earthquake lake
My friend’s sister/guide believes she would like to be in the Yellowstone caldera, place where the geothermal activity is concentrated in the park, when the next, inevitable eruption occurs. Her theory is that the catastrophic change to Earth will create a miserable existence for those left to die slowly. People camping along Hebgen Lake in 1959 did not have a chance to think about where they wanted to be at the time of a Yellowstone disaster--an earthquake that measured 7.3. Killing 19 people and creating a engineering nightmare, the Hebgen Lake event was the largest and most damaging earthquake, which are common in the park. Several occur daily, but they are too small to be felt.
virginia city
I dubbed this small town “the Williamsburg of the West.” The entire place is a museum. Rustic, authentic, and full of local stories. Hearing about the hanging of Clubfoot George (and seeing his foot!) cruising the sidewalks of the main street, and walking a dirt, rock side street, I was transported to the time of pioneers, cowboys, and saloons. Juxtaposed to the natural history of the park, this place added another perspective of life before Yellowstone.

big horned sheep
Nothing is more thrilling to a Yellowstone Park visitor than being close to wildlife. My moment came outside the park, but close enough to know wildlife is safe wherever they are in the region. Living in a place where squirrel, deer, and skunk are commonplace and seen lying dead on the side of the road, I do not value urban wildlife as I did in Yellowstone. Maybe it’s because deer and such are numerous, maybe it’s because life in the city is fast, or maybe it’s because humans have detached themselves from the natural world, but I am certain I believe the wildlife of national parks is more important than the wildlife I view everyday.