Summer 2011
West Yellowstone, MT/Yellowstone National Park
16 June 2011
Local Map
Click on pinpoints for local information
Photographs and Commentary
Click on picture to enlarge
We got up this morning to 32 degrees and a gray sky. While the clouds parted a little, the breeze continued and the temperature never went above the mid 50s. Today's tour guide told us he has lived in West Yellowstone for 60 years and they have not seen too many years when Spring was this late. The weather we are encountering is typical for April.
Today we are touring the Lower Loop. The bus picked us up at about 8:30am and had additional pickups to do so we were a bit late getting started on the tour. I think the our guide rushed us a bit through the first part of the trip so he could get close to schedule. The first 40 miles duplicated ground covered yesterday... West entrance to Madison Junction, Norris Junction and Canyon Village. Just below Canyon Village we took a side trip off the Loop to view the 300 ft. Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River from Artist Point (a spectacular view). We then contiued past Yellowstone Lake and West Thumb (an extension of the Lake) to Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin. After lunch and viewing of the eruption of Old Faithful, we stopped at the Lower Geyser Basin and then proceeded back to West Yellowstone.
Yellowstone Scenes
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River viewd from Artist Point
Susie and Sam at Artist Point
Yellowstone Lake
Frozen Pond
Hot spring runoff. Colors streaks are bacteria.
Chinese Hot Pot
Blue Star Spring
Old Faithful Lodge
Frozen Susie waiting for Old Faithful to erupt
Old Faithful at rest
Old Faithful erupting
A portion of the Upper Geyser Field
Celestine Pool
Silex Spring
Bacteria mat in runoff from Silex Spring. The lighter the color the hotter the water the particular bacteria can tolerate.
Close up of bacteria mat
Fountain Paint Pot
Fumarole, a steam vent
Clepsydra Geyser. Unlike Old Faithful, this geyser is almost constantly active.
A matriarchal bison herd, consisting of only cows, calves and yearlings