Today we got up early for breakfast and loaded into a snow coach, with four others from our group, for an all-day tour of the park. The snow coach is a nicer mode of travel with fewer people inside - yesterday we felt like sardines, but today we had plenty of room and were able to open the roof hatches for taking pictures. We pulled out of the Old Faithful area about 8 am.
After those scary thoughts about the earth beneath our feet, we were glad for the diversion of a group of bison along the edge of the Firehole River. These were cows and young bison, about a year old.
We stopped for a long walk at the Fountain Paint Pot area. This is part of the Lower Geyser Basin and contains all four types of hydrothermal features: geysers, hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles. Along the way, there are dead trees that were killed by the hot, acidic water seeping from the hot springs.
Silex Spring is a good example of a hot spring. Heat from molten rock in the Yellowstone caldera is transmitted up through the earth's crust. Ground water in the rocks becomes heated and follows cracks and fissures upward. Where the hot water can escape at the surface, a hot spring is formed. Heat-loving micro-organisms thrive around the edges.
Fountain Paint Pot is one big bowl of boiling mud; its name comes from the fact that the Crow Indians used to paint their teepees with this mud. The mud is composed of clay, minerals and fine particles of silica. The level of activity varies with the season and the amount of water available. See video at the end of this page.
Fumaroles are easy to find, even with your eyes closed. They hiss and roar as gases - steam, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide - rush from the earth through a small vent. Its channel system also reaches deep into the earth, but fumaroles contain very little water. The water that is present flashes into steam, which increases its volume 1500 times and drives the gases from the vent.
The next part of the trail took us through an area where geysers seemed to be everywhere. Yellowstone is one of the few places in the world where geysers occur - snow and rain provide water, heat from deep in the earth warms the rock and water above it, and fractures in the rock provide the plumbing through which the water circulates. A geyser's channels have constrictions that prevent the water from running freely to the surface; instead, pressure builds until a critical point is reached so that hot water and steam are forced out of the vent.
Off in the distance we could see bison grazing - they look like dark spots in this picture. The large number of thermal features in this area melt the snow and allow them easier access to the grass.
There were signs of other animals in the area as well. We saw all sorts of tracks - bison, coyote, vole, snowshoe hare - can you guess which is which?
After our nice cold walk, we were back in the snow coach and headed along the Firehole River - it never freezes over because of all the thermal features draining into it. The bison must enjoy the relative warmth - we saw a large number of them grazing along the edge or wading across the stream.
The road is a lot easier to navigate than the deep snow in the forest, so the animals sometimes take advantage of the packed snow. We passed this coyote strolling along, unconcerned with our presence. We also saw a red fox, who wasted no time seeking the shelter of trees.
We stopped for a break at Madison Valley. In the summer, there are ranger talks here - today it's not a very inviting place to sit, but the view is good.
Gibbon Falls is just outside of Madison Valley. It's about a hundred foot drop in the Gibbon River.We stopped for lunch at the warming hut in Canyon Village. Warming huts are a delightful winter tradition in Yellowstone - a cozy building, a hot fire in a wood stove, educational exhibits, and usually a ranger to answer questions and tell tales. We all had bag lunches provided by the hotel - and after a long morning of exploring, everything tasted good and the snow all around was magnificent.
Canyon Village is headquarters for viewing the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, including the Upper and Lower Falls. So, once we were fed, we headed out to Artist's Point to have a look at the Lower Falls. This is the big one - 308 feet high, though today it was mostly surrounded by snow and ice.
Next stop was the viewpoint for the Upper Falls - "only" 109 feet tall, but still very impressive. This stop also turned out to be a viewpoint for a lonely male bison, resting under a tree.
Heading back to Canyon Village, we stopped on the bridge across the Yellowstone River. We were hoping to spot some wildlife along the water's edge. No such luck, but still beautiful views in either direction.
One last stop in the canyon area was Lookout Point, on the north side of the canyon - opposite our earlier stops. This is a closer view of the Lower Falls.
Canyon Village marked the halfway point in our circular loop tour of the park, and now we headed south again, following the Yellowstone River. Just as we passed a tributary named Otter Creek, we spotted a charming family of river otters playing along the shore. All our excitement spooked them - they hit the water and swam off into the sunset.
About 6 miles out of Canyon Village, we came into Hayden Valley. It is a huge open area with almost no trees - and today with snow, snow and more snow. This is a valley formed by glaciers - long ago it was a huge lake, with water held in by a dam made of ice. As the ice melted, the water drained, leaving this wide open space.
The valley is a favorite spot for bison (and elk in the summer), and we were hoping to spot a wolf. Not this time - just bison and snow - and rapidly changing weather conditions.
We took another break at the Fishing Bridge warming hut. Here the ranger entertained with stories of her winter existence - travelling by snowmobile, 52 miles to nearest grocery store, etc. We got a good look at trees that showed signs of elk scraping their antlers in the spring.
Also a good look at the winter "groomed" road.
The best part of this stop was getting up close and personal with a group of bison who figured the road was theirs...
We stopped for a look around a climax forest. After seeing so many burned areas around the park, it was nice to see what a mature forest looks like. This area hasn't seen forest fire in about 600 years and it contains some really big spruce and fir trees - and it was much shadier than the areas more recently burned.
And, right on schedule - at 6 pm we pulled back into Old Faithful Snow Lodge. It was a long day, but we had a good look at Yellowstone in winter - already thinking about what we might try next time ....
Here below are two videos - one of a mudpot and one of a geyser; just click on the arrow:
