I was afraid the park would be largely closed, but we got quite lucky. A sort of figure eight weaves around Yellowstone, and only about 1/8 of it was closed due to weather. The road into the park is filled with Buffalo crossing whenever they please. Cars have to wait while the herds meander between and around them. It felt like being in a Jurassic Park ride. It was unnerving until I realized they had no great urge to eat me.
When coming into the west entrance, you travel about 15 miles. Then a fork in the road either takes you north toward Mammoth Hot Springs or south to Old Faithful. We decided to go down to see Old Faithful, which was a complete waste of time. The strong winds were accompanied by heavy snow, which meant that all we saw during the eruption was a big mass of steam. We took a picture that I did not even bother posting, because it's useless.
After seeing Old Faithful, we hit the bottom of the figure eight and continued around the park. It was probably the most amazing landscape of the trip so far. The badlands were incredible, but Yellowstone offers something new at every turn. There are geysers, hot springs, canyons, waterfalls, wildlife, praries, rapids, and even bears. We got a really nice shot of a bear about 100 yards away.
We woke up in the park today with the intention of going south through the Grand Tetons into Jackson and then southwest into Idaho. The snowfall was heavy, and the roads were becoming treacherous. I decided to duck out the west exit, where I knew the elevation would drop off rapidly. We decided instead of going to Jackson (which I've always wanted to see) that we would head toward Salt Lake City. After staying over in Park City, Utah tonight, we plan to go see the Great Salt Lake. Following that brief excursion, we'll head south to check out all the national parks in southern Utah.
Later,
Matt
Map Room at Mammoth Hot Springs Lodge
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