Day Eight, 9/11/24, Canyon Education Center to Livingston, MT; 200 miles, 6 1/4 hours

I am reminded again that this day was the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, the terrorist attack on the United States, September 11, 2001.

Another feature of the Canyon Education Center were the animal exhibits.  The volcanic system set the stage for certain life systems to arise, although there also may have been some glacial movement as well that would have left behind certain soils.  But it is believed that primarily the calderas created the unique geology and ecosystem foundations of the Yellowstone National Park system.

Bears and Wolves are endemic to YNP

The Pine Marten is another cute little guy.

The Native American people that inhabited this area followed the bison.

History of Native Americans and Bison in YNP

Mary Ray reflecting on her Native American heritage and the Bison culture.

 

Reluctantly, we drove away from the Canyon Visitor Center complex and north toward the north boundary of YNP.  Here again, the twisty-curvy roads were a challenge for me even with Mary driving.  And again, I don't remember ever being this unnerved by curving roads.  In YNP you can only drive 25 mph in most places and behind long lines of cars, but the curves are tight and there isn't a shoulder for the most part, although there are "turnouts" for those who want to stop and take pictures.

In my research in preparation for our trip to YNP, I did not know that there had been a fort at the north entrance, Fort Yellowstone.  Now it is called Mammoth Springs Visitor Center.

Fort Yellowstone National Historic Landmark

It is a very confusing drive, but you can stop and visit a museum which features more animals common to YNP.

Elk

 

 

Mountain Lion

Red Fox

When you drive out of the north entrance of YNP, you are in Gardiner, MT where we made a pit stop and paid $7.26 for two sodas!  Livingston is about two hours away.  For our entire second day in Yellowstone National Park, we drove 200 miles for a total of 6 1/4 hours on the road.

How was the second day in YNP meaningful for me?  I'm kind of a nut for animals and their habitats.

What did I learn?  That there was a Fort Yellowstone, a fact which seemed to me to be somewhat hidden by renaming the location Mammoth Springs.

What would I do differently if Mary and I traveled again in the future?  I wouldn't enter or leave through the north entrance.  

Day Eight, 9/11/24, W Yellowstone to Canyon Visitor Center, 1 1/2 hours

Canyon Visitor Center, Yellowstone National Park, was our last chosen visitor center.  I chose this visitor center because of the exhibits related to the geologic characteristics of Yellowstone.  A helpful guide is the book Lorren Harbin gave me when we visited Grand Junction, CO:  "Interpreting the landscape:  Recent and ongoing geology of Grand Teton & Yellowstone National Parks" by John M. Good and Kenneth L. Pierce, published 1996.  In addition, I have read several fictional interpretations of the possibilities of Yellowstone erupting again in the future.  So I had an intense interest in knowing more about this place in which we were driving around.  The picture below is a bit confusing.  The top of the screen is south and the bottom of the screen is north; which makes the right hand side W Yellowstone, as labeled.  The Teton Range is in the upper left hand corner, even though as we entered the south entrance, the Tetons were on our right (east) side.  Pretend that you are motoring down through the picture from top to bottom (south to north).  We passed Lewis Lake, then stopped at Old Faithful (Tribal Cultural Center) then turned west to our lodging in West Yellowstone.

The Caldera Boundary of Yellowstone National Park

The Canyon Visitor Education Center is filled with exhibits and also has a theater for a short film "portraying Yellowstone's extreme geologic forces as they create unique landscapes that support an abundance of life" (source: https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/canyonvc.htm). 

The last time the Yellowstone caldera erupted was 0.65 million years ago.  Violent volcanic eruptions hurled cubic miles of Yellowstone ash to stratospheric heights where winds spread it across more than 20 states.  The ash is three inches thick in Iowa. (Brown & Pierce, 1996, p. 7).

There are three calderas that define the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.  The Lava Creek Caldera is the largest one that is centered in what is now the primary acreage of the park.  It is the one that erupted 0.65 million years ago.  But there is another caldera in what is now Idaho, the Island Park Caldera, that erupted 1.3 million years ago.  This caldera is just west of the Yellowstone park boundary.  In between the Lava Creek and Island Park calderas is the Huckleberry Ridge Caldera which erupted last 2.1 million years ago.  The three calderas intersect to form an entire volcanic system.

Larger map of the Yellowstone Caldera (source:  https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/simplified-map-yellowstone-caldera)

This map is oriented with north at the top and south at the bottom, but the purple line matches the caldera boundary in the previous map.  The solid green line correlates with the Island Park caldera and the dotted green line correlates with the Huckleberry Ridge caldera.

Notice Mammoth Hot Springs, another visitor center and former fort location, which we will visit as we leave the park boundary.

How was the Canyon Visitor Center meaningful to me?  I have been a geology nut since elementary school when I collected rocks and fossils.  However, reading the dystopic fiction of modern writers really got me more and more interested in the Yellowstone calderas and when they might erupt again.

What did I learn at Canyon Visitor Center?  Well, I haven't shown some of the other pics from that visit, so stay tuned.

