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Published: July 21st 2008
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Further ensconced in Yellowstone
Canyon Campground - Grand Canyon of The Yellowstone - Fishing Bridge Campground
Today we are going to visit the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This is not to be confused with the Grand Canyon that is in Arizona as this canyon is nowhere near as “grand”. Although it is still a sight to behold. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is a large canyon of the Yellowstone River that is in some places up to 900 feet deep and a half mile wide. It is actually the most visually stunning non-thermal feature in Yellowstone and images of its Lower Falls are some of the most famous of images of Yellowstone.
As we leave the campground, our decision to not drive the northern rim of the canyon is made for us; the road is closed. So we venture further down the road toward the south rim drive. Before reaching the south rim is a pull off. From here you can take a short hike to the overlook right next to the Upper Falls. We make a quick stop here, snap a few pictures and then make our way towards the south rim drive.
From here
we land in the first parking lot which takes you to the south rim trail and our first destination, Uncle Tom’s Trail. It’s not so much a trail as a set of steps, 328 steps to be exact, that take you deep into the canyon for an up close view of the more spectacular Lower Falls. Originally, this was a set of 528 steps and rope ladders that a local tour guide, coincidentally named Tom, that used to take visitors into the canyon around the year 1900. A sign at the top of the steps warns us that we are at about 8000 feet elevation and that we should all take our time walking the steps. We all decide to heed this warning.
Going down the steps is fairly simple even though they are a bit steep and located right on the canyon wall. Within no time we reach the end where we are greeted by a very up close view of the Lower Falls. Amazingly, there is still a huge snow bank right next the falls. After a short visit, we all s-l-o-w-l-y climb the 326 steps back to the top of the trail. I think we all
struggled with the ascent, but Chloe more so than everyone else. About ½ way to the top, Chloe stops at one of the many benches along the stairway. She is visibly beaten down by the climb. As her face turns whiter and whiter, Carolyn and I are sure that she is about to pass out. She never did, fortunately, but decided to throw up instead. I had a plastic grocery bag in my back pack, which she used to dispense of the awful mess, but wouldn’t you know it…there were 2 small holes in the bottom. I will forgo painting this awful mental image from here, but suffice to say it was a good thing I had some napkins as well. During this incident, a very kind older woman passed by and offered us some extra Ziploc bags that she happened to be carrying. These came in very handy.
As we talk, it turns out the woman has been traveling alone in her minivan. She took out the back seats, built a sleeping area and uses it to travel around the country. She is currently on a several months trip through the American west visiting National Parks in Wyoming,
California and Utah among others. We actually run into her again at another stop further up the trail and again days later at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
At the top of Uncle Tom’s Trail, we had back down the south rim trait towards Artist’s Point. This is the vantage point from where the painter Thomas Moran made his famous paintings of the Lower Falls.
The walk from here back to where the road beast is parked is about 1 mile. Andy and I decide to take the walk back together and leave the girls here to watch the kids so that we can drive the RV back here and pick them up. This concludes our visit to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. We all head to the campground at Fishing Bridge and check-in around 1pm. Everyone has lunch and relaxes for the rest of the day…we need to recharge our batteries. It was also a good place to stop and get our laundry done as we are now about ½ way through the trip and no one really packed more than 6 days worth of clothes.
On a side note, you may have noticed the title
to this particular chapter didn’t really tie in with anything in this particular days happenings…well it actually did. The area of the campground we were parked in is called C Loop. With us being somewhat of a “gang”, Andy and I decided it would be kind of funny to devise a gang sign (form your right hand into a letter C and beat it menacingly against your chest, right over the heart) to show “where we were from” and create a bit of solidarity with the other C-Loopers. At this point it was us against all the other “Loopers”. You’re C Loop or you’re nothing. That’s how we roll in C-Loop. Word.
This became a running joke for the rest of the trip - even the kids got in on it - and I wouldn’t be surprised if it continues through the rest of the summer. I guess we’re easily amused.
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