take my breath away...

..and despite first glimpsing Yellowstone's 'Grand Canyon' from  a forest of selfie sticks and waving ipads the view from Artist's Point of the Yellowstone River crashing into this mighty canyon is jaw dropping.
Twenty miles long, 4000' wide in places and 1200' deep the Yellowstone River cuts through an old geyser basin, steam vents and hot springs in the canyon walls marked by yellow, pink, red and white stains and streaks. The canyon rim is topped by a volcanic rock  straight as fence posts and hoodoos and pinnacles spire high from the canyon walls, the result of erosion of layers of hard and softer rock (extra)

Explorer Charles Cook, credited for 'discovering' the canyon is reported to have said “I sat there in amazement, while my companions came up, and after that, it seemed to me that it was five minutes before anyone spoke” and 19th century artist Thomas Moran said  “its beautiful tints were beyond the reach of human art.”

Meanwhile 'back at the lodge', Mammoth Hot Springs Lodge that is, a pappa elk is surveying  his considerable harem grazing the lawns (extra).
What a land of contrasts this is.