Journal Entry for June 9-16, 2007. Yellowstone Caldera
Trip with Hannah and Joshua.
June 9,
2007. We flew into Jackson
Hole, Wyoming in the
early afternoon, and bought supplies that we could not ship by air, either due
to the inconvenience of because of their being prohibited. We bought a cheap
foam cooler, ice, perishable foods and butane lighters at the Jackson Whole
Grocer (get it?) and propane canisters and bear deterrent at the Sports
Authority. Then, in a rental car, we
drove northward, through Grand
Teton National Park
to Yellowstone Park.
The northward drive is very beautiful. The road parallels
the Teton Range, whose high rocky peaks are
very dramatic. We stopped briefly at
roadside pullouts several times to admire the view and to take photos. The mountains have large snow fields, and in
sheltered places what might count for small glaciers. I could spot several moraines built of grey
gravel perched in high valleys. The road
passes Jenny Lake, which sits just at the base of the
range. The landscape is more subdued in Yellowstone National Park,
with less topography, more trees and grassy glades. The effects of the great 1998 fire are
evident everywhere we travel, with smallish (6-foot) but lush green trees
growing beneath the taller trunks of the trees killed by the fire. We arrive at Madison Campground in the early
evening, the drive taking about three hours, and check into our campsite,
number G260 [N44°38.648,
W110°52.228,
elevation 6675’, WGS-84]. We first set
up our two tents and then cook dinner of pork, rice and pot-stickers on our MSR
stoves. Just before sunset, walk down to
the river. This spot is where the Gibbon River,
flowing from the west, merges with the Firehole River, flowing from the south, to form
the Madison River, which flows to the
east. The rivers meander in a wide and
flat grassy flood plain. The site is
famous for having been the spot where the idea of a national park was conceived
back in the 1860’s, and a nearby highland is appropriately called National Park
Mountain. Some anglers with waders and
fly rods are standing in the water. I
peer in, try to spot trout, but see only a few fingerlings. I walk along a path towards the road, and see
a small herd of bison grazing peacefully on the grass. They are very large and solid-looking. Some are losing their winter fur, which is
hanging off like old rags. I cross the Gibbon River
via a highway bridge, walk past a hydrographic station, and hike back along the
river towards National park Mountain, jumping over several small rivulets. I cannot reach the mountain itself, though,
for I can find no way over the Firehole, not at least
without having to ford it. This area has
lots of dead trunks of conifers killed in the 1998 fire, some still standing
and others having fallen to make passage difficult. The sun has set now, and the air is very
calm. Numerous vertical smoke plumes rise from the many campfires of the
Madison Campground.
June 10,
2007. We cook eggs and
oatmeal for breakfast, and then decide to drive the southern of the Park’s two
loop roads, stopping to see the sites on the way, and especially the many
geothermal features. Firehole River
at Fountain Flats Drive:
we examine a geothermal spring at the stream’s edge. This steaming pool has a distinct travertine rim
and is about 20 feet across. On the
opposite bank, a family of Canada Geese and goslings walks by, reminding us
that not all of the animals of Yellowstone are
exotic! We notice the skeleton of a
large animal on the far shore of the river, too. Fountain
paint Pot Area: We stroll along the boardwalk though this geothermal
area. The hot springs and their outflow must constantly
shift around, for in places large trees have been killed by the poisonous
runoff, and in others new saplings are growing.
We pass several beautiful geothermal pools that are all steaming in the
morning’s rather cool air. Fountain
Paint Pot itself is a large mud boiling mud pot, with several small
spatter-cones that are being built up by burps of mud that are thrown up the
air. Josh gets spattered a bit as he
stands near a particularly active spot.
Further along the boardwalk a geyser erupts, and we rush over to view
the action. Water and steam spew perhaps
ten feet into the air. Midway Geyser
Basin: We cross the Firehole
River via a pedestrian
bridge. Streams of boiling hot water are
pouring from the pool of the Excelsior Geyser, down across a travertine edifice
and down into the river. We walk past
two large pools, Excelsior and Grand Prismatic Spring and several smaller ones. The surface is everywhere wet with a thin
layer of geothermal runoff, with low-relief travertine terraces forming a wavy
pattern on the ground. Algae of various
colors and patters grow on the ground.
