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June 14-September 13, 2010 - Every Monday PIG ROAST
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Yellowstone National Park in Summerwritten by Jan Stoddard Grizzly bear sow with cubs. The big boys of Yellowstone summer. A typical summer sunset in Yellowstone National Park. RATE THIS ARTICLE
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Hear the eerie sound of a howling wolf, the battling bugle of a bull elk, or the roaring of a rushing river. Feel the warmth of hot sunny summer sun or freeze your toes dipped in a mountain stream. Each season is different in Yellowstone and summer definitely offers its own delights.
Summer is the perfect time for a picnic. Save time and money, and take a pleasant break from driving with a picnic lunch or dinner. Yellowstone has 49 different picnic areas scattered throughout the park ranging from just a picnic tables to those with restrooms.
Picnic areas at Bridge Bay, Cascade Lake Trail, East Lot (Old Faithful Area), Grant Village, Nez Perce, Norris Meadows, Snake River, Spring Creek and Yellowstone River also have fireplace grates for cooking a hamburger or hot dog. (Or, skip the meat and just each s’mores!) You can also bring a personal gas stove which can be safely used at any picnic ground location. A number of sites are also wheel-chair accessible.
We enjoy stopping at one of the forested spots for a picnic on a hot summer day. One of our favorites is the Nez Perce picnic area with shaded tables next to the chilly Yellowstone River, perfect for wading. You can dine while watching blue herons, peregrines, pelicans, and geese fish and float in front of you.
Hot, sunny days beg for a swim although options are a bit limited in Yellowstone. For the brave of heart, stick your toe in Yellowstone or Lewis Lakes in water that is just above freezing. OR, try our family favorite, the Firehole Drive swimming “hole.”
This is actually a bend in the Firehole River where you can hike down wooden steps to the river in the canyon floor. It is a picturesque place to swim with cliffs walls rising above you and agreen meadows across the river. The water is warmed slightly by thermal run-off farther upstream.
To get there, take the Firehole Falls drive exit on the south side of road about a mile south of Madison Junction on the way to Old Faithful. This is a one-way drive that hugs the canyon wall and overlooks the Firehole River. There is a bathroom (outhouse) and parking areas at the top of the drive.
Summer wildlife spotting can be elusive, but if you know when, where, and how to look, you’ll be rewarded. The first step is to think like an animal! Would you want to eat in full sun and heat of the day? Instead, focus on early mornings and early evening. Get up early, drive to one of the better spots and wildlife watch, relax mid-day or go visit thermal features or attend presentations, then go out again in early evening to dusk. Most people don't get up and moving until after mid-morning, the same time that the roads become congested with tour busses, RV vehicles, and people traveling through the park to another location. Remember, even in August, the sun rises early and sets late.
Grazing animals (deer, elk, moose, and antelope) emerge and travel to water during these times. Watch along rivers, streams, and the edges of lakes. Look carefully at the edges of woods (such as between Norris and Apollinarus Springs). Also, glance up at the top of ridges. When of the most beautiful sights I have seen was the sunrise silhouette of a large group of elk on the ridge to the north across from Floating Island.
This is also the time of year when bull elk and deer are regenerating a new set of antlers. These antlers grow at amazing rate each day and are covered with a protective coating called “velvet.” Like the name, the antlers appear velvety soft. This coating will disappear by the end of August when the bulls ready for their fall mating season.
Predators follow the grazers so your best chance at spotting or hearing wolves could be an early morning in Lamar Valley. The pullouts along the south side of the road in Lamar Valley are often full of wildlife watchers focusing on bears or wolves. Often, these dedicated watchers will have knowledge and spotting scopes and be willing to share.
The unspoken rule is to be quiet and patient. Don’t interrupt wildlife researches and biologists. Loud talking, slamming car doors, and music can be heard by wolves up to two miles away and really upsets viewers too. Many times, we quietly approach and then listen as the researches and observers talk about what they are seeing and what is happening. Often, they will let you look in the scopes and tell you what to expect.
During August, the best place to find bison are the traditional mating grounds in Hayden and Lamar Valleys. Bison bulls begin migrating to these areas in mid-summer. By August, the mating (rut) is in full swing with thousands of cows and calves mingling while the bulls battle each other. Hoofs pawing at the dirt, loud grunts and enormous belches, curled lips, and some head butting will be happening in every direction. It is definitely worth it to stop, lower your windows, and just enjoy the action.
Just as importantly, you need to know “how” to look. You can stare out a window into the pines until you start to get dizzy, but there are some old hints for spotting wildlife, especially in the summer when the grasses are high and the sun is bright.
When driving, make sure to look ahead and not out to the sides. Run your eyes vertically up and down...most people just look horizontally. Your eyes will catch an out-of-place object more easily this way.
You should also look for what seems to be out of place. Is there a large black object in the middle of a green field? Is there a flash of tan or brown at the edge of the pines? Look for a flash of motion or movement in large fields, rock faces, or on the sides of a mountain.
Here is my husband's way to spot wildlife. Look for a white vertical stripe where you wouldn't expect one (grassy meadows, uphill slopes, green pines). Look from 1 1/2 feet to 4 feet above the ground. You are looking for the backsides (butts). No matter how funny it sounds, this really does work!
Fall is lurking just the corner. Days will soon become shorter, the air will gain a chilly bite, and the wildflowers will disappear. Take the time to experience Yellowstone’s summery delights.
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