Name one thing that is great about Yellowstone in October: Off-season lodge rates. Name one word of caution about Yellowstone in October: SNOW. Since I love staying at the new Canyon Lodges with steep discounts and the aspen and cottonwoods are in sparkling yellow now, I’ll take my chances. It is a gorgeous day to drive along the Gibbon River to Norris Junction then heading east to the Canyon area. The Gibbon River has thermal features along its banks and is one of only a few Yellowstone rivers flowing north to south, but that’s a story for another day. Today we are heading to Canyon’s Washburn Lodge, staying the last two nights before the Canyon area closes until next May. Tomorrow morning we will walk the northern end of North Rim Trail to explore waterfalls and canyon walls. This will be such fun.
Well . . . it is 7am. From my third-floor window, it may be time to consider possibilities for today. I have all my winter gear, thrown in the car as an afterthought . . . thankfully. It will be brighter outside after 8:30 sunrise, but unless it stops snowing, the haze, clouds, and snow will hide the beautiful views. No rush to get started so let’s have breakfast and hope for the best.
It is now 11:45. My new SUV is officially winter initiated and I’m scraping ice from the windows. There is no wind, always a game changer in the mountains, and about 20°. Not seriously cold for Canyon. We are standing at an elevation of almost 8,000 feet so weather can change quickly and present challenges. When (or if) the snow stops, North Rim Trail is still our plan.
In the meantime, let’s head to the hotel lobby, have a latte, and enjoy the fireplace for a while. The fella shoveling left us a little “greeter” near the lobby door. Fun in the snow.
It is 1pm and only occasional snow flurries with sun peaking through now and then. There is only about five inches of snow, but it is icy underneath. What a difference an hour makes. Time to head to the North Rim.
We just got word. EVERY road out of the Canyon area is closed and won’t open again today. We are stuck here. Luckily we planned to stay tonight so we’ll hope the roads open tomorrow. Then again, right now I don’t want to think about the possibilities represented by the words “stuck here”. The road is open for 1-1/2 miles south so we can get to North Rim Drive. Let’s go.
Ah, the walk up to Lookout Point. Can you hear the roar of the falls?
The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. Iconic 308 foot drop gorgeous any time of year. In winter when snow and ice creep up the falls, in spring when rainbows rule, and everything in between. See the stairs leading to the platform below? That is Red Rock Point. We passed the trail on the way up, but it is closed due to ice and snow. Descending almost 500 feet in half a mile, that is a steep trail with lots of stairs and switchbacks. It is a challenge calling for better weather.
Note the interesting features at the top of the falls. To the right, the fenced platform is the reward for walking the Brink of the Lower Falls Trail. Look at the icicles forming on the canyon walls. See that notch in the rock at the left top edge of the falls? You normally don’t notice the notch, but you do see a green streak in the falls. As the river races downhill and over the edge, the water is deeper near the notch so you see the water’s actual color. The green stripe denotes deeper water and is seen in many pictures of the falls.
Although I love this spot, let’s head up the trail. The yellow, sometimes red, poles mark road edges for the snowplows. Snow can get very deep here. Some of the road pavement may be warm enough to melt ice, then again it may be hazardous black ice, but the trail is just plain icy. Thank goodness for Stabil-icer ice cleats I put on my shoes, and thank goodness I threw them in the car at the last minute.
Up the trail we can look south and see Lookout Point and just a slice of the falls at left. The canyon twists and turns dramatically making Lookout Point the only place on the North Rim to see a full-on view of the Lower Falls, but the canyon wall colors only get better the further north we go.
On the other side of the canyon is Artist Point, the iconic place for Lower Falls views. From left to right, highest place to stand for views, two people taking pictures from one of my fave places, the stone-edged walk back to parking on the South Rim Road.
There appears to be a clearing ahead. Let’s see what view we have from there.
Beautiful colors on the walls! Much of the canyon rock is rhyolite, and the rusty red color is indeed rust. The iron found in rhyolite rusts as moisture and oxygen do their work.
Look at this workmanship. Such safety features keep us safe as we walk on the edge of the canyon’s rim. Thank you Park Service and non-profit partners!
The woods is closing in on us now. Look! A bit of blue sky. Considering there are flurries again and the entire rest of the sky is shades of gray, a spot of blue may be all we see today. Up ahead is a deep puddle so let’s walk to the right and look down. BE CAREFUL.
Ahead at top left is our destination, Inspiration Point. This view really shows the twists and turns of the canyon, the colors on the walls, and thermal features where the red is darker or walls are smoother. Perhaps we’ll see some steam from a thermal before our walk ends.
Out in the open again bringing us very close to Inspiration Point. It is only 1-1/2 miles from point to point, but what views. Let’s see what else awaits.
