Off the Map

Reflections on Yellowstone

Yellowstone rocks (so to speak)! It has really started to recover after the season of fires back in the 1980’s. New trees (about 5 feet high now) are flourishing where the old burned. The thermal landscape is ever changing. Mammoth Hot Springs is all but dead, but new geysers are springing up, even in the middle of parking lots (See my pics). If you’ve never been to Yellowstone and seen the geothermal activity, put it on your “To Do” list! It’s like being on another planet, so bizarre are the Geyser eruptions, the boiling puddles of mud, and vivid discoloration from microorganisms.

The Grand Teton mountain range, though not as novel as Yellowstone, is a gorgeous park in its own right. Mountains jagged, much like the Alps, shoot right out of vast, grassy plains. It’s a dramatic contrast. The hiking is superb, as is the canoeing (picture lots of heavily wooded lakes with the mountain range rising directly from their Western shores).

Of course the Wildlife is a big draw for both parks. We saw bison (buffalo), deer, antelope, elk, muskrats, marmots, chipmunks, mini-squirrels, Western tanagers, hawks, osprey, and even Moose! We participated in the infamous bison traffic jam, and while waiting discovered that some good family friends from church and school were in the car directly behind us!

The trip was a great way to spend my last couple weeks here with my family. We got along better than ever (omitting the occasional bicker spawning from fatigue and hunger…), and I’ll have happy memories to bring with me to Germany. I was also really grateful to have a chance to camp for an extended period of time this summer and explore the West thru hiking, canoeing, and river rafting. After this trip I feel a little less guilty for squandering the beautiful mountains next door.

posted by Jason @ 9:18 pm