Yellowstone Upper Loop August 20th, 2012

 

 This Buffalo Bus Tour bus was our home for the next

two days - Aug 20-21 2012. First day was the Upper Loop

at YP

My words: A great two days
at YP Upper and Lower Loops -
very full and enjoyable tours.

This bison had just crossed the Madison River in YP

as we stopped. It is a lone bull bison.

It crosses the roadway. As you can

see the tourists give it a wide berth.

Tour guide estimated it weighed

approx 1500-1800 lbs

Bison often follow similar or same paths

and this was no exception. Paths indicated other

bison graze along this route as well.

The Brink of the Upper Falls

our first Upper Loop stop.

Steve Betty and Judy heading

toward Upper Falls

Betty Judy and Steve who said

"we can't keep stopping to pose!"

Judy at Upper Falls area as water

enters the Brink 

Judy is ahead of me taking

pictures.

Judy at the Brink of

the Upper Falls. It's the smaller

of the two falls on the

Yellowstone River. It is

109 feet high. Be careful Judy!

A view down the Brink of the Upper Falls.

This marks the start of the Grand Canyon

of Yellowstone.

The amount of water flowing over the

Upper Falls varies. There is 5000 gallons per second

during the dry Fall Season to 60000 gallons

during the peak Spring runoff.

 

Tremendous force and violent

action in the Upper Falls.

Yellowstone River above

the Upper Falls

 

Buildup to the Upper Falls

from Yellowstone River

A view of the Grand Canyon of

Yellowstone from the Upper Falls area.

 

The YP Grand Canyon is approx
10000 years old

The canyon is 20 miles long

It's 800 to 1200 fee deep 

  The canyon width varies from
1500 to 4000 feet. Water below.

Canyon colors are caused by

oxidation of iron compounds -

a "rusting" of the canyon effect. 

The YP Grand Canyon is

accessible at Canyon Village

for the well heeled hikers.

View of Lower Yellowstone Falls
from Lookout Point - North Rim

Lookout Point from the

Upper Loop allows our

first view at North Rim area of the Lower Falls

 

Lower Falls has a 308 foot drop

compared to the Upper Falls 109 Feet

 

Raven Resting at Lookout Point

 

Who is this  couple? they

keep showing up where we go!