Some thoughts on Yellowstone

Oct 16, 2013

Yellowstone is an amazing place with very stark contrasts. The thing that struck me at first is the disneyland style tourist infrastructure around the famous sights. There are thousands of people moving through the main arteries of the park creating an iPad traffic jam whenever a deer or bison is near the road. I find it more than a little sad that many don’t even have the desire to leave the confines of their cars in order to get a better shot of whatever it is they are seeing. Yellowstone seems to be the ultimate nature drive through destination, very much like this video clip.

The other parts of the park, the less frequented trails, are some of the most serene places I have been to. They are a welcome contrast to the tourist crowds that congregate near the roads and create a theme park atmosphere which often kills the mood of this truly magnificent place.

 

On route through Wyoming

Sep 21, 2013

The hotel I was due to stay at in Estes park Colorado got flooded and the area has been evacuated. I’m currently on the way to Montana, west of Yellowstone. The 1200km or so journey through Wyoming I’m currently in the middle of has so far taken me though some of the most barren and uninhabited landscapes yet; thousands of square miles of dried grassland as far as the eye can see. The occasional cow, horse or herd of deer is a welcome sight.