Original subtitles

♪

IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER \h\h\h\h\h\hOF WYOMING

\h\h\h\hLIES A TRULY MAGNIFICENT WORLD...

RINGED BY TOWERING MOUNTAINS...

AND A COLOSSAL DOME OF LAVA, \h\h\h\h\h\hCOVERED IN PINES.

IT’S A LAND FORGED

BY THE MIGHTIEST FORCES \h\h\h\hON OUR PLANET--

\h\h\h\h\h\hTECTONIC COLLISIONS THAT HAVE THRUST GRANITE PEAKS

MORE THAN 13,000 FEET \h\h\hINTO THE SKY...

SUPER-HEATED GEYSERS

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT EXPLODE OUT OF THE EARTH BELOW...

\h\h\h\h\hAND RAGING WATERS THAT HAVE THE POWER TO AWE.

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS AND WILDFIRES HAVE DEVASTATED ITS LAND,

\h\h\h\hBUT ITS FERTILE VALLEYS ARE STILL HOME TO MORE MAMMALS

THAN ANYWHERE ELSE \hIN THE LOWER 48.

♪

WITH ITS STAGGERING BEAUTY...

FRAGILE CREATURES...

[SQUAWKING]

AND COLORFUL SPRINGS

\h\h\h\hTHAT MAY HOLD SECRETS ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF LIFE...

\h\h\h\hTHIS IS ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE ECOSYSTEMS ON EARTH.

A PLACE CALLED YELLOWSTONE.

♪

♪

♪

♪

AS SOON AS THE FIRST RAYS \h\h\h\hOF MORNING LIGHT

HIT THE GREAT GRANITE FORMS \h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE TETONS,

ON WYOMING’S WESTERN BORDER,

YOU CAN ALREADY SENSE THAT THIS IS NO ORDINARY WORLD.

♪

THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST \h\h\hDISTINCTIVE LANDFORMS

IN AMERICA.

\h\h\h\hTHE TALLEST, KNOWN AS GRAND TETON,

SOARS 13,770 FEET INTO THE SKY.

THIS GIANT HUNK OF GRANITE

HAS BEEN PUSHING UP \hOUT OF THE GROUND

FOR JUST 10 MILLION YEARS.

\hIT’S ONE OF THE YOUNGEST MOUNTAINS IN THE ROCKIES.

\h\h\hBUT THE ROCK IT’S MADE OF IS SOME OF THE OLDEST ON EARTH.

THE TETONS HAVE BEEN FORMED

BY A CLASH OF TECTONIC PLATES \h\h\h\hIN THE EARTH’S CRUST.

\hAS THOSE PLATES COLLIDE, THEY TRIGGER EARTHQUAKES,

\h\h\h\h\hWHICH PUSH UP LAYERS OF ANCIENT ROCK, INCH BY INCH,

INTO THESE FORMS WE SEE TODAY.

\h\h\hONE REASON THE TETONS ARE SO SHARP AT THEIR TIPS

\h\h\h\h\hIS BECAUSE EROSION HASN’T YET ROUNDED THE EDGES

OF THESE YOUTHFUL MOUNTAINS

AND WHITTLED THEM DOWN.

THEIR JAGGED SHAPES

\h\hARE WHAT MAKE THEM SO EASILY RECOGNIZABLE.

♪

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE TETONS LIE IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT’S KNOWN

\h\h\h\hAS THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE ECOSYSTEM,

\h\h\hWHICH STRETCHES FROM SOUTHERN WYOMING

ACROSS THE NORTHERN CORNER \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE STATE,

WEST INTO IDAHO

AND NORTH INTO MONTANA.

\hAND AT THE HEART OF THIS VAST REGION

ARE THE 2.2 MILLION ACRES \hOF PROTECTED WILDERNESS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT MAKE UP YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.

♪

\h\h\hWHEN YOU DESCEND INTO THE VALLEYS OF YELLOWSTONE,

\h\h\hIT CAN SEEM LIKE A VERY PEACEFUL WORLD.

BUT DEEP UNDER THESE MOUNTAINS, \h\h\h\h\h\hRIVERS, AND FORESTS

\h\h\h\hIS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST DESTRUCTIVE VOLCANIC FORCES

ON THE PLANET--

A GIANT PLUME OF RISING MAGMA

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hKNOWN AS THE YELLOWSTONE HOTSPOT.

FOR THE PAST 2 MILLION YEARS,

\hTHIS SUPER VOLCANO HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE

FOR CATASTROPHIC ERUPTIONS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSO POWERFUL

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY’VE COVERED MUCH OF THE CONTINENT WITH ASH.

\h\h\h\hBUT IT’S ALSO WHAT HAS GIVEN BIRTH

\h\hTO MANY OF THE WONDERS OF YELLOWSTONE’S LANDSCAPE.

IN 1870,

ONE MAN SUDDENLY FOUND HIMSELF \h\h\h\h\h\hLOST AND ALL ALONE

IN THIS FORBIDDING WORLD.

♪

HIS NAME WAS TRUMAN EVERTS,

AND HE WAS ANYTHING BUT A MOUNTAIN MAN.

\h\hHE HAD BEEN THE INTERNAL REVENUE OFFICER FOR MONTANA,

\h\hBUT WAS UNEMPLOYED WHEN HE GOT THE CHANCE

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO TAKE PART IN THE FIRST MAJOR EXPEDITION

INTO THE YELLOWSTONE REGION, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hON HORSEBACK.

WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM HERE

\h\h\hWOULD SOON BE A WARNING TO OTHERS

ABOUT THE RISKS OF EXPLORING \hTHIS REMOTE VOLCANIC LAND.

IT ALL BEGAN IN THICK FORESTS

\h\hON THE SOUTH SIDE OF YELLOWSTONE LAKE,

\h\h\h\h\hWHEN EVERTS SOMEHOW GOT SEPARATED

FROM HIS FELLOW EXPLORERS.

SOON AFTER, HIS HORSE BOLTED,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hALONG WITH ALMOST ALL OF HIS SUPPLIES AND HIS GUN.

\h\h\h\h\hBY NIGHTFALL, HE WAS COMPLETELY ALONE

IN THIS WILD LANDSCAPE \h\hOF LAKES AND TREES.

\h\h\h\hALL HE HAD LEFT WAS A COUPLE OF KNIVES,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAN OPERA GLASS, AND THE CLOTHES ON HIS BACK.

OVER THE COMING DAYS,

HIS FRUITLESS SEARCH \hFOR HIS COMPANIONS

BROUGHT HIM TO THIS RIVER...

AND THE SHORES OF HEART LAKE.

THIS IS STILL

ONE OF THE MOST REMOTE AREAS OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK TODAY.

♪

EVERTS SPENT MOST OF ONE NIGHT \h\h\h\h\h\hHIGH UP IN A TREE,

\h\h\hTRYING TO ESCAPE A HUNGRY MOUNTAIN LION

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT GROWLED AND PACED THE EARTH BELOW HIM.

IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED,

HE SUFFERED A REMARKABLE SERIES \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF MISFORTUNES.

HE MANAGED TO LOSE \hBOTH HIS KNIVES.

NOT FAR FROM THE LAKE,

HE SLEPT NEAR SOME THERMAL POOLS TO STAY WARM.

BUT ONE NIGHT, IN HIS SLEEP,

HE ROLLED ONTO A STEAMING VENT

AND SCALDED ONE OF HIS HIPS.

