A Simple One Day Journey Through Yellowstone National Park

By A. R. Massengill Photography

Worth the Journey

© 2010 Arnold Richard Massengill

1st edition

Introduction

This one day journey starts along the Madison River about fifteen miles inside

the park. The Madison River winds along the valley floor while crisscrossing the

road that runs from the west entrance into Yellowstone National Park to an inter-

section with the Gibbon River and the Firehole River.

I traveled down from Montana along highway 287 to the town of West Yellow-

stone, Wyoming. I entered the park mid morning on a rainy overcast day the first

week in June 2010 for a one day trip through the southwestern section. Highway

287 enters at the west entrance and exits on the south side of the park at the

Grand Teton National Forrest.

This grand park is spectacular in its

natural beauty. I am glad to have made

the journey and seen it first hand. I am

also glad that, in the past, there were

people of power and influence with the

foresight to protect areas such as this for

future generations to enjoy.

Yellowstone National Park is near the

top of my list of places to visit. If you

like the outdoors it should be on your list, as well.

A place of natural beauty that is definitely- Worth the Journey.

“I stand along the edge of the winding river and I look in awe at

the surrounding natural beauty; the gently flowing water, the

fields of green along its bank, and the lush forest that reach to-

ward the mountain tops.”

“I look and feel some pangs of fear at the thought of being there

in the distant past and maybe not knowing how to face nature

and survive.”

“Then I look and feel lasting regret at not being the first to see

this powerful natural beauty.”

Arnold Richard Massengill

The River

“As a proclaimed civilized world I don’t think we

should be judged by what we achieve, collect, and con-

quer, but by the natural wonders we preserve for the

sake of humanity’s future.”

Firehole Falls

The Firehole Falls is on the Little Firehole River south

of the intersection of highway 287 and highway 89 at

Madison. Firehole Canyon Drive is one way and leads

off the main road and goes to the falls. It loops back to

the main road that goes on towards Old Faithful.

The roar of the falls and the river rushing through the

canyon drowns out all other sounds in the immediate

area. On this day there were not too many folks at the

falls. The wind was blowing and even though it was

June it was cold and damp.

Upper part of Firehole Falls

Yellowstone National Park is abundant with water falls.

But, like most of the national parks across the country

it takes an effort to reach the falls if you want to cap-

ture images. I feel fortunate in my quest of pictures to

see the ones that I have happened upon.

To reach some of the other remote water falls in the

vast area of Yellowstone would require a lot more

planned time and resources. My one day trip through

the park is enough for now, have to see what the future

brings.

The bison was the only large animal I saw during my one day

journey through the park. I would have to think that in June the

bison are more visible due to the fact the calve are born during

the spring and grazing is better in the valleys along the rivers.

Bison has made a tremendous come back due to the efforts of

both the Department of the Interior and the private sector. The

national parks provide safe havens for the remaining wild herds

and the private sector purchases the excess beyond the capacity

of the parks for food and other ventures.

You look at a bison in the wild and it is sad to think that the

number was as low as 1000 before folks took a real interest in

saving the species.

Bison roam the park and mostly ignore the hundreds of vehicles

that pass through. They seem to be docile but I would not bet my

life on it and make the mistake of getting to close. In June the

calves were aplenty and that would sure make getting close much

more of a risk. My telephoto lens allowed me to capture several

pictures without facing real danger from protective moms. The pic-

tures I shot were of a small herd roaming along the Firehole River.

It’s hard to imagine that there were millions of these amazing ani-

mals roaming the country. Now the truly wild ones are confined to

parks and managed for preservation of the species.

The young bison calves

get to enjoy lunch.

Bison are undoubtedly the

most photographed animal

in the park simply because

they graze pretty much all

day, they are out in the

open, and are not easily

spooked by tourist.

The bison live in the park and survive as they have long before the migration of man to the west. Of all the

tools of the white man to blame for the near demise of the bison, the railroad would be near the top. Rail-

roads opened up the land to the mass slaughter of large herds of bison that roamed free.

Yellowstone National Park is known for Old Faithful and that

seems to be the destination of most visitors, that is if the num-

ber of vehicles in the parking lot is any indication. In fact, it

appeared to me from the number of vehicles passing me on the

road that a lot of folks drive hurriedly toward the site of Old

Faithful. Once I got passed the site of Old Faithful traffic was

less and folks were driving slower.

Along the way to the famous geyser are numerous areas where

the steam is rising up from the ground. I took pictures at a few

hot springs along the way. My day trip would not include a

stop at Old Faithful, on this trip I did not care to stand or sit

around with a group of people waiting for an eruption of hot

water to shoot up out of a hole in the ground. It’s nice to see

once, which I did on a previous trip. This trip was more about

taking pictures with fewer folks around.

Yellowstone Lake is the largest body of water in the park. It sets

nestled in the mountain range at 7700 feet above sea level and

is 430 feet deep. I drove along the section of the lake referred

to as West Thumb. The pictures I took are of this section. The

mountain range in the back ground is snow capped at an eleva-

tion above 9,000 feet.

I was making my way toward the south entrance of Yellowstone

National Park and on toward the Grand Teton National Park.

The temperature was dropping down into the low forties as the

day wore on even though the elevation was below the 9,000

foot mark.

A person could spend a life time in Yellowstone National Park

and never run out of natural beauty to photograph.

The road leading out of Yellowstone on the south side of the

park runs partially along the Lewis River. The cold crystal

clear water flows through the valley all during the year and

spreads out across the valley floor as the snow melts. The

Lewis Lake captures some of the flow as it moves down from

the higher elevations. One smaller water fall (Lewis Falls) is in

view from the road.

I’ve seen this magnificent park on two separate one day occa-

sions knowing that it has been photographed by many that have

gone through it before and also know it will be photographed

by many in the future. I made this one day journey through the

park knowing my photographs could never be duplicated, since

no two people can capture the same image. The images I pre-

sent are what my eyes where able to view through the camera

on this particular day.

South of Yellowstone National Park is the north end of Grand

Teton National Park. The view from highway 287 is of the

beautiful high peaks that run down to Jackson Lake. There are

other lakes in the park since the park has glaciers to feed the

streams, rivers, and lakes, but my trip would not include scout-

ing much off the main road. I chose to include the pictures of

Jackson Lake in this book due to the beauty so close to the

south end of Yellowstone. I felt it was fitting since this moun-

tain range would be the last one I would see on the way back

east.

Looking out from my windshield I see the mountains looming

as I travel south through the Wyoming countryside.

Do I continue tracking south as the miles I keep consuming

or bypass the park and head east, it’s a long and boring ride.

The sun was moving closer to sitting in the west

so I make a real decision to stop to clear the night.

Since vision grows much dimmer putting eyesight to the test

decisions come much clearer as the darkness turns to light.

Reaching morning makes the yearning ever stronger

and so south I will surely go.

To reach the looming mountains was no mystery any longer,

looking forward to the sightings with my equipment all in tow.

Made my journey through the landscape stopping so to claim the sights,

captured image after image for to show.

Made the journey going southward, still shots with perfect light

last forever never fading, alas, future faces all aglow.

The day yielded pleasure, new places I did see

made my journey everlasting, least the worry ends.

Time to reach forward, place this day in the past for me

let the road lead me eastward till the yearning comes again.

Journey Looming

The long road heading east toward home...