Yellowstone – Front With Supervolcano

Factsheet 4×1

Date: 21/10/2012 to 25/10/2012

Saímos of: Banff, Alberta – Canada

Destination: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming -EUA

Distance: 1,014 km

Travel time: We made the trip in 3 days, in no hurry to prevent snow on the way.

Path: We left Banff on I-15 toward Great Falls, now U.S., where we spent the night. The next day, we follow a short drive to Bozeman, where we waited one more day before we take the road back to West Yellowstone, near the west entrance of the park.

Where to sleep: Aconchegante Acomodação not Yellowstone Lodge, em West Yellowstone. This was the only hotel open at the western entrance of the park on the days we were there. From mid-October, most restaurants and hotels close for the winter.

What eat different: Buffalo meat: strong and heavy. All the restaurants in the small town of West Yellowstone, near the west entrance of the park serve this dish cold regions.

Tire cheio: Burst of Hot Water! The strength of geysers around the park are really impressive.

Tire murcho: Time Frio + = Thermal Water Vapor Water = D'Vision Covert. This simple equation was one of the reasons we stayed a few days in the park, since water vapor rising constantly obscured the view of the main attractions of the park.

Yellowstone National Park – De frente com o supervulcão

After mountains and glaciers, did not see the time to face the power of one of the world's largest boilers. An active supervolcano, guarding an explosion of natural beauty to those who have the opportunity to meet you.

To the northwest of the state of Wyoming (entitled to the territories in Montana and Idaho) descansa o Yellowstone National Park, biggest, oldest and most popular national park in the United States. Its almost 9.000 km2 of unique landscapes meet more than half of the world's geothermal resources, fueled by volcanic activity activates a supervolcano in your rest period. Lagos, waterfalls, geysers and thermal pools make up much of what Americans claim to be the world's first national park.

The west entrance is usually the most popular of the four that give access to the park for its proximity to some of the principal attractions, as well as the infrastructure of hotels and restaurants in the nearby town of West Yellowstone. It was precisely there that we decided to establish our base for visiting Yellowstone.

But it was not directly to the West Yellowstone Magdalene (GPS with our accent Portugal) took us to get out of Banff. The long path (near 1.000 km) demanded a halt halfway. Unfortunately, lost timing to visit Glacier National Park in Montana, as the snow closed several roads within the park. Then we proceeded to spend the night in the city of Great Falls, Montana. A major snow storm expected to stretch what we wanted to do made us choose to make one more stop on the way, the city of Bozeman, before finally follow toward the park.

West Yellowstone looked like a ghost town when we got there. The snow covering every corner and did not see a living soul around town. Only one lodges the town was still open for its last week, o Yellowstone Lodge. Winter is cold and punishes the region during this period with heavy snow. Ultimately, At least the park was still open and we were happy with the chance to meet him.

A drive along the roads that cross the park provide a series of beautiful views. Bison, Moose and reindeer give the guys often, while thermal pools spread around the rivers running cold water from melting ice mountains. The waters within a thermal pool are incredibly warm amid the ice of the landscape and can exceed 100 º C.

Our first day in the park and decided to make a track in the snow before going to their heads. Ela our levaria bela to Fairy Falls, one of several waterfalls in Yellowstone.

On the way, bison ate the vegetation sparse and poorly cared about our passage. You can not say the same of us. Not Visitor Center, saw an instructional video that recommended distance 24 meter of animals, and still showed another video in which a bison literally attacked a tourist! It was to scare even. No entanto, they were quiet and completely indifferent to our passing.

There were only bison that were around. Several fresh footprints indicated that we had a bear nearby. Eyes open and pepper spray at the ready, follow up to the waterfall without major problems, unless covered by snow boots.

After the trail, the idea was to pass by the main postcards of Yellowstone. First, to the famous Grand Prismatic Spring. How Americans love putting, thermal pool is the largest U.S., and the third largest in the world. There is a wooden structure that surrounds the pool, and enables tourists to come very close to her.

The pool offers a variety of intense colors, pigments result of bacterial microorganisms that survive the high temperatures surprisingly. The pictures that we see in postcards are taken from above, from an unofficial trail mountain that lies ahead of her. Unfortunately, not the best position of all, improve the view in our case. The cold brought with water vapor to cool the heat of the thermal pools. Thus, not seen nearly a foot of pool, even closely. Although we had hoped to see it in better time of day, but not this time.

Thus we proceeded to the geysers, finally launched on the water 30 meters could not get out of sight! O Old Faithful (“Velho Fiel”, literalmente traduzido) not leave us in hand. This is the first geyser in the park have a name and it makes the juz. It is the most predictable of them all, designing of 15 the 30 thousand liters of hot water each 91 minutes, for about 5 minutes.

We also saw the eruption of Grand Geyser, the highest among the predictable geysers of Yellowstone. Its eruption lasts 9 the 12 minutes and occurs in interval 8 the 12 hours. The hot water gets to reach a staggering 60 meters. A natural spectacle, de beleza impressive.

Second day in the park, crossed the Yellowstone northward, onde find a Mamooth Hot Springs, a complex of thermal pools surrounded by beautiful scenery. In own way, montanhas as proporcionam belas views.

There is an interesting track that surrounds the pools and gives descriptions of the process of formation of that complex. The color of the water is crystal clear to hypnotize.

We left the park toward Cooke City, where we would spend the night before heading trip to Salt Lake City. A friendly coyote accompanied part of the way, as a host accompanies a visitor to the output port.

Despite the heavy snow and the water vapor that covered much of the park, Yellowstone striking landscapes still left in our memory. No doubt, is on the list of "places to return after the Expedition". If the snow-covered park already impresses, we wondered how it would be open in time. We hope to have that opportunity while the rest supervolcano, after millions of years without major explosions.

Check out here mais fotos do Yellowstone!