Old Faithful is perhaps the most recognizable symbol of Yellowstone, and although it wasn't one of the parts of the park I cared to immediately see, Canon had a week of
photography workshops in the
Old Faithful area, so I went Sunday to attend one of the workshops while Ingrid got some postcards from the Old Faithful Inn gift shop and people watched.
The weeklong series of workshops began in June at Yosemite, moved to the Grand Canyon and ended with a week in Yellowstone. There were professional photographers to give tips and advice and Canon equipment to demo. I used my own camera but got a few good tips and had a good time.
I didn't take any photos of Old Faithful, but we walked around the geyser basin and took photos of the other geysers in the area. The best one was
Beehive Geyser. It shoots as tall as Old Faithful, but it spouts water like it's coming out of a jet engine. It's also really loud.
On the way back from the Old Faithful area, Ingrid and I stopped at the
West Thumb Geyser Basin, which is right next to Yellowstone Lake, and hiked up to Natural Bridge.
I'd stopped at the Natural Bridge trailhead a couple of times before, but the trail had been closed. Natural Bridge is a 51-foot-high arch formed by water the same way that the arches in Utah's Arches National Park are formed.
From the NPS Web site:
Natural Bridge Trail
The natural bridge is a 51 ft. (18 m) high cliff of rhyolite rock that has been cut through by the erosional forces of Bridge Creek. The trail from the campground meanders through the forest for 1.2 mile (0.8 km). It then joins the road and continues to the right (west) for 1 mile (1.5 km) before reaching the Natural Bridge. The short but steep switchback trail to the top of the bridge starts in front of the interpretive exhibit. To protect this fragile resource, the top of the bridge is closed to hiking. However, good views may be attained next to the bridge. The bicycle trail to the bridge begins just south of the marina off the main road.
The trail is closed from late spring to early summer due to bears feeding on spawning trout in Bridge Creek. Inquire at the Visitor Center about trail closures before hiking or bicycling these trails.
Trailhead: Bridge Bay Marina parking lot near the campground entrance road
Distance: 3 miles (5 km) roundtrip
Level of Difficulty: Easy