. Didn’t know whether that’s why it’s left alone.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

And here’s a video of them descending down from hill for water.
\n