Vol 3, # 80

   Wednesday, September 15, 1999

YELLOWSTONE
WEATHER
Highs 50s, Lows 20s
Partly Cloudy
 

Yellowstone Net Home Page
 

Travel News:

ROAD REPORT
Some road
construction
delays.
 

BILLINGS, Mont. (YNET) -- In 1958 I was an eager young guest at Yellowstone.  I stayed in the majestic Lake Yellowstone Hotel and for four days took in the sights of the park at my leisure.  With my daughter as my companion, I returned in1997.  Her expectations were based on my stories of this place of enchantment.   I had read over the years of many changes,  and I knew things would be different.  Now I was going to see, firsthand, if I thought things were "better."

My daughter, Kelly Gilbert, and I arrived at the north entrance of the park in the midst of a June snowstorm, with not enough warm clothing (but that is another story).  My being from Kansas and Kelly from Ft. Worth did nothing to prepare us for the drastic change in the weather.  Nonetheless, in spite of the cold, I found our adventure thrilling from the beginning to the end.  This trip we were on a schedule; no wasted minutes if we were to see it all.  Kelly is a teacher and knows how to make the most of her time.  We really packed a lot in the two days before heading for the Jackson Hole area.

The animals we saw were beautiful and healthy looking.   We were stopped in our tracks by a herd of migrating buffalo when they chose to use the park road for their crossing.  Traffic was held up for a full twenty minutes, but it made for some wonderful pictures.  We saw elk of all sizes and were most fortunate to see two bears.

This brings me to the big difference in these two Yellowstone visits.  In 1958 People were still feeding the bears ... and they were everywhere!  The evening garbage dumping was still in practice and attracted the bears in large numbers.  I understand how hard Park officials have worked to turn all this around, and I do understand it is saving the lives of the bears.  Yet I have to say  I missed those bears of my long ago trip; the mother bear coming down the same slope each morning with her two cubs, cuffing them when they went too far, or the big male brown bear down the road raising his big paw as if to wave to the passing cars, everyday in the same place.

Old Faithful is still splendid.  It is a little longer between shows, but that's all right, because I've slowed down a little too.  I don't remember the bleachers being there back then, but I do remember a handsome Park ranger speaking to the gathered crowd.  The aftermath devastation of the fire of 1988 is a reminder of the lives, both human and animal, that were lost.  It is a stark lesson to see how long it takes to replace the trees,they grow so slowly.

This being my daughter's first trip, she was seeing it all anew and a lot of my pleasure was in sharing her enjoyment. She now wants a repeat trip in the worst way.  Still I missed the excitement of the wonderful bears and wish there could be a place of controlled observation.  I have enjoyed reading about the wolves and do hope the reintroduction program works, for these majestic animals are a great part of our heritage.

My return to Yellowstone was a nostalgic reunion of the past uniting with the present .Time has not dimmed the beauty of the scenery nor the splendor of it all.  It is like getting a peek into the simmering center of this planet we call home.  Yes, God willing, we will be back.

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS

Ralph Maughan
Kim Steinbacher
Kevin Sanders
Steve Brashear
Clint Wilkes
Tim Gourley
Hon. Bob Gammage
Ruth Colter-Frick
Lee Whittlesey
Tom Mazzarisi
Russ Finley
David Monteith
Denise Elmer
Dr. Robert Bara

BELGRADE, Mont. (YNET) -- This weeks P&P is from our forum. Matthew, the FunkyGeyser Man, wrote this and I asked him if it was OK to share it with everyone in our Newspaper.  He said "sure," so I hope you enjoy.

Hello everyone!! Someone asked me for help planning a five day trip in Yellowstone so I started to work something out based on my knowledge of the park. I realized that what I was writing might interest others, so I decided to post it here for everyone to use. I hope it helps!

