Yellowstone National Park: Waterfalls, Bison, and an Osprey

Gibbon Falls

Today our first stop was Gibbon Falls which was truly beautiful.  It looked like wide ribbons cascading over the rocks.  

 Norris Geyser Basin was our next stop.  More geysers to look at with less color than the ones we saw yesterday, but still nice to see.

Upper Falls of the Yellowstone

Upper Canyon Falls Outlook was our next stop, followed by Lower Canyon Falls; where we saw more beautiful waterfalls.  The Upper Falls measure 109 feet and the Lower Falls measure 308 feet.  The large rocks upstream from the Upper Falls are remnants of a lava flow resistant to erosion.  At the Upper Falls we saw an osprey nest on top of a rock-column.  It was a very young bird and the parents were nowhere around, probably out getting food; the chicks need much care.  They must be sheltered from heat and cold and fed small amounts of fish often. 

Brtnk of the Upper Falls

At the Brink of the Upper Falls we found it absolutely unbelievable to see.  The water rushes over the brink forming a smooth ‘dip’ and then farther down the river the falls are magnificent.  Making it even more spectacular was a rainbow at the lower falls.  It is truly an amazing sight to see.

Lower Falls of the Yellowstone

Baby Osprey

 Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

 

                      Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

We then drove through Hayden Valley and saw oodles and oodles of buffalo.  Some were in the meadow, some by the sides of the road, and others walked right by our vehicle.

Dragons Mouth

Mud Volcano was our next stop.  Here and in many places throughout the park the pungent odor of rotten eggs is evident.  It is caused by hydrogen sulfide gas.  This Mud Volcano area is near the greatest uplift and sinking of the caldera floor.  Many faults converge here and earthquakes are common.  Thank goodness we didn’t feel any!  The area has turbulent pools of hot, muddy water; hillsides strewn with trees cooked by steam; strange odors; and a bizarre landscape.

We also got a chance to visit Dragon’s Mouth which gurgled and spewed steam and emitted a hollow sound.

The geologic history is complex with dramatic colors and shapes.  Scientists think this, the oldest Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, formed in rock and sediments about 160,000 – 140,000 years ago.  The canyon we see now is deeper, wider, and longer than it was when it was formed.

In 1870 Nathaniel P. Langford, one of the first explorers to record his impressions of the Canyon said, “….As I took in the scene, I realized my own littleness, my helplessness, my dread exposure to destruction, my inability to cope with or even comprehend the mighty architecture of nature…..”  He surely put into words how we feel when seeing this area.