Twenty Trip--Uncle Tom's Trail

Saturday, September 8th, 2012

We had the brilliant idea of hiking up and down Specimen Ridge, then turning around and going down and up Uncle Tom's Trail. The day went well, but we were exhausted by the end of the day, and I had shin splints 

something awful that evening.

I should mention at this point that Dad had hurt his knee several weeks prior to our trip, but he still hiked Specimen Ridge and the 656 steps of Uncle Tom's Trail, and half-way up a Teton the next day. 

 

This is just one flight of stairs. There's one flight at a right angle above this, and another at the bottom. Going down is easy, but you don't want to go fast. It would be easy to get going too fast, and tumble right over the rail!

We could see several places where the stairs had been dented from boulders falling down the mountainside. No sir, that wasn't scary at all! 

The more I look at it, the more I realize that this picture is tipped! 

The Yellowstone River!

This one looks like some of the postcards in the welcome centers.

And I'm quite certain that there is a drawing of this scene somewhere, done back 'round the time of Yellowstone's 

first extensive exploration.

Rainbow!

 And the Lower Falls themselves! Look closely and you can see people just to the right of the Falls.

Proof that we went all the way down! 

Unfortunately, what goes down must come up!

On the way up the stairs, my father challenged me to a race. I, being my father's daughter and highly competitive, took him up on the challenge and beat him soundly! (Or would have, if he hadn't cheated.)

You see, down at the 328th step, Dad said he could beat me back to the parking lot, and took off running. I passed him with little difficulty, and continued on about 25 steps when he stopped for a breather. We continued in that fashion and our odd way of ascending the trail was noted by all around us.

Once we left the stairs and were just jogging up the trail, I almost ran headlong into a tour guide 

and her row of sightseers. 

"I must say, this is the first time I have ever seen anyone running up this trail!"

I was also slowed for several seconds by a German gentleman who grabbed my wrist and gave Dad a 15 second lead. Even that did not deter me, as I sped on and passed him. We then slowed and Dad said he "ceded the race." 

AKA, I give up, you win... right?

I graciously slowed my pace so my *coughagingcough* father could keep up, and before I knew it, he sprinted the last few yards, touched the pavement of the parking lot, and claimed victory!

Now, I don't pretend to be an authority on the subject, but that seems like cheating to me! 

What is your verdict, dear readers?

~Kiwi~

(And no, my father isn't all that old. I just had to say that to get a rise out of him. ;)

Twenty Trip--Specimen Ridge

Saturday, September 8th, 2012

 

(Warning: Lots of pictures!)

 

This day was the beginning of the End. We packed our bags, loaded up the car, and left Gardiner for the last time. The town itself didn't seem all that exciting (at least, in comparison with the park), but I was sorry to leave just the same. Leaving meant that the Tetons were next, then... then home!

Sad as it was to abandon Gardiner, the day was actually pretty amazing.

 

On the way down to Specimen Ridge, we passed a pull off full of people and their binoculars. What do you do when you're in Yellowstone and people are stopped beside the road? Why, you get out and join them, of course! Turns out there was a kill of some sort way up on the hillside, and they were watching that. All that was seen were some large birds, though, no wolves, bears, or coyotes.

 

We continued a mile or two down the road, and pulled off to a closed-down trailhead. Once upon a time, there was a road running off into the hills. We walked on what was left of it for a ways, then turned right after the first large boulder.

 

 

After 20 minutes of walking, we were passed by a young couple from Holland on tour of the US. They had been at the kill-site-pull-off, but left about five minutes after us--and nearly hit a wolf as he sauntered across the road, posed for pictures, then continued merrily on his way! Oh, the injustice of it all! ;)

 

Mom made me walk back down the trail for this picture, so she could show how steep it was. Dad and I were thankful for our homemade walking sticks, but Mom had claimed she didn't need one. Her mind changed not even half-way up the trail.

When we reached the trees, I looked around and found a Handy Stick just waiting to be used. (More on the Handy Stick later.)

 

Lookattheview! In the middle you see the construction crew working on a bridge. To the left of it there is a small parking lot with our car in it. The only reason you can see it that well is because the Holland-couple's huge camper is beside it.

 

A wind-scoured tree about 3/4ths the way up.

 

 

Father

 

 

Mother

 

 

The slowpokes!

 

 

On top of the WORLD!

