Yellowstone National Park
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On July 30, 2016, Ashlie and I visited Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming while on our Summer Road Trip. Our goal was to explore the park and watch Old Faithful erupt, which would be difficult since we arrived later in the day.
A few days prior to our adventure here, Ashlie and I were in Colorado, which is where she met up with me. I had left Louisiana a few weeks earlier to attend FJ Cruiser Summit X in Ouray Colorado. Following that event, Ashlie flew into Denver to join me on the road. |
After spending a few days exploring the Ouray / Telluride area, Ashlie and I packed up the FJ and continued on with our journey. Our main destination for the first part of this road trip was Washington state to spend time with family (hi mom!). Having said that, we had our sights set to Explore America along the way and our route took us right through Yellowstone National Park!
Once we arrived in Moran Wyoming (south of Yellowstone) via US 26, we took a slight detour to see the Grand Tetons, which are breath taking. Looking at such beauty made both of us hungry so we took another detour to Jackson Hole Wyoming (even more south of Yellowstone). While there, we treated ourselves to a delicious lunch and tasty adult beverage at Snake River Brewing. Following lunch we went to the town square for some window shopping.
You might be thinking to yourself, "going further south when they need to go north is counter productive" and you would be correct, but we figured, since we are in the area, why not! Plus, this was our first time seeing the landscape, even though this was our second time visiting this area.
Once we arrived in Moran Wyoming (south of Yellowstone) via US 26, we took a slight detour to see the Grand Tetons, which are breath taking. Looking at such beauty made both of us hungry so we took another detour to Jackson Hole Wyoming (even more south of Yellowstone). While there, we treated ourselves to a delicious lunch and tasty adult beverage at Snake River Brewing. Following lunch we went to the town square for some window shopping.
You might be thinking to yourself, "going further south when they need to go north is counter productive" and you would be correct, but we figured, since we are in the area, why not! Plus, this was our first time seeing the landscape, even though this was our second time visiting this area.
While on our 2015 Winter Road Trip, Part One, we stumbled upon the town of Jackson (located in the Jackson Hole valley), which we fell in love with. It was December 21, 2015 and the town square was filled with the holiday spirit! On that trip we ventured all around the area, but due to a large winter storm at the time, visibility was next to nothing and it made site seeing near impossible, unless if it was really close, like 10 feet away.
To prove my point, the Grand Tetons are located behind the FJ.
To prove my point, the Grand Tetons are located behind the FJ.
As you can tell from the pictures above, we had a blast. Ashlie and I even got into our first snowball fight, which she lost. Her tactic was to stand there wrapped up in a blanket while I threw snowballs at her. Well, she is from Louisiana so there's that.
It is a beautiful area to experience during the winter, but the 2015 road trip is not what brought us here this time. We visited during the summer and it would appear as though I have even steered this story south of the main topic.
Let's get back to the title that brought you here!
Yellowstone National Park is the first National Park created in the United States and was signed into existence by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. It is also considered by many as the first National Park in the world. However, there is some controversy regarding which park or even country holds this distinguished title as the Mongolian government is said to have established Bogd Khan Uul National Park in Mongolia in 1778.
It is a beautiful area to experience during the winter, but the 2015 road trip is not what brought us here this time. We visited during the summer and it would appear as though I have even steered this story south of the main topic.
Let's get back to the title that brought you here!
Yellowstone National Park is the first National Park created in the United States and was signed into existence by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. It is also considered by many as the first National Park in the world. However, there is some controversy regarding which park or even country holds this distinguished title as the Mongolian government is said to have established Bogd Khan Uul National Park in Mongolia in 1778.
Yellowstone is the eighth largest National Park within the United States and one of only a handful of U.S. National Parks that the Continental Divid runs through. Its terrain is very diverse and covers more than 2.2 million acres, which is shared amongst three states:
Once we finally arrived at the gates of our nations oldest National Park, it was late afternoon. Our prior escapades cut into the schedule and prevented us from exploring Yellowstone. Based on its size and geography, it is safe to say that one needs more than a few hours to properly tour this amazing area. Knowing that time was not on our side, I did what any rational person would do and I drug Ashlie to different locations for a quick photo montage of Yellowstone.
