April Trip to Montana, Days 3 and 4 -- Yellowstone National Park

Day 4:  Yellowstone National Park, by Brian:  On Saturday my brother Allen pointed out that it was "free day" in Yellowstone National Park, so we saddled up and rode to West Yellowstone MT to dig into a "spring in the Park experience." On US Hwy 191 through the Gallatin River Canyon, which can be bumper-to-bumper traffic headed for the Yellowstone Club or Big Sky, the traffic was relatively light -- partly due to the fact that we were driving in the pouring-down rain.  So that was a mixed blessing -- dark skies and light traffic. 

Gallatin River Canyon:  Along the Gallatin River, not too far from the Deer Creek bridge, Louise spotted some "suspect" ducks in the river, and we turned around and went back to investigate.  They were "suspect" because they weren't something we'd seen a lot of (we no longer turn around for mallards, which are so common and evolutionarily adept that they can nest in a road-side ditch). 

We squeezed into the room that was left and went over to check out the ducks -- which turned out to be a pair of Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser).  I didn't realize it until we checked out the bird book that the male and female of the Merganser tribe look like entirely different species.  The male was huge -- and the female had a feather do-wacka-hair-do and a half.

Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) Pair in the Gallatin River

When I used to drive Gallatin Canyon in my Corvette on my way to work for the Forest Service in West Yellowstone, I didn't get much time to view things like interesting rock formations - they were going past the window at far too-brisk a pace.  Now, on a cloudy day with little traffic, we had time to slow down and really look -- and as it turns out, upon more meandering observation, Gallatin River Canyon has amazing limestone spires everywhere.  The walls of the canyon are a veritable sculpture garden of formations.

Gallatin River Canyon Limestone Spire

Seam Layer Cascade Closeup

Gallatin River and Limestone Spires

Entering Yellowstone Park, Still Along the Gallatin River:  Further on, just at the Park boundary, beavers had been at work.  At one time, this area was rife with moose -- the tall willows made perfect habitat.  Over the years, the elk browsed the willows to nubbins as they tried to stay alive in the Yellowstone winters without the benefit of thinning-the-herd predators.  There appears to still be a "healthy" browse being put on the willows, but we haven't seen moose in the area for years.

North American beaver (Castor canadensis) Impoundments At Yellowstone National Park Boundary

North American Beaver (Castor canadensis) Homestead

Madison River Just Outside Yellowstone Park:  We drove out onto the West Yellowstone Flats around, and south of, Hebgen Lake, just outside the Park.  The rain was now a light drizzle.  We soon saw "Wildlife in the Road" signs, and up ahead, spotted a Yellowstone traffic jam.

US HWY 191 Traffic Jam on the Madison River Bridge

Answering only to itself the old question, "Why did the bison cross the road?" this big bull took his sweet time and eventually got to whatever was better on the other side.  Several more grazed along the banks of the Madison River as it crossed under the highway.

American Bison (Bison bison) Graze Along the Madison River

What appears on the surface to be a placid scene of bison grazing and camaraderie turns out to be a series of complex social interactions when you stop the engine and get out, listen, and observe.

American bison (Bison bison) Questions

The bison, with all their bovine introspection , did manage to reach out and navigate a bike path over the Madison River bridge, turning it into a private bison bridge used by most of the small herd that was in  residence along the highway.

American bison (Bison bison) Considerately Uses A Bike Bridge

American bison (Bison bison) in the Brush

Back Into the Park Along the Madison River:  After the Bison Jam, we drove on to West Yellowstone and through the official West entrance into the Park.  Free Day inspired a fair number of visitors, many from neighboring states, but it was still a relatively peaceful day in the Park.  Not long after we found the Madison River again, we spotted a trumpeter swan meandering along the shore. It's always a thrill to see them, large, graceful, and back from the brink.

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) in the Madison River

Not far away, a pair of Canada geese enjoyed the relatively warm water of the Madison River as well.

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) Pair in the Madison River

That stretch of the Madison River from the West Yellowstone entrance on US HWY 191 to Madison Junction (where the Firehole River and Gibbon River join to form the Madison) has always been one of my favorite stretches.  It fishes well at times, but the biggest draw for me is the way the large picturesque rocks, tree trunks, and the tranquil water all join to form endless "still life" shots.

