Grand Teton and Yellowstone - May 2023 (87 Images)
1. We drove to Grand Teton from Denver – it rained much of the day, which made for slow-going.
2. Nothing to see here, folks, please move along.
3. Welcome to Wyoming, where some people love oil more than water.
4. Independence Rock - in the 1800’s, it was a well-known landmark on westbound emigrant trails.
5. It was also a great spot for over 5,000 people to carve their names.
6. Relaxing in Lander, Wyoming, after a long day of driving.
7. Lots of snow as we crossed the mountains on our way to Jackson Hole.
8. The Grand Tetons, as we approach Jackson, Wyoming.
9. Part of a huge elk herd at the National Elk Refuge.
10. Getting up-close and personal with the Grand Tetons.
11. Really up-close and personal.
12. Unfortunately, someone forgot to clear the mountain snow, so our hiking options were limited.
13. Even some of the paved paths in the park were un-shoveled. Tsk-tsk.
14. We took dozens of photos of mountains reflecting in water, but you only need to look at this and one other.
15. Rick seen snapping yet another reflecting photo.
16. Whoops! Does this selfie count as a reflecting photo?
17. A great view of Grand Teton, the grandest Teton of them all at 13,775ft.
18. The Teton range with the Snake River in the foreground.
19. We saw three moose on our trip – this was number two.
20. Bighorn sheep (well, specifically, bighorn sheep butts).
21. Baby bighorns – so cute!
22. Homemaking tip – create spectacular garden arches with a little bit of glue and just a few antlers.
23. Mirror photo in downtown Jackson – what were those two drinking?!
24. Playing around with the only approachable bison in all of Jackson.
25. Our copycat of a classic Mormon Row photo that’s for sale all over Jackson.
26. Another photo from Mormon Row, a great example of an early 1900s western farming community.
27. A prairie dog prepares to take a bow after serenading us with “Home on the Range.”
28. Our third moose – we had an excellent view from a nearby bridge.
29. We took a dusk-time drive to try to spot a bear. No bear, but we saw another huge herd of elk.
30. Ominous clouds as we headed back to Jackson, but we didn't see any rain.
31. North end of Jackson Lake, as we leave Jackson Hole and make our way to Yellowstone.
32. Even more snow at Yellowstone than at Grand Teton.
33. Lots more snow.
34. Happy to see the tradition of feeding bears continues – whoops, that photo’s from another era!
35. Alas, this is the only bear we saw during our travels…
36. Hydrothermal primordial gunk oozes from the West Thumb shore into Lake Yellowstone.
37. Yellowstone has over 10,000 thermal features and the world’s largest concentration of geysers.
38. Yellowstone is one of the most seismically active areas in the US, with about 2,000 earthquakes per year.
39. And Yellowstone is the caldera of a massive volcano – a great place to welcome 3 million visitors annually!
40. The intense blue color of some springs results when sunlight passes into their deep, clear hot waters.
41. Next stop, joining the large crowd of tourists waiting to see Old Faithful erupt.
42. Old Faithful erupts 20 times a day, predicted with a 90% confidence rate - the timing is on Twitter!
44. You know, the kid wouldn’t have wandered off the walkway if there had been a railing – just sayin’…
43. Walking in a massive hydrothermal zone with no railing along the wooden walkway. Yikes!
45. The hydrothermal colors were amazing.
46. Even the browns, golds, and tans were out of this world.
47. One of the walkways was very close to a seemingly never-ending geyser eruption – not fun!
49. Hiking to the Yellowstone River, near Hayden Valley.
48. We spent 3 nights at Yellowstone’s Lake Hotel – “an elegant getaway reminiscent of the 1920s.”
50. The Sulphur Caldron – sounds like a Harry Potter book.
51. In Hayden Valley, Julie checks with some photographers to see where the bears are. No luck there.
52. The bison were plentiful, though.
53. Bison are such beautiful, majestic beasts. Glad our ancestors saved a few for us to see.
54. The Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River, 109ft tall.
55. At the “brink” of the Lower Falls.
56. It’s difficult to see the Lower Falls from the brink, but you can see the tremendous volume of water.
57. Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, with Falls mist. The canyon is 24 miles long and up to 1,200ft deep.
58. Lower Falls from Inspiration Point. At 308ft tall, it's the second most photographed spot in Yellowstone.
59. One more shot of Lower Falls, from Artist Point.
60. Like the reflecting Tetons, we simply could not stop taking photos of bison.
61. Yes, we did see this … from an appropriate distance… Yellowstone says that’s at least 25 yards.
62. Everyone at Yellowstone decided to visit Grand Prismatic Spring at the same time.
63. Grand Prismatic Spring is pretty, pretty spectacular.
64. Quite unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
65. This too was at Grand Prismatic Spring.
66. A quick Grand Prismatic selfie before we move on.
67. Seeing a bluebird is a rare and special treat.
68. Time for a bison parade!
69. They were not the least bit concerned about the traffic.
70. Gibbon Falls drops 84ft over a remnant of the caldera rim.
71. Fishing Bridge, built in 1937, was a popular place to fish because it’s a spawning area for cutthroat trout.
72. Unwinding in the Lake Hotel’s Sunroom, with cocktails, piano music, and expansive views of the lake.
74. We also saw many reminders of the 2003 fire that destroyed 1,900 acres along the East Entrance Road.
73. Leaving the park the next day, we encountered this idyllic bison scene along Lake Yellowstone.
75. Eagle Peak, highest point in Yellowstone at 11,358ft.
76. Driving to Cody, Wyoming along the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway.
77. Another shot along the Scenic Byway.
78. Guess what kind of bird these are. Give up? They're pelicans!
79. At the Buffalo Bill Dam, 280ft down to the Shoshone River.
80. That’s a long and scary 280ft.
81. Outside the Buffalo Bill Center of the West – a great museum with a lot to take-in.
82. After leaving Cody, we visited the WWII Heart Mountain "Relocation Center," a/k/a concentration camp.
83. It’s not too difficult imagining a similar hysteria hitting the US today.
84. At Legend Rock Petroglyph Site, a world-renowned site, with carvings dating back to 10,000 B.C.
85. Driving through Wyoming’s Wind River Canyon for our last day on the road.
86. Pick a tunnel, any tunnel.
87. Always a satisfying sight for road-weary Colorado travelers.