We also spot a large beetle plodding by, and puzzle over whether its
visit to the geothermal area is intentional or accidental. The water at that spot is cool to the touch
and not obviously deadly. Bridge at the Mystic Falls
Trailhead: We stand on the bridge viewing the Firehole River and several small nearby hot springs. Pretty yellow flowers are growing at the
river’s edge. Upper Geyser
Basin: We stop at the general store of this
rather too touristy area and buy supplies, and then walk over to the Old Faithful geyser viewing area. We are prepared for a long wait, but we are
there for only a few moments and an eruption begins. Water and steam shoot a hundred feet into the
air, in several pulses lasting a total of a few minutes. We then take the boardwalk though the
geothermal field, crossing the Firehole River
via a footbridge. This area has many
geysers, both large and small, and several beautiful pools as well, such as
Blue Star Spring. We watch a small
eruption of one of the geysers in the Lion Group. Hannah and Josh ponder the rise and fall of the
water level in the nearby Goggle Pool. Whiskey
Flats Picnic Area: We have a lunch of tuna salad sandwiches at this
pleasant picnic area, set in the woods immediately adjacent to a grassy glade (its marshy – I guess all the grassy glades here are). Ranger Station at Old
Faithful: We picked up our backcountry camping permits and
viewed the park’s Safety Video, which includes tips on dealing with bears. Yellowstone Lake:
We stop briefly and walk down to the lake shore at a place where a large sandy
spit appears to cut off part of the Lake. We
stand on the beach, speculating as to what caused it. Fishing Bridge: We walk across and back across this
bridge over the Yellowstone
River, once renowned as a
place for catching Cutthroat Trout, but now closed to fishing owing to being a
spawning ground. (This status did not
stop the White Pelicans, which were numerous, from taking their share). I hear frogs singing in the wetlands along side
of the river. An elk was walking among
the trees, a little further from the river bank. Fishing Bridge
Visitors Center:
We viewed stuffed animals (e.g. Trumpeter Swan by nest) in the museum and then
walked down to the dark gravelly beach of Lake Yellowstone. Waves about a foot high were breaking, for
the day was quite windy. The dark clouds
overhead made the view across the lake to the distant mountains very dramatic. Yellowstone River north of the Lake:
We stopped briefly to view a herd of bison.
West of Norris Junction: We
stopped to view an Elk that was sitting in the woods near the Gibbon River.
We then returned to Madison Campground and cooked a dinner of bowtie macaroni,
fried tomatoes and mashed potatoes. We
then watched Supervolcano,
a copy of which Hannah had brought, using the DVD-player on Josh’s computer,
all three of us sitting in the back seat of the car. This Discovery Channel show depicts a
gigantic eruption of the caldera beneath our feet, saying that the events that
are described are true, they just haven’t
happened yet.
June 11,
2007. The morning is rather
grey, but the weather gradually improves during the course of the day. We cook
a breakfast of eggs and toast on the MSR stoves, and wash them down with
copious amounts of hot chocolate. We
drive the northern loop today. Artist
paint Pot Geothermal Area: We access these hot springs via a pleasant trail that leads
through low woods. The trail climbs up a
hillside behind the hot springs
that affords a nice view of the area. We see pools of several different colors:
reddish, yellow and grey. I find the
large grey mud pot most interesting.
