I receive reviews saying that I don’t post enough photos. I invite everyone to give a little more attention to viewing photos in this section than usual. Try to feel this smell, imagine these colors, hear the sounds.
The Grand Teton and Yellowstone parks are absolutely unique places on earth. Grand Teton is named after the peak of the same name with a height of 4199m, which is a part of the Rocky Mountains that stretch from Alaska to New Mexico. In winter, you can ski off this peak, which, of course, differs from “normal” skiing at ski resorts 🙂
Separately, I want to say that not all the photos from the report are mine. All non-standard format (square or panoramas), and some of the usual format were taken by Dima and he happily shared those with me.
We arrived only at the lunch time, and, leaving the bus in the parking lot of the visitor center, we reached the beginning of the trail on Lake Taggart. I was here a year ago (and a couple of times before), but, of course, gladly showed Dima around, and at the same time I looked at everything in a new way.
The light wasn’t the best, but still it was a pleasant and not too long walk, successfully combined with the bike.
With lots of rolling, we went to a known free place to sleep, glancing at the observation point of the Snake River on our way. I’ve posted this view at some point but cannot resist and not repost them.
In the morning, of course, despite a decent frost, we went to shoot the dawn. The advantage of the bus (and last time I was riding on a motorcycle at dawn) is that you can warmly come to the right place, put a tripod on the roof, and have breakfast in peace, sipping hot coffee / cocoa while waiting for the right light.
Having carefully studied the proposed trails in the AllTrails app, we chose one that led to Delta lake. Finding it wasn’t so simple – a hidden turn from the serpentine trail is almost invisible, and only the navigator told us that we have already passed the extra 10 minutes along with the crowd. Surprising them, we half-way turned around, went back and before the eyes of another group, climbing along the path, turned into bushes. The main trail was filled up, but that didn’t stop us – we made our way through the forest and over the rocks. On the way back we came across a poorly visible alternative trail, but it was a little later.
I’ve mentioned sometime ago that after coming to a beautiful place and making a few shots, I normally leave, and I was surprised with people who can sit for hours on the top of the mountain overlooking surroundings. So on Delta Lake, I finally realized that I can contemplate.
There was no one around, just silence, wind, snow-covered top and incredible color water. I sat on the stones for an hour (I would have stayed longer if there were a comfortable armchair and plaid).
We stopped by a couple more lakes, and walked along several paths, and I even spent half a day and changed the oil and filters in the gearbox 🙂 two big filters and another 20 liters of oil. Unfortunately, the problem of kicks during switching is not solved, although judging by the forums – it could have been. We calmed down, and went on until the end of the trip. But still much better known (and not in vain) Yellowstone waited! 🙂
This is the first national park in the US, and there is an opinion it’s the first in the world too. President Grant signed the decree on March 1, 1872, and since then millions of people have visited this magical place. I know that some rulers who are at war with the US want that giant volcano to explode, but they probably do not suspect that this is gonna be bad not only for the states. By the way. it is believed that people inhabited this area 11 thousand years ago!
The park covers an area of almost 9,000 square kilometers, and since 1978 is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
There are about 1300 geysers in the park, of which 465 are active. Of course, we did not see all of them, but still enough to imagine the scale of a possible catastrophe. The size of the active zone with magma under the park is 60 by 29 kilometers. I will not describe the flora and fauna, those who wish can read about it on the internet, meanwhile I’ll continue with photos 🙂
We arrived in the park, as usual, in the evening. In the dark, we did not pay attention (I noticed from the corner of my eye, but Dima was behind the wheel) to a 6-ton weight restriction plate, and drove through Firehole lake Dr, seeing the very Firehole lake itself and the Great Fountain Geyser. Thinking about the sunset, of course, we spent there a couple of hours waiting for the right light and geyser eruption.
If I’m not mistaken, we went to Montana for the night. If you leave through the western road, then passing just north of the town of West Yellowstone there is a lapel on the highway where you can stand at night (yes, not everywhere in the states it can be done). Here (and in many other places) there was a great shortage of the car, which many campers like us tow behind the RV. It would be convenient to leave a bus somewhere and explore by car, but… next time.
I will not specify what day it was, I will maybe indicate the time of the day in some places 🙂
At dawn we visited Bisquit basin, a very pleasant lowland with lots of soaring lakes.
Of course, we visited all the geysers around the Old Faithful geyser, waited for the eruptions everywhere, and carefully photographed 🙂
I left the sweetest part for the desert 🙂 Grand Prismatic Spring (or the so-called Eye of Yellowstone). We were lucky that there were separate places for buses in the parking lot, otherwise we would have to settle a kilometer from the trail. But even the parking bustle could not spoil the impression.
Further, we have a few scattered pictures – Lower Yellowstone waterfall, West Thumb Geyser Basin and some kind of mud bog with buffalos 🙂
And just when it seemed like we saw everything, there was one more incredible place – Mammoth Hot Springs, already almost at the exit of the park. Vivacity, salt cold and hot lakes, cascades and withered trees – are all a huge set of beauties.
And separately a look through Dima’s camera 🙂
That’s all. I hope those who complained about the lack of photos are satisfied, all the others have survived them, and now off to Montana!