Monday, July 6, 2009

YELLOWSTONE

Definitely lifetime experience. Beautiful, magical, every sightline gorgeous, every smell intoxicating, the air feels like thin well-worn velvet.
We arrived at the Bay Bridge Campsite inside the park just at dusk, having stopped in Idaho Falls to pick up a rental car. Nissan Versa, nice little car but the AC is so loud you can’t think.
The people who work at Yellowstone seem to feel the power of the place and know how privileged they are to work there. Everyone was nice, professional and knowledgeable. Sort of alarming to see Signs posted in at the campsite warning against approaching buffalo or other wildlife and there was a long list of rules designed to prevent bears from trying to get into our RV. Pretty real, there.

The next morning we headed straight to Old Faithful where, to our surprise, there is a little tourist village set up. Huge gift shops, miles of parking, information centers, event tents, I don’t know what else. Sort of circus-y. Don’t know what I expected, but not that. Nevertheless, we were just in time to have a ringside seat for the eruption of the great old geyser. And a ranger talk about how geysers work, first theorized by a Professor von Bunsen of Bunsen burner fame.

We toured the great geyser basin and got back just in time to see Old Faithful spout off again. Pretty nice.


I was fascinated by all the bubbling pools of water, everywhere you go in the park. Old Faithful isn't the only geyser, either. Most of Yellowstone is over a volcanic "hotspot". Hot, molten mantle rock is just below the surface, keeping Yellowstone cooking. --Tom






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