Yellowstone

I was up at about 7.30am for the run across to West Yellowstone. The gate was thankfully virtually traffic free as I drew up and showed my pass and ID. It was a joy to ride on the clear road in the cool, clear morning air. The road twisted and turned through the dead pine trees which lent a rather sombre atmosphere to my otherwise joyous first ride into the park. My journey of about 70 miles took me past Yellowstone Lake from where I had the choice of either dropping a little south to West Thumb  and then up past Old Faithful to Madison or alternatively I could swing north almost up to Canyon and then west via Norris Junction to Madison. The distances were roughly equal and I chose the later. 

It was a beautiful ride though woodland and pasture, with buffalo and deer grazing in the early morning sun, the odd RV and car, birdwatchers and hikers all making the most of the day. My plan was to pop out to Kelly’s Lodge to meet up with Valerie and Alan for a coffee and a chat, then hightail it back into the park… well like I said that was the plan! I hadn’t reckoned however on just how popular Yellowstone was or the length of the traffic queues that build up so very quickly in the mornings. One look at the four lanes of traffic stretching right back to the traffic lights in West Yellowstone itself was enough to convince me that I needed to reconsider that plan.

I found Kelly’s Lodge easily enough, as West Yellowstone is a very small town, seemingly surviving on just the passing tourist trade to the park; it’s about 8 blocks by 6 blocks in the familiar square grid pattern which makes it almost impossible to get lost. Of course my friends had already left for places unknown but the lovely young Hedi behind reception was kind enough to let me make use of the hotel’s free WiFi service and even let me help myself to a couple of rather large cups of their very nice coffee whilst I did what one does on a trip when you find WiFi. Check emails and bank accounts, Skype home, and of course update my blog. All the while I was hoping that Valerie and Alan would come walking back in, but alas it was not to be so eventually I too went for a wander. By now I had made up my mind that it was pointless queuing for hours to get into the park and then to be crawling along in heavy traffic. With this in mind I headed out of town to look for an early camp site pitch; reasoning that with the number of people going in to the park the sites would once more be very full later in the day. As I headed west on Hwy 20 I spotted a KOA site, not one of my favourites by any means but thought it might do for the night. Enquiring at reception I was quoted $48 for a tent pitch without electricity, my comment that I only wanted to rent it, not buy it didn’t go down too well, so I voted with my feet and headed on a littler further. Spotting a sign to the right for a forestry site I turned and headed down a road that sort of just ran out of tarmac then took another right down to the shores of a rather nice lake and campsite. I was lucky as even at that early hour there was only one quite small free pitch and it was right down by the water side; perfect!  I did finally catch up with my friends later in the day and even joined them at a rodeo which just happened to be taking place at the end of the road to my camp. So all in all, even though I didn’t see too much of Yellowstone it was a good day and a good enough introduction to the park to make me book in for three nights at the camp to give me enough time to see it all properly… but on my terms.

4.30am and I was up and having breakfast even before the sunrise. By 5.30am I was at the gates to the park with just one other vehicle; that’s the way I like it. The run from the entrance to Madison junction is around 10miles, mainly through quite dense forest. From Madison I turned south towards Old Faithful, past Firehole lake, Artists Paintpots and Lower Geyser Basin at each of which I stopped to gaze in awe and wonder at the mystical geothermal landscapes. Yellowstone is pretty much unique as there are only a couple of other spots in the world where such activity can be witnessed but none are on the scale of Yellowstone. Riding into the park in the cool morning air emphasises the effect as the hot steam issues from nooks and crannies and even from the very grass itself at every twist and turn of the road.  I rode on to Old Faithful, probably the most well known of all the Yellowstone features. The car parks were just about empty as were the rows of seat opposite the Geyser.. and of course I’d just missed it’s eruption by just a few minutes so had another 92 minutes to wait. I walked around the boardwalk which winds through the geyser field and spotted one which I had been told was also pretty spectacular although irregular so I got out my camera and waited, and waited, and waited; eventually getting into conversation with a family which helped to pass the time until the next

