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Cody to
Yellowstone
We'd been anxiously anticipating this day since before we started
our trip. This would be our first day at Yellowstone. There was a
little bit of a drive from Cody, but it was as scenic as the park
itself. The beautiful Shoshone river runs beside the road from Cody
to Yellowstone, and we'd hoped me might do a little fly fishing.
However, the early June snow melt had the river at a roar.
A
Funny Thing Happened
We'd
been told this was a really great time to see Yellowstone as far as
crowds go, and up to this point, they were right. There was very
little traffic and we were making great time! But then, a funny
thing happened; we learned the locals aren't in such a hurry. As we
were making our way up a steep grade, a bison stepped into our lane
and began casually lumbering up the road. We couldn't get
around the big fella. There wasn't much oncoming traffic, but what
traffic there was stopped to take pictures. Finally we got a break
and passed the massive animal. I gave the bison plenty of room as I
passed. I could just imagine a big horn scraping down the side of
the motorhome.
Snow in June!
The closer we got to Yellowstone, the more snow we saw. We
stopped at a small lake that had piles of snow so the kids could get out
and investigate. The water was a brilliant blue and there was still
ice covering part of the lake. The remnants of winter were still
around, but an abundance of new leaves and flowers were a
reassurance that this was summer. The air was chilly but the sun
felt warm on our skin.
If
we weren't so anxious to see more, we could have just spent the day
right there.
Yellowstone
Lake
The
first views of Yellowstone lake were spectacular. We were well above
the lake and there was an abundance of snow covered mountain peaks
in the background. We had seen pictures, but pictures do no justice.
Words like "majestic" come to mind. We pulled over several times to
admire the view before we reached the park's
Fishing Bridge Museum
& Visitor
Center
located adjacent the lake. The views from here are breathtaking.
Fishing Bridge
Fishing Bridge is an RV village of sorts. There is a bridge from
which the village got its name, but from which you can no longer
fish. There is a campground (with full hookups), a general store,
and a museum/visitor center. It is at the northern most point of the
Lake at Yellowstone River.
This would be our home for the first night in Yellowstone, but it
was much too early to call it a day when we arrived. We had more
plans. We did stop at the visitor center though. We had to get all
our national parks passports stamped, and see about purchasing three
day fishing passes. The entire building is beautiful, but the museum
part of the visitor center really amazing. Wildlife exhibits are
very informative.
Mud Volcanoes and Geysers
From Fishing Bridge we headed north on Grand Loop road which
runs parallel to Yellowstone River.
It wasn't
long before we started seeing our first geothermal activity. Steam!
We pulled into a parking lot and took a walk around various mud
volcanoes and geysers. There's a lot of heat under there! Some of
the pools had blobs of mud spewing and spitting and others just
appeared to boil. The boiling effect is actually caused by gasses
escaping. The water isn't hot enough to boil.
This was the first location we saw bison up close without the
protection of the camper. We were a bit nervous, but they seemed
more interested in grazing. We talked with a ranger about them. We
asked if they come to these locations in the winter to help stay
warm. She said they do, and sometimes suffocate because of the
gasses and steam. When that happens, the bear and other predators
hang out until the carcass is gone. They have to lose those areas
when that happens.
Yellowstone River and Falls
Our next
scenic area was just a bit further up the road. The Yellowstone
River flows along a northerly route through the park, carving a
canyon along its way. The entire drive is awesome, but there is a
set of falls, the upper and lower Yellowstone, that will take your
breath away. We pulled into each parking area along the way and
gawked. When we got to the falls' parking areas, we got out and
walked a bit. There is usually designated parking for busses and
RVs, so we almost always had a place to put the motorhome while we
explored. On that note, traveling around the park in the motorhome
was awesome. The bathroom alone made it worth any extra gas we used.
Back to Fishing Bridge
When we reached Canyon Village we had to decide what to do next.
We'd originally planned to continue north, but a ranger advised the
road was narrow and windy, not recommended for a large RV,
especially with a storm blowing in. We reluctantly headed back
toward Fishing Bridge and the campground.
Fishing Bridge Campground is not what
we'd typically consider a nice campground. The roads are
deteriorated, the sites are narrow, and the bath house is dated.
However, you have to remember
it's under snow much of the year and it does have full hookups,
which is rare in a national park.
An Evening Stroll
We'd been warned about a mama grizzly and a cub hanging around the
campground, but it didn't seem to bother anyone else. Kids were
riding bikes around the campground and people were out walking their
dogs. The kids joked that the little lap dogs were bear bait. We
decided to take a little walk from our campsite to the bridge and
lake area. It was like pulling teeth to get the kids to wear
jackets, but they would thank us later. It got chilly! We stopped at
the Fishing Bridge General Store for some ice cream, then worried
we'd smell sweet and attract the bears.
After admiring the view from the bridge, we hustled back to the
camper. It was getting dark and was beginning to rain. We slept well
that night. There's just something about a light drizzle on the
camper's roof.
Part nine coming soon! |
Scroll to bottom for the entire gallery.
The roaring Shoshone River - No
fishing today!
Traffic entering Yellowstone was
slow!
Snow on the ground at one of the
ponds along the road entering Yellowstone from the east.
The snow capped mountains behind Yellowstone Lake are, for lack
of a better word, "Majestic."
Fishing Bridge Museum
& Visitor
Center
Mud Volcanoes and Geysers
The bison appeared more
interested in grazing
than messing with us.
Lower Yellowstone Falls
Yellowstone Lake from Fishing
Bridge
Fishing Bridge Campground is not
what we'd
"typically" consider a nice campground, but...
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