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Published: August 26th 2005
Bison as oncoming traffic
Not unlike cow crossings in India, we stopped several times as the bison have right of way.The Shahs go to Yellowstone . . . over 2 million acres of protected land. We headed out the first day to see the famous geysers and, within 15 minutes of driving, had our first wildlife sighting - a bison on the side of the road. We actually passed it, turned the car around to slowly creep up next to it, and started photographing from different angles to capture the moment. By the end of 3 days, bison sightings were so common that I became disinterested. . . herds of them can be seen at waterholes, on hilltops, in valleys, along the road, crossing the road . . . of the 3,000 bison in the park, I think we saw the vast majority of them . . . and, frankly, they just aren't cute animals. Other sightings were less frequent and much more exciting . . .deer, elk, moose, pronghorns, and even a couple of wolves!
No trip of mine would be complete without a hike. My brother Sne and I had decided upon the poorly named Seven Mile Hole hike (it is, in fact, 5.5 miles into the canyon, not 7). I initially thought that the worst part of
Bison - close up
Definitely not cute the hike would be that we descend into the canyon first and then climb back up, wihc seems less than intuitive for a hike. That disadvantage seemed trivial once the park ranger mentioned that there was recent grizzly bear activity along the trail. Apparently, the previous day, a grizzly had charged two hikers, but it was a "false charge" since the bear stopped short of the hikers and did not attack. While it would be impressive to see one from the safety of the car, I had no desire for a bear to see me, unprotected, in its territory. Not one to cave into my fears, Sne and I started the hike, which took about 6 hours. I spent the entire hike in a perpetual state of fear. Our stops to take pictures were few and short, since my main goal was to get back to the safety provided by our rented Ford Taurus. Fortunately for us, the only wildlife we came across were birds.
There are some natural wonders, besides the geysers, that captivated our attention. The other members of my family were enthralled with the Churning Caldron at Mud Volcano . . . the Caldron is basically
Old Faithful
The park rangers can predict almost to the minute when Old Faithful will start spewing . . . there were a lot of geysers around, some of which erupt longer but are less predictable. a hole in the ground that violently spits up mud at a consistent rate. Although it is a visual wonder, it reeks - really
reeks - of sulphur. I was less than impressed, as it just brought back not-so-fond memories of Mrs. Kennedy's high school chemistry lab.
I am a HUGE fan of waterfalls! Yellowstone has Lower Falls and Upper Falls, and the Lower ones are actually becoming taller as the weight of the water erodes the land at the bottom of the falls. I asked my brother why water looks white going over the falls and, as he began talking about the refraction of light, nature accentuated his response by creating a rainbow.
We wrapped up our trip with a day in Teton National Park and Jackson Hole. Air Force Two was parked at the Jackson airport, but fortunately there were no sightings of Dick Cheney. Jackson is a little too touristy (in the cheesy Old West sense) for me, but we decided it was worthwhile for having a quality bookstore, bagel shop, and bar (Snake River Brewery).
*Note to readers: I probably won't write again until mid-September when I arrive in New Zealand. (I'm not
Deer
Over 3 days, we saw several different types of deer, all of which were fixed firmly on grazing. counting Dublin, GA as a stop in my travels.) I think a few people were confused about the blog - since I'm not writing on a regular basis (like a political blog), it's possible to subscribe so that you receive an email when I post something - as opposed to just checking the website periodically when there isn't anything new. Hope all is well where you are!
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Elizabeth
non-member comment
Oh my gosh..
Mohna, These pictures are great! Ever think about a career in photography? I took a trip to Grand Canyon years ago and it is crazy cause I remember being terrified of bears and buffalos trying to get me in the car.. at least i know that things don't change! These pics are so cool...And you at least got to go to the bottom of the canyon! Did you take the helicopter ride over the Canyon as well? I am so excited for you, you seem to be having a blast! Keep up the good work! Elizabeth ..