Old Faithful in it's full glory 

Old Faithful eruption. It was certainly worth the wait. With a slight gurgle and an increase in the volume of steam coming from the hole in the ground it just suddenly lets forth with a gigantic plume of hot water reaching fantastic heights. It settles as if to regain it’s strength and then fires another volley of steam and water high into the cool morning air! Majestic, awesome, incredible, no mere words can do justice to such a spectacle, it just has to been witnessed first hand, As Old Faithful settled back for it’s ninety two minutes of slumber I headed back to the car park to find my bike; easier said than done as by now the previously empty car parks were almost full to capacity and it was still only 9.30am. Arriving at the bike I was a little concerned to find that one zip on my tank bag was open and the contents of the pocket strew around on the floor. As I looked at the mess I rested my hand on the back box… right into an even nastier mess! I had discovered the perpetrator of the crime; it was a Raven and witnessed by the receptionist at the adjacent Lodge.

I took a gentle ride back through the park but it was getting far to busy for my liking so I headed back to West Yellowstone for a walk around the town and a visit to the fascinating museum which houses many artefacts from both the park and the general area. Then back to camp where I had been invited to join my neighbour, John and his family for supper. John was a Vietnam Veteran, one of many I was to meet in the US. He had suffered for many years from PTSD, something he blamed for his three failed marriages and multitude of children ranging right down to the 6 and 7 year old offspring of his current relationship with who he was travelling… I spent a pleasant evening chatting with him and his young wife, who I would guess was about 40 years his junior, but I was planning another early start for the following morning to try to see the northern section of the Park so I made my excuses and headed off to bed fairly early.

Lying in my tent I had a think about just what to do the following day. As I was heading north it seemed a bit of a waste to head right back down to West Yellowstone. I had also met another biker in the park, Weston, and during our conversation I had mentioned that I hoped to go horse riding at some point during my trip. He had told me that his girlfriend, Becca, worked at a riding establishment at Jardine, which was just a few miles (5 it turned out)  from Gardiner and the  North gate to Yellowstone. I decided to do my 4.30 start once more but this time to pack my kit and once I had done with the park, to head out to Jardine and the Specimen Creek Outfitters for a little horse riding. But before that I still had a few gems of Yellowstone to visit including the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and Yellowstone Falls.

 Even with my packing, I was still at the gate by 6am and once again the effort of getting up so early was well rewarded with almost empty road and the surreal experience of watching the steam rising from otherwise normal looking pastureland everywhere you looked. The Canyon and Falls didn’t disappoint either and I eat my lunch sat on a rock right on the rim of the Canyon. OK, it’s not as big as THE Grand Canyon but it’s pretty impressive just the same. I rode up to Mammoth Springs but didn’t pause too long due to the crush of Yellowstone traffic moved faster into the park by bypassing the town. It remains to be seen just what effect this will , have on the little towns economy which a bit like West Yellowstone seems to survive almost entirely on the park traffic and visitors.

cars, RVs and people all vying for space in the little town. Gardiner and Jardine were beckoning. Riding out of the North Gate put you right in the middle of Gardiner, which was in a bit of a mess when I got there due to extensive road works being carried out so that the

I easily found the road to Jardine and I had already spotted on the maps that there were a couple of camp sites shown on the road between it and Gardiner. What Weston hadn’t told me was that other than the first half mile, it was a dirt road all the way up to Specimen Creek Outfitters. Not really a problem other than the fact that I was carrying way too kit on my bike which made riding the dirt roads a little “interesting”. However I made it up to the ranch, found Becca and arranged a two hour ride for 11am the following day. It was then back down to an almost empty Eagle Creek camp site where I found a really nice pitch right at the top, and booked in with Robert the host, for two nights. Not least, I though I might just be a little sore after two hours on horse back the following day so a restful afternoon seemed like a good plan.

Gardiner