\h\h\hHE EVEN ESCAPED A RAGING FOREST FIRE

THAT HE HAD STARTED HIMSELF \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBY ACCIDENT

AND HAD BURNED OFF MUCH OF HIS HAIR.

\h\h\h\hEVERY DAY HE GOT MORE AND MORE DELIRIOUS,

\h\h\h\h\hAND OLD FRIENDS STARTED SPEAKING TO HIM.

ONE OF THESE PHANTOM COMPANIONS \h\hENCOURAGED HIM TO FORGE ON

\h\h\hUNTIL HE REACHED THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER.

♪

\hIT WAS ON HIS 37th DAY ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS

THAT EVERTS SUDDENLY HEARD A VOICE CALLING HIS NAME.

\h\h\hIT WAS A BOUNTY HUNTER KNOWN AS "YELLOWSTONE JACK."

WHEN EVERTS WAS FINALLY RESCUED,

HE WEIGHED JUST 90 POUNDS

AND WAS WHAT ONE MAN \h\h\hLATER DESCRIBED

AS "NOTHING BUT A SHADOW."

AT FIRST, HE WAS MISTAKEN \hFOR A SMALL MANGY BEAR.

\h\h\h\h\hEVERTS PUBLISHED AN ACCOUNT OF HIS SURVIVAL,

\h\hWHICH HE CALLED "37 DAYS OF PERIL."

\h\h\h\h\hSOME QUESTIONED HOW MUCH OF IT WAS TRUE.

BUT IT SUCCEEDED IN PAINTING \h\hA PICTURE OF YELLOWSTONE

\h\h\h\h\hAS A STRANGE AND FRIGHTENING PLACE,

WHICH ONLY INSPIRED OTHERS

TO WANT TO COME AND SEE IT \h\h\h\h\h\hFOR THEMSELVES.

♪

TODAY, THE LURE OF YELLOWSTONE

IS STILL JUST AS STRONG AS IT WAS 150 YEARS AGO.

\h\hTHIS TRAIL RUNS FOR ALMOST 17 MILES

\h\hUP WHAT’S KNOWN AS SPECIMEN RIDGE.

IT GIVES HIKERS THE CHANCE

\h\h\h\h\hTO EXPERIENCE THE YELLOWSTONE REGION

\hJUST AS NATIVE AMERICANS, TRAPPERS, AND EXPLORERS DID

WHEN THEY FIRST MADE THEIR WAY ACROSS THESE VAST OPEN SPACES.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMANY PARTS OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

ARE STILL AS WILD AS THEY WERE \h\h\h\hTHOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO.

\h\h\h\h\hONE OF THEM IS THE HAYDEN VALLEY.

♪

UNDER THIS MORNING MIST

\h\h\h\hLIES ONE OF AMERICA’S MOST MAGNIFICENT LANDSCAPES--

A VAST FERTILE GRASSLAND

\h\h\h\h\hFED BY STREAMS THAT WIND THROUGH IT LIKE RIBBONS.

♪

ONCE, THE HAYDEN VALLEY

WAS COVERED BY THE WATERS \h\h\h\hOF A GIANT LAKE.

\h\hBUT, OVER TIME, THE LAKE RETREATED,

AND EVENTUALLY GLACIERS \h\hFILLED THE VALLEY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWHEN THOSE GREAT RIVERS OF ICE MELTED,

ROUGHLY 13,000 YEARS AGO,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY LEFT BEHIND DEPOSITS OF CLAY AND SEDIMENT.

THAT NUTRIENT-RICH SOIL

IS WHAT FEEDS THE GRASSES OF THE HAYDEN VALLEY TODAY

\h\hAND HAS TURNED IT INTO A PRIME HABITAT

FOR SOME OF NORTH AMERICA’S \hMOST POWERFUL PREDATORS.

♪

IT’S EARLY JUNE,

\h\h\h\h\hAND THE LARGEST WOLF PACK IN YELLOWSTONE

IS ON THE HUNT.

CALLED THE WAPITI LAKE PACK,

IT’S ROUGHLY 20 WOLVES STRONG.

\hSOME MEMBERS OF THE PACK ARE FINISHING OFF A RECENT KILL--

AN ELK.

TODAY, THERE ARE ABOUT 100 WOLVES

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hINSIDE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.

\h\h\hCENTURIES AGO, THERE WERE MANY MORE.

BUT IN THE 1800s,

WESTWARD EXPANSION AND HUNTING \h\hREDUCED THEIR POPULATIONS.

AND STARTING IN 1900,

U.S. GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED HUNTS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hREMOVED THEM FROM YELLOWSTONE COMPLETELY.

♪

\h\h\hIN 1995, WOLVES WERE REINTRODUCED INTO THE PARK

\h\hTO TRY AND RESTORE THIS ENDANGERED SPECIES

\h\hTO ONE OF THEIR ORIGINAL HABITATS.

THEY QUICKLY MADE A COMEBACK.

TODAY, THERE ARE 11 DIFFERENT \h\h\hPACKS INSIDE THE PARK,

AND THEIR TRACKING COLLARS

\h\h\hENABLE THEM TO BE STUDIED AND MONITORED.

EACH PACK CAN RANGE OVER HUNDREDS OF SQUARE MILES

IN ITS SEARCH FOR FOOD.

BUT THE WAPITI LAKE PACK

\h\hOFTEN HUNTS HERE, IN THE HAYDEN VALLEY.

\h\h\hTHESE CREATURES MAY BE TOP PREDATORS IN YELLOWSTONE,

\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT THEY ARE SURPRISINGLY VULNERABLE.

THEY OFTEN KILL EACH OTHER

\h\h\hIN BATTLES OVER TERRITORY AND MATES.

\h\hSOME HAVE BEEN CRITICALLY INJURED

BY THE PREY THEY HUNT.

ONE DIRECT KICK IN THE JAW \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFROM AN ELK

CAN EASILY KILL A WOLF.

AND SOME WOLVES

THAT HAVE STRAYED OUTSIDE \h\hTHE PARK’S BOUNDARIES

HAVE BEEN SHOT BY HUNTERS.

BUT NOW, DURING SPRINGTIME,

\h\h\h\hTHESE WOLVES HAVE PLENTY OF PREY.

AND WITH A PACK THIS BIG,

THEY CAN EVEN TAKE DOWN \h\h\h\hAN ADULT BISON.

♪

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hPEERING DOWN ON YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

FROM ABOVE

\h\h\hIS A CHANCE TO WITNESS AN AMAZING ARRAY OF CREATURES

AS THEY TRY TO SURVIVE \h\h\h\h\hONE MORE DAY

IN THIS WILD VOLCANIC WORLD.

\h\h\h\hBUT IT ALSO MAY BE THE BEST WAY TO UNDERSTAND

\hHOW CATASTROPHIC GEOLOGICAL EVENTS

HAVE FORMED AND SCULPTED

YELLOWSTONE’S MOUNTAINS, \h\hVALLEYS, AND CANYONS.

♪

THIS 24-MILE-LONG CHASM,

CALLED THE GRAND CANYON \h\hOF THE YELLOWSTONE,

IS ONE OF THEM.

♪

THE WALLS OF THIS CANYON PLUNGE \h\h\h1,200 FEET INTO THE EARTH

\h\h\hAND HOLD THE WATERS OF THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER.

♪

GEOLOGISTS BELIEVE IT BEGAN ITS LIFE

AS A LONG FRACTURE IN THE EARTH,

CREATED BY VOLCANIC FORCES

AS THEY PUSHED UP THE CRUST THAT COVERS THE YELLOWSTONE HOTSPOT.

