Yellowstone in Fall

In September, Steph and I took a trip to Yellowstone National Park. While I had visited the park a number of times, it was Steph's first time to the park and she had a really good time. Part of our motivation for going was my free pass to the park that was about to expire on National Public Lands Day. As we pulled up to the gate and pulled out the free admission (I was of course stoked - free entry), we were surprised to learn that we didn't need the voucher because everyone was admitted into the park free on National Public Lands Day. So much for my thrifty moment. At least we got in free.


Since we only had one day to spend in the park, we rushed around all over trying to give Steph a great experience. In truth, the park is huge and you could spend at least a week enjoying the scenery and the wonderful peculiarities of a dormant volcanic basin. We managed to get around the park and saw Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, the Yellowstone Grand Canyon, the mud pots, the Norris Geyser Basin, and some flatulent deer (who knew?)! We were a little disappointed with Mammoth Hot Springs since they were mostly dried up, but really enjoyed the mud pots and the Norris Geyser Basin.


For me, the neatest experience was the Yellowstone Grand Canyon. I had my first experience on the south side of the canyon as we climbed down 328 stairs to stand at the bottom of the canyon right in front of the lower falls. It was magnificent, even though the climb back up was a hike. Steph said that I had way too much energy as I tried to get some good exercise and jog up the stairs. Some lady sitting at the halfway point even accused me of showing off.


Our night ended rushing to see Old Faithful, which we managed to see just before dark. We then took some time to visit the old Yellowstone Lodge, a multi-story hotel/restaurant made entirely of logs. It was a neat experience and a wonderful day.


On the way home, we stopped in West Yellowstone and had a late dinner. We ate at a little hole in the wall, but they had the best barbeque. Even Steph loved it. Anyway, below are some pictures we took of our excursion.

The riverbed under me is green and red due to the mineral deposits and the bacteria that grows in the hot water leaving the geyser.

A flatulant deer.

Steph at a lookout over the majestic view of the Yellowstone Grand Canyon.



Steph: answering the call of nature.

Steph at a boiling pot of mud. The sulfur was something to smell.

Steph at stair 252 or so.