Prisoners in Paradise

Unlike some of the National Parks and Monuments we have visited, which are famous for one or two main features such as rock formations and waterfalls, Yellowstone is packed with more diverse geological, geothermal, and biological delights than even the most determined travelers can pack into a single day.

We began what we thought would be a quick driving tour of the park at ten a.m. We thought we would spend three or four hours sampling the park's most outstanding attractions, skipping the small stuff. What we did not realize is that there is no small stuff in Yellowstone! Everything — each hot spring, paintpot and geyser — demanded to be seen and appreciated. We spent two hours at our first stop alone.

That first stop was Mammoth Hot Springs, where the mineral rich water bubbles forth from the earth at a temperature of more than 160°F. As the spring water follows its path to the nearest stream, it cools, depositing calcium carbonate along its way, leaving in its wake multi-colored mounds and shelves of sculpted stone. The potent sulfuric smell and intense heat radiating from the springs could not be captured by our camera, so you'll have to use your imagination, or maybe boil some eggs while you view these photos.

From Mammoth we drove along the north rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Very different from the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, this one was covered with trees and played host to a roaring green river. We made our way to the brink of the Upper Falls, where we got an up-close look at the power which continues to carve and mold this rocky landscape.

Periodically as we meandered through the park, we encountered traffic jams. These could only mean one thing: wildlife. Dozens of people would gather around to observe and photograph one majestic beast or another. We saw up close a mother moose and her calf wading in a pond, elk and deer grazing in fields, and many bison, a few of which ambled right out onto the road as we drove past. These authentic animal encounters were of more value to us than any zoo experience we have ever had.

Between visits from the four-legged park residents we found time to explore more geothermal phenomena. Kala's favorites were the paintpots — pits of boiling mud and clay popping and squirting their silky, squishy contents into the air and onto their rims, building every moment on the fortresses rising around their sources. As we approached these craters, the ground beneath us rumbled and gurgled with the water boiling beneath its surface. It sounded as though the mountains were suffering from indigestion.

While we did enjoy a few of the smaller geysers, we had to bypass Old Faithful, as the hour was growing late and we were already nearly five hours over budget on our time in the park. After stopping for a soda, we headed for the east entrance of Yellowstone, determined to get as close as possible to tomorrow's destination, Devils Tower National Monument, before resting. What we didn't realize was that the eastern entrance closes nightly at eight.

We reached the final checkpoint at 8:05 and were turned back by a sympathetic but ultimately unyielding park ranger. We were trapped in Yellowstone for the night.

We drove back to the nearest in-park lodging facility, the Yellowstone Lake Hotel, arriving just in time to grab the last remaining unoccupied cabin. Prisoners in paradise, we decided to make the best of it and enjoy the fine amenities that this hotel has to offer. After having a few drinks in the lounge, we were seated in the hotel dining room (the only restaurant still open) at 10:00 and decided to be daring and order the bison. We found tasty, yet very fatty. It tasted like beef.

Full and exhausted, we retired to our cabin. Tomorrow we hope to get an early start out of the park. The road reopens at eight.