I’m nudged awake by the sounds of morning Montana traffic to which this comfy motel bed happens to border. Looks like another early start and I’m eager to make it to Yellowstone with plenty of daylight left to illuminate my exploration.
Last night I took a look at my road atlas and found the closest town to the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park to be Gardiner, MT. When I jump in the Element and turn the key I immediately reach in the glove box and pop the GPS on the dashboard. “Hello my old friend,” she says sweetly. I blush. “I thought I wasn’t allowed out of the box this trip.” “Yeah well,” I mumble, “the road atlas doesn’t show me how to get out of Great Falls and the dude at the front desk of the motel was kind of sketchy.”
Now that me & the GPS have made up we’re off to the races. Luckily, she guides me through a jaw-droppingly beautiful section of the Lewis & Clark National Forest. Every five minutes I want to stop and take a picture. The fall colors are dripping off the trees on the hills all the way down to the river we’re paralleling. I resist and stop only a couple times. Today’s mission is Yellowstone.
I reach that little gateway town and pass through the Roosevelt arch at the north entrance of Yellowstone. Again I resist the urge to take a touristy photo and press onward into the park. My patience is instantly rewarded around the first few corners past the entrance. The Yellowstone River is flowing swiftly and framed with a riot of autumn foliage.
Under one bridge I spot a pair of elk bathing in the river. Along every ridge the evergreens are mingling with their fall-fashioned cousins. It seems that every curve in the road reveals a more awe-inspiring view than the one before…and I’m only a few miles into this massive park.
The first campground I see is a bit too barren for my taste. The RV to pine tree ratio is decidedly Winnebago. Since I’m traveling in the “Mini-Bago” I opt to keep driving and try my luck 20 miles down the road at the next campground still open this late in the season.
My patience is rewarded again and I snag a good spot amongst the RV crowd (actually I seem to have ended up in the employee wing and feel a bit the odd man out) where my upward view is the tops of 50 foot pines. The location is fairly central to the park and should allow me a good launching point for my day of tourism.
I set off from camp with the goal of Old Faithful. I mean how can a first visit to Yellowstone be complete without seeing the spout? I make plenty of stops along the way and get to see many geo-thermal wonders, curiosities, and oddities. Geysers, bubbling mud pits, and steaming moonscapes are all around the park.
I get back on the road and head toward Old Faithful. It’s about 15 miles from where I’m at now and there’s road construction for 11 of those 15. The signs say “expect 30 minute delays” but here in Yellowstone that’s no big deal. Nature provides you with roadside entertainment such as the Grazing Bison Adjacent a Flowing River show that was on during my particular traffic jam.
I exit using the Old Faithful off ramp and quickly realize that I’m at the money making epicenter of Yellowstone. Seriously, this geyser is the Disneyland of the national park system. Two theme park-sized parking lots, a shopping center, two gas stations, and a mammoth hotel. Wow, this water spout must be something else.
Seems I’m right on time. Over a thousand people line three rows of viewing benches that seem to stretch for a couple hundred yards. I take a seat on a log away from the crowd and figure hey, I could always take a picture of a geyser…I might as well take a picture of a thousand people taking a picture of a geyser.
My timing is just right as a few minutes after I sit down Old Faithful blows her top. She definitely doesn’t disappoint and after a few photos I put the camera down to marvel at this natural water cannon. It’s then that I get a real reminder of human nature. The geyser is still shooting water into the air and hundreds upon hundreds of people have turned to head back to their cars and on to the next sight. The family next to me discusses how the event lived up to their expectations. “I expected a big rumble,” “It didn’t seem all that high,” and “I thought there’d be a light show,” are among the comments. Reminds me of how people in a long line at an amusement park tend to talk about rides at other amusement parks. I get a good chuckle then turn my attention back to Old Faithful and watch her take her final bow (as she does approximately every 90 minutes).
That’s enough excitement for me today. I think I’ll drive back to camp and have a nice, room temperature meal of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a carrot. Why a carrot? Because I forgot to bring a knife and I’ve got to get the peanut butter on the bread somehow.
On the drive back to camp I have to stop to let a herd of tourists cross the road and take pictures of a group of buffalo who happen to be walking across the meadow minding their own business.
Tomorrow…head to Idaho and meet up with Stephen. Should be another fun day.
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