What would I do differently if Mary and I traveled in the future?  I've already mentioned coming in from the west entrance, staying in West Yellowstone at least two nights, and returning to the Tribal Cultural Center.  I would love to return to the Canyon Education Center as well.

Barbara Schelling -- Red-winged Blackbird

back of Red-winged Blackbird card

Jo Mack -- Elk

back of Elk card

Day Seven, 9/10/24, Grant Village to the Tribal Cultural Center and West Yellowstone, MT; 207 miles, 9 1/4 hours

Coming in from the South Entrance to Yellowstone National Park, the first visitor center available is Grant Village.  Getting back on the main road, you then come to the Old Faithful Visitor Center.  Within the Old Faithful Village is the Tribal Cultural Center.

The 27 Tribes associated with Yellowstone National Park

A map of the Associated Native American Tribes of Yellowstone National Park

  

Unfortunately, we missed the native artist who presents her work at the Tribal Cultural Center, Susan Stewart.  Stewart also makes and sells online buffalo tallow moisturizer. 

https://fiercewomenwarriors.company.site/

Woman artist showing at Tribal Cultural Center

Susan Stewart's the Fierce Women Warrior Society.com

We exited Yellowstone National Park through the west entrance directly into the town of West Yellowstone, MT.  Our reservation was at the Days Inn, and it was such a surprise.  Although this was one of the most expensive rooms of our trip, the advertised accommodations were present and functional:  free breakfast, free wifi, indoor pool, fitness center, elevators, hot tub.  Although we were too tired to swim, I did get up early and exercised on the bike and the treadmill.  Because I couldn't sleep through the night, I was up early, finished my exercise, and spend several hours in the breakfast room.  The breakfast room is actually a restaurant that went out of business and is now utilized by the Days Inn.  There are wait staff who keep the breakfast items refreshed at the buffet continuously.  It was really delightful.

By the time we finished Day Seven, we had driven 207 miles and spent 9 1/4 hours on the road!

What did Day Seven mean to me?  Wow!  So many new experiences (young bison males frolicking) and validation of previous knowledge and interests (fire ecology).

What did I learn on Day Seven?  You just don't know who you will meet on any journey.  Be open to meeting new people and having new experiences.

What would I do differently if Mary and I travel together in the future?  I might want to come into Yellowstone through the west entrance but stay two nights in West Yellowstone.  Drive into the park to the Tribal Cultural Center earlier in the day and travel to Grant Village later in the day.  I don't know.  That would mean backtracking on very sketchy, mountainous roads.  Or we could skip Grant Village next time.  I'm not sure there is more to learn there.  So find out what events at the Tribal Cultural Center are occurring so we can plan to be there.

Jo Mack -- ferret

back of Ferret card

Barbara Schelling -- Bison

back of Bison card

Day Seven, Tue, 9/10/24, Jackson to Grant Village, 3 hours

We chose only three (3) Visitor Centers to visit in Yellowstone National Park because we only had two (2) days to spend.  I wanted to stop at Grant Village because that is where the exhibits for the Yellowstone fire ecology are housed.  Most Americans will remember the catastrophic fires in 1988, the signs of which can still be seen.  And smaller fires have occurred throughout the park since then.

Karen Wildung Reinhart published "Yellowstone's Rebirth by Fire: Rising from the ashes of the 1988 wildfires" in 2008, and it is an excellent almost day by day account of the 1988 fires across the Yellowstone National Park and surrounding areas.  More recently, for instance, there were nine (9) fires in Yellowstone in 2020; six lightning caused and three human caused.  In 2021 there were thirteen (13) fires, 11 were lightning caused and 2 human caused.  Of the seven (7) fires in 2022, 6 were lightning caused and one was human caused.  Five (5) fires in 2023 were all lightning caused.  (source:  https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/management/fire-management.htm)

This year, 2024, there were nine (9) fires, 8 by lightning and 1 of unknown cause. (source:  https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/management/current-fire-activity.htm)

Every day on our trip I consulted a fire map on my phone:  Fire and Smoke Map 4.0

Grant Village Visitor Center offers the following attractions related to fire ecology:

• Exhibits on fire ecology and the 1988 fire.
• Small theater with screenings of Experience Yellowstone and Ten Years After the Fire.

 

Grant Lake

 

While I was walking around outside, down to the lake and back, I ran into two lesbian couples with two dogs.  It turned out they were also on their way to Canada, but they were going to Jasper!  The Jasper Fire had burned their lodging to the ground, but they had found alternative lodging.  They were continuing their journey because they wanted to spend money in Jasper to help bring the town back.

