Day 6: Yellowstone

The weather is predicted to turn cold and rainy/snowy soon, so we wanted to take advantage of today since it was supposed to be relatively warmer (50s) and clear.
We visited the Norris Geyser Basin area, home of the world's largest active geyser (Steamboat Geyser). We didn't get to see it erupt because it erupts erratically and apparently had just had a minor eruption just two days ago. All of the springs and geysers in this area were amazing, otherworldly, and easily accessible by boardwalk. There was one very small geyser that was erupting in the area that we were able to see. On the way into the area, we passed loads off people lined up along the road with very expensive cameras waiting, with high hopes, to see a bear. It was a bit strange.
Next, we tried to find a "secret hike" to Little Gibbon Falls that I had found described on the great blog Dirt in My Shoes. We found a half mile hike to Ice Lake during our first attempt to locate it. The boys went along the snowy path to the picturesque and icy lake, while John and I stayed behind. John didn't remember to pack boots... The boys came back excited, but with soaking wet boots and socks. The snow was not strong enough to hold them in most places and they kept sinking into the drifts.
We went to the Canyon area next. There is a Grand Canyon of Yellowstone in the park. It has two huge falls and colorful red, pink, and yellow walls. It is quite a sight to behold. Many of the paths along the North Rim were closed due to, ironically, a sewage overflow. There was also lots of snow on the paths. We did manage to find a way to walk along the rim for a ways before ominous rain clouds and an increasingly powerful and cold wind made us turn around.
We passed the turnout to Inspiration Point and I pleaded (demanded) that we go around the one-way road loop again to go back to it. Before we did though, we stopped at the Canyon Visitor Center and General Store. We had forgotten to pack extra water and our lunch needed salt, which I had left at the hotel room. Ezi got warm socks and Edon got sunglasses, because his old pair had broke right before the trip. Randomly, we also grabbed a huckleberry soda to split.
We drove back to Inspiration Point. The road was closed, but was free of snow and open for foot traffic. The walk down the road was chilly and a spitting rain started. It was also longer than I expected. The views at the end were worth it, plus it was nice to walk through the snowy forest without having to worry about getting wet feet.
After that, we visited the South Rim of the canyon. Multiple closed paths and spitting rain occurred here as well. Beautiful waterfall views, though!
We wanted to find the secret hike and headed back to the trailhead we had discovered on our way into the Canyon area. We quickly realized snow also covered this path. We forged ahead a little while regardless and John found a clear path along a snowy and gorgeous snaking river. This was not the correct path, but it was fun anyway. We tried to go uphill to see if we could find the path to the falls, but we only found a snowy hill. So, we abandoned the waterfall and used our rain jackets as sleds. It was cold, exhilarating, and extraordinarily memorable.
Everyone now had cold and wet feet. We wanted to head back to the hotel and were stopped for a half hour along the main road as a tow truck worked to retrieve a car that had slid off the road into a tree. Once traffic started moving again, I realized I needed to go pee. We pulled onto a little road that went toward Sheepeater Cliff that advertised a bathroom. We were treated to not only an open restroom, but also fabulous hexagonal basalt columns.
Back in the car, we did one last stop at the Upper Terrace of Mammoth Hot Springs, which was much less exciting than the Lower Terrace. It was still really neat, though.
Back at the hotel, we ate and showered. I was going to work on the blog, but spent 45 minutes looking to see if there was better weather predicted somewhere nearby and considered leaving Yellowstone early. No easy, rain-free solution presented itself. John and I decided we would just cope with the bad weather if we had to. Exhausted, we all went to bed.