Monday, August 25, 2008
More Photos (II) of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, Montana, U.S.A and Alberta, Canada (August 5-7, 2008)
The “Garden Wall,” a knife-edged ridge (known as an arete) along the Continental Divide, was formed by glaciers on either side
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, Montana, U.S.A and Alberta, Canada (August 5-7, 2008)
In 1932, Glacier National Park (Montana, U.S.A.; founded 1910) and Waterton Lakes National Park (Alberta, Canada; founded 1895) were officially joined as the world's first International Peace Park. While the parks are administered separately, the two sections cooperate in wildlife and vegetation management, search and rescue, and joint interpretive programs and exhibits. In the 1970s, the park was named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and in 1995, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Going-to-the-Sun Road, a 50-mile highway that traverses the Montana section of the park from west to east, is considered an engineering feat and one of the most scenic drives in North America. Opened in 1933, it’s a National Historic Landmark and still one of the biggest attractions of the park.
But with more than 1 million acres of land encompassing old-growth forests, prairie grasslands, lakes, glaciers, a diverse plant and wildlife population, and 700+ miles of hiking trails, Glacier rewards visitors who choose to get out of the car and explore on foot.
Going-to-the-Sun Road, a 50-mile highway that traverses the Montana section of the park from west to east, is considered an engineering feat and one of the most scenic drives in North America. Opened in 1933, it’s a National Historic Landmark and still one of the biggest attractions of the park.
But with more than 1 million acres of land encompassing old-growth forests, prairie grasslands, lakes, glaciers, a diverse plant and wildlife population, and 700+ miles of hiking trails, Glacier rewards visitors who choose to get out of the car and explore on foot.
Lake McDonald, near the west entrance in Montana, is the park’s largest lake (at 10 miles long and 472 feet deep) and a prime rock-skipping location
More Photos (III) from Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, U.S.A. (August 3-5, 2008)
One of the most photographed views of park: 308-foot Lower Falls, framed by the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The canyon is 20 miles long, 1,000+ feet deep and 1,500-4,000 feet across; the multicolored walls come from hydrothermally altered rhyolite and sediments.
More Photos (II) from Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, U.S.A. (August 3-5, 2008)
Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, U.S.A. (August 3-5, 2008)
Spanning three states and approximately 2.2 million acres, Yellowstone NP is in a league of its own. It became the world’s first national park in 1872, and has since been named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site.
A series of massive volcanic eruptions that took place 2 million years ago, 1.3 million years ago and 640,000 years ago shaped Yellowstone into its present form. A 30- by 45-mile caldera (a collapsed magma chamber) in the heart of the park, formed by the most recent eruption, displays the volcanic heritage – and potential – of the area: magmatic heat still powers the park’s many geysers, hot springs, fumaroles and mudpots. In fact, Yellowstone contains half of all the world’s known geothermal features, and it has the highest concentration of geysers in the world (two thirds of all those on the planet).
Aside from the hydrothermal wonderland that first drew curious visitors, Yellowstone has a diverse range of landscapes to explore, from near-desert in the north to subalpine meadows and forests in the east. Mountains surround the volcanic plateau, a deep canyon cuts through the northeast, and the Continental Divide winds its way through the southern part of the park. Today, visitors come just as much to see the abundant wildlife that roam the park, including bison, elk, grizzly and black bears, moose, big horn sheep, wolves, coyotes, deer and a host of fish and birds.
With nearly 1,000 miles of trails, it could take a lifetime to see all that Yellowstone has to offer. But armed with a good map and helpful trail guides from the many visitor centers, one can make a valiant effort to at least see the highlights.
A series of massive volcanic eruptions that took place 2 million years ago, 1.3 million years ago and 640,000 years ago shaped Yellowstone into its present form. A 30- by 45-mile caldera (a collapsed magma chamber) in the heart of the park, formed by the most recent eruption, displays the volcanic heritage – and potential – of the area: magmatic heat still powers the park’s many geysers, hot springs, fumaroles and mudpots. In fact, Yellowstone contains half of all the world’s known geothermal features, and it has the highest concentration of geysers in the world (two thirds of all those on the planet).
Aside from the hydrothermal wonderland that first drew curious visitors, Yellowstone has a diverse range of landscapes to explore, from near-desert in the north to subalpine meadows and forests in the east. Mountains surround the volcanic plateau, a deep canyon cuts through the northeast, and the Continental Divide winds its way through the southern part of the park. Today, visitors come just as much to see the abundant wildlife that roam the park, including bison, elk, grizzly and black bears, moose, big horn sheep, wolves, coyotes, deer and a host of fish and birds.
With nearly 1,000 miles of trails, it could take a lifetime to see all that Yellowstone has to offer. But armed with a good map and helpful trail guides from the many visitor centers, one can make a valiant effort to at least see the highlights.
Yellowstone’s most famous attraction: Old Faithful geyser. The people gathered to the right of the photo will give a sense of perspective. Old Faithful erupts approximately every 90 minutes, and an eruption expels 3,700-8,400 gallons of boiling water, reaching a height of 106-184 feet.
Excelsior Geyser at Midway Geyser Basin produces about 4,000 gallons of scalding water every minute. When this geyser erupted in 1985, it continued for two whole days!
Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone’s largest hot spring, at Midway Geyser Basin. The bright colors found in and around the thermal areas are formed by heat-loving microorganisms (thermophiles) such as algae, bacteria and archaea.
Monday, August 18, 2008
More Photos from Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, U.S.A. (August 1-3, 2008)
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, U.S.A. (August 1-3, 2008)
The jagged peaks of the Teton Range tower over the Jackson Hole valley, providing a dramatic landscape that makes Grand Teton NP one of the most scenic parks of the West. Add to that more than 250 miles of maintained hiking trails, an abundance of lakes and rivers for boating or fishing, and extensive mountaineering territory, and Grand Teton can easily keep visitors happily exhausted for days.
Approximately 10 million years ago, earthquakes along the Teton fault caused today’s mountains to rise and the valley floor to drop; over time, wind, rain, ice and glaciers slowly eroded the range and sculpted the landscape. Then, starting two million years ago, massive glaciers flowing south from Yellowstone further carved the skyline and deposited moraines along the base of the range, forming the lakes that visitors enjoy today.
Grand Teton NP encompasses a variety of communities, including alpine, forests, sagebrush flats, wet meadows and wetlands, as well as lakes, ponds and rivers. Local wildlife includes black and grizzly bears, moose, elk, deer, coyotes, wolves, bald eagles, great horned owls, beavers, river otters and the ever-present chipmunk.
In 1897, the Tetons first received government protection as the Teton Forest Reserve; Grand Teton NP was first established in 1929, then later expanded in 1950 – after much controversy – to its current boundaries.
Approximately 10 million years ago, earthquakes along the Teton fault caused today’s mountains to rise and the valley floor to drop; over time, wind, rain, ice and glaciers slowly eroded the range and sculpted the landscape. Then, starting two million years ago, massive glaciers flowing south from Yellowstone further carved the skyline and deposited moraines along the base of the range, forming the lakes that visitors enjoy today.
Grand Teton NP encompasses a variety of communities, including alpine, forests, sagebrush flats, wet meadows and wetlands, as well as lakes, ponds and rivers. Local wildlife includes black and grizzly bears, moose, elk, deer, coyotes, wolves, bald eagles, great horned owls, beavers, river otters and the ever-present chipmunk.
In 1897, the Tetons first received government protection as the Teton Forest Reserve; Grand Teton NP was first established in 1929, then later expanded in 1950 – after much controversy – to its current boundaries.