Bubbles are forming concentric circles of varying shades of grey. Norris Geyser
Basin: We take the
boardwalk through this large and open geothermal area, past many hot springs and
geysers. We pass a two-tone stream. One
side is bright green owing to algae growing in cool water; the other is yellow
from a different biota living at higher temperature. We watch several geysers erupt. Steamboat geyser, which is said to be the
world’s largest during its infrequent major eruptions, is throwing up some
minor, but still impressive, fountains of boiling water and steam. We spot the
skeleton of an animal, possibly a deer, in the Dragon hot spring. Virginia
Cascade: We stop briefly at this largish waterfall on the Gibbon River. Tower Falls:
We walk to the overlook to view Tower Creek as it drops into the Yellowstone River, forming a slender but tall
waterfall. Several slender rock spires jut up from the notch in which the creek
flows. Across the canyon of the Yellowstone, in which rocks of a distinctive yellow color
(of course!) are exposed, we see several layers of lava with prominent columnar
jointing. Near Mt. Washburn:
We stop to watch a Grizzly bear and her two cubs, which are browsing for food
up on a hillside above the road. They
are far enough away that they would seem to pose no hazard, so Hannah spends
fifteen minutes or so by the roadside photographing them with a video
camera. Cascade Lake trailhead Picnic Area. We stopped for lunch in this
heavily wooded (meaning unburned) area, and made Italian wraps with cheese and
cold cuts. A big raven watched us from
overhead in a tree. Dunraven Pass:
We stop briefly and climb a rock outcrop that affords a nice view of the valley
below. A little north of Dunraven Pass:
We stop briefly to view a Pronghorn, a type of antelope. Hannah, once again, video records it. Mammoth
Hot Spring: We pass the Libery Cap, a very tall
(35 foot) and now extinct spire-shaped geothermal
mound. We then walk some of the
boardwalks of this very large travertine mound of the main part of the
geothermal area. It has very
well-developed travertine terraces, which seem to have three distinct
colors: The active, wet and steaming
terraces are yellow, I suppose because of the biota. The recently extinct terraces are bright
white and very crisply defined. And the
older extinct terraces are grey and beginning to crumble. The boardwalk leads high up onto a hillside
completely built of travertine. It
affords a nice view of the terraces below us, and of the surrounding
countryside. Boiling River: Hannah’s research has revealed that there are two
places in the park where one can legally swim in geothermal waters. Once is in the Gardner River,
just where the geothermal water from the Boiling River
pours into it. We find the access point
of this spot, parking a few miles north of Mammoth Junction and then walking
down a trail along the edge of the Gardner for a half mile or so. The Gardner
is a briskly flowing stream about thirty feet wide and a foot or so deep. The Boiling is a smaller creek that begins at
a spring – or maybe better described as a cave – below a set of
horizontally-stratified layers of travertine, and which flows a hundred yards
of so down a hillside to meet the Gardner.
The confluence is both raised above the level of the Gardner by about four feet by travertine
terraces, and sub-parallel to its edge, so that a long cascade is formed. People – and there were perhaps thirty
swimmers there when we arrived – stand in the Gardner, warming themselves
with the geothermal outflow of the Boiling.
The Gardner
flows quite fast, so entering it and getting to the geothermal cascade is quite
tricky. Hannah and Josh loved it, of
course, and completed several loops of being carried downstream in the cold
water and then slowly walking back up along the edge, with the geothermal
cascade pouring over them. I, too, went
in, though I had more difficulty entering the stream and spent only a
relatively short time in the geothermal waters.
Along the Gardner River,
couth of Mammoth: By now, it was getting late in the evening. We stopped briefly along the roadside to view
an elk. We then returned to Madison Campground, and cooked a dinner of beans
and cheese wraps, with rice on the side.
June 12,
2007. We wake up to sunny skies. We cook breakfast of pancakes (for
Hannah and Josh) and scrambled eggs (for me, to use up the leftovers), and then
pack for our backcountry camping trip.
We leave one tent at the campground, for we have paid for the site for
the whole week. Josh puts the other in
his pack; we will use it plus a bivy sack. We drive to the Glacial Bounder Trailhead [TH
4K6, N44°43.782,
W110°28.371,
elevation 7951’, WGS-84], which is so named because of a huge (20’ high)
glacial erratic that stands at the site.
The trail first follows the cliff edge of the Grand
Canyon of the Yellowstone, over
level ground. Hannah spots a marmot, a
small mammal about the size of a raccoon, near its burrow by a tree. It scurries away as we approach. In about a mile, we stop at an overlook that
affords a wonderful view of the canyon.
We gaze downward, seeing rock spires amid the tan, beige, yellow and
brown colored rocks. A wide waterfall,
the Silver Cascade, is on the far side of the river. A second, much thinner waterfall is further
downstream. We can see the blue-green
water of the Yellowstone
River, far below us. We then continue along the trail, with Hannah
and Josh (who are naturally sprinters) taking the lead and slowly getting ahead
of me. The trail is mostly through
woods, but approaches the edge of a large and marshy grassy glade. I reach the footbridge at far end of the
glade, by a trail junction [N44°44.976, W110°26.369, elevation 7965’, WGS-84] and find Hannah and
Josh relaxing, waiting for me and chatting with a couple of Park Rangers. The Rangers kid me that my pack looks larger
and heavier than Hannah’s or Josh’s.