OVER TIME, THERMAL VENTS HELPED BREAK UP THE LAVA

THAT LINE ITS WALLS.

WATER STARTED RUNNING ALONG \hTHE FLOOR OF THE CANYON,

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND EROSION FROM WIND, RAIN, AND MELTING SNOW

\h\h\hALSO OXIDIZED AND EXPOSED COLORFUL MINERALS IN THE EARTH.

\h\h\h\hSOME HAVE CLAIMED THAT THE YELLOW WALLS OF THIS CANYON

\h\h\hWERE THE INSPIRATION FOR THE NAME "YELLOWSTONE."

BUT IT PROBABLY COMES INSTEAD

FROM A NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBE \h\h\hCALLED THE MINNETAREE,

WHO NAMED THE RIVER \h\h"STONE YELLOW"

AFTER THE SANDSTONE BLUFFS \h\h\h\hTHAT LINE ITS BANKS

DOWNSTREAM IN MONTANA.

♪

\hWHERE THE GRAND CANYON OF THE YELLOWSTONE STARTS

IS ONE OF THE MOST CAPTIVATING SIGHTS

IN THE AMERICAN WEST--

\h\h\hTHE GREAT CASCADE OF YELLOWSTONE’S LOWER FALLS.

♪

\h\hWHEN AN EARLY EXPEDITION OF EXPLORERS ARRIVED HERE IN 1870,

\h\h\h\hTHEY CLIMBED OVER ROCKS AT THE TOP

AND DANGLED STRINGS, DARINGLY, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOVER THE EDGE

\h\h\hTO TRY AND MEASURE THE HEIGHT OF THE FALLS.

THE LEGENDARY MOUNTAIN MAN \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hJIM BRIDGER

HAD CLAIMED THEY PLUNGED \h\h\h\hA THOUSAND FEET.

♪

THEIR ACTUAL HEIGHT IS 308,

WHICH IS ALMOST TWICE THE HEIGHT OF NIAGARA FALLS.

♪

♪

DURING THE LAST MAJOR ERUPTIONS OF YELLOWSTONE’S SUPER VOLCANO,

ROUGHLY 640,000 YEARS AGO,

MASSIVE QUANTITIES OF MAGMA \h\hPOURED OUT OF THE EARTH

\h\h\h\hAND FILLED IN THE FLOOR OF THE VOLCANO’S GIANT CALDERA.

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE LANDSCAPE THESE LAVA FLOWS CREATED

\hWASN’T VERY FRIENDLY TO PLANTS AND ANIMALS.

\h\hBUT OVER TIME, ONE SPECIES OF TREE

\h\hMANAGED TO THRIVE ON THE SHALLOW EARTH

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT COVERS ALL THIS HARDENED LAVA.

THEY’RE CALLED LODGEPOLE PINES,

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND THEY MAKE UP 80% OF ALL THE TREES IN YELLOWSTONE.

♪

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hONE REASON THIS SPECIES THRIVES HERE

IS BECAUSE LODGEPOLE PINES HAVE SHALLOW ROOT SYSTEMS

THAT CAN CLING TO THE THIN LAYER OF EARTH THAT COVERS THE LAVA.

BUT EVERY YEAR,

WILDFIRES DESTROY VAST SWATHS \h\hOF FOREST IN YELLOWSTONE.

THE LARGEST SERIES OF FIRES, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN 1988,

CAUSED THE ENTIRE PARK \h\h\h\hTO BE EVACUATED

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND BURNED CLOSE TO 800,000 ACRES.

BUT LODGEPOLE PINES

HAVE AN AMAZING ABILITY \h\h\h\hTO REGENERATE,

THANKS TO A SECRET WEAPON \h\h\h\hTHAT THEY DEPLOY

\hWHEN THEY ARE ON THE VERGE OF DEATH.

♪

THESE PINE TREES ARE EQUIPPED \hWITH A SPECIAL KIND OF CONE.

UNDER INTENSE HEAT \h\hFROM WILDFIRES,

THEY BURST OPEN

AND SHOOT THEIR SEEDS OUT \hACROSS THE FOREST FLOOR.

♪

\h\h\hAS STANDING TREES ARE ENGULFED IN FLAMES,

THEY ARE ALREADY GIVING BIRTH TO NEW ONES THAT WILL REPLACE THEM.

IT’S ONE OF THE MANY WAYS

THAT YELLOWSTONE’S ECOSYSTEM \hIS EQUIPPED TO BOUNCE BACK

FROM CATASTROPHIC EVENTS.

♪

\hTO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR FIRES THAT COULD BURN OUT OF CONTROL,

RANGERS ARE STATIONED HERE \h\hAT THIS LOOKOUT TOWER.

IT STANDS ON THE SUMMIT

OF THE 10,243-FOOT-HIGH \h\h\h\hMOUNT WASHBURN.

BUT WITH MORE THAN 10,000 \h\hHYDROTHERMAL FEATURES

IN YELLOWSTONE,

EVEN RANGERS AT THIS STATION NEED TO HAVE A TRAINED EYE.

♪

AS HEAT AND STEAM FROM VENTS, FUMAROLES, POOLS, AND GEYSERS

HITS THE WINTER AIR,

IT’S EASY TO BELIEVE \h\hTHAT YELLOWSTONE

IS BEING RAVAGED BY FIRE.

IT CAN EVEN LOOK LIKE \hTHERE’S AN INFERNO

RAGING UNDER THE EARTH ITSELF.

WHEN EUROPEAN TRAPPERS, \h\h\h\h\hMOUNTAIN MEN,

AND OTHER BRAVE SOULS

JOURNEYED INTO YELLOWSTONE IN THE EARLY 19th CENTURY,

\hTHEY OFTEN CAME BACK WITH FANTASTICAL TALES

OF WHAT THEY HAD SEEN.

IN 1829, A 19-YEAR-OLD TRAPPER \h\h\h\h\h\h\hNAMED JOSEPH MEEK

WROTE IN HIS DIARY THAT

"THE WHOLE COUNTRY

WAS SMOKING WITH THE VAPOR \h\h\hFROM BOILING SPRINGS.

INTERSPERSED AMONG THESE \h\hWERE LARGER CRATERS,

\h\h\h\h\h\hSOME OF THEM FOUR TO SIX MILES ACROSS.

OUT OF THESE ISSUED BLUE FLAMES \h\h\h\hAND MOLTEN BRIMSTONE."

THE LARGEST HOT SPRING \h\h\h\hIN YELLOWSTONE,

CALLED GRAND PRISMATIC SPRING,

IS ENORMOUS,

WITH A DIAMETER OF 370 FEET.

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT ALSO MAKES IT THE THIRD LARGEST IN THE WORLD.

\h\h\h\h\hBUT IT’S NOWHERE CLOSE TO THE SIZE THAT MEEK DESCRIBED.

NEVERTHELESS,

COLORFUL AND EXAGGERATED \h\h\h\h\hTALES LIKE HIS

\h\h\h\h\h\hGOT PEOPLE MORE AND MORE INTRIGUED

\h\hABOUT THIS WILD AND REMOTE REGION.

♪

\h\h\h\hBY THE MIDDLE OF THE 19th CENTURY,

RUMORS WERE SPREADING ABOUT WHAT LAY INSIDE

THE MYSTERIOUS REGION \hCALLED YELLOWSTONE.

