Yellowstone 1953 | 1953 Travel Attire Travel attire has really changed since 1953. Obviously, jeans and tennis shoes were not in style then. Of course, not everyone traveled so formally. Still, can you imagine traveling cross-country from the midwest to Yellowstone and beyond, dressed in a shirt, tie, and dress pants or a long skirt and dress blouse? To learn more about Yellowstone in 1953, see Yellowstone 1953 | a 7 Image Story.
Yellowstone 1953 | Feeding Deer Well, if you can feed the bears, you should be able to feed the deer too. To learn more about Yellowstone in 1953, see Yellowstone 1953 | a 7 Image Story.
Yellowstone 1953 | Bears in Canyon Camp Of course, black bears in a camp can end up being bad for the bear. This image obviously degraded over the years. Still, the image clearly shows the rustic 1953 camp. To learn more about Yellowstone in 1953, see Yellowstone 1953 | a 7 Image Story.
Yellowstone 1953 | Yellowstone Canyon The Yellowstone River created today’s Yellowstone Canyon. It begins on the slopes of Younts Peak and travels more than 600 miles to North Dakota where it empties into the Missouri River. It’s the longest undammed river in the continental United States. The specific geologic history of the canyon are not clearly understood. The canyon today is 800 to 1,200 feet deep and 1,500 to 4,000 feet wide and was made by erosional forces not glaciation. The canyon is a classic V-shaped valley made by river-type erosion and is still eroding today. Still, when viewing it from Inspiration Point, it does not look like it has changed much since 1953.
After the caldera eruption some 600,000 years ago, the canyon area was faulted by the doming action of the caldera before the eruption. The present canyon as well as previous canyons was probably the result of this faulting, which accelerated the rate of erosion. Still, the present canyon area was also covered by glaciers that followed the volcanic activity. Glacial deposits may have filled the canyon. The present canyon is less then than 10,000 to 14,000 years old.
Yellowstone 1953 | Feeding Bears Yellowstone policy has changed since 1953 and now discourages people from approaching and feeding any wildlife, particularly bears. It’s better for the bears and safer for the visitors. The bears in Yellowstone are wild and unpredictable, no matter how cute they appear. Bears that become dependent on human food and/or become too accustomed to being around humans may become aggressive and need to be killed. To learn more about Yellowstone in 1953, see Yellowstone 1953 | a 7 Image Story.
Yellowstone 1953 | Yellowstone Falls Yellowstone Falls consists of two waterfalls on the Yellowstone River. The Upper Yellowstone Falls are 109 feet high. The 308 feet high Lower Yellowstone Falls is the largest volume waterfall in the Rocky Mountains. This photograph was taken from Inspiration Point, a promontory cliff on the north rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, east of Lower Yellowstone Falls. Although I don’t know the make and model of the camera my relatives used to get this photo, it clearly did not have a telephoto lens. Still, one gets a sense of the magnificent landscape. To learn more about Yellowstone in 1953, see Yellowstone 1953 | a 7 Image Story.
Yellowstone 1953 | White Dome Geyser White Dome Geyser, located in the Lower Geyser Basin only a few feet from Firehole Lake Drive, is a cone-type geyser. Its 12-foot-high geyserite cone is one of the largest in the park. Although Its eruptions are unpredictable, they generally occur within intervals of 15 minutes to 3 hours. Intervals between 20 and 35 minutes are common with 30 feet high eruptions typically lasting 2 to 3 minutes. Obviously, it erupted for my relatives in 1953 when they captured this image. To learn more about Yellowstone in 1953, see Yellowstone 1953 | a 7 Image Story.
Yellowstone 1953 | a 7 Image Story Established on March 1, 1872, Yellowstone National Park is America’s first national park. Obviously, it was open to the public in September of 1953 when my relatives vacationed in the park. The park then was much like it is now; mostly wild, filled with geysers, an array of thermal features, and wildlife. Yet, thermal features change from time to time, particularly after earthquakes. Many improvements have since been made to the infrastructure. Even, wildlife species change along with wildlife management practices.
So, what’s changed since 1953? Well, the basic layout of the park and its road system has remained pretty much the same. Of course, the infrastructure has been upgraded and modernized. To accommodate more visitors, larger hotels, camp grounds, viewing areas, marked trails, etc. have been built.
One of the most noticeable changes relates to approaching and feeding wildlife. Back in the 50’s, visitors were allowed to feed the wildlife. Notice images where people are feeding the deer and even the bears. The park policy has changed and discourages people from approaching and feeding any wildlife. It’s better for the wildlife and safer for the visitors. The animals in Yellowstone are wild and unpredictable, no matter how calm they appear. Animals that become dependent on human food may become aggressive and have to be killed.
And, of course, travel attire has really changed. When looking through the photos from this trip, the clothes on my relatives stood out. Can you imagine traveling cross-country from the midwest to Yellowstone and beyond, dressed in a shirt, tie, and dress pants or a long skirt and dress blouse? Obviously, jeans and tennis shoes were not in style in 1953.
Since 1953, another quite noticeable change came in 1995 when wolves were reintroduced into the park’s ecosystem. Almost all wolves in the US lower 48 had been killed off by 1930. After Yellowstone NP reintroduced them in 1995, Yellowstone became one of the few protected havens for wolves in the country. Currently, Yellowstone has approximately 11 wolf packs containing around 100 wolves. Wild wolves have a lifespan of 7-8 years so populations fluctuate year by year. Wolves are only protected within the park’s boundaries.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Yellowstone 1953.
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