YELLOWSTONE, LET THE FIRST NATIONAL PARK AMAZE YOU

We love Yellowstone, established in 1872 it is the first National Park, Spend a litle time here and you will no longer wonder why Ulysses S Grant signed a law to preserve and protect this 3500 square mile sanctuary.

Roaring Waterfalls

Faithful Geysers

Colorful Hot Springs

Peaceful Streams

Stunning Wildflowers

Towering Mountains

Clear Lakes

Meandering Rivers

Deep Canyons

Vast Forests

Bright Green meadows

When it comes to terrain, Yellowstone has it all and we simply love it here. All told, I have calculated that I have spent about thirty-six weeks of my life in Yellowstone, not bad for a Southern Californian.

I often say that Yellowstone is an acquired taste, it’s different than other parks and the more you experience the more it keeps calling you back for more. One more hike, one more grizzly bear sighting, one more Bison jam, one more little known place off the beaten track to explore. The mountains, the animals, the majesty, the steam venting from the earth, it all calls you back.

Our annual trip this year was disrupted by the flooding that occurred when rain dumped for multiple days and melted the snowpack too quickly. New rivers formed, waterfalls were in places they had never been before, trees were toppled and the infrastructure gave way, washing away roads and bridges, buildings and even homes. Yellowstone was evacuated for the second time in 34 years! My mom, my sister and I were there for both evacuations.

The first evacuation in 1988 was due to historic wildfires that ended up burning 36% of the park. I remember sitting in my parents RV watching out the back windows as my dad drove us out of Yellowstone. Embers, flames and thick smoke were everywhere, the sky was a yellowish gray. We drove through previously burned and currently burning areas as we evacuated through the south end of the park.

Yesterday, we awoke, had breakfast and the kids went outside to take out the garbage. They came running back, the Madison River was flooded, we made our way down and were stunned by what we saw, the normally peaceful river was raging and it had more than quadrupled in size. We then learned that Yellowstone was closed to new visitors and we were restricted to the South loop due to severe flooding from the rain. We made our way from Madison to Artist Point at which point the south loop closed and we were told that the park was being fully evacuated. We made our way back to our campsite and packed up and just as we did 34 years ago. I have no doubt that our kids will remember looking outside the RV windows at the raging Madison and Firehole Rivers as we made our way towards the south end of the park on our way to the Grand Tetons.

Happy 150th anniversary Yellowstone, we feel fortunate to have spent a few days here this year and to see you again during a historic time. A time when the river waters rose, the waterfalls were numerous, the water was brown, the Bison were migrating, the meadows were marshy, the bears took to high ground, the lakes were full and the visitors were few. As we observed the changes in the terrain we marveled at the beauty, we were amazed by the bright colors, we were in awe of the powerful water flow, mesmerized by the latest snowfall and grateful that our time here is spent creating moments that will stay with us forever.

Lastly, today the Yellowstone superintendent announced that some key roads would be closed for the rest of the season, visitor capacity would be significantly reduced and the surrounding communities who are heavily impacted have a long recovery ahead of them. Many prayers for the locals as they navigate infrastructure issues and the loss of tourism that is needed to sustain them. You can donate to the Montana chapter of the American Red Cross to help the local communities.

When the doors to Yellowstone reopen I encourage you to take a trip here and sit in awe at the many things Yellowstone has to offer.

(Posted June 24, Written June 13)