Always Explore: Yellowstone Round 2
Post by Clemson Prairie Ecology Fellow Marilyn Jackson
Yellowstone National Park has always been
discussed as an extraordinary destination created by underground volcanic
activity, and, yes, it is as dangerous as it sounds. Sitting atop what is known
as a caldera, or volcanic hot spot, whose last recorded eruption occurred
70,000 years ago. This location of volcanic activity and heat expulsions
results in tectonic plate movements and hydrothermal activity- geysers, hot
springs, sulfuric deposits, etc. This weekend, Matthew, Liz, and I
traveled into Wyoming to get a taste of the Yellowstone hype and camp for a few
nights inside the park.
We drove into Gardiner, a quaint city on
the edge of the northern entrance to the park, to have dinner and sit in the
sunshine for a little bit, something we had not been able to enjoy since
entering the park. However, after a slight storm and a drastic drop in
temperature, we decided to pack up and drive back to Roundup for the
night.
We didn't get to see all of the wildlife
located in Yellowstone, but a moose from a distance, a black bear, dozens of
elk bulls, and bison isn't a bad roster. Since this is my second trip to the
park, I tried to let the others dictate the sites, but two days just wasn't
enough. With the taste of sulfur lingering and the sense of adventure awakened,
I'm sure they will want to travel back soon enough.
"When
we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything
else." - John Muir
Yellowstone National Park has always been
discussed as an extraordinary destination created by underground volcanic
activity, and, yes, it is as dangerous as it sounds. Sitting atop what is known
as a caldera, or volcanic hot spot, whose last recorded eruption occurred
70,000 years ago. This location of volcanic activity and heat expulsions
results in tectonic plate movements and hydrothermal activity- geysers, hot
springs, sulfuric deposits, etc. This weekend, Matthew, Liz, and I
traveled into Wyoming to get a taste of the Yellowstone hype and camp for a few
nights inside the park.
We left the ranch early Friday morning
and drove a few hours to get to the Cody, Wyoming entrance of the park along the
east side. From here we covered the majority of the southern parts of the park,
including Old Faithful, all three geyser basins, Yellowstone lake, and much
more. That night we set up camp in Madison campground, with a beautiful view of
the Yellowstone river. Little did we know that the temperature was to get down
into the 30's that night, so needless to say we were all awake very early and
freezing. Saturday morning, we hurriedly made our way through the Norris geyser
basin to get to Indian Creek campground. These sites could not be reserved so
we had to get there early and find an empty area. Once we found a spot,
unpacked our tents and eno's, and ate a quick breakfast, we decided to drive
through the Tower/Roosevelt area and on down to the Grand Canyon of
Yellowstone. On the way we stopped and saw a few waterfalls, Mammoth hot
springs, Tower falls, and finally the canyon.
We didn't get to see all of the wildlife
located in Yellowstone, but a moose from a distance, a black bear, dozens of
elk bulls, and bison isn't a bad roster. Since this is my second trip to the
park, I tried to let the others dictate the sites, but two days just wasn't
enough. With the taste of sulfur lingering and the sense of adventure awakened,
I'm sure they will want to travel back soon enough.
You can read more about Marilyn's Montana experience on her blog MarilynMeetsTheWest
