Island Life Magazine Ltd December/January 2018 | Page 64

Travel
areas include mud volcanoes, hot
sulphuric springs and numerous
waterfalls. There is often a
pungent sulphuric odour in the air,
but it’s worth it, to experience the
staggeringly beautiful coloration
of the volcanic rocks present in
these geyser basins.
I was fascinated to see Bison
grazing close by and was told that
they actually enjoy the experience
of the heat that is expelled from
the geysers - particularly during
winter months when the eruptions
continue despite the presence
of heavy snow fall. The climate
itself is extreme, with very hot
temperatures in the summer and
many feet of snowfall in the winter.
The wildlife is quite extraordinary,
with the opportunity to see bison,
bears, elks and packs of coyotes.
Unfortunately we were unable to
see any bears as it was considered
too hot at the time of our visit for
them to be appearing in the open
areas, although we were informed
they occasionally drift down to the
lakes to cool down.
The park itself is maintained
by large teams of Rangers with
village centres offering guidance,
information and souvenirs. As
you travel through the excellent
road systems created through the
park you are able to view the most
wonderful Teton mountain range
and the snow peaks can be viewed
all the year round. There are many
lakes too, including some of the
largest such as Yellowstone and
Jackson. I was fascinated to see
both the huge numbers and the
wide range of visitors to the area
including tourists, fishermen,
campers and mobile home
users, to explorers, biologists and
geologists.
In fact, the area is of particular
interest to scientists as it’s home
to some of the first life forms to
evolve on earth. Microbes, whose
descendants live in extreme
high temperatures, known as
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“I was fascinated
to see Bison
grazing close by
but was told that
they enjoy the
experience of
the heat that is
expelled from the
geysers.”
acidic inhabitants, can be found
in and around hydro thermal
features such as the Yellowstone
environment. Scientists continue
to study these thermopiles to
better understand Yellowstone’s
extreme habitat and what early life
on earth might have been like.
Due to the intensified forestry
areas of the park, natural fires
flare through the park frequently,
although they are well controlled
under a strict fire management
policy developed by the US
Government. In 1988 Yellowstone
experienced its worst-ever fire, the
largest in recorded history in the
National Parks and which started
with small individual fires and then
spread throughout the park and
threatened the destruction of two
major visitor destinations including
The Old Faithful Inn itself.
The entire park was closed to all
non-emergency personnel for the
first time in its history and even
today you can still observe the
vast areas of forestry that were
damaged by this fire. Ironically,
it is these frequent fires that are
ecologically important to the
survival of Yellowstone as it returns
necessary nutrients to the soil and
some species, such as the large
lodge pole pine trees actually
depend on fire.
One of the most breathtaking
sights was at Yellowstone’s very
own Grand Canyon where the
river roars and foams for some 20
miles through the canyon offering
the most beautiful colours and
rainbow reflections when the rain
arrives through the sunlight. There
are two major waterfalls in the
area, with water falling from some
300 feet.
Whether you are simply driving
through the park or camping
or trekking you are constantly
warned to be vigilant of the
existence of unpredictable wildlife
such as bison and bears and sadly
each year there are fatalities when
individuals simply do not heed the
advice they’re given.
I am bound to say that my three-
day visit to Yellowstone left me
with a lasting memory of both
the beauty and the spectacular
natural phenomena in this area of
mid America.