The fifth day: canyon, hayden valley, tower fall, lamar valley.

People used to consider the canyon is created by the water flow erosion for million years. However, the eruption of Mt. St. Helens actually show us a new clue or explanation on how those canyons are formed within days also by the water.  After the eruption, huge amount of ashes and dust were blown out and they deposit day by day to a thick layer structure.  At the same time, due to the melting of snow on the mountain, a water drainage system was forming and they can easily wash away the loose ashes layer and create ditch further canyon.  There are very similar geological feature in St. Helens area as in yellowstone canyon.  These are all from website I checked when I got back. 

Put aside the knowledge, the view is great. We drived along north rim trail and stopped at Grand view and inspiration point to take a close look at the upper fall and lower fall.  You can see from those picture how good it looks like but still a little pity it is that we didn't go to the famous Uncle Tom's trail and the whole south part of the canyon.  We planed to hike the south rim trail, right along the canyon cliff, and left it for coming days. But actually we don't have that much time as we imagined.  And the trail after Uncle Tom's trail was closed because of restoration or something.  Do check the local rangere before you really hike. 

Before canyon, we actually spent almost all the morning at the hayden valley watching huge group of bison and 9 mystic wolves!  The hayden used to be blooded by yellow stone but later on, when the water fell back, the silt left grew grass feeding many herd like bison and dear.  As well, those herd attract predater like wolves.  It was quite easy to see bison coz they are that kind of animal like media expossure and they just like to walk ON the road, while other animals would like just walk CROSS.  Anyway, seeing the huge group bison was not the most exciting thing, but the people constantly standing there watching with telescopes drew our attention more.  We talked with a family and they said for the past week, they came here every morning and were able to see the regular wolves' showing up far away near yellowstone river in the valley.  But we just missed it.  Unfortunately, we have not seen them until the end of the trip.

They are four or five adult wolves together with four peps and they usually will come out hunting at night and took a walk during the early morning or sunset.  Many people got really obsessed and even waited there for the whole night for watching them.  They have very professional equipment like sound detector or something to let them know in the dark night.  From then, every time when we drove through there at morning or sunset, always many people were there waiting.  It was fun when people gethered arround and talked with those witness experiences and waited.  We waited there morning the last two days but we got no luck.  That is the only animal we missed and I wanted to see them so bad that I even dreamed two times about a whole group of wolves.  I like waiting and watching them especially talking with people over there.  Quite a fun. 

After leaving canyon, we saw black bear again!  The road is along a little creek in a valley and a black bear was climing up the other side of the creek.  I had to drive ahead to park my car coz there were already so many car sitting there.  But my friends jumped out and take some nice pictures.  When I got there, I can hardly see anything else except a black bear ass moving slowly away...

I like drving heading north from canyon.  The road is climbing up and circling arround mountains. The view of the low land is awesome.  The next stop is the tower fall.  Nothing much coz the trail leading to the bottom of the fall was cut off.  But who can explain to me what is the reason for the grid like rock in the picture shown below.  Evan the park introduction material can not explain that.

Then we drove to lamar valley with expectation to see wolves coz similar to hayden valley, there are many herd and predators.  But as soon as we got into, it started to rain heavily again and pouring for almost an hour.  We had to stop at the ranger station and wait the rain fading out and got nothing there in the end.  Since this, we learned a lesson which is if you want to see special animals in the park, consult ranger first and get the rough area those animals would show up. 

However, we saw three grizzly bears when we drove back. :)  It was still raining then and we were all disappointed from not seeing wolves in lamar valley.  But when we were climbing up at the upper portion of grand loop road, we saw someone standing in the rain and watching something through telescope.  Curiously, I stopped and used my telescope searching arround and I saw a black or brown spot in my view.  At that time, I thought that is only a bison in the rain and when the spot started to move, Oh My God, it is a grizzly bear!  Moreover, there are two cubs playing arround the saw bear!  Through those guys' higher magnification telescope, we can see clearly three bears are searching for food in the rain but the two cubs looked much more hilarious.  They ran and play with each other in the rain and sometimes they evan stood up and just really really enjoyed the rain.  They are so so cute and we got all wet but still so excited!  This was the most exciting moment until then in this trip, though we saw more bears later on and within much closer distance. 

Snake river goes north to sorth crosssing the whole Grand Teton and our trip will cover the upper one third of the river.  We meant to take a rafting in whitewater originally but considering three girls' week 'physical power', we last choose a comparatively smooth section.  Since we were heading to Yellowstone after this floating, we got up early and packed everything and drove to the start point.  Our guide Wille is a college student from Louisiana State University majoring Architecture.  He got lucky to work there in summer coz his friend's father owned the company. 

The whole trip was smooth and relaxing.  We talked a lot about everything and the river reminded us the beautiful scenes in a movie 'A river run through it' casted by Brad Pitt, except in the movie, the sun is much gentle and the trees are much more.  Since that movie, I was amazed by the beautiful and romantic view and as well I am curious about the fly fishing: how they can catch fish by swinging the fish line.  Actually, fly fishing uses fly as a bait and unlike normal bait, the fly is so small and light that you have to swing it back and forward to throw it far away.  In the next two days, we saw many people doing fly fishing in Yellowstone river and we took a nice picture of it. 

Get back to the trip. It was a kinda fun when you were floating in a river, exposed to the buring sun and having a far view of snow-covered grand teton peak.  Everything is quiet and only sounds are coming from our boat with laughing and talking.  It turned to be hot when the trip was gone through about one hour then we got to a little deeper section.  The spontaneous thing we can thing about is to jump into the river and have a swim.  So be it!  I jumped in without life jacket and the water is so so cool.  It was awesome that I even swim further away from the raft and let them to pick me up.  Zhang Sui again was a little afraid of water and just hanging around our boat holding the side rope, of course with life jacket.  When the river flew to a shallow place, she had to roll herself preventing hurt by hitting with bottom rock.  The gesture was so funny!

Anothing interesting thing is that we saw bald eagle sitting in the tree.  I am a little confused about the name coz it is not bald but with white feathers all over the head.  Anyway, it was lifting its wings a little bit like enjoying sunshine as us. 

Time goes fast.  This three hours trip ended soon.  Wille drove us back and we left to yellowstone. At the end of the floating, we went through a little rapid white water that we called 'sample of rafting'.  We were all excited by being threw up and down with the wave.  Wille told us that the southern part of snake rive in the park is all like this and actually we don't have to care too much about the 'physical strength' coz even some kids can paddle.  If I visit there again, I will definetly try whitewater rafting.

When we got into yelloestone through south gate, it started to rain.  We didn't stop to enjoy the view outside but even this, our girls already begined to crying out for the beautiful forests and creaks passing by.  And right before we got our campsite at bridge bay, several dear showed up.  Interestingly, they behaviored like nobody else being around.  Other animals we saw later days also seemed not afraid of people or got used to people.  I didn't see any panic even when the bear was crossing road under so many peaple's eyes and cameras.

After we settled down.  This day ended.  The even more fun trip was waiting for us.