We’ve just set out from our lodgings by the Jackson Lake, but I already miss the two national parks, Yellowstone and Teton, we visited in Wyoming. Home to a plethora of North American wildlife, including the majestic buffalo, and filled to the brim with snowy-peaked mountains, green hills and golden plains, these places truly deserve their classification, and are worthy of a visit or two. Or three.
To start with, there’s the wildlife. Although the sixty million-strong buffalo was hunted down to a few hundred specimens centuries ago, the individual beasts themselves are a sight to behold. A small herd passed by our van while we were on the road, and we took the opportunity to take quite a few photos of them up close. The burrowing prairie dogs were fascinating in their coordination and speed, and the scores of trees gnawed down by beavers (and the dams built from them) were proof that that species deserved its title as nature’s engineers.
The geographical features of the two parks were equally amazing. The ever-snowcapped mountains were picturesque, especially combined with the Alpine Glow. The geysers in Yellowstone were sights to behold, Old Faithful’s spout reaching up dozens of meters into the sky. The pits stank to the heavens with sulphur, though.
For those visiting the park, I have one suggestion: Bring lots of heavy clothing. The mornings and evenings are extremely cold.
On a final, slightly humorous note, the name of Teton park came from the prominent triplet peaks located within, the names of which were originally derived from a comparison to the “three teats of Mother Earth” made by (obviously) French explorers. Makes you wonder if that’s where Paul Verhoeven got his ideas.