Yellowstone 2025: On the Way to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

On September 15th, our group had a packed day that, in the end, took us to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone after much fascinating in-between. We left Mammoth Hot Springs early, yet plenty of visitors had already gathered at a popular wildlife-spotting site, Hayden Valley, by 7:30.

At that hour the air was chilly, and we bundled up with coats, gloves, and such. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

 

To avoid disturbing the wildlife, visitors must use adjacent ridgelines and observe through their binoculars, telescopes, cameras, etc.

Some got as close as they could ...

A small group of wolves climbed up the far ridge, but they were hard for me to spot and impossible to photograph. A bison wandered through the meadow below us.

Then it was time to move on: today's agenda had plenty of stops. On the trail back to the vans, evidence -- snagged bison fur -- confirmed that bison wander anywhere they please.

We next headed east through the Lamar Valley.

Roaming bison enjoy the grasses of the long valley. They're accustomed to and ignore vehicles.

Zooming in. The browser is undisturbed as long as we stay in the vehicle.

A little while later we reached a formation known as "Moose Rock."

We're at a junction for heading east or south. We'll do both today, but first east, to Cooke City, just outside the park.

Restrooms are here, and very welcome. Oddly, someone left a boot — one boot — behind.

There's a large gap in my pictures for this afternoon. At Cooke City, we lunched at a coffee & sandwich shop (screenshot from Google).

A short hop took us to the gallery Wildlife Along the Rockies, begun in 1990 by Dan and Cindy Hartman. The Hartmans have documented pygmy owls and pine martens on their property, and Dan has guided for National Geographic and BBC films. Needless to say, their sample videos, artwork, and presentations were engrossing; we bought a book for "Ages 5-9" because of the photos.

After visiting the Gallery, it was time to drive west and south to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

An information sign.

The lower falls, from above. Just like the postcards!

A plaque with a map of the various paths.

Some folks like to take pictures of themselves,

but I concentrate on the features ... the landscape, in this case ...

and the setting.

After settling in and having dinner here, Jack and Steve took us out for a drive in the evening light. Grizzlies have favored locations, and everyone knows about them ...

This evening, a griz was hunting burrowing critters for his evening meal, pouncing on den and bolthole entrances/exits.

Darkness continued to grow, and soon it was time to return to Canyon Lodge & Cabins. It was a busy day from sunup to sundown, and the next day promised to be busy too.

Yellowstone 2025: Into the Park

 On July 14th, our Off the Beaten Path group climbed into two vans, and we set out on our drive to Yellowstone National Park, sixteen guests and our guides, Jack and Steve. Along the way they shared historical background on the area between Bozeman and the park, including the 1805 transit of Lewis & Clark's Corps of Discovery Expedition, led in part by the Shoshone woman Sacagawea.

 

We headed east and then south, and it was time for a rest break and a leg stretch. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

This spot was near the Beartooth Wilderness. 

Continuing south, we passed many features that kept us glued to the windows, including this dike, a volcanic intrusion.

Wild pronghorn grazed.

Private property, largely ranching, sometimes abuts the Park. Not all roads lead to "Rome."

A crowd of elk rested by the irrigation sprinklers.

We reached the park boundary at the Roosevelt Arch, named for Theodore/Teddy, our 26th president.

The sunlit side of the arch. Check out that stonework.

An obligatory photo of us.

A cluster of shops inhabits this gateway, where we picked up lunch fixings.

 

We drove on to a "hidden" lunch spot -- a basalt formation known to Jack and Steve, usually empty even though only a few dozen yards from a busy parking area for a different attraction. We even saw a pika, hurrah!

Soon we arrived at the Mammoth Hot Springs area, to visit and to spend the night.

We explored several trails and boardwalks. (Click on the map above to expand). Heat-loving microorganisms, or "thermophiles," feast on hydrogen sulfide, while cyanobacteria harvest sunlight.

Calcite (calcium carbonate) is deposited here as hot water rises through limestone and evaporates, leaving calcite behind. If the hot water passes through igneous rock instead, it creates more colorful formations.

Half moon, tree, calcite.

Walkways abound and must be repaired or replaced periodically.

A broad expanse.

Calcite accumulates in the landscape.

Many viewpoints are on offer.

After exploring the farther reaches of the calcite plains, we descended to see more.

 Formations and pools.

From the front, the appearance is very stratified or terraced.

Near the end, a hot spring remnant; mineral deposits built slowly for hundreds of years.

A mixed pile and the calcite's edge.

After dinner at the Mammoth Hotel Dining Room, Jack offered a postprandial walk. Joan and I joined in, and as dusk deepened, we heard elk bugling, saw a nearby landslide from recent flooding, and spotted a "Mormon cricket" -- a large, wingless katydid that can devastate crops and cause traffic hazards. It was quite dark by the time we retraced our steps to the hotel.

 

An extremely full day it was.

Yellowstone 2025: Begin in Bozeman

Joan and I flew to Bozeman, Montana, on September 12, 2025, to participate in an Off the Beaten Path (OBP) exploration of the Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks. This was a day before the official start on the evening of the 13th, giving us time to explore. After checking in at our hotel, the Kimpton Armory, we went up and down the main street, identifying options for tomorrow's breakfast and lunch, bought some chocolate, and visited the Off the Beaten Path home office to see folks that so far only been voices on the phone, or an email address. We and other visitors had some great travel conversations there.

 

We had an early dinner at the hotel (5:00) so we could attend a movie about Ellen Jovin's quest to set up a grammar table in a public space in all fifty states, answering grammar questions from passers-by. Joan had earlier purchased tickets online for this documentary, to be shown in the historic Ellen Theater that evening. On arriving at the theater, we discovered Ellen out front hawking her book, Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian. We chatted and bought a copy, which she signed. The Ellen Theater was a restored historic and well-decorated building, the movie was entertaining and enlightening, and Ellen answered questions afterward. How fortunate it was that the trip schedule allowed us to be in Bozeman on this particular day!

 

After coffee and a big breakfast at the Main St. Over Easy, Joan and I spent most of the 13th exploring. We visited the old Bozeman jail, now the Gallatin History Museum with a wide range of exhibits and historical artifacts. Bozeman was a boom town in the 1860s due to the discovery of gold in nearby Virginia City and the creation of the Bozeman Trail, which attracted settlers and miners to the area. We followed a walking tour route through the old town, with many classic/historic buildings, including the T. Byron Story Mansion. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

Observed from the curb.

Joan and I had a chat with the owner of another historic home, who was mowing his lawn and curious about these two strangers staring at his house.

 

The current St. James Episcopal Church building was built in 1889-90.

Then our wandering took us to the Emerson Arts & Culture Center, which includes an artists' co-op. Joan and Nick, one of two glass artists, fell into a long conversation. Then we decided to visit La Chatelaine Chocolat to buy more chocolate confections. Finally, back at our hotel, we checked out the rooftop pool, and I took this elevated photo of Bozeman.

That evening our group assembled, and food, introductions, advice, and schedules were served. Jack and Steve, our Off the Beaten Path guides, took a photo of each table; here's the one featuring Joan and me.

What a day!