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Posted by PAUL (63.238.236.113) on 05:56:43 04/28/21
Think things look bad this year at YNP? Wait 'til next year. Surveys are prepared to upgrade (?) the interior road from Roosevelt all the way to Yellowstone picnic area.....and the bridge.
For early season rendezvousers that means noise, dust, heavy machinery, and probably very little wildlife.
Meantime: frost heaves are evident on the north road to Cooke, and south to Norris. Bison calves are appearing. And a marvel, eared grebes are everywhere. Hardly a Little America pond/lake/wallow hole doesn't sport 20 to 100 of them.
For summer cuisine several "roach coaches" will be added at the fire site. Sinclair station already has three. Time to "bag it". Local restaurants have long wait times with covid rules/lack of help/ and this is not even season! Yikes
Blue birds are still scarce, evening grosbeaks are about, Cassin finches are arriving and magpies now dominate every nook and cranny. They are everywhere in the largest numbers seen in 30 years of coming here.
Upper Terrace road is still closed as is the hoodoo road and Sheepeater picnic area..
Roosevelt is still being "upgraded" and closed with no opening certain. Nothing open at Mammoth yet. Tower, all the way to Canyon is closed. Canyon has snow still. Looks like no service at Canyon for a good while. Forget about view from Washburn for the foreseeable futures. The necessary trucks servicing that "upgrade" are courteous but relentless in their duties. Rock and pebble spillage is very common on the navigable roads.
Drought is a very evident threat. This could be a nasty summer.
Weather has been very nice---for YNP. Snow melt is progressing fast. "Rescue Creek" portion of the Gallatin is eroding badly. There are several slides evident and precarious poses of new ones should heavy rain fall. Now wouldn't that be a mess if slides blocked the water way and flooded China Garden? And speaking of blocking, the path to the swimming hole at Mammoth is closed.
IMHO those that didn't come this Spring, you made a good choice. Those thinking of coming, this year next year, ponder that choice.
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