2019: STARTING OVER AGAIN! The Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks Part 4
Part Four:
Once again, my good friend “Hey Siri” had me up well before the “crack of dawn” so that I could be standing at “Lookout Point” with its amazing view, of the Lower Falls, when the sun started to come up. Another good thing about getting up so early, in addition to the sunrise photos, is there just aren’t many people who want to get up this early. In every place I went, from Glacier, to the Tetons, to Lookout Point in Yellowstone, there were only a handful of people show up early in the morning, and none of them were there when I first arrived.
After my morning refreshments of glorious views of some of God’s greatest creations, I headed west to see more of Yellowstone. I hate to backtrack, so I try not to go over the same route if possible. Rather than go back to Grand Prismatic Spring, in the Midway Geyser Basin, by way of Norris and Madison Junctions; I went south through the Hayden Valley, a good spot to possibly see Grizzly bears, and then followed the western flank of Yellowstone Lake to West Thumb. I then retraced my route, this time moving past Old Faithful until I reached Grand Prismatic. However, my luck was just as bad as it had been the day before. Despite the early hour, probably about 9 AM, I could not find a place to park.
So, I headed north to Mammoth Hot Springs, before finally turning east by northeast and back home to Billings. Mammoth Hot Springs is the true gateway to Yellowstone.
The first entrance to the park, comes down from the north at what is now called the town of Gardiner, Montana. Yellowstone, which became the first national park in the United States, and many say in the world, in 1872, was first seen through the eyes of a non-Native-American during the winter of 1807/08. John Colter, who a few years before had been a member of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition, was the first to bring back news of the geothermal features such as bubbling mud pots, steamy pools of water and geysers. Few believed him. In 1809, Colter became famous when he was captured by Blackfeet Indians and forced to run a gauntlet. Faster than the Indians believed, he was able to escape and eventually reach a friendly fort on the Little Big Horn River. Sixty-seven years later, a soldier named George Armstrong Custer and 212 men of the 7th Cavalry Regiment would die along that river in what has gone down in history as “Custer’s Last Stand.”
At Gardiner, there is a stone arch that was built, as a memorial, to the park. The cornerstone of the arch was laid by President Teddy Roosevelt. But there really wasn’t anything that I found interesting enough to stop at Mammoth nor at Tower Falls 30 minutes to the east. From Tower Junction, I took Hwy 212, or the “Beartooth Highway,” as it is called, to leave Yellowstone National Park and return home. Passing through the Lamar Valley, another good habitat for Grizzly bears, I saw large herds of bison, quite often incorrectly called buffalo, off to the side of the road. At Cooke City, Montana, you have left the park behind. Ahead is a 68.7 mile stretch of heart-pounding, white-knuckle driving, if you are afraid of heights, twisty curvy pavement that climbs to almost 11,000 feet, before descending, first through Wyoming and then back into Montana. This roadway takes you through some of the most rugged and glorious scenery in the lower 48. Another reason why I was pushing on was because they were calling for thunderstorms and even snow in the upper elevations of the Beartooth Mountains. I wanted to be over the pass and headed down before that hit. Although I did run into some rough weather; it proved to be no major headache for me. From Cooke City to Red Lodge, Montana took about two hours, and from there to Billings another hour or so. I made it home well before dark and thus it was the end to a glorious journey.
My seven days in June were more than memorable. For someone who not only appreciates, but longs to view these God-made landmarks, it was so invigorating. From standing at the Wild Goose Island overlook in Glacier National Park, as I did in the early part of June, through seeing those wonderful waterfalls, first on the Snake River in Idaho, and then in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, inside the world’s first national park, to looking on the fabled Grand Teton mountains from my favorite spot, the Snake River overlook, this mesmerizing journey was an endeavor well worth it, one that I would recommend to anyone. I am including photos and short videos from my Grand Tetons/Yellowstone trip. Later, as I have time, I will do an article about my earlier journey to Glacier National Park and other places I have seen in the short time that I have lived in Montana.
