Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River

8/26/09
I woke up early the next morning nauseated by the odor of geyser. They don't mention that in the guidebooks. So even before coffee or breakfast - not counting a 5:30 bowl of cereal - I got up  and drove over toward Canyon. I saw three bison along the way. The campground bison was grazing on the frosted meadow and looked spectacular. A second was walking down the side of the road like it was going to work. It cast sideways glances at me when I stopped my car on the other side of the road. Good thing about early morning, no other cars. The third was munching away and when it looked up to see me it was wearing part of its breakfast in its ear like a garland.  I also saw about a half dozen elk, all but one of which fled when I stopped. One big old cow just kept on eating. I couldn't get her head.

campground bison

commuting bison

garlanded bison

I was as excited about seeing the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone as I was about anything else on my entire trip, and it did not let me down. I spent nearly the entire day there and had a great time. Lower Yellowstone Falls is one of the country’s great falls, a solid block of water pouring 308 feet into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, far and away the greatest setting for a waterfall I've ever seen - a spectacular combination of running river and dazzling landscape. It is no secret; artists and photographers have been drawn to the bright colors and powerful forms since our old friends Thomas Moran and William Henry Jackson first framed it back in 1871.

I started at Lookout Point and had it all to myself except for one other vehicle, which unfortunately was a tour bus. I descended the 500 feet on a long staircase to Red Rock Point and was completely alone there. It had a sweet up-close view of the Lower Falls except that one tree blocked the view. 38% of Yellowstone burned in 1989, but this tree survived. Grand View was totally empty, but the sun angle made it glary. Inspiration Point was the best of them all and I had that to myself for quite a while. Then I drove the South Rim Road for a quick look from the Upper Falls Viewpoint and then finally the legendary Artist's Point, which by mid-morning was rather crowded but still great. I assumed it could get a lot worse.

Lower Falls

Lower Falls

Yellowstone River

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Lower Falls

I took a break for a late breakfast at a picnic area along the Yellowstone River near Chittenden Bridge. As I was eating, an enormous bison strolled through the woods maybe 25 feet away. It was a bit disconcerting, as for the first split second all I glimpsed was a big brown animal and I was after all in grizzly country. A nearby trail was closed due to grizzly activity. Even bison, you might remember, are the largest land animal in North America and while not as ferocious as the grizzly will not hesitate to step on your hat.

Then I drove up to Tower Junction. The road opened up to expansive meadows, a nice change of pace from the prevailing skinny lodgepole pine. The trail to the base of Tower Falls was closed due to landslide and the viewpoint was crowded and too far from the falls. I walked down to the Yellowstone River amid the strange formations but didn't quite get the vantage or colors that Moran concocted. Of course it was now bright midday and you don’t get many colors in that. The river was great no matter.

Yellowstone River

I was back to Yellowstone Canyon for late afternoon. I figured Grand View would look a lot better with late afternoon sun angle and I sure got that right. It was great. A bit beyond my photographic skills, but I sure had fun trying.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

I almost skipped the Upper Falls Overlook. Its entrance road is separate from the north and south rim roads, and I find that waterfalls from the top aren’t usually that great, but this turned out to be a great little scene. The trail descends to just above river level and the river was dipping over a lip and racing right in front of us along a downhill ramp of water before taking off over the main falls. I don‘t believe I‘d ever seem a river look like this and I stare at a lot of rivers. Maybe the best moving water I'd ever seen. A shrine to running water.

Yellowstone River

Then down the Uncle Tom Trail, 300 steep stairs down 500 feet to the base of Lower Falls. The spray was so powerful it created rivulets flowing down the wall on the opposite of the river, yet oddly no spray struck my closer vantage point. The light would be better here in the morning. Another rainbow. The steps were somewhat crowded and as I ascended them, recovering from bronchitis and all, I passed dozens of other people stopping to catch their breath.

So after two days of exhausting if not exhaustive exploration, I had tentatively drawn some conclusions about Yellowstone. It had no grizzlies, wolves, or moose. It had some elk and hot and cold running bison. It also had a couple of great waterfalls. This had been just a teaser taste, and I knew I would be coming back soon to pursue my studies. But first I had to go to Glacier National Park. Winter starts a lot earlier there than it does in Yellowstone and I was concerned that facilities would start closing down after Labor Day. My plan was to go to Glacier while I still could and then return to Yellowstone and Grand Teton and stay as long as the weather held out.