AFTER THE U.S. GOVERNMENT

AUTHORIZED THE NEW TERRITORIES \h\h\h\hOF MONTANA AND WYOMING

IN THE 1860s,

THERE WAS ALSO GROWING INTEREST \h\h\h\hBY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

\h\hTO EXPLORE EVERY CORNER OF THESE NEW WESTERN LANDS.

FINALLY, IN 1870,

\h\h\hTHE SURVEYOR GENERAL, A MAN NAMED HENRY WASHBURN,

LED THE FIRST MAJOR EXPEDITION \h\h\h\h\h\h\hINTO YELLOWSTONE.

♪

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hON AUGUST 22nd, THE 19 MEMBERS OF THE PARTY,

\h\hKNOWN AS THE WASHBURN- LANGFORD-DOANE EXPEDITION,

SET OFF FROM FORT ELLIS \hIN BOZEMAN, MONTANA,

ON HORSEBACK.

THIS FARM NOW LIES ON THE SITE \h\h\h\h\hOF THAT FORMER FORT,

WHICH IS NO LONGER STANDING.

WASHBURN AND THE OTHERS MADE THEIR WAY ACROSS THE PLATEAU

AND ALONG THE RIM

OF THE GRAND CANYON OF THE YELLOWSTONE.

\hA FEW DAYS LATER, THEY THOUGHT THEY SAW SMOKE IN THE DISTANCE.

\h\h\h\h\hBUT REALIZING IT WAS ACTUALLY STEAM,

THEY CELEBRATED.

\h\hFINALLY, THEY WERE CLOSE TO THE MYSTERIOUS THERMAL FEATURES

\h\h\h\hTHEY HAD HEARD SO MANY STORIES ABOUT.

\h\h\hWHEN THEY REACHED THE UPPER GEYSER BASIN,

\h\h\hTHIS WAS ONE OF THE VERY FIRST SIGHTS

THEY SET EYES ON.

SINCE THEY THOUGHT IT LOOKED \h\hLIKE TURRETS ON A CASTLE,

THEY NAMED IT "CASTLE GEYSER."

\hIT STILL ERUPTS EVERY 10-12 HOURS

AND SENDS A STREAM OF WATER UP TO 90 FEET INTO THE SKY.

♪

AS THEY MAPPED, MEASURED, \h\h\h\h\hAND DOCUMENTED

EVERYTHING THEY SAW,

\h\h\h\h\hTHEY NAMED MANY MORE OF YELLOWSTONE’S IMPRESSIVE SIGHTS.

♪

\h\h\h\h\h\hAFTER WATCHING THE WATERS OF A SMALL CREEK

\h\h\hRACE THROUGH THIS NARROW CHANNEL

\h\h\hAND THEN PLUNGE TO THE VALLEY BELOW,

THEY NAMED THIS SITE \h\h\h\h"TOWER FALL."

\hBUT SINCE THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF WATERFALLS IN YELLOWSTONE,

BIG AND SMALL,

\h\hTHERE WERE FAR TOO MANY FOR THE EXPEDITION TO NAME.

♪

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hONE OUTCOME OF THE WASHBURN EXPEDITION

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWAS THAT MORE AND MORE SCIENTISTS

STARTED GETTING CURIOUS \h\hABOUT YELLOWSTONE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN 1871, THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

\h\h\h\hBACKED PLANS FOR A NEW EXPEDITION

TO THOROUGHLY DOCUMENT \hTHE REGION’S PLANTS,

ANIMALS, AND MINERALS

\hAND TO MAP ITS LAKES AND THERMAL FEATURES.

IT WAS LED BY A GEOLOGIST \hNAMED FERDINAND HAYDEN.

WITH THEM WAS A PHOTOGRAPHER, \h\h\hWILLIAM HENRY JACKSON.

LUGGING 300 POUNDS OF GEAR,

INCLUDING HIS LARGE FORMAT \h\hBLACK-AND-WHITE CAMERA,

JACKSON TOOK THE FIRST-EVER \h\h\h\hPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES

OF YELLOWSTONE.

♪

BUT IT WAS AN OIL PAINTER \h\h\h\hON THE EXPEDITION

NAMED THOMAS MORAN

WHO BROUGHT IT ALL ALIVE

IN FULL-BLOWN COLOR.

♪

MORAN’S MOST FAMOUS PAINTING \h\h\hIS OF THE LOWER FALLS,

VIEWED FROM INSIDE

\hTHE GRAND CANYON OF THE YELLOWSTONE.

\h\hTHE IMAGES AND SPECIMENS THAT HAYDEN’S TEAM COLLECTED

WERE PUT ON DISPLAY \h\h\hIN WASHINGTON

AND HELPED ENERGIZE A MOVEMENT

\h\h\h\h\h\hTO CONVINCE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

\h\h\h\h\hTO SET ASIDE AND PROTECT YELLOWSTONE

AS A HUGE PUBLIC PARK.

\hIT TOOK THREE TRIES TO GET CONGRESS TO VOTE ON THE BILL.

\h\hBUT WHEN IT DID, ON FEBRUARY 27, 1872,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT PASSED, WITH 115 VOTES IN FAVOR.

\h\h\h\h\hAND THAT’S HOW YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

WAS BORN.

\hIT WAS THE FIRST PIECE OF WILD LAND IN AMERICA

\h\h\h\hSET ASIDE FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO BE MANAGED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

\h\h\h\h\hSINCE THEN, 58 MORE NATIONAL PARKS HAVE FOLLOWED.

♪

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSOON AFTER YELLOWSTONE WAS CREATED,

A NEW MOUNTAIN TOWN IN MONTANA, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hCALLED GARDINER,

\h\h\h\h\h\hBEGAN SERVING AS ITS NORTHERN GATEWAY,

AND STILL DOES TODAY.

HIKERS AND FISHERMEN COME HERE \h\h\h\h\hTO OUTFIT THEMSELVES

FOR THEIR JOURNEYS \h\hINTO THE PARK.

\h\hIN 1903, A STONE ARCH WAS ERECTED TO MARK THE ENTRANCE.

WHEN IT WAS BEING BUILT,

PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT

HAPPENED TO BE ON VACATION \h\h\h\h\h\hIN YELLOWSTONE.

THE MASONS CONVINCED HIM TO LAY THE CORNERSTONE,

\h\h\h\hAND THAT’S WHY THE ARCH WAS NAMED IN ROOSEVELT’S HONOR.

SINCE THEN,

MILLIONS OF EXCITED VISITORS \h\h\h\hHAVE PASSED UNDER IT,

EAGER TO SEE AMERICA’S \h\hFIRST NATIONAL PARK

FOR THEMSELVES.

ABOVE THEM ARE THE WORDS,

"FOR THE BENEFIT AND ENJOYMENT \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE PEOPLE."

ANOTHER MAJOR JUMPING-OFF POINT \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO THE NEW PARK

\h\h\h\hWAS THE TOWN OF JACKSON, WYOMING.

\h\hIT GOT ITS START AS A FUR TRADING HUB,

AND LIKE GARDINER,

JACKSON IS ALSO FAMOUS \h\h\h\h\hFOR AN ARCH.

IN FACT, IT HAS FOUR OF THEM \h\h\h\h\hON ITS TOWN SQUARE.

\h\hEACH ONE TOOK ABOUT 10,000 POUNDS OF ELK ANTLER TO BUILD.

JACKSON LIES IN THE VALLEY \h\h\h\h\hOF JACKSON HOLE,

ALONG THE SNAKE RIVER,

SOUTHEAST OF THE TETONS.

