Day 10, September 9, 2019 -- Northwest Mountain Expedition

Day 10, September 9, 2019 – Once Again the Tetons, Yellowstone and Beartooth Pass

Elk Horn Arches, Jackson, WY

It’s not raining this morning and the sun is trying to peak through the cloud cover. As we leave Jackson, we stop at the town square where they have the unique elk horn arches on all four corners of the park.  It is quite a sight to see. These hundreds of naturally discarded elk horns were collected by the Boy Scouts over the years, and they are quite the attraction to this very Western town with its wooded sidewalks and Million Dollar Cowboy Bar!

Now we head back north through Jackson Hole again and up the eastern side of

Episcopal Chapel of the Transfiguration
Grand Teton National Park

Yellowstone.  The Grand Tetons stand about 12,000 feet tall, and we are able to get a decent view of their rugged peaks and glaciers, though it’s not as “perfect” as we’d like because of the clouds and haze!  The Episcopal Chapel of the Transfiguration is a tiny church with a beautiful view of the mountains through the all-glass front, with a rugged wooded cross placed strategically to remind us of who actually is the architect of all this beauty! The Chapel was constructed in 1925 to provide a home for the spiritual community, and people would gather from as far away as Jackson, 12 miles, in their horse and buggies. Services are still held there on Sundays during the summer.

Teton Mountains

Our Gypsy Guide App provided a very detailed explanation of the formation of Mount Moran, 12,605 feet.  What a fascinating process. I used to think that a rock is a rock is a rock (and I especially disliked them when I had to pick them out of the plowed fields as a child!!).  But that’s far from the truth.  Now I’m thinking I should have been a geologist.  I am so fascinated with these mountains!

Jackson Hole Valley

We take a little side trip 7,702 feet up the very narrow, windy road to the top of Signal Mountain. The view of the Absaroka Mountain range on the east side of Jackson Hole Valley and the valley itself is stunning.  It’s cold way up here, but the breathtaking vistas override any discomfort!

As we leave the Grand Tetons and come back into Yellowstone National Park, we cross the Continental Divide one last time at 7,988 feet.  After passing the lovely Lewis Lake, the third largest lake in Yellowstone which flows into the Pacific ocean, we make a quick stop at Lewis Lower Falls, another beauty in the forest .

Yellowstone Lake

We now drive 2 miles further to Yellowstone Lake which flows into the Gulf of Mexico.  The lake is up to 390 feet deep in some places and is the largest body of water in the Park and the largest freshwater lake above 7,000 feet in North America. It is approximately 50 miles long and 25 miles wide with 110 miles of shoreline. Not only that, but it’s very pretty.  What is really interesting is that along southwestern edge of the lake there are many hot springs and geysers steaming away on the shoreline. The contrast between the icy cold blue lake and the steaming hot geysers and springs is fascinating.

The Fishing Bridge located where the lake forms the Yellowstone River has quite the history. This was THE place to fish for cutthroat trout in the past. Today fishing is no longer allowed because someone introduced lake trout into the lake, a fish that feasts on the baby cutthroat trout, practically wiping out their entire population. And that resulted in an entire ecological effect on the animals who fed on them.  Conservationists are now attempting to eradicate the lake trout in hopes of returning the balance of nature to its original state.

Dragon's Mouth Springs

I think we could call today a Buffalo sighting day!  As we drive through Hayden Valley, we saw several lone buffalo … but stay tuned! 

Since the over 2 million acres of Yellowstone contains almost 300 geysers and over 10,000 hot springs, it wasn’t a surprise to find another treasurer. That bonus stop was at the Mud Volcano site.  It was stinky, but so fascinating to watch the Dragon’s Mouth Spring percolate mud as steam and gases explode through the water causing it to crash against the walls of a hidden cavern.  In other areas one wonders how the green and brown and yellow grasses can survive in this toxic hot spot. It’s an amazing area.

Yellowstone Canyon

Next, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  The flow of the Yellowstone River is mostly responsible for shaping the 20 miles of canyon that creates a spectacular array of pillars, columns, reds and yellows. The width of the canyon varies from 1,500 to 4,000 feet wide and can be as much as 1,200 feet deep.  It also hosts the two biggest water falls in the park.  We drove along the Canyon Rim and viewed both the Upper and Lower Falls, with the Lower Falls tumbling down an impressive 308 feet, one of the highest falls in North America. It’s hard to imagine that just 25,000 years ago, most of Yellowstone was covered under 4,000 feet of ice!

Lower Falls
Yellowstone Canyon

Upper Falls
Yellowstone Canyon

After lunch at Canyon Village and our last bit of shopping for gifts, we continue our way through the east side of the Park through the beautiful Dunraven Pass, past Tower Falls to the turn into Lamar Valley.  As we drove through the valley we were greeted with hundreds of sightings of buffalo and a few Pronghorn antelope.  That was quite exciting!

We’re exiting the Park onto the northeast route to Beartooth Pass.  The twists and turns, turns and twists of the road up the mountain to 11,000 ft. and then back down is exhilarating – though I believe Diane might choose a different adjective!!  But we all agree on the simply gorgeous beauty of the mountains, the glaciers, the valleys, the crystal blue lakes nestled in the valleys, the rock formations, the green of trees struggling to survive and finally give up the higher we go. This is probably my favorite, must experience, mountain pass. It’s another Wow … Just WOW!

Scenes going through Beartooth Pass

Beartooth Pass

Some glaciers along Beartooth Pass

Our abode for the night is in Red Lodge, where we were greeted by a half dozen wild turkeys in the hotel parking lot.  We enjoyed another delicious dinner at a local bar and grill, now ready to plop into bed from exhaustion.  This driving and sightseeing certainly does wear us out.  But it’s a good tired … and we count our Blessings.