Actually, it about the same weight; I’m just slower than them. I filter water at the stream to refill our
water bottles and we then set off, taking the right-hand and southern fork of
the trail. The trail heads steeply
downhill, via several switchbacks, following a ravine that descends into the
canyon. We all found this trail quite
difficult, owing to its being rather slippery; with lose gravel atop
hard-packed earth. About halfway down,
at a turn in the trail, we stopped for lunch.
The spot we picked [N44°45.187, W110°25.545, elevation 7800’, WGS-84] had no flowing water,
but was lusher than neighboring spots, with grass and flowers, so I judged that
water must be flowing at some shallow depth beneath the surface. We set up a
propane-fired Gaz stove, cooked a pot of rice and
relaxed for a while. After lunch, we
walked down another set of switchbacks that led into a flatter terrace, but one
that was still high above river level.
We came across a tall (15 foot), conical active geothermal mound among
the trees, and then a little later came to a rather bare hillside with active
travertine terraces. We were reminded
that we had not left the Yellowstone Caldera. Its huge size dwarfs the canyon,
though the canyon is a much more visible feature. The trail wound down this
hillside and then entered a flatter, wooded part of the terrace beyond. The steep part of the trail here is quite
tough. Hannah slipped once when her
shoes lost traction, and fell onto her butt, fortunately without injury. We
then crossed a little stream and then arrive at our campsite, Seven Mile Hole
[4C2, N44°45.214,
W110°24,319,
elevation 6788’, WGS-84], which is just off the trail. It consists of an area
for tents, an area for cooking and a food-hanging area (a horizontal beam set
between two trees about ten feet off the ground). The water source is a few hundred yards
further downhill along the trail, at the confluence of Sulphur
Creek (smelly) and the Yellowstone
River. This spot, which
is a small peninsula that extends out into the Yellowstone,
affords a beautiful view of the canyon.
In addition to the creek, it has several geothermal mounds. It also has
grass and a few trees, and is a nice place to sit and relax. I bring the water filter down to the river,
and refill our water bottles. Josh comes
down a little later, and the two of us sit around, enjoying the late afternoon
sun. Josh reads a book by Oscar Wilde.
Hannah, however, stays at the campsite and takes a nap in the tent. In the evening, we all cook a dinner of beef
stew and mashed potatoes. We all walk
back down to the river to get more water for cleaning the dishes. I slip on one of the steeper sections of the
trail and land on my butt. The dishes
fly into the air and are scattered, and I whack my arm on a rock and bruise it
a bit, but fortunately I am not seriously injured. Hannah helps me pick up – we find everything
except one of the forks. After washing
the dishes, we sit around and read aloud Tolkein’s Children of Hurin,
which Hannah has brought. The sun sets, and the night is clear and full of stars.
June 13,
2007. The morning is
clear. We cook pancakes and
oatmeal. Josh finds the missing fork on
the way down to the river to pump more water.
We pack up, and head up out of the canyon. The hike out is quite strenuous, with Hannah
and Josh being quite a bit faster than I.
We stop briefly at yesterday’s lunch spot, for a rest, and huff up the
rest of the switchbacks to the canyon’s rim. The footing is quite a bit better
when we are going uphill. At the top,
Josh discovers that the can of bear deterrent is missing; it has fallen off his
pack-strap during once of the rest stops.
He head down the trail looking for it, as far as yesterday’s lunch spot,
but cannot find it. We decide to go on
without it, hoping to encounter no bears.
We now take the north fork at the trail junction, which leads across the
fairly level ground at the canyon’s rim. This area is mostly wooded, but with
some large, marshy meadows, as well. The
trail crosses several of these meadows.
