I first visited Yellowstone 30 years ago (I use the term "visited" loosely. I traveled through with a family and we spent about a half a day in the park. We saw Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone). Yellowstone is Huge, and the beauty of what I saw in those few hours ignited a spark in me that made me want to return.
However, returning wasn't going to be that simple. You see, I live near Yosemite, and that grand place has a tug on my soul that can't be ignored. So when I'm able to get out, my first thought always goes to Yosemite and it's granite cliffs and domes, it's awe-inspiring waterfalls.
But my lovely and patient wife finally decided that she wanted to go someplace different. If I had to choose someplace other than Yosemite, where would it be?
Yellowstone. That burning ember came quickly back to mind. I had paid rapt attention years earlier when I heard news of the wolves re-introduction to Yellowstone. You see, I love true wilderness, and wolves represent wilderness to me more than just about anything else. A decades old dream would come true, if only I could see some wolves in the wild. And to hear them howling? Wow! But how likely would this be? More on that later.
We spent our first day in the Canyon area (Grand Canyon of Yellowstone) and took a ranger-guided hike of its southern rim. We learned a lot about the geology of Yellowstone, what caused the canyon, how it was affected by the thermal features beneath it, the last glacier, and more (later in the week we hiked the North Rim Trail, where the middle two of these images were taken. Whenever it started to sprinkle we were amused to watch the "Vista Pull-Out Takers" rushing back to their cars, apparently afraid that they would melt in the rain). Ranger-guided tours are truly a wonderful resource. We also got to take an hour and a half walk of the Old Faithful area with a ranger, Terrance, and his knowledge and enthusiasm made for an extremely fascinating afternoon.
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