Our first stop was the Mud Volcano area. We met a group of Boy Scouts also hiking around the area – what a pleasant change from the teens we encountered yesterday! They were so respectful and considerate.
It was interesting to read about Sour Lake (below). The microbes in the water ate the sulfur in the the lake and create sulfuric acid. Not a lake in which I would like to swim!
Shortly before arriving at the Canyon Village area we hit a traffic jam … a large herd of bison were hanging out near the road.
We stopped, as did several other cars to take some pictures of these huge beasts! This baby decided it was time for a snack.
At Canyon, we took the walk to Artist Point for a view of falls. They were beautiful!
Mineral stains mark the sites of hot springs and steam vents in the canyon walls. For thousands of years, upwardly percolating fluids have altered the chemistry of the rocks, turning them yellow, red, white, and pink. From the rim, the bright patches of color are the most visible evidence of hot spots. Puffs of steam mark areas of ongoing thermal activity in the canyon. The 109 foot Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River were created by volcanic and hydrothermal activity.
We continued on to Tower Falls, located in an area called the Hanging Valley, near the Tower Roosevelt Junction.
At Canyon, we took the walk to Artist Point for a view of falls. They were beautiful!
Mineral stains mark the sites of hot springs and steam vents in the canyon walls. For thousands of years, upwardly percolating fluids have altered the chemistry of the rocks, turning them yellow, red, white, and pink. From the rim, the bright patches of color are the most visible evidence of hot spots. Puffs of steam mark areas of ongoing thermal activity in the canyon. The 109 foot Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River were created by volcanic and hydrothermal activity. We continued on to Tower Falls, located in an area called the Hanging Valley, near the Tower Roosevelt Junction.
Like many of Yellowstone’s waterfalls, Tower Fall began as a low ledge at the junction of two different bedrocks. Rock at the brink and underlying the fall is a tough, volcanic breccia; the weaker downstream rock erodes faster.
Not far past Tower Junction is a turnoff to see the Petrified Tree. I was sure we had seen it before, but said we might as well go again since we were there. How lucky for us! As we approached the parking area it was jammed and we weren’t sure it was worth it. The traffic jam was caused by a small black bear!He was walking along right next to the petrified tree and stopped to look out at all the people nearby before meandering down the hill and crossing the road right behind Dean’s truck! We talked to a ranger who told us he was probably a yearling.
I was so glad we decided to go ahead and stop – my day was complete!
We headed on to Mammoth Hot Springs and stopped for lunch before taking the walk around the lower and upper terraces.
We headed on to Mammoth Hot Springs and stopped for lunch before taking the walk around the lower and upper terraces.
This area has really changed over the years with much less water flowing in the area right now. When we made it to the Upper Terrace Overlook, the springs were completely dry! The underground channels sometimes shift or clog, causing the water to change direction on its journey to the surface. Above ground, a spring may slow down or stop. New springs may bubble up, or dormant springs may flow again. If we come back in another six years, it will probably be different again!
As we left Mammoth and headed south, we told ourselves to be on the lookout for moose, since we were passing streams and marshy areas. We didn’t see any moose, but we were rewarded with a grizzly bear! Dean managed to get a parking spot and we hopped out to join several other folks watching this young grizzly have a great time digging in the dirt. We stood at the top of the hill and had a great time watching him play! You might enjoy watching him, too! http://youtu.be/mhtSzR0H0rA
We finally tore ourselves away and headed to the Norris Geyser Basin where we took the mile walk around the Porcelain Basin. It was really cool to see the beautiful colors in the geysers.
It was interesting to learn about how the temperature of the water affects the organisms in the water, changing the colors you see. The greens are at the coolest temperatures – around 100° F!
We decided to call it a day and head back to our campsite. We had another traffic jam as we passed another large herd of bison in the Hayden Valley area.
This was our last day in Yellowstone and it was incredible – even if we didn’t see a moose!
It was interesting to learn about how the temperature of the water affects the organisms in the water, changing the colors you see. The greens are at the coolest temperatures – around 100° F!
We decided to call it a day and head back to our campsite. We had another traffic jam as we passed another large herd of bison in the Hayden Valley area.
This was our last day in Yellowstone and it was incredible – even if we didn’t see a moose!
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