Reconnecting with Yellowstone Friends

Aside from the fishing and landscapes, another benefit of this summer is reconnecting with friends made in 2012. I call this our Old Faithful Front Desk Gang, about fifteen returnees who all worked together at the Old Faithful Inn front desk. This is the fifth season in a row for a few in the group.

We are dispersed around the Park at different lodges this season, at Old Faithful, Roosevelt, and Lake. Our different locations, along with the usual different work schedules, will complicate getting together for activities.

Outside Canyon Lodge

Some of us managed to get together last weekend. We met for a picnic dinner over near Yellowstone Falls on Saturday. Later, a few of us had fun playing card games at Canyon Lodge. There were Patty (Virginia), Elaine (California), Sharon (Michigan) and Ted (Indiana)

On Sunday, we hiked Elephant Back Trail. Tom & Donna (California), Jan & Denny (Illinois), Elaine and I hiked this popular trail that provides a panoramic vista over Yellowstone Lake. Along the way, we paid a snowball tribute to Father’s Day.

Father's Day Tribute along Elephant Back Trail

Yellowstone Lake is remarkable for being the largest lake above 7,000 feet of elevation in the country. Always icy cold, it looks particularly so this year. It is still ringed by snow-capped peaks, and positively bulging along its shoreline with runoff from last winter’s heavy snows.

The lake is a temporary slow spot for the waters of the Yellowstone River which begins atop Two Ocean Plateau, so named because it sits astride the Continental Divide in the remotest part of the Park. It spawns rivers that flow both to the Pacific Ocean (Snake) and Gulf of Mexico (Yellowstone).

Overlooking Yellowstone Lake, the Asaroka Mountains in the distance

The Yellowstone River resumes below the lake, creating its legendary falls and grand canyon 15 miles downstream. In the narrow gorge where the river gains speed just before hurtling over the falls, the air almost throbs with the immense force of the moving water.

Note to anglers: the fishing has been good. I will get to it in a post soon.