Their openness affords a very nice view of Mt. Washburn,
to our northwest. We cross several small
streams. We can simply jump across most
of them, but one, in a wooded area was too wide to jump. We cross it by walking across a fallen
log. I had not expected to find
geothermal springs on this top level of the canyon, too, but we passed
several. We had lunch by one [N44°45.571,
W110°26.320,
elevation 8050’, WGS-84], and open area with a white travertine crust and a few
steaming seeps. A little further along
the trail was a much bigger geothermal spring, with a boiling and steaming
pool. After another mile or so walking
through woods, we arrived at our next campsite, Washburn Meadows [Site 4E1, N44°46.666,
W110°24.690,
elevation 8097’, WGS-84]. It is among
trees at the edge of a marshy meadow, with the ridge of Mt.
Washburn visible to the north. At one
end of the camp, several springs feed a small creek. Like yesterday’s camp, this one also consists
of a tent area, a cooking area (this time with a fire ring) and a food hanging
area, each about 100 feet apart. The
site has quite a few mosquitoes, so we slather on DEET. After setting up camp, Josh and I sit in the
meadow, soaking up the afternoon sun.
Hannah takes a nap in the tent. One party of hikers comes down the main
trail. Finally, as the shadows are getting
long, we gather deadfall for a bonfire.
We have bowties and sausage for dinner. Josh lights up the campfire and
Hannah and I take turns reading aloud from Tolkien. I filter water from the
little spring, just before bed, in the grey dusk. It’s a clear night again. The sky is full of
stars.
June 14,
2007. It’s clear when I awake
at 7AM, but grows partly
cloudy over the next few hours. I walk
around the camp, looking at flowers and birds and some very agile
squirrels. Slowly the sun rises high
enough in the sky to light up the meadow.
After Hannah and Josh wake, we cook a breakfast of pancakes and
oatmeal. Hannah spots an elk in the
woods. We pack up and head out. The hike back to the trailhead is a
relatively easy one, as the ground is fairly level. Nevertheless, Josh slips once going down a
little hill of travertine and lands on his butt, but without injury. All three of us have fallen, which I hold to
be unusual, for we are excellent hikers.
The loose gravel on the trails here is really quite treacherous! We whistle songs as we walk along, to alert
any bears that we are in the vicinity.
We don’t want to have any surprise encounters, especially given
yesterday’s loss of the deterrent! We arrive at the Glacial Boulder trailhead
and take a group picture, with the camera, set in timer mode, propped up on a
road sign.
We drive over to Canyon
Village and take showers,
using the rather pricy ($3.25 each) bathhouse there, and buy supplies at the
general store. We then drive over to the
Norris Picnic Area, which is in a wooded area adjoining a large meadow. We have
a lunch of macaroni and cheese with tuna.
Hannah treats us to some soft cheese and crackers that she had bought at
the general store. We then drive back to
Madison,
stopping to herd of bison in a large meadow.
Josh counts eighty adults and twenty calves. The tent that we left at Madison Campground
has survived just fine. We set up the
other and relax. The afternoon is rather
cool and windy, and the sky is mostly cloudy.
A big cloud overhead, which is a frustration to us, given that the sky
elsewhere is clearer, seems to be generated by the mountain behind the
campground. In the evening, I take a
leisurely walk down to the Madison River. I walk first downstream, first through the
campground and then along the highway as far as a pullout. The sun breaks through the clouds, lighting
up the blue water and the green grass.
Numerous ground squirrels sit by the burrows in the grass, chirping or
barking as I approach. I then head back upstream,
past our campsite, and see that a herd of bison is grazing near the confluence
of the Gibbon and Firehole Rivers. A crowd of fellow campers are gathered on the
high wooded ground above the grassy floodplain to watch them. The bison have many calves. Some roll in the dirt, some chase after their
mothers, and are chased after and butted by their mothers. A large bison slowly walks up to where two
campers are watching. They stand cowering behind a rather thin-trunked conifer
tree. The bison approaches to within a
foot of the tree, but after a few tense moments slowly backs off and walks
away. These are huge animals, and while
I have not seen any being particularly aggressive, I take care not to get too
close! Back at camp, we cook dinner of
spaghetti and sauce and sausage. After
dinner, I walk down to the river again. The
bison have moved on. I can see them downstream, half a mile or so.
June 15,
2007. In the morning, before
Hannah and Josh have woken, I take a brief walk down to the Madison
River. I notice a small
geothermal area at the river’s edge. A
small side channel of the river is bubbling.
