Chapter 11: The Ups and Downs of Yellowstone

9:30a. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The "Brink" above the Lower Falls

Today's goal is to do some hiking around the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

First, we stopped by the visitor's center for advice. They recommended we start off on the south rim of the canyon, but I took a wrong turn and we ended up on the north rim. No big deal. We found some trails along the ridge (where our boys were able to start checking-off requirements for their Junior Ranger badges), then decided to follow some switchbacks down to this overlook.

Who knew that paperwork could make a wilderness vacation even more fun?

600 feet? That's only like two football fields, right?

We are situated right above the drop-off of the Lower Falls, and it's a beautiful day to just chill and relax and let the roar of the unending torrent of water take your mind off all the day-to-day worries that modern life throws at you.



Also, we saw a marmot gallivanting along the riverside, which is cool.

A marmot.

My only trepidation is that now we have to go back UP the switchbacks to get to the van. I'm a little nervous about how that is going to go.

11:00a. Parking Lot on the North Ridge of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. One million tiny and excruciating steps later.

Oh my god am I out of shape. That took forever. All I want to do now is sleep for six days.

11:30a. Artist's Point. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

I followed the directions better this time and made it to the south rim of the canyon. We drove down to the parking lot near "Artist's Point," a promontory where we can look back at the falls we visited earlier. Across the canyon, we can see the tracks where wildlife (Mountain Goats? Wolves?) has been traversing the steep cliffs. We take a few pictures then plan one more stop here at the Grand Canyon.

The view of the Lower Falls from Artist's Point

The four-year-old takes in the view

12:30p. Uncle Tom's Trailhead. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Barely an hour ago, I was huffing and puffing up the trail from the Lower Falls. Now we are standing before a sign that says (if I can paraphrase): "Following this trail is hard and you probably can't do it, you fat old man."

"Take your time, enjoy the scenery, and rest often" is my new life motto.

My older kids really want to take the trail down to another overlook, though. So I offer to stay up top with the four-year-old while the fit members of our family take the trail.

But then the FOUR-YEAR-OLD basically calls me a big loser and says HE is heading down the trail too and wants nothing to do with my lame excuses.

So here we go. The sign warned us.

Just a few dozen of the 328 steps down Uncle Tom's trail

1:15p. Terminus of Uncle Tom's trail

This is a cool place to be -- just across from the lower falls. From this angle, a rainbow arcs across the mist of the waterfall. But I need to point out that coming DOWN this trail was almost as hard as it was going UP the previous trail. The final portion of the trail is a 328-step metal staircase that has plenty of open spaces for a four-year-old to fall through. As we came down the stairs, my wife held the baby's arm in such a tight grip that he has red mark.

A few of the boys take in the view from the bottom of Uncle Tom's trail

Now we have to go back up. I estimate it will take seven hours.

2:30p. Parking Lot above Uncle Tom's Trail.

We made it. We took our time, resting frequently.

Old and young alike needed to take some breaks during the trip up Uncle Tom's Trail.

The effort took something out of us. We've now reached a level of crabbiness that we had previously avoided on this trip so far. But we are off to get something to eat and that should cheer everybody up.

8:00p. Old Faithful

After the miles yards of vertical hiking today, my wife and I figured we were done with sightseeing. But a couple of meals and a low-key afternoon left the family with some energy and a few more hours of daylight. So we jumped back into the van and made our way down to Old Faithful.

It was a good choice. We could have used a little while longer to explore the Visitor's center before it closed, but getting here late on a Sunday meant that we avoided the crowds and the heat. We spent a bit of time wandering through the Old Faithful Inn, then settled in on a bench to await the eruption of Old Faithful.



As a spectacle, Old Faithful is not outrageously impressive. (Although you can hear me saying "Whoa!" in the video above.) But as a geological phenomenon, it's pretty cool. The neatest part might have been the flow of boiling water that streamed down from the geyser to within a few feet of the viewing platform.

Nevertheless, another Vacation Achievement unlocked.

11:00p. Madison Campground

As we drove back from Old Faithful ninety minutes ago, we could see some dark clouds forming on the horizon. And indeed, as we reached camp and prepared for bed, all the signs of an impending windstorm were in full force.

We prepped for bed and hit the tents, and not ten minutes later a severe downpour began lashing the campground. A minute or two later, the teenagers appeared at the door of the main tent. Water was leaking into their tent and they needed a place to stay. So for the second time in three nights, all eight of us are sharing a tent.

The downpour was heavy and the winds were strong, but it only lasted about thirty minutes. Somehow, this tent I bought at Costco six years ago for backyard camping made it through unscathed. We all settle in for a much deserved rest.