Yellowstone - Canyon Village

To the west of Yellowstone River is Hayden Valley, a sub-alpine valley that sits on an ancient lake bed, once filled by an arm of Yellowstone Lake. Today it is one of the best places to view the free ranging bison herds, elk, grizzly bears and wolves. To protect the wildlife, the valley has only two accessible trails and fishing is prohibited in its waterways.

The valley was named after Ferdinand V. Hayden, a geologist and physician who served during the Civil War. In 1871, Ferdinand led the first federally funded geological survey into Yellowstone. His subsequent report was instrumental in the establishment of Yellowstone as a National Park.

Yellowstone River is the last major undammed river in the contiguous United States. Northbound, it flows into the Missouri River and pours out into the Atlantic Ocean. It has a gentle meander until it suddenly plunges into Yellowstone’s very own Grand Canyon, not once but twice. The Upper Falls is the first plunge with a drop of 109ft (33m), then a quarter mile (400m) further is the more thunderous Lower Falls, with a drop of 308ft (94m). Viewing points abound but the best one for the falls is via Uncle Tom’s Trail, down 328 steps to a viewing platform on the side of the canyon.

On the opposite side of the trail is the spectacular view of the canyon and the Lower Falls crashing over the edge. Formed about 150,000 years ago, the canyon wasn’t quite as big as it is today. Hydrothermal activity changed the integrity of the rocks, softening them. These weakened rocks were then eroded by Yellowstone River, carving a much deeper and wider canyon.

With a stunning palette of warm colours, the canyon is a combination of pink, orange, red, yellow and white. Painter Thomas Moran said “…its beautiful tints were beyond the reach of human art”. Thomas was part of Hayden’s 1871 expedition into Yellowstone. Over a two-week period, he filled a sketchbook with landscapes he saw. He was so enamoured with the colours and vibrancy of Yellowstone’s canyon that upon returning home, Thomas immediately set about painting “The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone”. As the largest American painting of the 19th century (12x7ft/3.65x2.1m), the government immediately purchased it for $10,000. It was the first landscape painting to hang in the Capitol Building, Washington D.C.

Turning in for the day, I pulled into a local eatery for a hearty pot roast with mashed potatoes and lemon garlic green beans. Of course, a good chocolate fudge and a hot cuppa was a great way to wrap it up for the night.



PS. Experience our virtual challenges in real life - The Conqueror Adventures



The team at The Conqueror Challenges
https://www.theconqueror.events