Hey, we might have been there at the same time. We did a family trip that year from Alaska, driving down the Alcan to Montana to visit relatives. I was about eleven at the time. Tons of bears begging on the park road back then and everyone fed them from their cars. Saw a lot of elk, also, and took a lot of bad photos with my Brownie Hawkeye. I’ve been back a few times since then, but that first trip was wonderful. Since then, I’ve been to 29 other national parks and loved them all.
FYI, if you are a disabled veteran, you get free entry into ALL the national parks FOR LIFE!
So Ivylad is going to be in high demand for road trips. He’s retired, so sign up now to add him to your group!
Speaking of lifetime NPS passes–the cost of the Golden Age/Senior Lifetime pass is going up to $80 at the end of August. If you’re over 62, get yours now while they’re still only $10!
Best deal the government has offered since free cheese. Even at $80, it’s a hell of a deal, as it also gives you free access to government facilities like visitor centers that charge a fee (the one at Mount Saint Helens comes to mind), and reduced rates at Forest Service campgrounds.
That was the year of the big Hebgen Lake earthquake, which killed 28 people and caused a landslide that dammed the Madison River to create Earthquake Lake. It happened shortly before midnight on Aug 17.
This was ~15 mi west of the park, but I’ve been told that many of the park’s thermal features (including Old Faithful?) were affected.
Thanks blondebear**** for reminding me! I need to get one. Was going to order online, but found 3 lakes in my area where I can go and get a pass in person. Save the $10.00 online/mail in charge.
On my bucket list is to visit Yellowstone in the winter. I saw it in the summer of 1999 (The “If the world as we know it is coming to an end with Y2K, I want to see. . . Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, Great Salt Lake, Grand Canyon, Biosphere 2, Kitt Peak National Observatory, Carlsbad Caverns.”
I’d never heard of Earthquake Lake before, thanks for the tip! I’ll add it to the list for the next time I get out there.
I *have *been to another major landslide in the area though, Gros Ventre, east of Grand Tetons. It’s worth a visit if you’re in the area and have an hour to spare. There’s a nice campground nearby if you’re looking for a spot to spend the night.
Quake Lake, as it’s known locally, was quite the experience. I was thinking an earthquake hit millions of years ago and made a lake, how mildly interesting.
It happened on Aug 17, 1959. The campgrounds were full, so about 250 people were camping near the Madison River. Around midnight, an earthquake hit, then 80 million tons of rocks and dirt came cascading down the mountain, damming the river and flooding the valley. One side (I think the north side) of Hebgen Lake, which was created by the Hebgen Dam, dropped twenty feet. You know what happens to water when you carry a pail? It sloshes. Imagine an entire lake doing that. :eek: There were fears the dam was breached but it was just the lake sloshing over it.
28 people died and 19 bodies were never recovered. There are picnic tables and toys at the bottom of Quake Lake. Rescuers couldn’t get in until daybreak and they had to use helicopters because the earthquake destroyed the road.
I’ve been to Hawaii. No desire to go to Alaska. But Yellowstone is definitely on my list of places to go.
Yellowstone! I haven’t been there since I was a kid. Will have to add it to my list, it’s only 975 miles from home.
Road trip!!!
I think I was only nine or so when we went to Yellowstone. I still remember Old Faithful, though; I staked it out and watched it erupt for a full five minutes (timed it), which they said is as long as it can go for. It was so cold and rainy that only my dad and I were willing to get out of the car to see the mud pots.
We were planning to go to Yosemite a couple years ago, but right as we were going the King fire happened, covering the area in smoke. Parts of the park were being evacuated, and we probably wouldn’t have been able to see anything anyway. The plane tickets, rental car, and a hotel at Lake Tahoe for the latter half of the trip were already paid for. So, we cashed in my wife’s credit card points and went to San Francisco instead, which turned out to be hella-awesome.
I really want to go to Yosemite, though, especially now that I’m in better shape for hiking some of those gorgeous trails. It looks so beautiful I want to cry.
They’re opening up an overlook to Grand Prismatic. Sigh. Missed it by a week.
Another cool thing about Yellowstone is the “Down and Dead” firewood policy. Nice campfires every night! But, Damn, those rangers are absolutely anal about them. And with good reason.
But, Geez! I’m sitting in a chair 3 feet from the fire, ax and shovel, and a 5 gallon can of water, and they still are all crawling up my butt!