Bison Swim

Yellowstone National Park

Sunday 09 June 2019

Waking just before six, the outside temperature was 23° Fahrenheit.  Fortunately, it doesn't look like any of the plumbing froze overnight.

Cool temperatures make the thermal springs very apparent.

By 0700 we are driving off in search of wildlife. Mule deer on a ridge are the first for our day.

Only a few minutes later and we are in a little traffic jam. A ranger came along and used noise and lights to persuade a couple of Bison to move off the road.

Spotting a group of Bison across the Yellowstone River, we found a turnout where we could park and watch.

To our amazement, a group broke away from the herd and started swimming to our side of the river.

A very short video of the swim is at the end of today's post.

Emerging from the water, several of the bison came close enough to the van that Beth stopped video recording and closed the sliding door. Our guess is that these were young males. They galloped around for fifteen minutes, head-butting each other and appearing playful.

It wasn't long before the group swam back across the Yellowstone, climbed the bank, and disappeared into the trees. They must have good insulation to handle wet fur at freezing temperatures.

Next up was Artist's Point, the iconic view of the canyon and 308 foot lower falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.  It didn't disappoint and was well worth being patient for the crowds to clear enough to capture a photo or two.

A circuitous drive due to roads closed for repair, took us to Uncle Tom's trail and a view of the 109 foot drop of the Upper Falls.

From the canyon, we drove west towards Norris Geyser Basin.

Wandering into parking lots whenever a sign looked interesting, we kept finding other-worldly scenes.

Steam rose from a vent just behind a tiny wooden structure for fire hoses.

Minerals around this spring reminded us of coral growth in the Bahamas.

Hot, mineral filled streams make for an ominous landscape. They support different life forms than cold mountain streams found in most of the Rocky Mountains.

Over the last two days, snow cover has increased on nearby mountains.

Colorful deposits have grown formations like this bubbler.

Just off the road, the Gibbon River drops 84 feet here as the river hits the rim of the caldera (old volcanic rim).

Unpopulated vistas like this one are still available in Yellowstone.

We waited for on-coming traffic to pass us before proceeding to Norris Campground. Checked with a ranger to see if there were any walk-up spots and there was one available! We happily paid the $20 fee and abandoned our reservation at Fishing Bridge.

After securing a campsite, we drove down the road to the Norris Geyser Basin parking lot. Four buses full of tourists from China were loading up. We try to take photos that don't show the crowds, but be aware that there are lots of people visiting Yellowstone, so plan to go early and be patient if you want to see popular areas. We are really happy to have our on-board bathroom when we see the long lines at park restrooms.

Gateway to the trails, the Norris Museum opened in 1930 and houses interesting exhibits about local wildlife and geothermal activity.

We walked both loops, returning to the van for hot chocolate and lunch in-between.

You can get to the basin directly from the campground, avoiding the most dangerous places in Yellowstone–the parking lots!

From the NPS website:
"The colors here, like in other hydrothermal areas, are due to combinations of minerals and life forms that thrive in extreme conditions. At Norris, silica or clay minerals saturate some acidic waters, making them appear milky. Iron oxides, arsenic, and cyanobacteria create the red-orange colors. Cyanidium glows bright green. Mats of Zygogonium are dark purple to black on the surface where they are exposed to the sun, bright green beneath. Sulfur creates a pale yellow hue."

Beryl Spring was one of the most active thermal sites on our walk. Signs sail it is one of the hottest springs in Yellowstone oscillating between 188.5° and 192° F, just below the boiling point. Isn't that the perfect range for making drip coffee?

Just outside Norris Campground is the Ranger Museum. Built in 1908 for Army soldiers that patrolled the park, it transitioned to a ranger station before being preserved as a small museum.

Up to twenty soldiers were stationed here in the summer months. Only one or two stayed through the winter.

I helped the lone ranger fold the flag as she closed up the Ranger Museum.

Back at Norris Campground, we walked all the loops. "A" loop is the prettiest as sites back to this meadow and stream. Bison hoof prints and patties are evident.

Signs beside our site and scratches on tree trunks warn campers to keep food away from tents due to bear activity.

We feel very fortunate to camp here. It is much more secluded than the Bridge Bay.

This is one of the few times we've actually had to use our orange leveling blocks to keep us within 3° for proper refrigerator function.

Bison swim video. We put these at the end of posts because Blogger cuts off anything after a video in the emailed version of the blog.

Bridge Bay to Norris