Field Journal Entry: 1 Oct 2018 Driving in to Yellowstone
- Route: Cody -> West Thumb Geyser Basin -> Upper Geyser Basin (including Black Sand Basin) and back to Cody
- Miles driven: 238
- Photos taken: 1397
- Weather: Clear skies in the morning with increasing clouds through the day. Wind as strong as 13 mph with gusts recorded at 22 mph. Temperatures in the 50s for the most part, dropping throughout the day as the clouds moved in.
Leaving Cody at 0810 – Fog in town this morning dissipated rapidly as the sun rose. Once through the tunnels, there was no fog but there was wind. The Turkey Vultures are still here in town and there were a handful of American White Pelicans still at Buffalo Bill Reservoir. I see the Mule deer are starting to return. One was hit by a car near the Red Barn that had a Bald Eagle and many Ravens on it.
Driving up the North Fork, there was heavy frost at the UXU Ranch. I would have stopped to take photos of if I didn’t already have a full schedule of documentation ahead of me. The aspen trees all the way up are lovely – all are at their peak or just past the peak. I haven’t had time to really enjoy the fall colors this year, so this drive is a delight.
There do seem to be more aspen coming up all along the way. The reintroduction of the wolves that reduced the elk population has allowed for more aspen to return. The mature trees or stands seems to have a ring of “kids” around them. All of the young ones show about how long ago wolves found the abundance of elk in the area. With fewer elk to nibble on the tender shoots, the aspen now have a chance to expand their underground reach. With the open space created by the forest fires, I wonder if they’ll actually have a good chance of establishing larger groves in the coming years. How much more lovely would this drive be with more aspen to watch!
There’s still some traffic this morning – more than in years past at this time. I may not have noticed it as much if it weren’t for the gravel trucks hauling gravel from the Cody area to the work at Fishing Bridge. Each truck has a trailing of a few cars – like ducks with ducklings making their way along the highway. I soon become another duckling.
0940 – I reach the top of Sylvan Pass. 41 degrees F. Sunny skies with clouds on the western horizon – forecasted to increase through the day. My plan is to stop by West Thumb (unless there’s fog, but that seems unlikely) and do a full photo/note documentation of the area before the clouds have a chance to reach the lake. Then I’ll head to the Upper Geyser Basin. I want to see what’s happening on Geyser Hill as well as spend a bit of time at Giant Geyser. This very well might be one of my last visits of the year here. Fishing Bridge closes access to the interior of the park from the East Entrance on Oct 15. I’ll just play it all by ear and hope for a couple more nice days to head in.
As I drive up the hill that gives you the first good view of Yellowstone Lake and the Tetons, there are two hawks circling. I’m not able to get a good view and choose not to stop to identify. But I’m guessing they might be the Red-tailed hawks I’ve watched in this same spot a few times over the summer. I wonder if they’ve nested in here this year.
This is also the spot where I found the garden variety of Hollyhocks growing. I’ll talk with the folks in charge of the citizen science program about this, as it may be considered an invasive species. I didn’t yank them up this year simply because I found it rather charming to see them in bloom and I don’t yet know the protocol for the citizen science program Yellowstone Forever runs. However, it’s not native, so I really should report that. We’ll see if they come up again next year – the winter might just take care of it all on its own. I’ll have to remember to look up the hardiness zone for Hollyhocks.
I also think about all the other species I’ve seen in here. Ravens chasing the Red-tailed Hawks as well as other smaller birds – most likely protecting their nests. The wolves we’ve seen in this area. If I remember correctly, Amy Gerber told me they were the Mollies. I also think of the Grouse that strutted here in spring. How fortunate I am that this is part of my drive to “work.”
As I come toward Lake Butte Overlook, there’s a host of cars lining the road, long lenses and rangers keeping traffic moving along. A bear jam – “Raspberry” is out, I see. Or at least it looks like Raspberry. She’s already pregnant with the cub we’ll likely meet in spring. I don’t stop this time as the thermal features are calling, but again, I deeply appreciate having this be a completely normal thing to encounter.
No Trumpeter Swans yet at Mary Bay, but the Canada Geese are still around. I never did get a count of the number of geese seen in Hayden Valley this year. The numbers are vastly up from last year. They have discovered this place. Knowing how they can become a problem in other locations, I wonder how this will develop. In cities where they’ve pretty much taken over, there aren’t many predators, save the coyotes and raccoons that thrive pretty much everywhere. Here, with more predators, the geese will need to be more vigilant in to successfully raise a family. Next summer I want to do some regular counts in Hayden Valley – or perhaps more easily, just at Mary Bay.
1015 – I’m on the boardwalk at West Thumb. Traffic in the park past Fishing Bridge moved along nicely with only a couple of slow downs for people to enjoy some elk by the side of the road. The air is cool, but there’s little wind and lots of sunshine. I debate what coat to wear and ask a visitor heading back to her car how it was in the basin. She said not bad. I still choose the heavier coat as I know the wind can pick up in a heartbeat.