 

 

 

 

 

That day was almost enough to make me into a hiker. Not quite, but it was simply amazing to be outdoors and all alone and just see everything.

 

 

We even found our own 'specimen;' believed to be the jawbone of a pica or some such rodent. It was in our bag as a souvenir, but disappeared between there and home. =(

 

 

Then we found the real specimens. Can you tell what that is?

 

It's the same as this.

A petrified tree.

Which was just so way totally cool! (Pardon the second-millenium colloquialisms)

 

These things were growing at the time of Noah! And most likely petrified during the Flood! And I got to sit on them! And look and touch and take pictures. (I like to touch everything. Museums are not a good place for me.) This really just amazed me. And look at the size of the thing!

I raved about this all day week year long.

 

The trek back down didn't take too long. Dad offered to make it faster--all it would take is a well-placed shove...

 

We decided it was best to leave our Handy Stick behind, so I composed a Winnie-the-Pooh-ish poem on the walk down the hill, and left it attatched to the Stick.

 

This Handy Stick

Will help you climb

From lowlands flat

To heights sublime

 

And when at last

You come back down,

Please leave it here

Where it was found.

 

(I wanted to sign my first name, but Mum wouldn't let me. Someone was paranoid about the paper being found by a ranger, who tracks me down and fines me for 'littering' or some such charge.)

 

Please note, though, that we left the Stick where people would find it, and the paper was firmly affixed to said Stick. You don't have to worry about it cluttering up the Yellowstone landscape.

 

To anyone headed to Yellowstone, or who was there this past September, let me know if you found my Handy Stick! ;)

 

~Kiwi~

Twenty Trip--Boiling River

Friday, September 7th, 2012

To finish off our busy, busy day, we stopped along the Gardiner river for a bit of relaxation.

^ We stopped here ^

^ and did this. ^

This is reportedly the only spot in Yellowstone where people are really allowed to go wading. After setting foot in the Gardiner River, I think this is the only place I'd want to go swimming in Yellowstone!

You see, the Gardiner River is frigid. It is Cold. It has glacial run-off. It is not a pleasant river to just jump into.

However, this place is special. 

A little ways north from Mammoth, this is where the Boiling River emerges from its hiding place underground and joins forces with the Gardiner. The Boiling River comes from the same source as Mammoth Hot Springs. 

 This place can go from hot to cold in a matter of inches. 

 ^ HOT ^

COLD

^ COLD ^

HOT

 

My father was pretending to drop my camera into the river. I was Not Amused.

There were plenty of rocks for stacking! Further down along the banks, people had stacked rocks on the edge. 

I made a little pile of my own to add.

I wonder who built all the others, and where they're from?

After I left the water, we saw the WARNING! sign. Oh well! I'm still alive, kicking, and undiseased. ;)

This place is a little tricky to find, but easy to get to. In the past people would take soap and shampoo and bathe there, which is Strongly Discouraged by the Park, and so they don't advertise it. The link for the Boiling River Trail shows how to get to the swimming hole, otherwise the rangers at the Mammoth visitors' center 

will tell you how to get there.

~Kiwi~

Twenty Trip--Pica Pull-off

Friday, September 7th, 2012

Between Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs (don't ask me which road, I have no clue!) there's a little pull-off that loops around a house-sized boulder and back to the road. 

We reached there in the late afternoon, as the sun fell and the air cooled.

I believe the above picture was taken while we were still headed north towards Mammoth. If I have it figured correctly, that hillside in the middle is the one in the picture below.

Here we are, between the house-sized boulders. It was almost scary because those things were just so freakin' HUGE! Sure, sure, they've been that way for hundreds of years. 

What if THIS is the year and the day they choose to fall over?

Thankfully, they did not. =)

Dad was looking at the mountain across the road.

When we got out of the car, there was a bird or something chirping quite loudly. We couldn't figure out where it was coming from, until Mom looked down at the base of the boulder and saw... a Pica! Isn't he cute? 

He was LOUD, too!

We dubbed the place "Pica Pull-Off" in honor of the little guy.

I, of course, was playing the part of mountain goat and clambering all over the rocks and boulders.

Here's yet another shadow picture! Look at that! Look how far you can see! 

When I return to Yellowstone, Pica Pull-Off is one of the spots I'm stopping at, even if just for a moment.

~Kiwi~