Yellowstone in five days!!! (Part IV o IV) Click here for Part I or Part II or Part III

Here is my recommended sample 5 day trip to Yellowstone:

Day One
SW sector -- Upper Geyser Basin:  This one should take all day!! Stop by the visitor center to check for predicted geyser eruption times. Take the Mystic Falls hike and be sure to hit each geyser basin and the Kepler Cascades. Be sure to spend the evening after it is dark checking out the Old Faithful Inn. Having a snack or playing cards on one of the levels in the lobby can be a great experience.

Day Two
NE sector -- Spend the morning in the Canyon area. Take some of the short hikes in the area. In the afternoon, check out Mt. Washburn and Tower Falls (don't hike to the top of Mt. Washburn unless you really want to spend at least 5 to 6 hours on the outing; it is a great hike if you decide to devote most of your day to it).  At Tower Falls, be sure to hike to the bottom. Spend late afternoon and early evening in the Lamar Valley watching for animals.

Day Three
SW and NW sector -- The Lower Geyser Basin is a must!! Be sure to see Great Fountain Geyser on Firehole Lake Drive (prediction times are posted at the Old Faithful Visitor Center and at the geyser). Also make sure to visit Fountain Paint Pots - ask around to see if you can get a predicted time for Fountain Geyser (different from Great Fountain). This geyser has no posted predictions, but as of the past couple of years has been predictable. Also check out the Gibbon Valley between Norris and Madison. See Gibbon Falls and Beryl Spring. Also, take the hike to Artist Paint Pots.

Day Four
SE sector -- Visit West Thumb in the morning (Should look great as the sun rises!) Work your way up the lake through out late morning and early afternoon enjoying the scenery along the way. Stop at Fishing Bridge if you like. Hit Mud Volcano at Mid-afternoon. Spend late afternoon and early evening animal watching in the Hayden Valley.

Day Five
NW sector -- Morning in Norris. Visit basins (the back Basin is a great little hike - see if you can tell where the old road used to go!).  Lunch and the afternoon in Mammoth. Hike the Terraces and drive the Upper Terrace loop road. Explore the town itself if you get a chance. Also, if you get a chance, take the Wraith Falls hike east of Mammoth.

And there you have ... Yellowstone in five days!

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Jackson Hole is a premier destination for skiers during the winter season, as people from all over the world converge upon the famous resort village.  In fact, the winter crowds can be such at times that parking becomes a big problem.  Teton Village has taken measures to alleviate the parking problem for this coming ski season by making more free parking available.  Furthermore, car-poolers in vehicles with four or more occupants will be allowed to park free anywhere in the village.  More free parking will certainly be welcomed by the crowds of skiers this winter.

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Washington, D.C. (NPS) -- Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt has announced the appointment of members to serve on the National Park Service Concessions Management Advisory Board.   The seven-member Board advises the Interior Secretary and the National Park Service on issues related to the effective management of concessions in units of the National Park System.  The Board helps make recommendations on ways to make concessions programs more cost effective, mitigate impacts of concessions on park resources, and allocations of concession fees.

Board members are experts in the hospitality, tourism, accounting, outfitting and guide industries, park concession management, traditional arts and crafts, and parks and recreation programs.  Members are appointed on a staggered basis for terms no longer than four years and serve at the pleasure of the Secretary.  Each member is selected on the basis of outstanding professional qualifications and the ability to represent important elements within the field of concessions management.  The Secretary designates one of the seven members to serve as chairperson.

Members appointed to serve on the National Park Service Concessions Management Advisory Board are:

Richard Allen Naille II (designated Chairperson) - background in hospitality industry, hotel, food service management and experience in the parks and recreation concession business
William S. Norman - expertise in the tourism industry
Dr. James J. Eyster - expertise in the accounting industry
Richard Linford - expertise in the outfitting guide industry
Philip H. Voorhees - expertise in nonprofit conservation organization, and parks and recreation programs
Burt Weerts - expertise in state government and park concession management
Ramona Sakiestewa - expertise in promotion of traditional arts and crafts

The Advisory Board was established by the National Parks Omnibus Management Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-391).  The term of service for the Board members announced today is effective as of August 4, 1999.

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