Monday June 21 Yellowstone

My hotel has no room available for the second night, so I got up early, and looked for another hotel room. Every hotel was booked but I found one in a small place called Westward Ho motel, quite simple but clean.

I left my luggage there and rode to the park.

Yellowstone is truly an amazing area. Actually, it is the remnant f one of the largest volcanoes on earth that collapsed onto itself and the park is mainly the caldera, the crater, which explains its volcanic origin, diversity of geology and the geyser activity.

It is very well organized, with several roads looping through the park, turnouts to admire the views, self-guided trails for hiking.

above a picture from the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, which explains the name of the river: The rocks are really yellow.

Something I liked is that anybody can use the park for boating, fishing and other outdoor sports, with a permit and within regulations. So it is not a sterile hands-off situation but a recreational recourse for everybody.

I met several fly fishermen who raved about the cutthroat trout they were going to catch. I hope they did!

The lodges are amazing. Usually they have a large lobby and restaurant building with a great view on some feature. The rooms are in seprate buildings. The archtitecture is alpine and they are built of local wood and stone. Big fireplaces and easy chairs are available for guests and visitors. Food is good and not very expensive. Of course, they are booked full half a year in advance.

There are many picnic areas and it is very pleasant to sit outside, enjoying a great view while having a snack. There is a lot of road work going on , funded by the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to put people to work in the crisis.

The rangers at the Visitors Centers are very friendly and explain every item in detail.

The Upper Falls is one of several waterfalls in the park, that can be approached. It is a real spectacle.

In the afternoon I passed the Continental Divide of the Yellowstone: All water on the east side flow into the Atlantic, while rainfall on the West side of this point ends up in the Pacific.The Divide crosses into Wyoming at Yellowstone National Park and continues south-southeast into Colorado, then western New Mexico.
I remember standing on the divide close to Gallup, New Mexico, last year.

Of course, I watched the eruption of the Old Faithful geyser, which erupts every 90 minutes or so. A large crowd gathers to see the tremendous plume of hot water shoot up into the cold air. See it in the video clip below!

I returned home late and had a few local beers, Outlaw amber and Pale Ale, while learning about a fungus, called White Nose, which is attacking local bat populations.

It seems to be a big problem.

To conclude the evening a strolled through west Yellowstone, which is a cute little town, Western style, complete with souvenir stores and saloons.

I found a school bus converted into a restaurant on a sidewalk selling Mexican food. Curious as always, I stepped inside and talked Spanish with the owners, a young couple from Mexico. They served me the best enchilada I have eaten in years.