Middle School Science Projects

Our last day in Yellowstone led us to West Thumb, one point along the 140 miles of shoreline bordering Lake Yellowstone. From the lake edge, we could see the steam rising miles away where we had stood yesterday, and edge of the lake also boasted thermal features.

These thermal features melt holes in the thick ice during the winter, and otters use the melt holes to fish. Humans also used to fish here regularly and would then dip their catch into one of the hot springs to cook their meal. As a result, one of the many “cones” here is called Fishing Cone. There’s also Little Cone and Big Cone nearby, as well as other unnamed tiny cones that we jokingly called Micro Cone and Cone, Jr and a few that looked like middle school science projects.

Middle school science project? Most likely.

Fishing Cone

Big Cone

While people no longer fish here, cliff swallows with iridescent blue backs darted about, calling to one another.

After that, it was finally time to leave this amazing park and venture into its nearby sister, the Grand Tetons. 

Mere miles separate the edges of these parks, and the intervening lands were owned by the Rockefellers before they donated it to the government. The Grand Tetons rise sharper than the mountains we saw in Yellowstone and are snowier. These mountains were the last of the Rocky Mountains in the lower 48 to be pushed up. And they are beautiful. Grand Teton is the tallest of the Tetons, while Mount Moran is apparently the most difficult to climb. Mount Moran is a bit flatter on top and has Skillet Glacier (so named because of its shape) At their base, Jenny Lake is crystal clear and flat as glass. A little ways away, Snake River winds its way away from the range. Here, too, the water is so clear you can watch a duck’s feet as it paddles and see the rocks at the bottom. 

One disappointing fact about the Grand Tetons was that all of the hiking/climbing permits are snatched up by climbers. However, the climbing seems like it would be pretty fun. Our guide, Brenda, told us about a hostel-style climbing camp where most of the climbers stay so they can head to the peaks early. For those who can’t secure a pass, there are other ways to see the park. A few years ago, they added bike paths through most of the park, which also connect to the ski slopes and to the nearby towns. They’re pretty amazing.

The best spot of the day was a female moose, grazing near the side of the road. Apparently, the locals call these majestic beasts swamp donkeys, although, after watching her for a while, we felt she was more of a deer-giraffe hybrid. The moose lose their antlers each year, usually around February, although the timing depends on the age of the moose. These antlers can weigh up to 75 pounds and are regrown throughout the season, with more points and breadth suggesting greater age.

We were supposed to close the day with a ride on the tram to the peak, but it was sadly closed due to a gas leak. Instead, we retired to our hotel, the beautiful Bentwood Inn, and got to try out some of those bike paths for a beautiful walk with views of the mountains.

Spotted: Fantastic license plates. Montana has great ones, but South Dakota’s “Great Faces, Great Places” motto never fails to crack me up.