Journey to Yellowstone

Yesterday I drove from Pocatello to Yellowstone.  On the way, I saw the Tetons, mirrored against the haze in the far distance.

Yellowstone continues an orderly recovery from the catastrophic 1988 fires, which burned well over a quarter of the park.  The trees in the foreground are lodgepole pines which have naturally revegetated since 1988.  In the background are lodgepoles that survived the fires.  This is a natural cycle in Yellowstone.  Lodgepole pine cones need intense heat to pop open and germinate...the fire provided that.  Thus the new forest rises in profusion to replace the old.

The geysers of Yellowstone release all sorts of chemicals into the atmosphere...and running along the ground.  This picture at the Fountain Paint Pots is simply different minerals running downhill.  Yellowstone is a fine place for abstract photography.

A hot spring at Fountain Paint Pots.  The water temperature is close to boiling.  I managed to take this pic and the previous one with no people in the scene.  That's not easy on July 31.  There were hordes of swarming Chinese tourons brandishing selfie sticks.  Fat Americans, with squalling ankle biters, abounded.  And there were a few French people, no doubt sneering at how les Americains didn't deserve the magnificent country they lived in.  Yes, I'm not a fan of tourons!

A Yellowstone geyser erupting.  I'm too lazy to access the name of the geyser...it's somewhere in the trunk of my car, four stories below.  But this was cool...the geyser erupts every half hour or so.

Lake Yellowstone, with cumulus humilus.  It's a bit overlooked, but Lake Yellowstone is probably the third most prominent alpine lake in the US, after Tahoe and Crater.  It's vast and fabulous.  There is a fine hotel overlooking the lake, within the park.  I REALLY need to stay there sometime, for a few days.  Reserve six months in advance, load up the Visa card...it will be worth it.

Lower Yellowstone Falls, in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.  A bit over 300 feet high.  This is a photo, not a painting.  Looks like a painting...that's probably why this vista was named Artist Point.

The chemicals in the volcanic rock give the canyon its fine hues.

Quintessential shot of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.  Again, not a painting.  A photo.  Thank you Nikon Coolpix.  I first saw a view like this in a book about 50 years ago.  In 1971 I visited for the first time, and it looked equally awesome.  Nothing has changed.  The one thing that needs to be changed is my approach to Yellowstone.  I've visited four times...two were drive thrus, in one day.  The other two were day and a half trips.  Not adequate!  Yellowstone is vast and diverse.  It needs at least five days!  And it should be done shortly after Labor Day, when the touron crush abates.  I will do that.  High priority bucket list item.

The Shoshones had a bit of fun with this guy.  Blow up the pic to read. 

Looks like an ordinary Western pic.  Not!  To the right, the Gallatin River merges with the Madison/Jefferson Rivers, coming in from the left, that joined a mile upstream.  This is where the Missouri River begins!  The Three Forks location was visited by Lewis and Clark in July, 1805.  They named all three rivers; after the US president at the time; the secretary of state (Madison) and the secretary of the treasury (Gallatin).