- Wyoming
- Montana
- Idaho
Once we finally arrived at the gates of our nations oldest National Park, it was late afternoon. Our prior escapades cut into the schedule and prevented us from exploring Yellowstone. Based on its size and geography, it is safe to say that one needs more than a few hours to properly tour this amazing area. Knowing that time was not on our side, I did what any rational person would do and I drug Ashlie to different locations for a quick photo montage of Yellowstone.
Following our short, but productive adventure around the park, we then drove to the most famous geyser here, Old Faithful. It received that moniker due to its frequent and somewhat predictable eruptions. It is estimated that Old Faithful has erupted more than a million times since its discovery by the Washburn Expedition in 1870.
Although Old Faithful puts daily shows on for people, it does not mean it performs right on cue. Park Rangers record and monitor eruption times, duration, and hight to help predict the next one. Based on data gathered they have a 90% confidence rate of expected eruption times within a 10 minute window. As of now, the average time between eruptions is approximately 70 minutes (+/-) with approximately 20 eruptions a day. Occasionally, eruption times can vary between 60-110 minutes. Having this information available can help determine when you want to arrive, but there is no guarantee as to when the next eruption will take place.
Although Old Faithful puts daily shows on for people, it does not mean it performs right on cue. Park Rangers record and monitor eruption times, duration, and hight to help predict the next one. Based on data gathered they have a 90% confidence rate of expected eruption times within a 10 minute window. As of now, the average time between eruptions is approximately 70 minutes (+/-) with approximately 20 eruptions a day. Occasionally, eruption times can vary between 60-110 minutes. Having this information available can help determine when you want to arrive, but there is no guarantee as to when the next eruption will take place.
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Having said that, we did not research any of this before our trip. We just simply showed up with smiles on our faces and our fingers crossed, hopping that Yellowstone would take care of us before we needed to get back on the road.
We arrived at the grandstands shortly after 8:00 p.m. (2000 hours). The viewing area is large with plenty of seating. From what we were told, during peak visitation times it can be standing room only. Typically, that period is noon until 6:00 p.m. (1800 hours). |
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Due to our arrival at Old Faithful later in the day, the area was less crowded and seat selection was wide open. Another benefit to the later showing was the fact the sun was slowly setting behind some mountains in the distance which made for a pleasant evening.
As we sat there patiently waiting, the geyser slowly started showing signs of life. Down below, past the picture gallery, we have a five minute video of the eruption we saw that day. Therefore, I will spare you all the details here as words can not accurately describe the experience any better than our video shows it.
As we sat there patiently waiting, the geyser slowly started showing signs of life. Down below, past the picture gallery, we have a five minute video of the eruption we saw that day. Therefore, I will spare you all the details here as words can not accurately describe the experience any better than our video shows it.
Eruptions vary in height anywhere between 100 - 180 feet (30 - 55 meters), with an average of 130 - 140 feet (40 - 43 meters). Duration times vary between one and a half minutes up to about five minutes. I do not know the height of the the eruption we observed, but I would estimate it was on the higher side of the average heights. We were also fortunate enough to witness a longer eruption as our lasted near four minutes.
The viewing area is intentionally pushed back from the geyser to help protect onlookers from injury during eruptions. Water temperatures at the vent can exceed more than 200°F (93°C) and the steam can reach temperatures upward of 350°F (177°C). There are signs all over the area and park warning visitors of the dangers. Unfortunately, each year people are seriously injured or killed because they got to close to an active geyser.
Of course the shows are made possible due to the amount of the water forcefully being ejected out of the ground and into the air. The volume of water being pushed from the earth during an eruption is directly effected by the duration. Typically, for a short one (about two minutes) it is estimated that approximately 4,000 gallons of water is used. That number is doubled for a longer one (about four minutes).
The viewing area is intentionally pushed back from the geyser to help protect onlookers from injury during eruptions. Water temperatures at the vent can exceed more than 200°F (93°C) and the steam can reach temperatures upward of 350°F (177°C). There are signs all over the area and park warning visitors of the dangers. Unfortunately, each year people are seriously injured or killed because they got to close to an active geyser.