BY THE 1920s, A PAVED ROAD \h\h\hHAD BEEN CONSTRUCTED

FROM JACKSON INTO YELLOWSTONE,

AND MORE THAN 400 YELLOW TOUR BUSES

WERE ALREADY SHUTTLING VISITORS \h\h\h\h\hALL AROUND THE PARK.

\h\h\h\hTODAY, A FEW OF THESE HISTORIC VEHICLES

ARE STILL IN OPERATION.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

COVERS 3,472 SQUARE MILES \h\h\h\h\h\hOF TERRITORY.

\h\hBUT IT HAS ONLY 466 MILES OF ROADS.

♪

IN THE BUSIEST MONTH OF JULY,

THEY CARRY MORE THAN \h\h30,000 VISITORS,

\h\h\hWHICH IS THREE TIMES THE POPULATION OF JACKSON.

\h\h\h\h\hAND THAT’S WHY TRAFFIC JAMS ARE COMMON.

BUT TOURISTS ARE JUST THE LATEST

\h\h\h\h\hIN A LONG HISTORY OF THOSE WHO HAVE EXPLORED

YELLOWSTONE’S HILLS, RIVERS, AND VALLEYS.

\h\hARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE FOUND EVIDENCE

THAT NATIVE AMERICANS WERE HERE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h11,000 YEARS AGO.

\h\hLATER, THE REGION WAS USED BY ANCESTORS

OF THE TRIBES KNOWN TODAY AS THE BLACKFEET, BANNOCK,

NEZ PERCE, SHOSHONE,

AND UMATILLA, AMONG OTHERS.

BECAUSE OF YELLOWSTONE’S \h\h\h\h\hHARSH WINTERS,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMOST TRIBES CAME IN THE SUMMER MONTHS

TO FISH IN ITS RIVERS,

JUST LIKE PEOPLE STILL DO TODAY.

BUT THEY ALSO CAME TO HUNT.

\hTHE PLATEAU’S LOCATION BETWEEN DIFFERENT NATIVE AMERICAN LANDS

\h\hMADE IT A CONVENIENT PLACE FOR TRIBES TO GATHER AND TRADE.

ONE KNOWN MEETING SPOT WAS HERE,

\h\hON THE NORTH SIDE OF YELLOWSTONE LAKE,

WHERE FISHING BRIDGE NOW CROSSES THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER.

♪

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT YELLOWSTONE HAD SOMETHING ELSE TO OFFER,

THANKS TO ITS VOLCANIC PAST--

A SPECIAL KIND OF ROCK

THAT WAS PERFECT FOR MAKING \h\h\h\hTOOLS AND WEAPONS.

\h\h\h\hDEPOSITS OF IT CAN STILL BE FOUND HERE

AT OBSIDIAN CLIFF.

\h\hTHESE DARK, JAGGED FORMS ARE ACTUALLY VOLCANIC GLASS.

TODAY, SURGEONS USE SCALPELS \h\h\h\h\hMADE FROM OBSIDIAN

\hIN SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST DELICATE SURGICAL PROCEDURES.

BUT FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS,

\h\h\hNATIVE AMERICANS USED IT TO MAKE KNIVES AND ARROWHEADS.

BY X-RAYING OBSIDIAN,

\h\hRESEARCHERS CAN TELL WHICH VOLCANIC SOURCE IT COMES FROM.

IT’S HOW THEY DISCOVERED

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT TOOLS FOUND IN NATIVE AMERICAN SETTLEMENTS

AS FAR AWAY AS OHIO

CAME FROM THE WALLS \hOF OBSIDIAN CLIFF

IN YELLOWSTONE.

IT’S POWERFUL EVIDENCE

\hOF YELLOWSTONE’S RICH HUMAN HISTORY,

\h\h\h\h\hLONG BEFORE TOURISTS FLOCKED HERE

TO SEE ITS RIVERS, WILDLIFE, \h\h\h\hAND THERMAL FEATURES.

♪

THE LAST MAJOR ERUPTIONS OF YELLOWSTONE’S SUPER VOLCANO

HAPPENED MORE THAN 600,000 YEARS AGO.

THE NEXT MAJOR ERUPTION

\h\h\h\h\hCOULD OBLITERATE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.

BUT SCIENTISTS SAY

THAT’S PROBABLY NOT GOING \hTO HAPPEN ANYTIME SOON.

\h\h\h\hBUT WHILE YELLOWSTONE COULD ULTIMATELY BE DESTROYED

BY FORCES UNDERGROUND,

\h\h\h\h\hMUCH OF WHAT GIVES THE PARK ITS LIFE

FALLS DOWN FROM THE SKY--

SNOW.

ALONG YELLOWSTONE’S \h\hEASTERN BORDER

\h\hIS A PIECE OF THE ROCKIES KNOWN AS THE ABSAROKA RANGE.

IF YOU FOLLOW THE RIDGES \h\hOF THESE JAGGED PEAKS

AS THEY CLIMB HIGHER AND HIGHER,

THEY WILL LEAD YOU \hRIGHT TO THE TOP

OF A SNOW-COVERED SUMMIT \h\hCALLED YOUNT’S PEAK.

♪

\h\h\h\h\h\hIT TOUCHES THE SKY AT 12,165 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL

AND WAS NAMED AFTER A COLORFUL CHARACTER

NAMED HENRY YOUNT.

HE WAS A 19th-CENTURY HUNTER, PROSPECTOR, CIVIL WAR SOLDIER,

\h\h\hAND THE FIRST OFFICIAL GAMEKEEPER

OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.

\h\h\h\hCOME WINTER, THIS IS A HARSH, UNINHABITABLE WORLD.

\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT YOUNT’S PEAK AND ITS SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS

ARE ALSO THE LIFE FORCE \h\h\h\hOF YELLOWSTONE.

♪

\h\h\h\h\h\hOVER MILLENNIA, SNOWMELT FROM THESE GIANTS

\h\h\h\hHAS FLOWED DOWN INTO THE VALLEYS BELOW

AND CONVERGED TO CREATE \hTHE YELLOWSTONE RIVER.

\h\h\h\h\hFOR MONTHS AT A TIME, THIS RIVER IS COVERED BY SNOW,

\hAS IT WINDS THROUGH THE THOROFARE VALLEY.

THIS VALLEY HAS BEEN CALLED

\h\h\h\hTHE MOST REMOTE PIECE OF WILDERNESS IN THE LOWER 48

BECAUSE IT LIES MORE THAN \h20 MILES FROM ANY ROAD.

\h\hTO AID THOSE WHO VENTURE THIS FAR INTO YELLOWSTONE’S INTERIOR,

A NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RANGER \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS POSTED HERE

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAT THE TINY THOROFARE RANGER STATION.

OVER THE YEARS,

THESE RANGERS HAVE RESCUED \h\h\hMANY INJURED HIKERS.

THEY ARE ALSO HERE \h\hTO NAB POACHERS

WHO VENTURE ILLEGALLY \h\h\hONTO PARK LAND.

BUT WHEN THE SNOW ARRIVES,

THIS LONELY OUTPOST IS SHUTTERED FOR THE HARSH WINTER AHEAD.

THIS VALLEY GOT ITS NAME, \h\h\h\h\hTHE THOROFARE,

BECAUSE IT WAS ONCE \hTHE PRIMARY ROUTE

THAT NATIVE AMERICANS AND FUR TRAPPERS USED

\hTO GET INTO YELLOWSTONE FROM JACKSON, WYOMING, TO THE SOUTH.

