Yellowstone National Park Read online

  YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

  Eye of the Grizzly

  Adventures with the Parkers

  Mike Graf

  Illustrated by

  Marjorie Leggitt

  FALCON GUIDES

  GUILFORD, CONNECTICUT

  HELENA, MONTANA

  AN IMPRINT OF GLOBE PEQUOT PRESS

  Text © 2007, 2012 Mike Graf

  Illustrations © 2007, 2012 Marjorie Leggitt

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

  FalconGuides is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.

  Falcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your Mind are registered trademarks of Morris Book Publishing, LLC.

  Photo credits:

  Licensed by Shutterstock.com: Title page; 3: © Alfie Photography (bottom); 4: © creativex; 6; 8: © East Village Images; 10; 11; 13: © Tom Reichner; 14–15; 16; 18; 19; 24: © Jeff Banke; 25: © Julie Lubick; 27; 29: © Julie Lubick; 31 (top left); 33: © Tim Walden; 34; 38–39; 40; 45; 48: © Kenneth Keifer; 51; 52–53: © Ffooter, 58; 59; 65: © dmyphotos; 68: © Catherine Lall, 71: © Audrey Snider-Bell; 73: © Olga Lipatova, 76: © Olena Pivnenko; 79; 91; 92: © Kane513; 94–95

  © Mike Graf: 15; 30; 31 (bottom left, top and bottom right); 38 (inset); 42–43; 54; 55; 56; 63; 74; 75; 86

  Map courtesy of National Park Service

  Illustrations: Marjorie Leggitt

  Models for twins: Amanda and Ben Frazier

  Project editor: David Legere

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

  ISBN 978-0-7627-8693-0

  Printed in the United States of America

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  1

  “How much spray is in there?” James asked.

  “About four seconds’ worth,” the clerk replied.

  James’s mom, Kristen, looked at the bear-spray canister with apprehension. “Is there anything else we should know about it?”

  “Yes,” the clerk continued, “use this only as a last line of defense. Also, make sure the wind doesn’t blow the spray in any other direction except at the bear. You don’t want this to get in your eyes. And, it is most effective the first time it’s used. If you have to spray a bear, get out of the area afterward, as fast as possible.”

  “Have you ever needed it?” James’s dad, Robert, asked.

  “Not yet,” the clerk answered. “But I often hike alone, so I always carry spray with me, especially when I’m anywhere near Yellowstone. There are four of you. The larger the group, the safer you are.”

  Mom, Dad, James, and his twin sister, Morgan, were in the town of West Yellowstone. This was their last stop before entering Yellowstone National Park. They were at a sporting goods store purchasing supplies. Dad was also looking at fly-fishing gear.

  “Should we get one or two of those cans of bear spray?” Dad asked.

  “Two,” Mom responded. “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

  “I need to get a fishing permit too,” Dad said to the clerk.

  Dad filled out the permit and paid. They loaded their gear into the car and drove through town, heading for the park entrance station.

  Mom rolled down the window and showed the ranger the family’s annual national park pass. They entered Yellowstone National Park.

  Dad stared at the scenery in awe. “This is what I love about national parks,” he said. “They are wild, beautiful, unspoiled places.”

  WORLD’S FIRST

  Nathaniel P. Langford adventured to Yellowstone in 1870 to see if the stories he had heard about hot springs and geysers were true. Afterward, a campaign was started to protect and preserve the area. In 1871, a U.S. Geological Survey led by Dr. Ferdinand V. Hayden came to Yellowstone. Hayden documented and confirmed the fascinating features found there. The report of their findings was given to Congress. In 1872, Congress voted to preserve Yellowstone as the world’s first national park.

  The west entrance road followed the Madison River as it meandered along. The hills nearby were full of pine trees. Many of the trees looked like poles without anything growing on them.

  “What happened to the forest?” James asked.

  “There was a huge fire here years ago,” Mom answered.

  The family gazed out the windows at the scenery and looked for animals.

  “In Yellowstone,” Dad explained, “some kind of animal is liable to be out there somewhere.”

  “I hope we see a bear,” Morgan said.

  “What kind?” James asked.

  “A grizzly,” Morgan replied, “from a safe distance.”

  “I want to see a wolf,” Mom said. “They’ve been reintroduced to the park, and there are many packs living here now.”

  “I want to see a moose!” James exclaimed. “What about you, Dad? What animal do you want to see the most?”

  “Me? Definitely a bison.”

  FIRE!

  In 1988, unusually dry conditions caused a series of fires started by lightning to burn out of control. In the end, about 36 percent of Yellowstone burned. Twenty-five thousand firefighters were involved in fighting the blazes and $120 million was spent. About 300 large mammals died in the fires. The first snows of September finally helped extinguish the blazes.

  Some changes have occurred because of the fires, including:

  • New lodgepole pines are growing throughout the park. These trees benefited from the fire. It helped open their cones, and ash from the fire fertilized the soil they grow in.

  • Aspens are growing where they had not previously existed.

