In mid-August, new hubby trs and I took our teenage daughter to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks. Yellowstone is the site of a huge volcanic caldera caused by the most recent eruption of a still active volcanic hot spot (this neat interactive shows the location of the hot spot in relation to the overlying land over time.)
Yellowstone still shows evidence of the magma pool below it, with 1000 to 3000 earthquakes per year. It's this magma that's responsible for Yellowstone's primary attractions: the largest collection of geothermal features like hot springs, geysers and steam vents in the world.
Stream rising from a pool at Midway Basin by iriti
First view of the Teton Range by trs
Some more of the landscape of Yellowstone and Grand Tetons (no, we didn't forget the wildlife! Lots more pix below.)
Yellowstone River Upper Falls by trs
O give me a home, where the buffalo roam...The Grand Tetons, by iriti
Black and white of Kepler Cascades by trs
A wide angle scenic along the Beartooth Highway, outside Yellowstone's Northeast entrance. I like this because it looks like it was taken with a fisheye lens. It wasn't. By trs
Yellowstone River Lower Falls seen between the walls of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone by iriti
What Yellowstone visit would be complete without a look at Old Faithful Geyser. By trs
More water shots (what a surprise, right?). A creek running along the roadway at the Northwest entrance to the park by Gardiner, MT. By trs.
Black and white of a building at Mammoth Hot Springs, just because I liked it. By iriti
An example of the fantastic views to be had along the roadway in Yellowstone. However, to get there, you have to drive along roads like you see on the left. Not exactly for the squeamish. By trs
Note how he tactfully neglects to mention that iriti falls in the category of "the squeamish."
Climate change and Yellowstone:
Before we share our favorite wildlife shots, let's take a look at the threat to their future.
Grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park rely on lake trout and whitebark pine nuts as important sources of high-energy food. Both are threatened by climate change: the trout by rising temperatures in Rocky Mountain trout streams, the whitebark pines by a growing pine-beetle infestation.
Warming temperatures...have left the whitebark pine vulnerable to the voracious mountain pine beetle, an insect that used to be frozen out of whitebark stands. That's no longer the case. Already, the scourge is spreading fast: researchers say the beetle is now reproducing at a four- to seven-times higher rate in whitebark pine -- a speed that could push the whitebark pines to extinction.
Scientists have observed that when whitebark pine nuts are in short supply, grizzlies spend more time near people hunting for replacement foods. As a result of those encounters, humans kill nearly twice as many grizzlies during years when pine nuts are scarce.
Photo: grizzly yearling by trs
There are other signs that global climate change is already having an impact in Yellowstone National Park. First, the rapid drying up of lakes, ponds and wetlands is causing a significant decline in the amphibian communities of the park.
"Everybody can identify with the loss of glaciers, but in Yellowstone the decrease in lakes and ponds and wetlands has been astounding," John Varley, the former chief scientist for Yellowstone, told New West. "What were considered permanent bodies of water, meaning reference was given to them in the 1850s, '60s and '70s, and bestowed with a name as a lake, are now gone. Some wetlands that were considered permanent ponds are no longer there. Some lakes have become ephemeral."
We could go on and on...changing temperatures could lead to loss of grazing lands, further loss of water supplies and much, much more. Instead, let us share a few more pictures of what's at stake.
Photo: Yellowstone River by iriti
Yellowstone wildlife:
A Great Blue Heron - the first wildlife we saw upon entering the park, it caught us a little by surprise. By trs
Rasta Elk - most bucks losing their velvet just look sad. This guy looked like he was a moment away from hanging beads from it. By iriti
Why did the grizzly bear cross the road? This bear, not a cub but not yet an adult, crossed the road a ways in front of us, then hung out in the river alongside for a while. That's the same bear in the photo above.
By trs
Chipmunk enjoying a meal. There were "tame" chipmunks near many of the tourist areas, but this guy wasn't one of them - he had no time for pesky humans. By iriti
Laying low. There were three bucks laying in the grass here, causing a classic Yellowstone phenomenon we called the "critter jam". Traffic stops, everyone "oohs" and "aahs", cameras snap. Critter jams were the only traffic we ran into during our visit. By trs
Prepare for dismount. A cormorant in the river, who knew. By iriti
Trumpeter swan. These birds mate for life, and this fellow had lost his mate. When the rest of his kind migrated this year, he stayed behind. By trs
Bighorn sheep. It was nearly dark when we encountered a flock of these on a near vertical hillside by the road. By iriti
One of a group of female elk having a relaxing ladies' day out by the river. By trs
Coyote. These guys were a couple hundred yards away and in tall grass. Even with the 400mm lens I inherited from my brother, this shot is still pretty heavily cropped. By iriti
Antelope. We were driving along and happened upon this guy - the only antelope we saw the whole visit. He didn't even stick around long enough to cause a critter jam. By trs
Unidentified dragonfly, almost certainly female due to muted coloration. By iriti (of course)
Bison. This fellow strolled up the trail behind him toward the overlook and across the street, scattering tourists and photographers in front of him like frightened birds. By trs
Skalkaho Pass side trip:
At the end of our vacation, we made a side trip to visit Kossack RadioGirl and her partner, who live in Montana. They took us up to Skalkaho Pass, where highway 38 goes through the Sapphire Mountains, a trip which featured winding roads, sharp drop-offs, a close call with a speeding logtruck and a waterfall that gave trs a chance to engage in his favorite photography - moving water shots.
And one by iriti:
Don't miss trs' tip jar, posted as the first reply to mine!