Wherever I May Roam: Day 7

Wow, what a day it has been today! Words or pictures can't really describe a place like Yellowstone. The park has so many different features, and to see most of them in one day is total overload. My plan was to just see some of the park, and then head over to the Beartooth Pass, but as I kept making my way through Yellowstone I just felt like spending the day wandering. It was cold this morning, only 3 degrees Celsius when I left Livingston. It was overcast, but as the day went on the sun burned off the clouds, but it stayed cool throughout the day.

I rode into the park via highway 89, after an hour long ride to get there. I stopped to take a picture of the Roosevelt Arch, where an Asian couple immediately approached me. The lady wanted a picture of me and her with my bike, which I thought was kind of funny. I will live on in the photo album of some family somewhere in the Far East. They barely spoke English, but the gentleman was very stoked about the Harley Davidson brand name, and I was able to fulfill his desire to know the engine size. A handshake and I was on my way.

The first stop in the park was Mammoth Hot Springs. The basalt formations there are really neat. From there I made my way south, stopping many times along the way. At Norris I wasn't even able to find a parking spot, so I continued south. Just past Gibbon Meadows the traffic got really jammed up, and I decided to try another route. I doubled back to Norris, and then turned east towards Canyon Village. Turning south, I reached the north rim of Yellowstone's Grand Canyon. The views here are magnificent, and some of the lookouts were quite dizzying for someone with a fear of heights. The depth ranges from 800 to 1200 feet deep! This loop took me awhile, and although there were lots of people everywhere, traffic never jammed up again for the rest of the day.

After entering the Grand Loop road again, I headed south. By now I figured I might as well stay in the park, and Old Faithful was the next goal. There were many stops again, and the road is really scenic all the way. The Old Faithful area is like a small town, a much bigger place than I had imagined. I remember reading about this geyser in Encyclopedia Britannica as a small boy on the farm, so I was pretty happy to finally get a chance to see it in person. I arrived about an hour before it was predicted to go off, so I wandered the area taking pictures and talking with a few people. When it finally went off there were a ton of people watching, and it was a cool experience. I didn't get any pictures of the event, as I took video instead.

By the time it was over, I made my way back north, stopping to see yet more amazing sights. It was around 6:30 when I got to where I turned around before, but it's funny how repeating a route in reverse really changes the views. I regret not booking a room in advance, it would have been nice not to make the one hour trek back to the hotel. I realized after I left the park how tired I was. Being at a high altitude like that wears a person down if one isn't used to it.

There's no way I can properly describe the day to you the reader, it is my wish that you all get to see this place one day if you haven't yet. A day like today makes me miss family, it would be awesome to share this with you all in person. I noticed today that this blog has passed 1000 views now, which surprised me. Hopefully the reports aren't too boring:)

This is the lady that wanted the picture, her husband was busy looking at the bike lol

At Mammoth Hot Springs

Heading south, nice little waterfall

Sheepeater Cliff, cool how it formed like that

Yellowstone's Grand Canyon

More Canyon

Coming down the trail at Mud Volcano. I was in danger of a heart attack after the ascent, just totally out of breath (and I wasn't the only one either lol)