Madison River Riverscape

Madison River Stump Sculpture

The Madison River Reflects a Hill

Madison River Boulders

Raven Flies near Madison Junction

I would guess that 95% of the people who drive by Madison Junction are looking at the river -- and justifiably so.  But if you wonder where those huge boulders in the river originate, you just have to pivot 180 degrees and look to the rugged and loosely held ridge on the other side of the road.  I had seldom done that, because mostly I was looking for hatches on the river.  Or watching the elk that favor the lush spring grasses along the edge of the marshes. 

Gibbon Falls:  In olden times, they hacked the road past Gibbon Falls out of a cliff face that keeps trying to shake itself free of said road.  So it's non-trivial to re-construct it into a more permanent fixture of the Park. And in olden days, (and up until this spring) there was parking for only about 30 cars at the falls, and typically 100+ cars wanting to stop.  That made for what the Park Service calls "issues."  Now it looks like they are going to easily accommodate 100 cars in a new parking lot, and the dad-gummed road is moving way over to the other side of the canyon with new bridges and everything.  Hence, "wait for a year and half" to go see it.

Construction Boys Working on a Retaining Wall at Gibbon Falls

In my 40 years of experience  visiting Gibbon Falls, there are three basic truths at Gibbon Falls.  One, no matter how hard you try to get there amid a myriad of other distractions, when you finally get there, the sun will be off the falls for the day.  Two, if by some miracle, you get there when the sun is hitting the falls, there won't be a parking spot anywhere within walking distance.  Three, if, by some miracle you get there at the time of day when the sun is right, and you find a parking spot, there will be a cloud camped over the sun for as long as you can endure staying there, plus three minutes. Hence, I parked in the mud downstream from the No Stopping sign (but not out of its sphere of influence, apparently) to get some shots of the sun on the falls.  It was a miracle.

Gibbon Falls Miraculously in the Sun

Gibbon Falls Starts the Plunge

Gibbon Falls Detail

Of course, we had no sooner loaded up and got out of the "no stopping" zone than they stopped traffic.  A rather pompous road superintendent of some sort walked up and down the line of cars, clearly expecting something but getting little.

Supervisor Working the Line of Stopped Cars

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone:  We headed for the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. On the way, we went past the Gibbon Meadows area -- now mostly still under snow, but with a few signs of early life -- including a frog chorus that attracted attention.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) Stalks the Gibbon River

Snow Lingers on the Banks of the Gibbon River

Gibbon River Meadow

At the turnoff to the Grand Canyon, there was still a little sun left.  There were a surprising number of people there, considering how late in the day it was.  (We had dinked around Bozeman debating the weather until we finally caved in and went, regardless, so we were running late.)  The scenery in the canyon was simply amazing -- as vibrant as I've seen it.  And while the Falls was spectacular, the walls of the canyon were actually more photographically interesting. So I shot the walls while the other people shot the falls.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Spires and Pines

Color Band with Tree and Outcrop in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Dead Tree on a Red Outcrop in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Inverted V and Trees in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Red Slide Past Trees in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River:  And after the walls came the Lower Falls still partly encrusted in ice.  We walked through the snow out to Artist's Point where there were a couple people with lots of camera gear.  I was joking with one guy from Manitoba that there was only one perfect spot to really photograph the  Lower Falls from Artist's Point, and I was standing in it. He was edging closer and closer with his tripod, and finally I said, "I know I'm in the perfect spot, and for a small consideration, I'll move over one foot," and he started laughing.  I moved over a foot, and got some very good additional shots too, and he set up his tripod in "the perfect spot" and got his shots.

Yellowstone River Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Yellowstone River Lower Falls With Ice Buildup Detail

Yellowstone River Lower Falls With Hanging Ice Detail

Giant Ice Overhang As Tall as a Five-Story Building, Base of Yellowstone River Lower Falls

On the way out, I took a few more shots of the canyon walls -- it was hard to stop.  The guy from Manitoba came along, and I said, "If you want the perfect shots of the wall, you'll have to stand here where I am," and he laughed, but when I left, he came over to the spot.  In truth, it was hard not to see good shots almost anywhere along the walkway out to Artists' Point.

Roots and Canyon Snow Lace in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River

Snow Cling on Canyon Wall in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River (Black and White)

We went to the Upper Falls to see if Louise and Allen could walk down into the canyon, but the trail still had too much snow on it for them.  The Manitoba group soldiered on through the drifts.  I didn't feel like walking in the snow, so I waited in the rig.