  • Yellowstone’s moose thrived in old-growth forests. Because a great deal of those forests burned, there are now fewer moose in the park.

  “Look at all those cars stopped ahead,” Mom pointed out.

  Mom slowed down as she approached the line of cars.

  “It must be a pretty bad accident,” Morgan commented.

  Mom inched closer to the car in front of them. She put on the brakes and stopped. Several cars behind her did the same thing. “We’re jammed in good now,” she said.

  The Parkers noticed people piling out of their cars with cameras.

  James gazed toward a meadow. “It isn’t an accident. Look!”

  A bunch of large brown animals were way out in the meadow. Some of the animals were walking near the river. Others were chewing on grass.

  “It’s a herd of elk!” Dad announced.

  “There are more over here, right next to the road!” James called out.

  “Here, let me park the car,” Mom said. She drove into a pull-out. Everyone piled out of the car. James grabbed the binoculars. Morgan took her camera.

  The family walked quietly through the trees for a better view.

  “There are elk all over the place!” Morgan exclaimed.

  “And they’re huge!” James added.

  “Don’t get too close,” Mom warned.r />
  James pointed to the people scattered about the meadow. “What about them?”

  “I think,” Dad said, “that those people shouldn’t be where they are.”

  Morgan, James, Mom, and Dad stayed put.

  “Elk look like miniature horses,” James said.

  Morgan started counting. “I’ll bet there’s at least fifty out there,” she estimated.

  “And all females,” Mom said. “None of them have antlers.”

  RESPECT THE WILDLIFE

  In Yellowstone, visitors should respect all wildlife and consider all animals potentially dangerous. General wildlife viewing rules include:

  • Do not approach wildlife.

  • Do not feed, disturb, or harass wildlife.

  • All visitors must stay at least twenty-five yards away from all wildlife except for bears; at least 100 yards must be kept between visitors and bears at all times.

  • Bison are particularly dangerous. Although they may appear slow and docile, they can run up to thirty miles per hour, over three times as fast as any person. Bison have charged and severely gored visitors in Yellowstone.

  “Hey, James,” Morgan suggested, “let’s keep track of what animals we see and where on the park map. Okay?”

  “Good idea,” James replied.

  “Let’s head back to the car now,” Mom suggested. “I have a feeling that we’ll see quite a few more animals before our week here is up.”

  James and Morgan climbed in the backseat and immediately unfolded their Yellowstone map.

  James wrote “At least 50 elk” on the map on a spot about five miles west of Madison. “Our first animal sighting,” he said.

  Mom maneuvered the car onto the road. In a moment, they were back on the highway, heading toward Madison Junction.

  Dad turned around and beamed at the twins. “Old Faithful, here we come!”

  2

  Mom drove into a giant parking lot filled with cars.

  The family clambered out of their car. They looked at all the RVs, trucks, cars, and motorcycles. “People from all over the United States are here,” James said. “There’s a Florida license plate. And one from New York.”

  “That’s quite a long drive!” Dad said.

  “I’ll bet Old Faithful’s up that way,” Morgan pointed. “Look at all the people.”

  The family walked toward a wooden walkway.

  Morgan, James, Mom, and Dad found a group of seats on benches that partially surrounded the geyser.

  Meanwhile, a safe distance away, Old Faithful’s cone bubbled, splashed, and spurted out water, accompanied by small puffs of steam.

  “I wonder when it’s going to erupt,” James said.

  “Supposedly close to 6:02 p.m.,” a person next to James said.

  “Thanks,” James said. “What time is it, Dad?”

  “It’s 5:45,” Dad responded. “So not too much longer.”

  Suddenly, the steam coming from Old Faithful puffed out more intensely. Hot water splashed over the top of the cone. Morgan and James leaned forward.

  But then the steam and water from Old Faithful subsided.

  “A false alarm, I guess,” Mom concluded.

  “I can wait a few more minutes,” James said.

  Dad looked at his family and grinned.

  WHAT A BLAST!

  The Washburn expedition of 1870 named Old Faithful because of its regular eruptions. Old Faithful erupts every 40 to 107 minutes. Its average eruption is four minutes long, and it pumps out between 4,000 and 8,400 gallons of water each time it goes off.

  To predict Old Faithful’s next eruption, use a clock with a second hand to time a current eruption until it completely stops. If the total time is less than four minutes, the next eruption will be in 40 to 60 minutes. If the eruption is longer than four minutes, the next eruption will be in 75 to 100+ minutes. Predicted eruption times are posted at the Old Faithful Visitor Center.

  “What’s so funny?” Morgan asked.

  “Look around,” Dad replied. “Doesn’t it seem like we’re at a ball game?”

  Morgan scanned the crowd on the benches. “It does!”

  “Get your popcorn, peanuts, and hot dogs,” Dad announced in a vendorlike voice.

  James laughed. “Cotton candy, soda, pretzels.”

  “Geyser burgers, geyser souvenirs, geyser snow cones, right here,” Morgan said.

