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Far off in the distance, up the river cut canyon are the Lower Falls.
The Yellowstone River is quite wild, and seems every bit the picture of
a mountain river. |
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A view down the canyon, from just above the falls. The Yellowstone
flows south here, seeming to be in a hurry to get to warmer climes. |
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Another view down the canyon. |
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Farther down river, the canyon can be seen to grow a bit more gentile,
with the slopes less steep. The formerly wild river, calms a bit. |
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Further still, and the canyon walls become a difficult, but possible
climb |
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At this point, the sides gradually turn to foot hills, not even
justifying the description of canyon. Though there are some rapids, they
are nothing compared to what we have left upstream. |
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Out into the flatlands now, the wild mountain river can be glimpsed
through the forest lining it's banks. |
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This was almost certainly a waterfall in the not too distant past,
before the water wore the river bed down. |
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A tiny step in the river, not really even qualified to be called
a waterfall, at least not by the standards of the area. |
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Three large formations block the, otherwise free flowing,
river. The whitewater betrays the presence of numerous small rocks, and
a fairly shallow river bed. |
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A close up of one of the midstream boulders. The lodgepole pines
sprouting from it's surface give an indication of the size of the great chunks
of rock. |
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The river rushing past, wears away at the bottoms of the rocks,
while the occasional rain and snow work the top, giving them their "potbelly"
shape. |
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Hayden Valley seems little to have changed, in the ten years since
I last saw it. This is considered to be one of the best places in the park
to see wildlife. It is also one of the most beautiful areas, even if it
lacks some of the spectacle of the great waterfalls, or the awe and mystery
of the geysers and hot pools sprouting up from the interior of the Earth. |
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A view across Hayden Valley. The river, and the boundaries of the
flood plain are clearly visible. Also visible, dotting the empty plain,
is a far off herd of buffalo. |
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Just a bit further up the hill, and another classic view of Hayden
valley. In times past, Hayden Valley had been the bottom of a large lake. |
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A view off in the other direction, following the downstream course
of the river. |
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A geyser basin encroaches on the edge of a wooded area, much to
the distress of the local trees. |
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Further into the basin, there are a few remaining dead trees, but
nothing left alive. Trees do not have the same level of appreciation for
geyser basins, which humans show. |
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Shades of gray dominate the scene, as dusk approaches. |