IN WINTER,

THEIR EARLY TRAILS PROBABLY LOOKED A LOT LIKE THIS ONE,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMADE BY THE SNOWSHOES OF HIKERS

\hAS THEY CROSSED THE FROZEN WATERS

OF THE THOROFARE VALLEY.

\hLIKE THEM, EARLY TRAVELERS ALSO CARVED HOLES IN THE ICE

TO GET TO WATER AND FISH BELOW.

♪

UNDER THIS FROZEN WILDERNESS,

THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER CONTINUES ITS JOURNEY.

\hITS WATERS ARE THE SOURCE OF ONE OF YELLOWSTONE’S WONDERS--

A 132-SQUARE-MILE BODY OF WATER

\hTHAT’S THE LARGEST HIGH ELEVATION LAKE

ON THE CONTINENT.

YELLOWSTONE’S LAST MAJOR \h\h\hVOLCANIC ERUPTIONS

LEFT BEHIND A GIANT CALDERA.

OVER TIME,

WATER FROM THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER AND THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFILLED IT UP AND CREATED YELLOWSTONE LAKE.

\h\h\hTHE FLOOR OF THIS LAKE DROPS TO A DEPTH OF 390 FEET,

\hAND LIKE THE GROUND ALL OVER YELLOWSTONE,

\h\h\h\hIT, TOO, IS RIDDLED WITH ACTIVE THERMAL VENTS.

BUT IN THE WINTER,

THE TOP TWO FEET OF THE LAKE \hARE STILL OFTEN SOLID ICE.

♪

ON THE NORTH SIDE,

THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER \h\h\h\hEMERGES AGAIN

TO BEGIN A SLOW, WINDING JOURNEY THROUGH THE HAYDEN VALLEY.

THIS IS A FREQUENT \h\hGATHERING SPOT

FOR ONE OF YELLOWSTONE’S \hMOST FRAGILE SPECIES--

TRUMPETER SWANS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWITH A WINGSPAN THAT CAN REACH 8 FEET ACROSS,

\h\h\hTHEY ARE THE LARGEST WILD WATERFOWL IN THE U.S.

\h\h\h\hTHIS SHALLOW, SLOW-MOVING SECTION OF THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER

\hIS A PERFECT PLACE FOR THEM TO FEED ON PLANTS UNDERWATER,

EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER.

♪

LESS THAN A CENTURY AGO,

THIS SPECIES WAS ALMOST EXTINCT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN NORTH AMERICA.

\h\hENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS HELPED THEM MAKE A COMEBACK,

\hAND BY 1961, THERE WERE 72 SWANS INSIDE THE PARK.

BUT SINCE THEN, THEIR POPULATION HAS BEEN DECLINING.

\h\hONE REASON IS THAT SWANS HAVE BECOME PREY FOR EAGLES,

WHICH USED TO FEED PRIMARILY \hON NATIVE CUTTHROAT TROUT.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT THEN, A NON-NATIVE SPECIES OF TROUT

INVADED YELLOWSTONE’S \h\hRIVERS AND LAKES.

NOW THE EAGLES HUNT SWANS.

\hJUST 29 OF THESE GRACEFUL CREATURES

ARE LEFT IN YELLOWSTONE,

AND SCIENTISTS ARE WORKING HARD \hTO TRY AND SAVE THIS SPECIES

BEFORE IT DISAPPEARS COMPLETELY.

♪

\h\h\hTHE AVERAGE ELEVATION OF THE YELLOWSTONE PLATEAU

IS 8,000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

AND IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER,

TEMPERATURES HERE CAN DROP

TO 40 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hBELOW ZERO.

HIGH UP IN THE MOUNTAINS,

\h\h\hRECORDED ANNUAL SNOWFALL HAS BEEN KNOWN TO HIT 30 FEET.

♪

BY FEBRUARY,

\h\hMANY LAKES THROUGHOUT THE YELLOWSTONE ECOSYSTEM

ARE FROZEN SOLID.

\h\h\h\hAND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT SOME LOCALS EAGERLY WAIT FOR--

SO THEY CAN HEAD OUT,

BRAVE THE COLD, AND FISH.

EAST OF THE PARK’S BOUNDARIES

\h\hLIES THE LOWER SUNSHINE RESERVOIR,

IN MEETEETSE, WYOMING.

\h\h\h\h\h\hTODAY, IT’S JUST ONE GIANT SHEET OF SOLID ICE.

IT’S ALSO THE SITE OF THE ANNUAL MEETEETSE ICE FISHING DERBY.

EVERY YEAR, TEAMS COME HERE AND SPEND A DAY ON THE ICE

TO SEE WHO CAN CATCH \h\hTHE BIGGEST FISH.

THE TEAM THAT CATCHES THE SIX LONGEST AND FATTEST FISH WINS.

MOST ARE CUTTHROAT AND RAINBOW TROUT.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHIS YEAR, THE WINNING TEAM’S SIX FISH

MEASURED IN AT 189.75 INCHES.

♪

FOR CREATURES ALL ACROSS THE YELLOWSTONE REGION,

THE BEGINNING OF EVERY WINTER

IS THE START OF ANOTHER TOUGH SIX-MONTH BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL.

AND THERE’S NO BETTER PLACE \h\hTO WITNESS THAT BATTLE

THAN HERE, THE LAMAR VALLEY.

IT’S WHERE BALD EAGLES JOURNEY \h\hOUT OF THEIR NESTS TO HUNT

\h\h\h\hAND SCAVENGE LEFTOVERS FROM THE KILLS OF GRAY WOLVES.

♪

ABOVE THE LAMAR VALLEY,

\h\h\h\hBIGHORN SHEEP USE THE STEEP ROCKY LANDSCAPE

TO HIDE FROM PREDATORS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hLIKE MANY OF YELLOWSTONE’S CREATURES,

THEY FIND SAFETY IN NUMBERS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT NEARBY, A EWE HAS BEEN LEFT BEHIND.

WITH A LAME FRONT LEG,

SHE STRUGGLES TO GET THROUGH \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE DEEP SNOW.

\hSHE’S THE PERFECT TARGET FOR A PACK OF YELLOWSTONE’S WOLVES.

BUT SHE HASN’T BEEN SPOTTED YET.

♪

IN A LAND THAT’S PLUNGED \h\h\hINTO A DEEP FREEZE

FOR MOST OF THE YEAR,

YELLOWSTONE’S CREATURES HAVE HAD TO HONE THEIR SURVIVAL SKILLS.

♪

BUT WINTER IS PARTICULARLY HARD \h\h\h\h\h\h\hON ONE SPECIES--

BISON.

WEIGHING UP TO 2,000 POUNDS, THEY HAVE TO MOVE CONSTANTLY

TO FIND ENOUGH NUTRITION TO SURVIVE UNTIL SPRING.

THIS HERD IS FOLLOWING \h\h\hA MIGRATION ROUTE

ALONG THE FIREHOLE RIVER.

WHEN BISON DO FIND FOOD,

\hTHEY USUALLY GRAZE UNTIL IT’S ALL GONE.

♪

\h\h\hONCE, THESE CREATURES BLANKETED THE GREAT PLAINS

BY THE TENS OF MILLIONS.

NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES TOOK PART IN ANNUAL BISON HUNTS

AND USED JUST ABOUT EVERY PART \hOF THE ANIMALS THEY KILLED--

FOR FOOD, SHELTER, AND TOOLS.

