During the summer of 2020, I made a life-long dream come true: I stayed an entire week at lodgings inside Yellowstone National Park. OK, not quite an entire week. I spent one night in Jackson, Wyoming so that I could more readily visit the nearby Grand Teton National Park (GTNP). This is a truly spectacular place, and I wouldn’t have minded spending an entire week in the Tetons in addition to the week in Yellowstone. But I’m getting slightly ahead of myself. Because y’see, between Sandpiper Lodge and Grand Teton sits the West Thumb Geyser Basin, where I stopped and spent a morning. C’mon, let’s check it out…
Abyss Pool. Looks like the pic has been doctored, donut? But it hasn’t.Big Cone. An especially bubbly pool, being watched by a killdeer.Brightly colored bacteria and minerals in water that flows from a geothermal poolSeismograph (top) & Bluebell PoolsGravelly beach on the west shore of Yellowstone LakeLook closely at this picture of Ledge Spring; I captured a bubble as it popped.This crater is named Occasional Geyser.View across the upper portion of the West Thumb Geyser BasinTerraces formed by minerals deposited by water flowing from geothermal poolsSurging Spring is looking at you!Thumb Paint PotsThumb Paint PotsThe mini-volcanoes of Thumb Paint PotsI captured some bubbles, but didn’t catch the name of this pool.West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park (photographed 30 July 2020)
OK, now we can go to Grand Tetons. But we’re just passing through, on our way to Jackson.
Looking toward Yellowstone from the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway.My default guess is that this is a dark-eyed junco.This was home to an early rancher, who was important to expansion of GTNP.Waterfalls coming down the mountainYeah, definitely not the Appalachians.The high plains o’ northwest Wyomin’Grand Teton National Park (photographed 30 July 2020)
After spending the night in Jackson, I spent a full day at Grand Teton National Park, slowly working my way back to Yellowstone. This time, I was able to get up close and personal with the mountains; much more so than the day before. But first…a boat ride:
I took a boat ride across Jenny Lake. This was the name of the boat.View across Jenny LakeRainbow in the boat’s sprayHey, it’s Uncle Buck!An old cabin, and even older mountainsCascade Creek doin’ its thing.This chipmunk was trying to get handouts at a busy spot along a trail.This mama sage grouse was watching a couple babies, deep inside the bushes.Another series of waterfalls coming down out of the mountainsAnother series of waterfalls coming down out of the mountainsThis is called Hidden Falls, yet they have made no attempt to hide it.A view from Inspiration Point, above Hidden FallsOdd-looking tree that caught my eyeI drove up Signal Mountain. The view included this oddly shaped pond.Another view from atop Signal MountainAnother view across Jenny LakeGrand Teton National Park (photographed 31 July 2020)
That’s it for my all-too-short visit to Grand Teton National Park. Next Thursday’s post will return us to Yellowstone, where I spent the rest of my trip living out of the world-famous Old Faithful Inn. Peace!
Voyages with Parkinson's 