In and around Mammoth Hot Springs

Tues, June 2,2015

We needed a break from all our driving so we decided to see sites in and around Mammoth.  There was a short hike along a trail five miles south of Mammoth, so we drove to the turnoff, parked and headed off.  The trail, called the Eaton trail headed through a wooded area as these photos show.

There were lots of lovely flowers here including this bearberry bush.

The hike went uphill and led to this wonderful view of the Rustic Falls on Glen Creek.

A bit further on the trail headed down and this is the view towards Mammoth.

On our way back to Mammoth, we stopped to view some of the terraces and springs that make them.  This terrace is formed from the tiny jet of water near the top of the photo.

Right nearby I saw these two flowers:  death camas (highly poisonous) and an aster.

In Mammoth, we decided to visit the Visitors Center and learn about Fort Yellowstone.  Yellowstone became a national park (the first) in 1872 with the act of Preservation of Pres. Grant.  Management of the park turned out to be more challenging than a superintendent and a few employees could handle (vandalism poaching and other problems were significant). So in 1886, the US Army sent a cavalry troop to bring order.  Mammoth Hot Springs was the site for Fort Yellowstone because it is the most accessible year round due to being lower in elevation by 1500 feet from the rest of the park.  The cavalry only expected to be around for a year, but their stay lasted 30 years!  The Army Corrps of Engineers built most of the roads in the park.  During that time, the Army built permanent structures such as the Visitors Center, which was, at that time, the bachelor officers quarters.  In this photo, you can see it, as well as the first of the homes of the senior officers to the right.

We walked around the old buildings. In the lawn about ten feet from the pavement were these elk.  The closest one is a young male.

This building was originally the barracks of the Fort and is now the offices of the Superintendent of Yellowstone Park.  The National Forest Service was instituted in 1916, and thereafter the US Army ended its jurisdiction over the park.

To see just how freely the elk wander around the village of Mammoth Springs, here's one right in front of our hotel.

For dinner we decided to try a restaurant outside the park.  Gardiner, Montana is 5 miles north of Mammoth Hot Springs, just at the entrance to the park.   So we can now say, we've been to Montana!  There are wonderful sites along the way.

The creek in this photo is Lava Creek.

This is the town of Gardiner, about 900 people strong. 

The North Entrance Arch to Yellowstone was built in 1903.  Teddy Roosevelt laid the cornerstone, and it bears his name.  It cost $10K, quite a sum in 1903.

We had dinner in a little restaurant called The Raven, which the hotel staff in Mammoth recommended.  They had a terrific chef who made such creative dishes as Bison Ragout, Chicken Sausage Gumbo, Salmon with watermelon Salsa, and several elk recipes plus decent wine and a long list of beers.  We had huckleberry creme brûlée for dessert, and Chuck, who doesn't much like creme brûlée,  thought it was great.

Here's a view on the way back to Mammoth:

Mammoth Hotel deserves a special call-out for the evening slide show and talks (we attended one on each of our three nights) by Randy Ingersoll.  I learned a lot from his presentations (which informed my blog) and enjoyed his piano playing as well.  Note: the hotel dates back to 1883, but a wing added in 1903 is the only remaining portion and where we stayed.  One of the amazing features in the hotel is this map of the U.S. made of wood inlay.

Here is an old water fountain designed in 1910 by a lady named Elizabeth Burton, who specialized in copper and shells.