Virtually unexplored until after the Civil War, Yellowstone Park became the first national park in the world on March 1, 1972. At just under 3,500 square miles, the park consists of 80 percent subalpine forest, is home to the largest public bison herd in the world, possesses the largest high altitude lakes in the world and is the largest super volcano in North America. Yellowstone Park is a plethora of sights, sounds, tastes and experiences that is never the same each day. Luckily enough this individual had the opportunity to spend some time there for roughly three days. Granted that was not enough time to view the entire park and all it had to offer, but it did provide the opportunity to witness the geysers, fountains, mud pots and fumaroles that Yellowstone is world renowned for.
Thinking a summer trip would be much better than the winter and also scheduling would be the best at this time as well, I went to Yellowstone the first weekend of August this summer. I thought my first impression would be shock or at least awe at the amazing scenery I had viewed and read about, but honestly, it was the amount of people on the roadways. It seemed like it was a constant traffic jam as each car would stop at its leisure to view the bison, antelopes, etc. grazing and roaming about. Not that I could blame them, but for me it was a sensory contrast. Think about it. The big city and modern society still present in one of the most pristine ecosystems in the world. It was certainly an irony I could not ignore!
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Not that I am not interested in wildlife or taken by the forests. The smell of trees and earth is like a perfume that envelops you. It certainly doesn’t smell like roses but is primal, rich, and rather nurturing. It shocked me about how the air is pervaded with the smell that you don’t quite have a word to describe, but is actually rather comforting. Like a warm rain with the summer sun still shining. As I have always resided in an urban area, it was rather overwhelming how potent the scent of the forest was, but it was such an intense experience.
My focus was on the geothermal sites to see in Yellowstone. For some reason, I am entranced by the geysers and by the idea there is molten rock shifting under my feet while I’m standing on the ground. My senses were taut with anticipation. Would I have the opportunity to see molten rock spewing from a volcano that had the propensity to have a larger explosion than Mt. Saint Helens? I knew that would probably not be the case, but the anticipation was exhilarating. I have to be honest!
Then it was off to take in the geysers. Unfortunately, it was a cloudy day so the colors I was hoping to witness, were not at their best, but were still so brilliant it felt the air was being pushed out of my lungs from my diaphragm. I decided to visit the Midway Geyser Basin and specifically the Excelsior Geyser. This particular natural wonder does not erupt frequently, but honestly it did not need too. My skin was dewy from all the moisture in the air and although it was not erupting, Excelsior had waves and waves of mist that the wind was directing all over the area. Like I said, it wasn’t a sunny day, but Excelsior was such a bright turquoise color I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. The mist was moving all around me in tendrils, rising and falling amidst that sea of blue. It was like the park was attempting to engulf me in its arms and keep me from ever leaving. It was mesmerizing and it felt like I was bodily being transported to another world.
Then it was on to Old Faithful. The geyser explodes for 60 seconds every 60 to 110 hours and luckily I only had to wait about 30 minutes before I saw that water spurt into the sky. It was an amazing visual experience and definitely something everyone should have the opportunity to experience, but I was a bit put off by all the people. This is a very public area of the park for obvious reasons, as Old Faithful is quite famous, but the parking lots and accommodations were not the quite the backdrop I had hoped for when witnessed Old Faithful blow up!
The next stop was the Grand Canyon. It is definitely awe inspiring with waterfalls twice as big as Niagara Falls moving gallons of water by the second at an amazing swift rate. The view was majestic, the scenery fantastic and it made me feel so small. As if my puny human body was absolutely dwarfed by the cliffs, waterfalls and canyons all around me. It made me feel like I was an ant if you want to know the truth, but I was quite taken with the waterfalls. The mist in the air and the rainbows glinting off the water, were wondrous to behold.
I also was sure to stop by the area on the Gardner River where you can actually take a dip in a real live hot spring. I love my time in a hot tub, so it was a once in a lifetime experience to while away about an hour in those boiling depths. I had to pinch myself several times to make sure it was real and what it made it even more sublime was the scenery around me. You could never find a hot tub that would provide that kind of experience. Overall, I loved every second of my time at Yellowstone Park and plan on returning someday as I only sampled a fraction of what this astonishing natural wonder has to offer.