\h\h\hAFTER EUROPEANS STARTED FANNING OUT ACROSS THE WEST,

\hBISON WERE SLAUGHTERED BY THE TENS OF THOUSANDS

FOR THEIR MEAT AND SKINS,

\h\h\h\h\hAND SOMETIMES JUST FOR ENTERTAINMENT.

WITHIN A FEW DECADES,

\h\h\hAMERICA’S BISON WERE ALMOST EXTINCT.

TODAY, ROUGHLY 5,000 \hOF THESE CREATURES

INHABIT YELLOWSTONE.

IT’S THE ONLY PLACE \h\h\hIN THE NATION

\h\h\h\h\h\hWHERE BISON HAVE LIVED CONTINUOUSLY

SINCE PREHISTORIC TIMES.

THE LARGE HUMPS ON THEIR BACKS ARE JUST BIG BUNDLES OF MUSCLE

THAT PROVIDE EXTRA POWER \h\h\h\hTO A BISON’S HEAD

TO HELP THEM CLEAR SNOW

SO THEY CAN ACCESS \h\hGRASSES BELOW.

\hBUT WINTER GRASSES HAVE ABOUT AS MUCH NUTRITION AS CARDBOARD.

SO, WITHOUT RESERVES OF FAT

\hBUILT UP DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS

AND THICK COATS,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHESE ANIMALS WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO SURVIVE

WINTER IN YELLOWSTONE.

AND MANY DON’T.

\h\h\h\hABOUT 9% OF ADULTS WON’T MAKE IT UNTIL SPRING.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBABY BISON ARE EVEN MORE VULNERABLE

TO THE COLD AND LACK OF FOOD.

EVERY YEAR,

UP TO 40% OF THE PARK’S \h\h\h\hYOUNGEST BISON

PERISH DURING THE WINTER,

FROM EXPOSURE, PREDATION, \h\hAND ACCIDENTAL DEATH.

\hBUT YELLOWSTONE CAN BE DANGEROUS AND EVEN DEADLY

FOR HUMANS, TOO.

EVERY YEAR, AT LEAST ONE OR TWO \h\h\h\h\hVISITORS TO THE PARK

ARE GORED BY BISON

\h\hAFTER GETTING TOO CLOSE FOR PHOTO OPS AND SELFIES.

AND IN 2018,

TWO WOMEN WERE KICKED BY ELK \h\hNEAR A YELLOWSTONE HOTEL.

AT LEAST 20 PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN THE PARK’S THERMAL POOLS.

MOST FALL IN ACCIDENTALLY.

BUT IN 1981, A MAN DECIDED \h\h\h\hTO DIVE INTO A POOL

THAT WAS 202 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT

\h\h\h\h\h\hTO TRY AND SAVE HIS FRIEND’S DROWNING DOG.

NEITHER HE NOR THE DOG SURVIVED.

\h\h\h\h\hBUT FOR HIKERS OUT IN YELLOWSTONE’S BACKCOUNTRY,

ONE OF THE BIGGEST POTENTIAL DANGERS

IS A MOTHER GRIZZLY WITH CUBS.

BEAR ATTACKS IN YELLOWSTONE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hARE RARE.

BUT, SINCE 1872,

AT LEAST EIGHT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN \h\h\hMAULED TO DEATH BY BEARS,

INSIDE THE PARK.

ONE HAPPENED SURPRISINGLY CLOSE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO THE MAIN ROAD.

IT WAS ABOUT 8:30 A.M. \h\h\hON JULY 6, 2011,

WHEN A COUPLE FROM CALIFORNIA \hPARKED THEIR CAR IN THIS LOT

\hAT THE NORTHERN END OF THE HAYDEN VALLEY.

THIS IS THE STARTING POINT OF THE WAPITI LAKE TRAIL.

AS THEY SET OUT FOR A DAY HIKE, \hTHEY PASSED A SIGN THAT READ,

\h\h\h"DANGER, YOU ARE ENTERING BEAR COUNTRY."

\h\hTHE COUPLE HEADED EAST, ACROSS THIS OPEN HILLSIDE.

\h\h\hTHEIR FIRST DESTINATION WAS YELLOWSTONE’S CLEAR LAKE.

AFTER THEY LEFT THE FOREST, \hANOTHER HIKER ALERTED THEM

TO A MOTHER GRIZZLY \hAND HER TWO CUBS

FORAGING IN A FIELD BELOW THEM.

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE COUPLE PHOTOGRAPHED THE BEARS,

\h\hWHICH STILL LOOKED LIKE TINY DOTS IN THE DISTANCE.

THEY DIDN’T APPEAR \h\hTO BE A THREAT,

\hSO THE COUPLE CONTINUED ON AND CROSSED HOT SPRING CREEK.

♪

BUT SWARMS OF MOSQUITOS QUICKLY \h\h\hFORCED THEM TO TURN BACK.

THAT’S WHEN THEY SPOTTED \hTHE MOTHER BEAR AGAIN.

BUT NOW SHE WAS MUCH CLOSER,

JUST 100 YARDS AWAY.

\h\h\h\hAS THE COUPLE TURNED AND HEADED TOWARD THE TREES,

THE MOTHER GRIZZLY SPOTTED THEM.

♪

SUDDENLY, SHE STARTED TO CHARGE.

THE MAN AND HIS WIFE \h\h\h\hBEGAN YELLING

AS THEY RAN INTO THE FOREST.

\h\hBUT WITHIN SECONDS, 500 FEET UP THE TRAIL,

THE GRIZZLY CAUGHT UP TO THEM, \h\h\h\h\hKNOCKED THE MAN DOWN,

AND MAULED HIM TO DEATH.

SHE TURNED BACK TO FIND HIS WIFE,

\h\h\hWHO WAS HIDING UNDER A FALLEN TREE,

JUST 15 FEET AWAY.

THE GRIZZLY PICKED HER UP \h\h\h\h\hBY HER BACKPACK

AND PUT HER DOWN AGAIN, \h\h\h\h\h\hUNINJURED.

THEN SHE LEFT.

♪

AT THE TIME OF THE ATTACK,

THE COUPLE WAS LESS THAN A MILE \h\hAND A HALF FROM THEIR CAR.

SINCE THAT DAY,

THERE HAVE BEEN TWO MORE \h\h\hFATAL BEAR ATTACKS

INSIDE THE PARK.

\h\h\h\h\h\hAT THE SCENE OF ONE OF THESE KILLINGS,

\h\hPARK OFFICIALS FOUND DNA FROM THE SAME MOTHER GRIZZLY

THAT HAD MAULED THE MAN IN 2011.

\h\hTHEY ALSO FOUND DISTURBING EVIDENCE

\hTHAT SHE HAD FED ON HUMAN REMAINS.

FEARFUL THAT SHE MIGHT NOW \hCONSIDER PEOPLE AS FOOD,

THE PARK’S SUPERINTENDENT

DECIDED TO FIND THE BEAR \h\h\h\hAND PUT HER DOWN.

\h\h\hHER CUBS WERE SPARED AND SENT TO THE TOLEDO ZOO.

♪

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hEVERY HIKER IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

WHO HAS SUDDENLY FOUND THEMSELVES

FACE TO FACE WITH A GRIZZLY

\h\hKNOWS JUST HOW TERRIFYING THESE GIANT PREDATORS CAN BE.

MALES LIKE THIS ONE,

FORAGING ON THE WESTERN SIDE \h\h\h\hOF THE HAYDEN VALLEY,

CAN WEIGH UP TO 700 POUNDS.

