“When the park shall have been made accessible to the pleasure-seekers of the world, it will be a satisfaction not to be derived from wealth nor honors to have been in some degree concerned in the discovery and development of a new source of pleasure and instruction for the human race.”
- Lieutenant Gustavus Cheney Doane from his journal on the first US military expedition to the Yellowstone 1872
It was still dark when we left for the park. This is partially because we are used to waking up early. The real reason is jet lag. We walked out to our rented truck. No moon was out. The stars were brilliant.
It is over an hour to the park gate from our Air BnB. Accommodations closer are prohibitively expensive and we liked our location and host. Her home sits in a valley looking directly and the Grand Tetons. The view is spectacular.
The road into the park was surprisingly straight for many miles. Few other cars were around at that hour. Mile after mile of wheat fields and potato farms flashed by in the truck’s big headlights. In the shadows to the right, Colleen saw a Moose slowly walking away from the road. In the pre dawn light Venus, in all her glory was shining clear on the eastern horizon. The bright and Morning Star.
As the sun came up, we were better able to take in our surrounds. The landscape was beautiful. Rolling wheat fields edged up on nearby foothills. Horses grazed in the pastures. Cattle ranches began to dominate the area. It was beautiful. It was America at its best. We have been to many places in the world and no where else quite looks like this vista.
The land here is vast and surprisingly free of cities or towns. It takes a long time to get to the Park. It was even worse when it was first opened. There is so much here that one can almost forgive the early explorers and settlers for believing this area was an endless resource. You could help yourself to as much as you want and never run out.
They were wrong, of course, and should have known better but that is another discussion.
The park is over 10,000 square square miles in area. It is so big you could fit Rhode Island and Delaware in here and still have room left over. It is filled with some of the best natural wonders this country has to offer. The fact that it was made into a National park to be enjoyed by all is a marvel to consider. it was the first national park in any country in the world.
“it is America’s best idea, “ notes Ken Burns, the award winning filmmaker and documentarian.
The sun was just coming up as we entered. Mists were rising off the Madison river and low fog clung to the mountain sides. We were stopped briefly. An adult male Bison was walking along the road in the middle of the lane seemingly oblivious to the traffic around him.
We are not sure where to head first. So we decided to press on to the geyser basin and hopefully catch a glimpse of Old Faithful. Geysers were the stuff of legend. When early pathfinders entered the area, they were startled to see among the trees plumes of smoke all around them. When they attempted to describe the earth with gaping holes of bubbling hot water shooting up into the air it was felt to be madness.
Here is Old Faithful. -- the height of the plume can reach 18 stories
Here are views of the interior of the historic Old Faithful Inn.
Finally, after professional expeditions came and further documented the stories and provided fantastical drawings and paintings, it cause a sensation back East. People wanted to rush to see this marvel of nature for them selves and the legend of Yellowstone was born.
There is a reason 2/3 of all the world’s geysers are here. Yellowstone is a giant caldera of a massive super volcano. The crater alone is 40 miles wide. The region also has 200-300 earthquakes a year. Most are so small they are imperceptible. But they are there and what is below the surface here is quite real.
The last time the volcano erupted was 640,000 years ago. If it ever does again, well, it would be very bad. The eruption would likely end life on the planet.
The history of this place dates back to Lewis and Clark. It is steeped in violence and exploitation, particularly of indigenous people. It is the story of the overwhelming forces of capitalism versus the moral rectitude of those trying to save the land for the future. It is filled with heroes and villains in a struggle across a primordial landscape of uncommon beauty.
In other words, it is a uniquely American tale.
Our first morning was exhilarating .
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