My favorite National Park is Yellowstone.
On March 1, this date, in 1872, Yellowstone becomes the world’s first national park.
As they say. We’re Number One! We’re Number One!
These days, under this president, our National Parks are not protected the way they used to be. I find this to be an abomination of our American pride, and joy. I mean, there’s only so much land in these 50 states. We darn well better take care of it. Him. And all of us. But enough of that.
Yellowstone, my favorite. Although I must admit, I haven’t been to all the national parks. Not even close. But this one is so incredibly spectacular in so many ways. First, and most people don’t know this, buy Yellowstone is massive. Yellowstone encompasses 3,472 square miles (2,221,766 acres) which makes it larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined. That always knocks my socks off. I mean, right off.
Next, it is kind of spooky to me. Like the film title, “What Lies Beneath.” There are more than 10,000 hydrothermal features in Yellowstone. Sometimes, the boiling water is so clear, you can look way down into those cauldrons, and see what is lurking underneath our crusty surface. But for the record, the four types of thermal features are geysers, hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. And as I mentioned, there are bunches them.
As a sad part of that, a lot of people have died by plunging into those boiling waters. Most people worry about the Grizzly Bears. And you most likely will see them. But. Since Yellowstone was established in 1872, eight people have been killed by bears in the park. More people in the park have died from drowning (121 incidents), burns (after falling into hot springs, 21 incidents), and suicide (26 incidents) than have been killed by bears. To put it in perspective, the probability of being killed by a bear in the park (8 incidents) is only slightly higher than the probability of being killed by a falling tree (7 incidents), in an avalanche (6 incidents), or being struck and killed by lightning (5 incidents). The big risk is the boiling waters. All of this, since 1872. Millions escape unscathed. Every year. I was one of them. I think this makes me an adventurer.
Another great part is the land’s history. The ancient people loved that region too. There are more than 1,800 known archaeological sites within the park. And. The human history of the Yellowstone region goes back more than 11,000 years. From found artifacts, you see.
I could list all sorts of facts and figures about the park. But when you visit, you will see the wildlife. It’s everywhere you turn. And, I’ve already brought up the Grizzly Bears. Yellowstone is home to the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states. There are, at last count, 67 species tromping around there. That, of course, does not include all the birds. There are 285 species of those. The only time I’ve been there, I had so much fun every time we saw someone new. My favorite friends were those little standing-up prairie dogs.
Since we referred to bears, we may as well mention Yogi. I think I started loving Yellowstone, since Yogi’s been there at Jellystone. I must admit. The entire time I was at the park, I walked around doing my Yogi imitation. “Hey, Boo Boo. Did you grab the picnic basket, Boo Boo?”
As you can see, I am fond of this place, this good place on our Earth, in our country. I’ve had the good fortune of visiting, experiencing, knowing, all this wonder. I only hope it is cared for, preserved, cherished, for a long time to come. It, and all our other National Parks. So that many others may know this gift.
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The good man is the friend of all living things.
— Mahatma Gandhi
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To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival.
— Wendell Berry
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We still do not know one-thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us.
— Albert Einstein
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One for the road.
Finally, this park is so good, it is funny at times too. I can’t bear it.
A Russian scientist and a Czechoslovakian scientist had spent their whole lives studying the majestic grizzly bear. Each year they petitioned their respective governments to allow them to go to Yellowstone to study these wondrous beasts.
Finally, their request was granted and they immediately flew to New York and then on west to Yellowstone. They reported to the local ranger station and were told that it was the grizzly mating season and it was much too dangerous to go out and study the animals.
They pleaded that this was their only chance. Finally, the ranger relented. The Russian and the Czech were given cell phones and told to report in each and every day.
For several days they called in, and then nothing was heard from the two scientists. The rangers mounted a search party and found the scientists’ camp completely ravaged. No sign of the missing men.
They then followed the trail of a male and a female bear. They found the female and decided they must kill the animal to find out if she had eaten the scientists because they feared an international incident.
They killed the female and cut open the bear’s stomach… only to find the remains of the Russian.
One ranger turned to the other and said, “You know what this means, don’t you?”
“Of course,” the other ranger nodded. “The Czech is in the male.”
