Yellowstone National Park/Grand Teton National Park, 9.26.21 - 10.6.21, Part 9 of 11
We had all been on the go from dawn to dusk for four straight days. For our last full day in Yellowstone National Park we wanted it to be an easy day without a lot of driving. For me, I felt I had unfinished business with the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. I had been there on three different occasions during the week but never really felt like I had great light. It wasn’t bad light, just not a full canyon glow that I envisioned and hoped to photograph. I had read that Artist Point is the ultimate spot to view the canyon and the Lower Falls so I intended to spend my final morning there from sunrise to at least 10:30. Kent decided to come along but the girls were more than happy to sleep in.
Kent and I were up and out at 7:10AM for a 7:26AM sunrise. Artist Point only had a few people there that early, not nearly the hordes of photographers I speculate are there in the summer months at sunrise. It was pretty nippy watching the sun slowly work its way down the wall of the north rim. After a bit Kent decided to head back to the lodge to warm up and wait for me to finish. He said it was beautiful but a little like “watching paint dry”. I totally get where he’s coming from but I countered that watching a sunrise is an exercise in slowing down your body and brain to the speed of the rising sun. This is a practice I have learned from the backpacking I’ve done over the years. I’ve sat silent watching many a sunrise and sunset and it is a form of meditation that I seem to get great benefit from.
But back to the story. It was a very beautiful sunrise and I did get some really nice light but again it never fully lit up the waterfall or both sides of the canyon at the same time. Again I’m speculating that the low angle of the sun at this time of the year may not be as good as during the summer months when it rises at a higher arc.
First light on North Rim
Early sunshine on the North Rim
Steam vents and red rock looking down river
Lower Falls from Artist Point
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from Artist Point
Once I felt like I had gotten some good canyon shots I went back to the lodge and we all piled into the car for another aspect of the canyon. Along the North Rim Drive is the trailhead for The Brink of the Lower Falls Trail. This is a steep trail that drops about six hundred feet down to a platform right on the edge of the brink of the Lower Falls. It was a totally different perspective than any of the other views we had seen so I’m really glad we went.
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from the Brink of the Lower Falls
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from the Brink of the Lower Falls
After hoofing it back up the side of the canyon, we all agreed that one last visit to Hayden Valley was in order. I think of all the places we had been over the course of the week, the beauty and majesty of Hayden Valley held a special spot in all of us. We drove down a little more than halfway and turned down a short side road to a really nice picnic area right along the Yellowstone River called the Nez Perce Ford. As we sat and ate our lunch at a picnic table with the sound of the water rippling by us, a lone bison lay in the grass across the river from us.
After lunch Kent and I walked along the river and just soaked up the sights and sounds of Hayden Valley. The weather was perfect as it had been all week long. It felt like we had accomplished everything we had hoped for and more. Today was a day to relax and reflect on the week.
Yellowstone River in Hayden Valley
My dear friend Kent becoming one with nature
Strange microbial pad on the Yellowstone River
Fly fishers in the Yellowstone River
The relaxing lunch truly felt like a wrap to the week and I think we all accepted that all that was left was dinner and packing. Oh how far from the truth we were! Leaving the picnic area, we slowly made our way back north through Hayden Valley. And just like that, we came across a good sized group with spotting scopes. No one seemed to get too excited so I got out and inquired. When a guy responded with “wolf” I immediately headed for the car to get the scope. I told Bridgit. Kent asked her what it was and when she told him “wolf” he was out the door of the car faster than a “doink” gets back to the kicker’s ear. He told her later, “You had me at “wo”.
I asked the guy to point out where the wolf was. I thought I could already see him across the river in front of the tree line. With the naked eye it wasn’t much more than a big dot but you could tell it moved and he confirmed that was what I was looking at. Quickly I set up the scope on the tripod and began to dial it in. When I got a bead on the wolf, zoomed in and focused I let out a gasp. There, plain as day in my viewfinder was a big black wolf standing sideways, tail and head both clear as could be. It was totally amazing! I quickly let the others take a look and we all watched as the wolf appeared to be chasing rodents through the brush.
Bridgit's scope came with an adapter for the iPhone. Looking through the iPhone, you can take photos through the scope or even video. That is if you have it with you. We had left it in the box back at the lodge. Live and learn. The guy next to us did have an adapter so I gave him my email and he sent me a couple of pics which is exactly what it would have looked like if we had used our scope to take photos.
Looking across Hayden Valley. The wolf was just below the tree line across the river (this pano makes it look farther than it really looked).
The black wolf through a scope. Courtesy of Phillip (thanks so much!)
After our wolf experience we couldn’t take any more stimulus so we headed back to the lodge. Kent, Candice and I took a short walk through the woods on a trail that went from the lodge to Grandview Point on the North Rim. One last look at the canyon and we headed back for dinner. Along the way, we came across a squirrel holding a pine cone on a stump. It was the all time classic squirrel pose (except for an acorn instead of a pine cone) and it was the one time I didn’t bother to bring my zoom lens and camera. I did get a couple of shots with the iPhone but I had to zoom in so it's much too pixeled out. Still a great pose though.
Mr. Squirrel
Mr. Squirrel
Evening light on the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Artist Point straight across in the middle.
Our trip to Yellowstone with Kent and Candice was as good a trip as we’ve ever been on. The excitement of seeing so much wildlife, walking among so many strange, other worldly features and the beautiful light mixed in with all the fall colors made this an epic adventure if there ever was one.
In the morning, Kent and Candice headed back to Colorado. Bridgit and I would have our 29th anniversary the next day so we had arranged lodging for two more nights down in Jackson Hole.
To share this part of the trip, read the next excerpt, Part 10!