Of course the shows are made possible due to the amount of the water forcefully being ejected out of the ground and into the air. The volume of water being pushed from the earth during an eruption is directly effected by the duration. Typically, for a short one (about two minutes) it is estimated that approximately 4,000 gallons of water is used. That number is doubled for a longer one (about four minutes).
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Although I thought Old Faithful was the end of our adventure at Yellowstone, I was wrong. As we approached the FJ we saw two people standing near it. When they saw us, a young lady asked if I was Bakes FJ (our previous business name until the roll over and we rebranded to Bourn Adventure in 2017) to which I replied with "I am!".
I love meeting up with people while we are on the road and it is something we have been doing since 2013. Normally they are scheduled events and sometimes they are last minute meets as we are passing through an area. This was one of the first times we had someone recognize our vehicle and wait for us. It was a pleasure speaking with them and hearing their story. They were on a road trip too and just happened to be visiting Yellowstone National Park the same time as us. |
She had been following our adventures via Facebook and our website for a few years, which is how they recognized the FJ sitting in the parking lot. Reading her post on Facebook you can tell she was excited, but we were even more enthusiastic about this impromptu meet up.
It meant the world to us that people who followed us via social media and our website were willing to take time out of their day to meet us. One of our goals with Bourn Adventure is to encourage people to get out there and see the world. It was nice meeting someone in person and hearing their kind words of how we helped influence their adventures.
That was a great way to end an amazing journey through Americas oldest National Park.
It meant the world to us that people who followed us via social media and our website were willing to take time out of their day to meet us. One of our goals with Bourn Adventure is to encourage people to get out there and see the world. It was nice meeting someone in person and hearing their kind words of how we helped influence their adventures.
That was a great way to end an amazing journey through Americas oldest National Park.
For more information on our National Park System and its history, read our article by clicking here: United States National Parks. To learn more about Yellowstone, visit the National Park Services website by click here: Yellowstone National Park
Sources: NPS.gov | Worldatlas.com | Yellowstonepark.com | Wikipedia.org
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Gallery
*Summer Road Trip, 2016*
Old Faithful Video
Bourn Adventure Postcards
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Not only do we document our travels, but we also sell rad stickers, patches, and other products as a way to help others show off their adventures! Going to the mountains? We have a patch for that! Going camping? We have a sticker for that! Sun beating down on your head? You guessed it; we have a hat for that!
Since we launched our store in 2012, we have shipped products all over the United States and to more than 25 countries. To see all the places our products are in use, |
Click on the picture to see our other postcard adventures!
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please click here: BAG Products World Map. We are blessed to have so many people around the globe rocking Bourn Adventure Gear. We wanted a way to personally thank them for their order.
Our solution was to create Bourn Adventure postcards. This allowed us the opportunity to give each order a personal touch while continuing to share adventures from all over the world. We breathe new life in our postcards by periodically changing destinations and showcasing new locations. Each postcard series is assigned a number and runs for a limited time. Once that particular postcard is gone, it is done!
We selected the Old Faithful to be featured as our BA 2018 postcard series #6 and just like the postcard before it, it was a big hit! Customers have told us of conversations generated by the postcards hanging on their refrigerator or in their office. Hearing that something so simple could spark curiosity and encourage adventure brings a smile to our faces.
To place an order and get your Bourn Adventure postcard, please visit our retail site: Bourn Adventure Gear
Our solution was to create Bourn Adventure postcards. This allowed us the opportunity to give each order a personal touch while continuing to share adventures from all over the world. We breathe new life in our postcards by periodically changing destinations and showcasing new locations. Each postcard series is assigned a number and runs for a limited time. Once that particular postcard is gone, it is done!
We selected the Old Faithful to be featured as our BA 2018 postcard series #6 and just like the postcard before it, it was a big hit! Customers have told us of conversations generated by the postcards hanging on their refrigerator or in their office. Hearing that something so simple could spark curiosity and encourage adventure brings a smile to our faces.
To place an order and get your Bourn Adventure postcard, please visit our retail site: Bourn Adventure Gear
