Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks 9/19/2015 - 9/26/2015

Day 4 - We stopped at Gibbon Falls and Artists Paint Pots on our way to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. On the north rim, we walked down to the Brink of Lower Falls, where we overlooked the Yellowstone River dropping 308 feet to continue its journey through the canyon. We also stopped at Lookout Point and Grand View to see the falls from further back – the bigger picture was even more impressive! Inspiration Point was closed for construction, so we ditched the car and walked to it anyway.

Gray Jays and a raven crashed our picnic at the Wapiti Lake Trailhead. We noticed a crowd gathering nearby, everyone staring off to the right. Didn’t think much of it, as we assumed it was probably more bison. Come to find out, it was a grizzly bear!

After that excitement, we drove over to the south rim for more magnificent views of the falls and canyon. The turnout near the Washburn Hot Springs Overlook provided a view of the distant Tetons and Mount Sheridan, where Jeff has backpacked before.

Jared reached his highest altitude to date – 8,859 feet at Dunraven Pass! As we descended, there was snow in the shady areas, and a lot of evidence of a recent burn where the wind had pushed flames up Mt. Washburn.

More bears – black bears, this time – just south of Tower Falls. They were off in the distance, so we didn’t stop. Kind of anticlimactic after seeing a grizzly as close as we dared!

Tower Falls were nice, but nothing compared to the falls in the canyon. On our way to Mammoth Hot Springs, we snap some pics of some female and baby big horn sheep. After stopping to see a petrified tree (with a bison napping nearby), we continued to Mammoth Hot Springs. Arriving at Mammoth Hot Springs turned out to be quite eventful. Jeff pulled up to the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and parked behind a couple of other cars to go check in. We had noticed a bull elk and some cows across the street, so Jared and I snapped some pics while Jeff was gone. Minutes later, the bull elk, now known as Dick, started herding his ladies across the street behind the hotel. That was getting a little close for Maureen’s comfort, so she told Jared to get in the car. Good thing, too, because just as she was getting in herself, a terrible ruckus erupted next to her. Dick had decided to jump up on the hotel’s patio and use his enormous antlers (12 pointer) to up-end metal patio furniture and chase the tourists who had gathered, adult beverages in hand, to watch him. Our car was parked alongside the patio, so we were getting a closer-than-comfortable view. Jeff ran to the car and was desperately trying to get us out of there only to look up and find a man with a tripod set up in front of our car filming the whole thing! So went our first real encounter with a bull elk!

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• The patio of the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel where Dick the bull elk decided to play a little game of tag with the tourists.
• This is what we woke up to every morning
• Time for breakfast!
• Gibbon Falls
• Fumaroles and hot springs near Artists Paint Pots
• Artists Paint Pots
• Mount Sheridan
• Fumaroles and hot springs near Artists Paint Pots
• Fumaroles and hot springs near Artists Paint Pots
• Fumaroles and hot springs near Artists Paint Pots
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim. Yellowstone River Upper Falls.
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim. Looking over the brim of Yellowstone River Lower Falls
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim. Looking at the mist at the bottom of the lower falls.
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – North Rim
• Grizzly bear near Wapiti Lake Trailhead
• Grizzly bear near Wapiti Lake Trailhead
• Grizzly bear near Wapiti Lake Trailhead
• Grizzly bear near Wapiti Lake Trailhead
• Grizzly bear near Wapiti Lake Trailhead
• Grizzly bear near Wapiti Lake Trailhead
• Raven waiting for us to finish lunch
• Bear Spray - We came prepared to see the bears!
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – South Rim
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – South Rim
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – South Rim
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – South Rim
• Tower Falls Area
• Tower Falls Area
• Tower Falls Area - Look closely at the natural pillars
• Tower Falls
• Tens of millions of years ago, this was a giant redwood tree. Now, thanks to the volcanic eruptions that filled the open pores of the tree with volcanic deposits millions of years ago, it is solid rock – petrified.
• Dick, in all his glory
• One of Dick’s women. At one point, we counted around 27 of them. Dick’s a busy guy
• It suddenly occurs to Dick that he has drawn a crowd…
• Moments before Dick jumped up on the patio…
• Dick has that look in his eye. Time for a raucous game of Tourist Tag!
• Jared nearly stepped on this young bull snake on our way to dinner. Bull snakes are non-venomous, but are often mistaken for rattlesnakes because of their coloring and defensive behavior. They can get up to 72-inches long.

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