The water is warm, but not hot, to the touch. Back at camp, we have a breakfast of eggs and
oatmeal. Afterward, at Josh’s
suggestion, we decide to climb
Mt. Washburn. So we drive over to Canyon, spotting a coyote
along the way, and getting caught in a traffic jam caused by bison on the road.
We check with the Backcountry Office whether a permit is required. Apparently
none is. So we drive over to the
trailhead of the Mt. Washburn Jeep
Trail [N44°47.073,
W110°27.229,
elevation 8715’, WGS-84]. The jeep trail
winds steadily, but at a very even grade, up the mountain. We are wearing only light day packs, so I
find the walk much easier that the last two days’, even though the elevation is
higher. Josh and I walk at a fast,
steady pace, but Hannah jogs ahead. The
scenery on this clear day with puffy clouds is marvelous. The mountain commands a fantastic view in all
direction. We can see nearby forested hills, more distant snow-covered
mountains, Yellowstone
Lake and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
The road passes occasional snowfields. Hannah throws snowballs at us, and Josh
throws some back. Harmless fun, yet at
one point I become upset that we are not paying close enough attention to the
cliff-edge at the road side, and put a stop to it. It’s just too easy to become distracted and
walk right off! The trail leads across a
narrow arête, and then makes a final circle about the summit peak, up to an
observation tower at the top. Just
before arriving at the tower, a fox walks right by us. It sports thick fur and a very fluffy
tail. Many people are hanging out in the
tower, which has a glass-enclosed observation deck. Our hike up to the Tower [N44°47.858,
W110°276.035,
elevation 10072’ by GPS, 10243’ according to a sign, WGS-84] took 1:08.
Among the people at the Tower was a group of University of Pittsburg
students being taught about the local geology. I chatted with them and with their
instructor, William Harbert, for a few minutes.
They are spending several weeks studying geology, ecology and
environmental policy over the course of the summer. Meanwhile, Josh cooked us a
lunch of rice on the flat area outside of the Tower. The strong wind chilled us, and we donned our
jackets and windbreakers. We then headed
down, maintaining a strong pace.
Back at Canyon
Village, Hannah asked
around for a good restaurant, and determined that the Roosevelt Lodge had both
good cooking and a nice view. It was
still too early for dinner, so we drove over to the Cascade Lake Picnic Area to
rest for a while. Hannah and Josh took turns reading aloud from Tolkien. We got
as far a Turin’s
slaying of Glaurung the dragon. We then returned again to Canyon and used the
public showers again. One the way to
dinner, we spotted a black bear near the roadside. The rustic Roosevelt Lodge
did indeed prove to have both good food and a nice view of the surrounding
hills, and to be fairly reasonably priced, as well. We had ribeye
steak, barbequed ribs and barbequed chicken. On the way back to Madison Campground, we
stopped to watch the black bear for a while.
It was still in the general vicinity of the road. We also spotted a couple of mule deer grazing
by the roadside. Over the last week we
had not stopped at two obvious sites, a cliff by the roadside where people were
viewing coyote pups and Gibbon
Falls, so we stopped at
them now. The pups were hard to see, but
one of the other bystanders lent me her binoculars, and I watched one roll
around a bit. The falls were quite wide
and beautiful, especially for a river with only a modest volume of water. A big log jam had formed at its bottom, I
suppose composed of trunks of trees killed in the 1998 fire. We also saw a moose, feeding by a stream in a
meadow – one of the animals that Hannah had been especially hoping to see. We
arrived back at Madison Campground late in the evening, and just had time to
pack before full darkness was upon us.
June 16,
2007. We awoke at 6AM and packed up our tents and
sleeping bags. The tents proved hard to dry of condensation, as the sun was not
yet high enough to light up the camp. I
could only watch, with frustration, the sunlight slowly creep down the side of National Park Mountain
– not fast enough for us. So we packed
them up wet and set off. The drive south
was uneventful. The steam plumes of the
geothermal fields all rose straight and tall in the still morning air and were
vividly lit by the morning sun. The scenery was very pretty, but although we
looked for them, we saw few animals, just a few solitary bison. Hannah read aloud from Tolkien, completing
the story of The Children of Hurin, which ends with the death of Turin and the release of his father Hurin from the captivity of the Dark Lord.