YELLOWSTONE - LAKE AREA

MAINLAND ADVENTURE 

Sept 2013

Sunday Sept 1

            Hoping for an early start we were up and ready to go at 8am when Erica called – she would meet us for dinner. 

            As we headed back down toward the lake area, we stopped off to see Mud Volcano.  Actually the road traffic was at a standstill before we got there because a herd of buffalo was crossing.  When we were able to pull over and walk to the mud feature we were treated with seeing the buffalo cross over a ridge and into the little valley where we were standing.  It was a thrill, like being in the past and observing them as they once were (and are again in this magical land).

Busy grazing 

 Two have just thundered down the hill, 

note big guy still at top ready to make his descent

 Mom and calf

 We were mesmerized as the whole herd passed before us into this valley

 This feature at Mud Volcano was interesting 

but the critters are hard to beat 

Another mud volcano with the sun hitting it

A sign on Fishing Bridge says “no fishing” because only grizzlies are allowed to fish for cutthroat trout here, especially during their spawning season.  The museum at Fishing Bridge Visitor Center is a lovely old building with all its taxidermy birds and great info. I was shocked when I walked in and saw two types of swans.  I had seen swans along one of the rivers and dismissed them – couldn’t be – so I missed the chance to stop and really look at them.  The arctic swan is huge and the trumpeter swan even bigger.  The relief map of Yellowstone Lake that our geologists friends worked on was here too.

Lake map  

YS Lake is 137 sq mi (see west thumb at far left - a good sized lake on its own)

            Next stop was a short hike to Storm Point on the lake.  The destination was a rocky outcropping  that housed marmots . The path was through meadow and forest and past a large pond.  When I saw it was adjacent to Pelican valley I was on the lookout for pelicans -  I had learned to suspend rational thinking and it paid off - we did see a pelican.

 This area is at the northern edge of Lake Yellowstone

The circular pond at top of map is Indian Pond

 Indian Pond

 Pelican on Indian Pond (near Pelican Valley)

 A peek at the lake from the forest, 
steam vents are at Steamboat Point across the way

Gil is checking out "steamboat" 

Storm Point beyond him 

We saw butterflies, dragonflies, and red squirrels

no marmots (maybe already hibernating) and no bears 

            Erica had also suggested Sylvan Lake and the pass near the park’s East entrance before leaving the area.  Nice picnic at the lake.  

Sylvan Lake 

Sylvan pass

Evidence here reminded us that this park was first visited on 

horseback and/or horse and carriage - Yikes!

           We stopped back in at Fishing Bridge museum to figure out which birds we had seen.  After puzzling two rangers we moved on. We had a nice drive to the Old Faithful area where we would spend two nights.  One more waterfall just before reaching geiser land.

Kepler Cascades with Mr. Gil