We got up early and drove north on the eastern part of the Lower Loop Road. It wasn't long before we were stopped by lots of buffalo (aka bison) on either side of the road and on the road itself. We stopped a few times to let them pass and to take photos. Some of these guys are bigger than the car and they get very close. They look calm and oblivious to humans but they can run 30mph and they do charge people. There are lots of signs warning people to take caution around bison. More people have been injured in the park by buffalo than by any other animal.
We continued to the Hayden Valley, one of the richest wildlife areas in Yellowstone. We stopped at a pull out and learned we had just missed seeing a grizzly bear with her cub. Darn. We watched for quite a while hoping they would pop up out of the terrain where we could see them but for naught. We did see two wolves and two bald eagles. One of the bald eagles was sitting in a tree across the stream and we were able to see it for a long time. Thank goodness we brought our good binoculars with us. We also watched some Northern Harrier Hawks hunting in the meadow. The male has vibrant orange markings and is very pretty.
As settlers moved into the area around Yellowstone, they started killing the wolves who lived there and were attacking the settlers' sheep and cattle. Wolf extermination in Yellowstone was even sanctioned by the government and in time all wolves had been killed. Finally people realized that was a mistake. Packs of wild wolves were introduced and now there are over 30 packs. A downside is that they are a different species of wolf, since the natives were wiped out. The two wolves we saw today live in and hunt the Hayden Valley.
We drove on the Lower Loop north to Canyon, west to Norris, and south to Old Faithful. There isn't much to see on the Canyon to Norris stretch. We stopped at Gibbon Falls between Norris and Madison. South of Madison we took the Firehole Canyon Drive to see the pretty Firehole Falls, then the Firehole Lake Drive to see the lower geyser basin including the Great Fountain Geyser.
At Old Faithful we saw the Old Faithful Geyser blow twice (it happens about every 93 minutes). It was interesting but I thought the hype is better than the reality. We then walked around the area viewing more geysers, fumaroles, mud pots, and hot springs. We enjoyed watching a red squirrel running back and forth with food for storage. We later learned from a ranger that most of the squirrels went into their burrows in August, so this little guy was very late. Some of the colors of the geothermal features are really beautiful. While walking the boardwalk, we got showers courtesy of Plume Geyser. After our hike, we got our laptops and sat in the lobby of Old Faithful Snow Lodge, the only place in Yellowstone that has internet service, and there you have to pay for it. We each bought an hour's worth and got as much done as we could during that time. The park's cell phone service is also pretty poor, with only a few spots that give you a bar or two. The closest cell service to our lodge is seven miles away.
When we left the Old Faithful area, just outside the main entrance we saw a huge bull buffalo on the road. Naturally I had to get outside the car for a good photo, then had to hop back in quickly! The photos we show below are not cropped or zoomed; that's how close he was.
We continued on the Lower Loop Road south, east, and then north to Lake Lodge. We crossed the Continental Divide twice. After passing the West Thumb area we were talking about ospreys and I was scanning tree tops as Mark drove. I spotted a bald eagle on a tree top right next to the road and we got some great views of him. He seemed to be scanning the river looking for food and we could see the wind ruffling his head feathers. Gorgeous!
By now it was late so we continued on to Hayden Valley. The best times to see wildlife are early morning and late afternoon/early evening before dark. We saw more buffalo, including a couple head butting each other in the road. Again we saw the bald eagle that we had seen in the morning, sitting at the top of the same tree. Of course after the afternoon encounter, this eagle wasn't as exciting since he was at a further distance. We saw some people on the side of the road overlooking Hayden Valley where the wolves are known to roam and pulled over. We were rewarded with a pack of eight wolves walking through the meadow. They appeared to be looking for prey. At one point we saw them approach a lone buffalo but they continued to walk right past him. He looked big and healthy and they probably knew they didn't have a chance against him. There were other buffalo on the range and they ran, gathering the babies in the middle for protection. In the distance we saw some elk. We watched for a long time, then moved on. Just as darkness fell, we got a glorious view of an elk on a ridge. On the way back to the lodge we saw several more elk, pairs and in groups. (It seems to be much harder to see elk in Yellowstone than in GTNP, so we are especially happy whenever we see them). It was 8pm by the time we got back to the lodge; a long day. Another cafeteria dinner and an early night.
A note about the altitude here: most elevations are above 7700 feet and at times we've been above 9000. We are fortunate that we are somewhat acclimated since Lake Tahoe is at around 6400 but we still feel it at the higher altitudes, especially when hiking or talking a lot. Our skin is very dry as well and we use a lot of chopstick.
Sing along with me: "Oh give me a home, where the buffalo roam and the deer and the antelope play. Where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day. Home, home on the range…." The song fits Yellowstone perfectly.
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