VanMan's Travelog: Bison and Wolves and Bears, oh my!

Oh, and the smell. That's one thing about Yellowstone Nation Park that no one ever told me about. I should have figured, (you know, being a chemist and all...), but all of those hydrothermal features release Hydrogen Sulfide. Its intensity ranges from barely noticeable to gag-inducing. On the other hand, the smell is just something you have to deal with, if you want to see some of the coolest parts of YNP.

As you'd imagine, there's a lot of wildlife around. And, when there's people and wildlife, there's people taking pictures of wildlife. "Bear Jams" are the traffic issue in the area. (And the delays aren't always due to bears. If it's fuzzy and along the road, people will stop and take its picture.)

Now, I have nothing against this concept, except DON'T STOP YOUR CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, PEOPLE! Whew, I've been wanting to say that for three days now. Anyway, my list includes: bison (again, they're really not pretty creatures), mule deer, elk, pronghorn (well, in the Tetons), moose (again, GTNP), black bears (which is a species, not a true color) coyotes, and wolves. No Grizzlies, and no longhorn sheep.

YNP is really more of a bunch of parks rolled into one. The southern half, plus Mammoth (north-western section) comprise the large bulk of the active thermal features. (Although there are others out in the back country of the north-eastern, I see on my topo map. Each quadrant of the park has its own feel. There's the Yellowstone Lake (SE), Old Faithful (SW), Mammoth (NW) and Tower / Roosevelt (NE). Even staying a week in each quarter wouldn't give you the whole story. My three day trip was almost too hectic. I pulled into the campsite each night just drained from trying to see all that I could see. And I didn't even go into the backcountry. (Something I had hoped I'd have time for.) Oh well, that just means I have to come back. Dang. ;-)

Anyway, I now have a good connection. (I'm in Bozeman, MT; I'll be meeting up with an old friend of dad's family.) Some quick pics without too much discussion, I'm afraid.