Lower Falls and the Sheepeater Cliffs

Mammoth Hot Springs
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Today we drove north to Tower Junction, west to Mammoth Hot Springs, down to Norris Geyser Basin and back to Yellowstone Lake.  It was a long day but very enjoyable.

On the drive north, there are many huge meadows with large herds of bison.  We also saw a few mule deer. 

Moose Drool on tap

Bridging the Golden Gate
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Before we arrived at Canyon Village we took 2 side roads to Artist’s Point, to see the Upper and Lower Falls, and to Inspiration Point.  The morning sun really accents the falls and the scenes.  These are landmarks everyone should see when traveling in Yellowstone.  WOW!

Lower Falls at Artist's Point
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At one point, Big Horn sheep caused quite a traffic tie-up along the road.  They were grazing on the cliffs about 100 yards off the road and cars were stopping on the narrow road with people walking around taking pictures.  A Park Ranger kept driving by to keep people moving, but as soon as she would leave, the cars and people were at it again.   We called it a ‘sheep jam’.

Mule Deer Buck
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After we turned west at Tower Junction, we took one of the turn offs and had a nice view of the Yellowstone River below.  When we arrived at Mammoth Hot Springs, we turned north and drove to Gardiner, Montana and stopped at an internet café to reconnect with the world back home.

As we reentered Yellowstone, we passed through the famous Roosevelt Arch.  It towers 50 feet and is inscribed with “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People”.    President Teddy Roosevelt dedicated the arch in April 1903.  

Inspiration Point
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At Mammoth Hot Springs, we took a side trip through Upper Terrace Drive and viewed the hot springs.

South of Mammoth Hot Springs, we entered the “Golden Gate”, named for the light colored volcanic rock.  In 1885 the Corps of Engineers build a wooden trestle along the sheer wall, saving a ½ day journey up to Yellowstone Plateau. However, a quote is given at the sight stating “So steep is the climb that if the tailboard of a wagon falls out…the whole load is promptly dumped out in the road.”  Since 1900, two different concrete trestles have replaced the rickety wooden structure.

Mountain Goats
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We saw many, many interesting rock formations throughout the Park.  Ken’s favorite was the “Sheepeater Cliffs” south of Mammoth Hot Springs.  These particular rocks were named for the Shoshone Indian’s love of eating sheep.  We saw many rocks like these in the area.  The uniform cracks in the rocks were caused by cooling at a rapid rate.

Yellowstone River
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We headed back to the hotel in a downpour.  There were still hundreds of people stopped along the meadows watching the d… buffalo, causing ‘buffalo jams’.  We have buffalo back home in Oklahoma, and they were not a novelty to us.

To celebrate our 42^nd anniversary (which will be tomorrow), we dined in the Lake Hotel Dining Room, which overlooks Lake Yellowstone.  We had the “Surf and Turf”, which featured piedmontese beef tenderloin, bison tenderloin and lobster tail, all cooked to perfection.   Ken also had Moose Drool on tap, which complimented his meal.