In the Grant Village store, we came across another artist, Barbara Schelling.  Barbara is a retired graphic designer living in BigFork, Montana.  Her website explains, "I am a member of the Nakoda (Assiniboine) tribe and I’m continuously learning about cultural, personal, and historical aspects of my indigenous heritage. My mother’s family is based out of the Fort Belknap, Montana, reservation and have been storytellers, craftspeople, and artists going back generations. Seven years ago, I started painting the wildlife around me. In the paintings, I want to capture the details and anatomy of local birds and animals but add in a quirky personality through a fantastical embellishment and brief story. These illustrations reveal our own human condition: our fragility, our questions, our experiences, our emotions, and our humor. I want to create a connection between humans and wildlife – to foster empathy and compassion towards our wild cousins by proving that beauty, light, and humor are in the details." (source:  https://bschelling.com/about/)

Antelope

 

 

back of Antelope card

What was meaningful to me about Grant Village?  Finding another artist who is so creative.

What did I learn in Grant Village?  I learned even more about the fire ecology of forested lands.

What would I do differently if Mary and I were to travel again in the future?  More days inside Yellowstone National Park.  Even though the lodges are very expensive, and lodging outside the park is also through the roof, it would be worth it to spend more days if we could find a time of year not so crowded.

Day Seven, Tue, 9/10/24, Pinedale to Jackson, 2 hours

Day Seven is a big day for us because it will be our first day in Yellowstone National Park.  However, the reason we stayed in Pinedale is because Jackson--the whole Jackson Hole area--is very crowded and very popular. According to Google, "Jackson Hole, a valley and wilderness recreation area in western Wyoming, is bordered by the jagged peaks of the Tetons. Close to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park, it’s home to upscale ski resorts, rustic campsites and dude ranches."  Jackson is two hours from Pinedale, and we were ready for lunch.

Not too busy for breakfast

The Virginian Lodge was not too busy to serve us an excellent breakfast before we got on the road again.  

A cautionary tail

But this day was full of unexpected events.  We came over a slight rise and to our left was a herd of bison.  This was a free range area.  There were two young males to the left of the scene below.

A herd of free range bison

 

Bison male left his pal behind

These males were frolicking and heading toward the highway where cars were already parked.  If you've ever been to the Konza Biological Station outside Manhattan, KS, then you know that bison are extremely dangerous to handle.  The Yellowstone National Park website even has a recommendation.

Keep your distance (source:  https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/safety.htm)

But no one told the bison males they could not cross the road to the other side where there was water in the bar ditch.

Bison male crossing the road

First Bison male walks right through the cars

Second Bison male tries to follow

The other bison male tried to follow his buddy across the road, but the people taking pictures and the cars scared him too much.  He turned back to the herd.  Meanwhile, the rest of the herd is unconcerned.

Bison herd grazing peacefully

What did this portion of Day Seven mean to me?  I was very excited to see bison in their natural habitat up close and personal.  I was irritated at the people and the cars, however.

What did I learn in this portion of Day Seven?  Stop the car as soon as you see the herd.  Stay in your car or just outside the door if you are taking pictures.  Keep your distance.  Let the bison do what they are going to do without interference.

What would I do differently if Mary and I were to travel in the future?  More bison.  I would love to have more exposure to bison herds and their behavior.  Even though I served as Konza Docent for a short time, only specific people were ever chosen to work with the bison.  I was not one of them.

Day Six, Mon, 9/9/24, Rock Springs to Pinedale, 104 miles, 3 hours

This day was a short day because we had a Zoom meeting in which we wanted to participate.  Unfortunately, the Quality Inn & Suites was not the best lodging.  The advertising noted a free breakfast, elevators, indoor whirlpool/hot tub, indoor heated pool, and fitness for twice the price of the Super 8 back in Rock Springs.  There was no pool or hot tub.  The internet didn't work. And the "fitness center" was in  a room where the pool should have been, a concrete floor, an outdated treadmill only, and you had to plug it into an outlet too far away.  Very disappointing.

However, we did find a "trading post" that sold cards from a local artist, Jo Mack.

Coyote

 

 

back of the Coyote card

What did Day Six mean to me?  We drove through some smoke but it wasn't too bad.

What did I learn on Day Six?  That even with a disappointing motel, there might be an interesting trading post in town.

What would I do differently if Mary and I travel in the future?  We will stay away from Quality Inn & Suites.  These are part of the Choice Hotels franchise.  Neither of the Quality Inn & Suites where I made reservations were up to my standards.

Day Five, Sun, 9/8/24, Grand Junction, CO to Rock Springs, WY, 584 miles (2 days), 8 hours driving today

The drive north on Colorado 13 took longer than we anticipated, and we arrived in Rock Springs, WY after 8 hours of driving.  We stopped in Boulder, WY for lunch.

Lunch in Wyoming

The Super 8 is possibly the nicest one I've encountered with an outside door to the room, as well as an inside door.  We decided not to swim, but I walked on the treadmill for 10 minutes.

Restaurant in Rock Springs, WY

 

Did Calamity Jane come through here?

What did Day Five mean to me?  I was somewhat sad to leave the Grand Valley, but at the same time, I was excited to drive into a new state.

What did I learn on Day Five?  Super 8's, like Motel 6's, can be very well managed or very poorly managed.  We lucked out, I believe with the Super 8 in Rock Springs, WY.  The handicapped room had both an inside door and an outside door.

What would I do differently if Mary and I were to travel together in the future?  As often as possible, get a handicapped access room.