We got up early again and decided to go see what large animals we could find in the Lamar Valley, in the northeast corner of Yellowstone. We drove through the Hayden Valley in the fog, seeing lots of bison. This photo is from the previous day when it was clear. We got to the point where bison were just ho-hum and we wouldn't even stop for them.
We headed north from the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and got out of the clouds. This viewpoint shows the fog over the Hayden Valley and Lake Yellowstone.
The overlook also overlooked Washburn Hot Springs (no access due to the fact that the surface is very unstable and various scientists have been scalded doing research there).
After crossing a pass, we came down into Tower Falls where there was serious road work being done and a half hour delay. This allowed us to walk to the Tower Falls overlook (so named from the towers on either side of the top of the falls). The road work included building 15' high rock walls on the side.
We continued to the Lamar Valley, another broad valley with the Lamar River flowing down the center. There were lots of bison, a pronghorn antelope, supposedly some elk and a coyote (though we never saw them). It was beautiful and we drove all the way to the northeast entrance to Yellowstone. The environment gets much more alpine and cooler.
Just before lunch we decided to take the Blacktail Plateau road (gravel) over the top of the Blacktail Plateau. We stopped for lunch and watched this bison rolling in the dust below us. There was another bison off to the right center of the photo. The non-dominant bison males are separated from the herds right now, so we saw lots of single bison.
On the way back we stopped at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and walked down to the bottom of the lower falls. 328 steps down, but a beautiful view from the bottom. There is so much spray from the falls that collects on the wall of the canyon, that there are small cataracts falling down the far wall also. We then walked to look at the Upper Falls, before heading back to Fishing Bridge (so named because people used to fish off of it until the NPS stopped it so that the endangered cutthroat trout could breed). I did see a huge cutthroat trout under the bridge.
We got up early again and decided to go see what large animals we could find in the Lamar Valley, in the northeast corner of Yellowstone. We drove through the Hayden Valley in the fog, seeing lots of bison. This photo is from the previous day when it was clear. We got to the point where bison were just ho-hum and we wouldn't even stop for them.
We headed north from the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and got out of the clouds. This viewpoint shows the fog over the Hayden Valley and Lake Yellowstone.
The overlook also overlooked Washburn Hot Springs (no access due to the fact that the surface is very unstable and various scientists have been scalded doing research there).
After crossing a pass, we came down into Tower Falls where there was serious road work being done and a half hour delay. This allowed us to walk to the Tower Falls overlook (so named from the towers on either side of the top of the falls). The road work included building 15' high rock walls on the side. 
We continued to the Lamar Valley, another broad valley with the Lamar River flowing down the center. There were lots of bison, a pronghorn antelope, supposedly some elk and a coyote (though we never saw them). It was beautiful and we drove all the way to the northeast entrance to Yellowstone. The environment gets much more alpine and cooler.
Just before lunch we decided to take the Blacktail Plateau road (gravel) over the top of the Blacktail Plateau. We stopped for lunch and watched this bison rolling in the dust below us. There was another bison off to the right center of the photo. The non-dominant bison males are separated from the herds right now, so we saw lots of single bison.
On the way back we stopped at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and walked down to the bottom of the lower falls. 328 steps down, but a beautiful view from the bottom. There is so much spray from the falls that collects on the wall of the canyon, that there are small cataracts falling down the far wall also. We then walked to look at the Upper Falls, before heading back to Fishing Bridge (so named because people used to fish off of it until the NPS stopped it so that the endangered cutthroat trout could breed). I did see a huge cutthroat trout under the bridge. 
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