June 9, 2000

Bozeman to Jackson, WY: Don't Piss On My Parade

Starting odometer = 3739

Distance = 264 miles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The day starts off in a promising fashion. Yellowstone is nice, but it is crowded. Of course being the great lover of all people, this is no problem for me -- yeah right. Glacier is undeveloped and raw. You park the car and wander about in the wilderness. Yellowstone is like going to a zoo or a museum, a nice scenic zoo, but a zoo nonetheless. They've built wooden walkways around all of the interesting sights with large "Stay on walkway" signs placed everwhere. The cattle love this because it tells them where to go and what to do. Unfortunately, this means they are constantly and consistently in my way.

 

 

 

 

After breakfast, I hit the road to Yellowstone. US-191 takes me there from Bozeman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The waitress at Brandi's declined to have her photo taken. Despite the appearance, the food was excellent.

 

 

 

I arrive at Yellowstone. For some reason, there are two entrance signs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I hand over the $20 for a seven day pass to Yellowstone and Grand Teton, Kitty suggests that I buy a National Park season pass for $50 if I plan to visit other parks. What a deal, thank you Miss Kitty. This card allows me to access any National Park for an entire year. ...and here I was paying each park individually like a sucker.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plenty of buffalo at Yellowstone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steaming Firehole Lake feeds Firehole River, which flows down Firehole Falls and through Firehole Canyon. The walls of the Falls and Canyon were formed by ancient volcano activity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hordes of morons sit around and wait to watch hot water squirt out of a hole. Obviously, I must be a moron too. Here's Old Faithful being faithful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sidebar -- Does anyone out there know who decides whether moving water is a creek or a river? Are there standards? Is it a width? A depth? A volume? Seems to me that Firehole River in Yellowstone is no bigger than McDonald Creek in Glacier. Despite that it is the hobgoblin of small minds... how about some consistency here?

 

Pictures of other geysers. The area around the geysers smells intensely of sulfur.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of interesting life -- bacteria, algae, and such -- thrive in the water that overflows out of the geysers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yellowstone Lake is massive. Very windy today, as evidenced by the choppy surface of the lake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rain and hail cut my day short. Of course this causes all drivers to immediately become obstacles. Road rage ensues... Hopefully, I can finish my my tour of Yellowstone and Grand Teton tomorrow.