Since before it was established as a national park Yellowstone has been a region impossible to describe without invoking superlatives. The earliest recorded reports of the area, sent east by traders and mountain men, seemed so outlandish that they were dismissed as tall tales. Since then tens of millions have traveled from every part of the globe to experience for themselves the unique curiosities and observe the renowned wildlife found there. Inevitably at the end of their stay, each visitor is left searching for adequate words to describe the wonders they’ve witnessed.
I recently received an email from a well known adventure travel company advertising a guided safari to see Yellowstone’s volcanic wonders, sweeping vistas and abundant wildlife. The paragraph describing their expedition was replete with superlatives – right down to the price – which was $3,895 per person for five days. At that rate I’ve spent enough time in the park to amount to tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars. So it’s no small statement when I report that our recent trip to Yellowstone was definitely the most spectacular visit I’ve had since I discovered the park back in college.
In a previous post I wrote about our successful quest to spot wolves there, and of seeing a few from afar for the first time. That experience whetted my daughter’s appetite for wolf watching, and since that trip she’s talked frequently about returning to get a closer look. We invested in a modest, used spotting scope, and I routinely monitored several blogs related to wolf viewing in the park. Of course I knew that it was unlikely that we would see one, especially up close, but we set out optimistically to see what Yellowstone would impart. What we found was an incredible number and variety of wildlife sightings that we wouldn’t have dared hope for, including sixteen bears, a newborn elk and a gray wolf crossing the Lamar River not far from our cameras. It was an unequalled experience – the most awesome trip yet.
Follow this link for a full-screen slideshow and additional images.Â
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