Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River

Yellowstone River from Inspiration Point. Yellowstone National Park

Kathy & I visited Grand Canyon twice during our visit to Yellowstone. The first time was on our own, and we got there before 8:00am to avoid the crowds. We use the term “Nooners” to describe the people who start showing up to tourist locations around the time we are leaving. Yes, I know there is another connotation for that word! 😉 In a place like Yellowstone the Nooners start showing up and filling the parking lots by around 10:00am, in some places even earlier.

Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River from Artist Point. Yellowstone National Park
Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River from Upper Falls View. Yellowstone National Park

The canyon and the waterfalls are spectacular in any light, and we managed to get quite a few photographs, especially on the north rim where you could really see the topography. One of the things I particularly liked about the north rim is the gnarly trees growing out of the rock cliffs. They made for interesting subject matter and I’ve included just a sample here.

Yellowstone River from Inspiration Point. Yellowstone National Park

As we were leaving the Artist Point area, someone asked me if I knew what time the rainbow happened. It must have been obvious from the look on my face that I didn’t know anything about a rainbow. Silly me – a failure of research!

Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River from Artist Point. Yellowstone National Park
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River from Lookout Point. Yellowstone National Park
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River from Artist Point. Yellowstone National Park

Fortunately, we returned the following day on a morning photography tour aboard one of the yellow buses. Our guide knew exactly when the rainbow would occur (about 9:40am, just in time for the Nooners! 🙂 ) and positioned us in the right spot. Not knowing when the peak color would be I made over 100 frames in order to end up with about 6. The one posted here is the only one I’ve processed so far but is typical of the others. Interestingly, the first day we visited was overcast, so we might not have seen the rainbow that day anyway!

Yellowstone River from Inspiration Point. Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone River from Inspiration Point. Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone River from Inspiration Point. Yellowstone National Park

Because it was a photography tour and not a Tom & Kathy journey, the tour only stayed long enough to capture the rainbow and didn’t travel the north rim at all. It was off to another photographic destination! I’m glad we saw the rainbow, but also glad to have visited the canyon on our own!

End Of An Era

Hanging On. Feather stuck on the side of one of the locks. Soo Locks, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

Well, the era actually ended long ago, but I recently made it official. I’ll explain.

Some of you know that many years ago I was a musician, playing the trombone. I started college as a music major before realizing that I wanted to earn a decent living, didn’t want to teach and wasn’t really good enough to make a career of performing. I even played in a Chicago/Earth Wind & Fire/Tower of Power type band for a while. One of our members went on to become a famous drummer, the rest of us got jobs. So I was good enough to have fun with it but that was about it.

Over the years, I lost touch with the playing side of music, and like many things – old cameras, golf clubs or cassette tapes, my trombones took up space in my attic or in my garage. Conveniently out of sight, and mostly out of mind.

A year or so ago I was thinking about the likelihood of ever playing the horns again, realized that was probably never going to happen, and started to think about what I could do with my old horns – I had three of them. Not knowing what kind of value they had, I figured that they were 50-ish year old instruments, probably worth little and thought about donating them to a local charity. The Charlotte Symphony, for example, has a program for providing instruments to needy kids to study music.

I started checking around and was amazed to discover that there is a healthy market for used, professional quality musical instruments. And unlike old cameras, golf clubs or cassette tapes, they are worth some real money. Not Stradivarius money, but pay-attention-to-me money.

I made inquiries through local colleges and got the name of a guy in Detroit, the bass trombonist for the Detroit Symphony who has a side gig of buying and selling used trombones. I contacted him, we worked out a plan, I had the horns reconditioned at a local music store and delivered them to him in Detroit on our recent trip. He had buyers for them before we got home! Done and done. Turns out they were a pretty good investment – who knew?!?  I don’t think I’ll be buying a new camera with the money (sorry, Jeff!) but I’ll see if I can find something suitable to do with my windfall.

A few days ago Kathy asked me if I was now a former trombonist. I told her that I was more like a reformed trombonist. Not much difference probably, but I understand the distinction!

You’ve Got Mail!

Rural mailboxes near Lac La Belle on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan

During our time in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan, we took a day to explore the countryside and essentially circumnavigate the peninsula.

Rural mailboxes near Lac La Belle on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan

We came across this line of mail boxes near Lac La Belle. It is certainly the most mail boxes I’ve seen in one place! We didn’t count them – feel free if you must! – but we estimated there to be about 20 in each section and 6 sections. I wonder how long it takes the letter carrier to stuff all those boxes?

Rural mailboxes near Lac La Belle on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan

Falling For Falling Water

Upper Tahquamenon Falls, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Michigan

I started the most recent installment of my photographic journey chasing waterfalls in western North Carolina, and still enjoy checking out new-to-me waterfalls during our travels. We recently stopped by Tahquamenon Falls State Park in the U.P. of Michigan to see and photograph the Upper Falls.

Tahquamenon Falls is sometimes referred to as the “root beer falls” due to the amber color of the waters caused by tannins in the cedar swamps from which the river drains. The water really does take on the cast of root beer barrel candies!

Don’t Adjust Your Set….

Piles of Taconite, a form of iron ore pellets used in the production of steel. Seen at the Algoma Steel Company plant located on the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Canada

Kathy & I are currently on a journey through cool, comfortable Michigan. We’ve visited a number of places so I’ll likely be posting images completely out of order as I get to them!

We recently visited Sault Sainte Marie, MI and did a boat cruise (never pass up a boat cruise!) on the Soo Locks. These piles of Taconite are used in the production of steel and were waiting alongside the Algona Steel Company on the St. Marys River. The black piles made me think of the opposite of something like White Sands, NM.

Yellowstone: Mammoth Hot Springs

Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park

We thought we had a pretty good idea what to expect. But when we rounded a curve and caught our first glimpse of the formations of Mammoth Hot Springs, our first thoughts were “is that snow???”

Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park

The first impression of Mammoth Hot Springs is that it can’t be real. It is so different from anything we’ve ever seen that it just doesn’t register. And when one gets closer it looks even stranger, as the patterns, colors and textures of the various deposits defy the logic of our memories.

Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park

After spending a little time studying the springs, it becomes a little more clear what is happening and why. Eventually it begins to make a little sense, although looking at these photos a month later I still have a hard time comprehending what I saw. It was quite an experience and one I’ll remember for a long time.

Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Minerva Trace. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Minerva Trace. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Minerva Trace. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Dryad Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Palette Spring. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Palette Spring. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Palette Spring. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Palette Spring. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Minerva Trace. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Minerva Trace. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Dryad Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Grassy Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Palette Spring. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
View of the Mammoth Hotel and visitor complex from the Main Terrace of Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park

Photographs and stuff!