Yellowstone, Part 3
Note: Since i have no internet in Yellowstone, all of the daily Yellowstone postings will be sent out together, so you may wish to read the parts in chronological order. I am numbering them parts 1,2,3,4, etc., until we leave. Also, my iPad may not send them out in the order in which i sent them, so you may have to jump back and forth.
The rain finally stopped at about 1 am, but what i did not know is that it had turned to snow, which i discovered only when I opened the tent door. Ah, Yellowstone in winter! Once, when i was backpacking in the Shenandoah, the same thing happened, and i was greeted with over a foot of snow without knowing it had snowed. The one hour hike in took five hours to get out.
If yesterday was the price we had to pay for the weather today, I got a great deal. The weather today was absolutely splendid, lots of blue sky, temperature in the upper 30s and lower 40s, and few tourists. After. Donner was greeted by Henny, the big white female dog, who had escaped her campsite to wish Donner a good morning, we set off to experience Yellowstone at 9:30, hoping to make it to the Lamar Valley, where the wolves were first introduced. The road there closes anytime it snows because of the winding, hilly route there, so I was not optimistic that we would get there today.
The drive to the Lamarr Valley on the Grand Loop Road passed some of the most spectacular views in Yellowstone, if not on the planet. The drive was even more impressive with the trees covered in their winter white. We stopped at as cutoffs as time permitted, including Yellowstone Lake, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, several of the geysers and absolutely spectacular views, and a few times for views of some wildlife off the side of the road or grazing in the lush grass field.
The drive to the Lamarr Valley on the Grand Loop Road passed some of the most spectacular views in Yellowstone, if not on the planet. The drive was even more impressive with the trees covered in their winter white. We stopped at as cutoffs as time permitted, including Yellowstone Lake, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, several of the geysers and absolutely spectacular views, and a few times for views of some wildlife off the side of the road or grazing in the lush grass field.
Having backpacked in and driven the Denali Road five times, having backpacked in Gates of the Arctic, having backpacked four times in Katmai, and having camped at Yosemite, the Badlands, and who knows how many other natural jewels of this continent, I was concerned that I would make comparisons with them and Yellowstone. How foolish I was to think that. This park is absolutely exquisite. I can see why it was designated the first national park. Each of those places and many more carry their own marks as wonders of the world.
We stopped off at the Canyon lodge area to stock up on supplies and gas, and then moved on up towards the Lamarr Valley. I learned that road had been closed until they were able to clear it of snow at 1 o'clock. We only drove about 10 miles when the clock struck 3 o'clock, so I decided to head back to camp so we could arrive by 5 PM and go through the evenings chores before 7 PM. Good timing prevailed and we pulled into camp at precisely 5 PM, with the cloud covering increasing. With the temperature in the low 30s, and a storm coming, I think we are in for a snowy day tonight and tomorrow. If that is the case and the Lamar Valley Road is closed, I will probably stay in camp for the day and try on Sunday. If Sunday turns out to be just as bad, I will try Monday. It is not so much that I hope to see some wolves, I just want to see their home. Just knowing that they are there, after having been wiped out by man's stupidity, will be enough for me.
It is already below freezing now, so i need to prepare for a cold night tonight. The good news is that inside the tent it will be toasty warm in the low 40s, with no small contribution from Donner. I figure he adds two- three degrees to the temperature, another great deal for me.
Ed and Donner from Yellowstone.
