Day two in Yellowstone National Park took us on a route down Firehole Canyon Road, alongside the Firehole River and Falls. It was early in the morning and we were in for a big surprise. Down on a little peninsula in the Firehole River was an Elk who had just given birth to a beautiful calf. We parked and slowly exited the vehicle and sat quietly on a rock on the ledge above the river. We watched as the calf got up and nursed for the first time. It was a surreal and spiritual experience, a sacred part of nature. Please note that we used a telephoto lense and were well spaced away from the event out of respect for nature.
Success
Firehole Canyon Road Firehole Falls
Once we could tear ourselves away from the miracle of birth, we completed the trek down Firehole Canyon Road. We stumbled upon a coyote hunting rodents in the meadow, bison, and many geothermal features, including geysers. We also saw Old Faithful and while it is a big attraction at Yellowstone, there are many other geysers that are more impressive and have fewer tourists vying for a good spot. I love exploring!
Fumaroles (steam vents) Fumaroles (steam vents)
Coyote hunting Rodents Coyote hunting Rodents
One of many warnings Trees killed by toxic heat Dead trees interest me
Bacterial Mat Bacterial Mat
Paint Pots
Paint Pots Paint Pots Paint Pots
Blood Geyser Blood Geyser Fumaroles
Dead trees on bacterial mat
Fumaroles Beauty in death Bacterial mat and fumaroles
Bacterial Mat
Bacterial Mat Bacterial Mat
Bacterial Mat Bacterial Mat Bacterial Mat
Bacterial Mat Bacterial Mat Bacterial Mat
Bacterial Mat Bacterial Mat
Bacterial Mat
Sulfur Stream Sulfur Stream Sulfur Stream
Bison at thermal feature Bison at thermal feature
How in the world can one have a better day than day two at Yellowstone? Well, day three was bear day… Grizzlies and black bears. One with her yearling triplets. Stay tuned. It’s awesome! I love Yellowstone!