A much better view of the river. See the white water? That indicates a waterfall, and some appear to be quite large. The deep red stripe lower mid picture is thermal runoff as is the entire smooth area, opposite bank, just past the snowy ridges top left.
Turning the corner to walk the newly renovated Inspiration Point area, we clearly see steam and runoff from a thermal vent.
They just opened this area after being closed over two years for complete renovation. Newly built stone platforms and a total of 70 steps takes us to wonderful canyon views both north and south. Watch the ice.
Looking south, the river is heading toward us giving better views of the waterfalls. Water erosion sculpted this canyon and continues to do so making it deeper and wider. The canyon is currently about 20 miles long and parts of the canyon are 1,200 feet deep. The river has infinite patience in its carving task.
There have been lots of snow creations along the trail. All the young people who come to work in the park for the summer season are enjoying the snow before they leave in a few days. This one is unique.
At the very northern end of the trail is the view to take your breath away. Inspiration Point–a name richly deserved, plus some sun!
Back in my room reviewing pictures to share with you, the hotel phone rings about 4:20pm. Strange. The young woman working the registration desk tells me there is an emergency evacuation of the hotel——-at 4:30! I need to get myself and my SUV to the road leading to Norris Junction immediately. The caravan of cars is leaving soon! I should have known better, but panic set in. She had no other information but we have to leave. Running around like a mad person–I was in my lounging PJ’s for goodness sake–I checked out, loaded my SUV, and got to the staging area in less than 15 minutes!
Too late. There were about seven cars (families) that got the call too late to join the caravan. Now what? The park representative said we would not be able to get out today. He expected there would be another caravan tomorrow, maybe 4-4:30pm. Everyone is beginning to panic. How do we get out? We have flights, reservations in hotels hours away, plans that are totally disrupted. What if we don’t get out tomorrow? The lodges and all food concessions close for the season at 11am tomorrow! It was suggested we could sleep on the floor of the Visitor’s Center, and they have vending machines. WHAT? More panic.
The poor representative would have been better saying nothing. He asked us to calm down because he is only the guy that plows roads, cleans toilets, and fixes things that break down. Feeling disheartened and tired, we all went back to the Lodge, checked back into the rooms we vacated, and would have to wait and see what the morning brings.
Ahhh, a nice dinner at the dining room. Very quiet since everyone left except seven families. Wait staff were low key and loved engaging in conversation. After all, this was their last day of the season. I needed a drink!
So, the next morning. No point in hoping to get out early since the roads are icy. The sun is bright, again no wind, so hoping the road to Norris Junction will open a bit later. After breakfast headed to the Visitor’s Center for the latest news. Another “greeter” in front the of Center. Someone is smiling anyway.
The rangers don’t decide what or when roads close, law enforcement rangers make those decisions. The latest news at 9am is they expect to open the road to Norris sometime after 10am–that means maybe 10, 1, or 4. Who knows? OK, time to stop worrying about getting home for Monday appointments. Slow down and calm down. It is a beautiful day and time will tell. I don’t believe they’d make us sleep on the floor of the Visitor’s Center and eat out of vending machines. Would they?
I took a walk around the parking lots and saw the representative we all picked on yesterday helping to jump start a stuck car. Helping may be his job, but his smile and friendly banter offers much to stressed-out people. I went over and apologized for a snide comment I wish I hadn’t made in my frustration yesterday. Did I just admit that? Ouch. Also thanked him for all he does because frankly, it is people just like him, in lowly positions, that keep everything running smooth so our visits to Yellowstone are grand.
What a gorgeous day! There’s my new car, blue Highlander one on left. So far the buggy is doing well in the ice/snow. I think we need to go park by the road closed sign. I’d like to get going before the folks inexperienced in winter driving head out. I’d also hate to miss the road-open window as happened yesterday.
WOW! No closed sign up ahead, only orange caution cones. The road is open at 10:15am!
Norris is 12 miles away, but it took 40 minutes to get there. It takes snowy, icy conditions to realize how twisty and up/down this road is. Even with plowing and sanding, it was a bit scary, and I know how to drive in these conditions! Once at Norris, however, it was smooth sailing. Road totally clear and dry. You know, in hindsight (which is always clear), it is one thing to decide to stay or go when you visit a place. It is a whole other issue when you have no choice at all and are “stuck”. I know there is a lesson there.
Even with a silly, unnecessary panic attack yesterday afternoon, what a great time. The trail was gorgeous as light played on the canyon walls and water. The new lodge was incredible. The food was great and the wait staff very helpful and anxious to share stories about their season and next plans. With so few people around, the experience became more intimate, moved slower, and was peaceful and happy. What an adventure!
Will I take a chance same time next year at Canyon? You bet! Until next time . . .