THEY ARE YELLOWSTONE’S \h\h\h\h\hAPEX PREDATOR

NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THEIR SIZE;

THEIR BONE AND MUSCLE DENSITIES \hARE 10 TIMES THAT OF HUMANS.

THEY CAN BITE, SCRATCH, AND MAUL WITH MORE POWER

THAN ANY OTHER PREDATOR \h\h\hIN NORTH AMERICA.

\h\h\h\h\hBUT GRIZZLIES AREN’T JUST CARNIVORES.

UP TO 90% OF THEIR DIET

IS MADE UP OF PLANTS, \hROOTS, AND BERRIES.

USUALLY, THEY ONLY ATTACK HUMANS

WHEN THEY FEEL THREATENED \h\h\h\hOR GET SURPRISED.

\h\h\h\hBUT WITH AN ESTIMATED 150 GRIZZLIES IN YELLOWSTONE,

IT’S EASY FOR BEARS AND PEOPLE \h\h\hTO GET DANGEROUSLY CLOSE.

♪

BEGINNING IN THE FALL, \h\h\hTHOUSANDS OF ELK

\h\hFROM YELLOWSTONE’S SOUTHERNMOST MOUNTAINS

\h\h\h\hMIGRATE DOWN TO THE VALLEYS BELOW.

\h\hMANY HEAD OUTSIDE THE PARK’S BOUNDARIES

AND GATHER HERE IN JACKSON HOLE.

\h\h\h\hTHEY COME TO ESCAPE YELLOWSTONE’S DEEP FREEZE.

IN 1912, CLOSE TO 25,000 ACRES \h\h\h\hWERE SET ASIDE FOR ELK

\h\hON LAND JUST NORTH OF THE TOWN OF JACKSON.

THIS IS THE NATIONAL ELK REFUGE.

IT’S HOME TO ONE OF THE LARGEST \h\hHERDS OF ELK IN THE NATION.

♪

ONCE, TENS OF THOUSANDS \h\hOF THESE CREATURES

WINTERED HERE.

BUT ROADS, DEVELOPMENT, \h\h\h\h\h\hAND HUNTING

\hHAVE REDUCED THAT NUMBER TO LESS THAN 7,500 TODAY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hELK BREED IN THE SUMMER AND FALL,

AND SO, BY FEBRUARY,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE COWS ARE LATE IN THEIR 8 1/2-MONTH PREGNANCY.

TO CONSERVE ENERGY,

\h\h\h\hMOST SPEND THEIR DAYS RESTING ON THE VALLEY FLOOR.

\hTHE BULLS ARE OFTEN THE ONES THAT HEAD UP TO THE HIGH SLOPES

TO FORAGE.

IN EARLY SPRING,

\h\h\hTHE ANTLERS ON THE BULLS NATURALLY LOOSEN AND FALL OFF.

IT’S A WAY FOR THESE ANIMALS

TO REDUCE THE CALORIES THEY NEED TO SURVIVE.

♪

\h\h\h\hBY THE TIME ELK BEGIN THEIR MIGRATIONS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDOWN FROM YELLOWSTONE’S MOUNTAINS,

\h\h\hTHE PARK’S HUMAN VISITORS START TO DWINDLE TO A TRICKLE.

\h\h\h\hIN WINTER, THERE’S ONLY ONE ROAD OPEN INTO YELLOWSTONE,

FROM GARDINER, MONTANA.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFOR ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS OF THE YEAR,

FROM OCTOBER TO MAY,

\h\h\h\h\hMUCH OF THE PARK IS COMPLETELY INACCESSIBLE.

\h\hMOST OF ITS HOTELS AND LODGES ARE CLOSED.

\h\h\h\h\h\hDEEP SNOW BLANKETS THE NORMALLY CROWDED BOARDWALKS

THAT LINE MANY OF THE PARK’S \h\h\h\h\hMOST VISITED SITES,

LIKE THIS ONE--

NORRIS GEYSER BASIN.

DURING THESE MONTHS,

\h\h\hSOME VISITORS GET AROUND THE PARK

ON GROOMED SNOWMOBILE TRAILS.

\h\h\h\h\h\hOTHERS USE OFFICIAL SNOW COACHES,

\hWHICH ARE REALLY JUST SHUTTLE BUSES

THAT RIDE ON GIANT SNOW TIRES.

BUT WITH SO FEW HUMAN NOISES IN \hYELLOWSTONE DURING THE WINTER,

THIS IS THE TIME WHEN THE PARK’S ANCIENT SOUNDSCAPE

CAN BE HEARD IN ITS PUREST FORM.

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE SILENCE OF ITS VAST OPEN SPACES

MUFFLED BY SNOW...

[WIND HOWLING]

THE HOWL OF WINTER WIND WHIPPING AROUND JAGGED PEAKS...

[BIRD CHIRPING]

\h\h\h\hVALLEYS THAT ECHO WITH CALLS OF THE WILD...

[WOLF HOWLING]

[CRACKLING]

AND THE CRACKLING SOUNDS \h\h\h\h\hOF SHIFTING ICE

ON YELLOWSTONE’S STREAMS.

[CRACKLING]

BUT ALSO, THE ENDLESS SPUTTER \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF MUD POTS,

\h\h\h\hBUBBLING AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS...

[HISSING]

AND THE SUDDEN RUSH OF GEYSERS,

EXPLODING INTO THE SKY.

♪

SOUNDS LIKE THESE

\hHAVE BEEN ECHOING ACROSS THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE ECOSYSTEM

FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS \h\h\h\h\hOF YEARS...

WHILE THE SNOW-COVERED PEAKS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE TETONS

\h\h\h\h\h\hHAVE BEEN CLIMBING HIGHER AND HIGHER INTO THE SKY

\hAND GREAT WINTER SNOWFALLS HAVE BEEN FEEDING THE RIVERS

\h\h\h\h\hTHAT RACE AND PLUNGE THROUGH YELLOWSTONE’S CANYONS.

\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT WHAT MAKES THIS VOLCANIC LANDSCAPE TRULY UNIQUE

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS HOW IT SUPPORTS SO MANY DIFFERENT FORMS OF LIFE.

AND SOME OF THE MOST \h\hFASCINATING ONES

\h\hARE INVISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE,

UNTIL THEY CLUSTER TOGETHER \h\h\h\h\hBY THE BILLIONS.

♪

THE BRILLIANT YELLOWS, \h\hORANGES, AND GREENS

OF GRAND PRISMATIC SPRING

\hARE ACTUALLY THE COLORS OF UNIQUE MICROORGANISMS,

CALLED EXTREMOPHILES.

\h\h\hSINCE THEY THRIVE IN EXTREME CONDITIONS,

\h\h\hSCIENTISTS HOPE THEY MIGHT HOLD CLUES

ABOUT WHAT LIFE COULD LOOK LIKE \h\h\h\h\hON PLANETS LIKE MARS.

\h\hWITH EVERYTHING FROM TINY MICROBES

TO TOWERING PREDATORS,

\h\hYELLOWSTONE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST NATURAL LABORATORIES

ON EARTH.

IT’S NOT SURPRISING

\h\hTHAT THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY FANTASTICAL TALES

\hABOUT THIS STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL PLACE

AND WHY EVEN THOSE LUCKY ENOUGH \h\h\hTO SEE IT FOR THEMSELVES

CAN HAVE A HARD TIME BELIEVING \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT IT’S REAL.

♪

♪