Day 6 of Lupe’s 2012 Dingo Vacation to the West Coast.
Yellowstone National Park is big. Even on just a very quick tour through the park, Lupe, Lanis and SPHP had only made it as far as the Lower Geyser Basin on the first day. After the sun had set, Lanis drove to the town of West Yellowstone just outside the park for the night. The next morning, Lupe returned to Yellowstone National Park to complete her tour.
The day before, Lupe had been very good about being willing to wait in or near the Honda Element, while Lanis and SPHP took turns exploring sights along short trails off the road. She had been perhaps a bit tired from her prior fabulous long day in the Beartooth Mountains going to Beauty and Becker Lakes. After a day of rest, though, SPHP wasn’t sure how much longer the active Carolina Dog was going to be happy with this arrangement.
The main attraction SPHP still wanted to see was the Norris Geyser Basin. There could be other stops along the way for Lanis to get out and look around, but SPHP would have to skip taking a turn on the trails at some of those stops to save time. Hopefully, there would still be time later in the day to exit Yellowstone National Park and it’s not-too-dog-friendly rules, so Lupe could get to a trail where she would be free to explore and run around.
The first stop was Gibbon Falls, an 84 foot high waterfall on the Gibbon River. It was visible from right next to the highway, so Lupe got to see it.
There were a couple of other stops along the way prior to reaching the Norris Geyser Basin. Lanis toured the Artist Paint Pots. He returned to report that they were pretty similar in most respects to the Fountain Paint Pots at the Lower Geyser Basin.
The Norris Geyser Basin is pretty big. SPHP was disappointed to learn that a former highlight of the Norris Geyser Basin, the Echinus Geyser (privately known as the “Big P’tui”), rarely erupts now. There were still plenty of pretty steaming hot springs and noisy steam vents to look at. SPHP judged the tiny Minute Geyser, which was very active, the best display on this day.
Both SPHP and Lanis took turns staying with Lupe to allow the other to tour the Norris Geyser Basin. Lupe had to content herself with squirrel and chipmunk watching from the parking lot.
SPHP had been to the Norris Geyser Basin before. It had seemed considerably more active years ago. However, it was now nearly mid-August. The weather was hot and dry for Yellowstone. The steam from all the vents, hot springs and geysers is always more impressive on cooler, higher humidity days when it hangs in the air longer and forms bigger clouds.
The last big stop in Yellowstone National Park was at Mammoth Hot Springs. SPHP stayed with Lupe. It was really hot and sunny by this time. Lupe and SPHP amused themselves as best they could while waiting for Lanis to return. It seemed like he was gone a long time, but eventually he did appear again.
Lanis had gotten so entranced with looking at Mammoth Hot Springs he had gone a long way down the stairs on the wooden trails. He hadn’t realized how huge Mammoth Hot Springs was, or how much elevation he had lost until it was time to return. Without any water with him, it had been a long, hot, slow climb back up to where the Element was parked.
Most of Mammoth Hot Springs was dry and dead looking at this time of year. The hot springs were most colorful and beautiful where there was still water. Interestingly, the water that surfaces at Mammoth Hot Springs comes underground along a fault line all the way from the Norris Geyser Basin.
Yellowstone National Park has the world’s largest collection of amazing geothermal features. Lupe would have been glad to stay there longer, if she had been allowed out on the trails. Park rules were against it, though, so it was time for Lupe to move on, content with the wonders she did have the good fortune to see.
Lupe, Lanis, and SPHP returned to the Beartooth Mountains E of Cooke City, MT. There was still time for a hike on a trail Lupe could explore. Before setting out on a trail to Kersey Lake, there was a quick rest stop at a campground.
The restroom there featured a rather sturdy looking lock. It looked brand new. It operated perfectly. The odd thing about it was that the lock was on the outside of the restroom, a cause of considerable mirth to Lanis. It would be so easy to lock someone in there! Neither Lanis nor SPHP could fathom why there was a lock on the outside that only prevented anyone inside from getting out.
After nearly 2 days, Lupe finally got to go on a trail again. The most interesting part of the trail to Kersey Lake was at almost the very start, where a bridge crossed the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone. Before even crossing the bridge, there was a bench from which to observe a pleasant bend in the river, plus a little side spur off the main trail with a view of the river below after it went over a waterfall in a narrow gorge.
Lupe, Lanis, and SPHP followed the trail all the way to Kersey Lake, only to find that it didn’t go down to the shore. It was hard to find anywhere, even off the trail, with much of a view of the lake. Lupe didn’t care. The trail went through the forest. That meant squirrels! The shrill bark of a very happy American Dingo echoed through the trees.
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