Part Five of Into the West is the continuation of a multi-part series that chronicles the journey that Shelley and I embarked on in August and early September of last year. A journey that covered over 5,000 miles, seven states, and two provinces of Canada over the course of about two weeks. If you missed any of the previous parts click here to get caught up.
Day Seven
This was the last morning at the cabin in Idaho. Shelley and I awoke and began packing to leave for our next destination. On this day we would be finishing up Yellowstone National Park and making our way to Bozeman, Montana. The cabin was a great way to stay near Yellowstone and we look forward to staying with them again. It offers a panoramic view, from which you can watch the sunset-unfortunately we never made it back to the cabin in time to watch the sunset from the patio or the hot tub.
In case you’re interested – Yellowstone’s Top of the World is a great rental, here is a link to more information (this is not a paid advertisement, we just loved the stay). We loaded up the vehicle and made our way down the mountain one last time. We then headed back into Yellowstone for the last time on this trip. Shelley and I had a few places that we wanted to see along our way to Bozeman.
Gibbon Falls
Shelley and I entered into Yellowstone and proceeded to the first stop of the day at Gibbon Falls. The falls are just upstream of the confluence of the Gibbon River and the Firehole River. The Gibbon River was named after Colonel John Gibbon, who traveled with the 1872 Hayden Geological Survey of the Yellowstone area.
Artists Paintpots
After Shelley and I stopped and photographed Gibbon Falls, we returned to Grand Loop Road and journeyed north to Artists Paintpots.
Roaring Mountain
Next on the way toward the North Gate of Yellowstone National Park was Roaring Mountain. Roaring Mountain is made of fumaroles and in the 1800’s the sound could be heard over four miles away.
Mammoth Hot Springs
Mammoth Hot Springs is located 5 miles south of the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Mammoth Hot Springs is spilt into the upper and lower terraces. Shelley and I started with the upper terrace of Mammoth Hot Springs. We parked and walked the boardwalks and stairs that tie the upper and lower terraces together.
After our walk we drove the loop around the remaining features of the upper terrace. I could have easily spent a full day photographing the features of just the upper terrace at Mammoth Hot Springs. The lower terrace was easily accessed from below and just as impressive. I have read that Mammoth Hot Springs changes from year-to-year and can easily take days to photograph. I agree with those assessments. According to Shelley, the formations will change based on the amount of snow fall and water that is available throughout the seasons in the park.
The Roosevelt Arch
Shelley and I finished our visit to Yellowstone National Park at the Roosevelt Arch at the North Entrance.