  Mom smiled. She took on the voice of a television commentator and whispered into a pretend microphone. “Here we are, ladies and gentlemen. We’re at Old Faithful, waiting for the world’s most famous geyser to erupt.”

  The crowd hushed. The Parkers stopped playing and looked at Old Faithful. Small spurts of water continued to percolate out of the cone with a gentle, consistent vent of steam. But it wasn’t erupting.

  “Over there!” Morgan called out.

  A large animal was slowly trudging across the geyser basin.

  “A bison!” Dad exclaimed.

  The bison meandered between Old Faithful and the boardwalk.

  “It shouldn’t be out there,” Mom said.

  James joked, “I guess it didn’t read the sign.”

  Morgan started snapping pictures of the bison.

  The bison took another step. Its hind leg broke through the soil and collapsed into the ground.

  The bison pulled its foot out of the hole and shook it around.

  “I think it just got scalded,” Mom announced.

  The startled bison ran around erratically. Then it shifted directions and hastily stomped toward Morgan, James, Mom, and Dad.

  “Look out!” Dad shouted.

  Mom grabbed James and pulled him out of his seat. Dad took Morgan’s arm. The family and the spectators nearby quickly abandoned the benches.

  The bison leaped off the fragile soil and onto the boardwalk. It trotted toward the parking lot.

  The bison slowed its pace and calmly plodded along again. The Parkers returned to their seats.

  “I wonder if it was burned badly,” Morgan said.

  Suddenly, the large crowd started counting down: “17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11 …”

  Morgan, James, Mom, and Dad watched Old Faithful. The geyser continued to send up wisps of steam, but it didn’t appear any more active.

  IT BOILS DOWN TO SAFETY

  Yellowstone’s thermal areas are beautiful, but they are also dangerous. The water in these features is often at or above the boiling point. The soil nearby is thin, breaks easily, and often covers scalding water. Be safe around thermal areas:

  • Stay on boardwalks and marked trails.

  • Closely supervise young children.

  • Keep pets out of thermal areas.

  The crowd continued counting: “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 …”

  Morgan got her camera ready.

  “Here goes,” Dad called out.

  “4, 3, 2, 1.” The crowd finished the countdown. But Old Faithful didn’t erupt.

  James looked at Dad’s watch. “It’s 6:02,” he informed his family.

  “I guess Old Faithful isn’t that faithful,” Morgan stated.

  James turned around to see the bison walking slowly away in the meadows beyond the parking lot.

  At 6:05, Morgan decided to pull out her journal.

  Dear Diary,

  Guess what? We’re sitting with hundreds of people waiting for the world’s most famous geyser, Old Faithful, to erupt. I can’t wait to see it.

  But Old Faithful is only one of many geysers in the park. James and I have already looked at the map. What other geysers do we want to see? Grotto, Castle, Beehive, Steamboat, and Lone Star, to name a few. Then there are all of Yellowstone’s hot pools, mud pots, and steam vents. There’s so much to see here.

  Speaking of seeing things, we’ve already seen a huge herd of elk and a wandering bison.

  A towering plume of water blasted out of Old Faithful’s cone.

  “There it goes!” Dad exclaimed.

  Morgan put her pen down.


  The water shot up over 100 feet high. Drifts of warm mist from the spray spread across the air and showered the soil nearby.

  “It looks like they put a giant fire hydrant in there,” James said.

  Old Faithful continued to shoot out water and steam. Morgan snapped pictures. The powerful spray lasted several minutes, then gradually subsided. Soon the height of the water was forty feet. Then thirty feet. The last few moments of Old Faithful’s eruption appeared to be mostly steam.

  Everyone clapped after Old Faithful’s performance.

  “I want to see more geysers!” James exclaimed.

  “I imagine we will,” Dad said.

  After watching Old Faithful, the family took a short walk around nearby Geyser Hill. They passed many uniquely shaped geysers, pools, and steam vents.

  A person was sitting on the wooden boardwalk near Doublet Pool writing down notes.

  Morgan, James, Mom, and Dad stood by and looked. Two adjoining pools of hot water glistened sapphire blue and were surrounded by a whitish edge. The water in the picturesque pool bubbled and steamed.

  The person writing looked up at the Parkers. “Hello.”

  “Hi,” Morgan replied.

  “Can I ask what you’re writing?” Dad asked.

  “Sure,” the man replied. “I’m a geyser gazer. That means it’s my hobby to record the behavior of Yellowstone’s thermal features, which includes some of the changes they go through.”

  “Does this pool change?” Morgan asked.

  “Doublet Pool is one of my favorites,” the man replied. “It goes through a little cycle of rising, bubbling, vibrating, and thumping. All of it happens very subtly. You have to hang out and see.”

  “It’s very beautiful,” Morgan commented.

  “Are there any others you’d recommend?” Dad inquired.

  The man smiled. “Everyone has his or her personal favorite. But take your time and try to see some away from the crowds. Perhaps you’ll end up being a geyser gazer, like me.” The man put down his journal. “I’m Tom,” he introduced himself.