8-24-19 W Yellowstone, WY II

Yellowstone is bigger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined and is the oldest national park, founded in 1872.  It isn’t the biggest of the national parks, those are in Alaska.  It got its name from the Minnetaree Indians who named it for the yellow rocks found in the park’s “grand canyon.”  Trappers interpreted the Indian word into English, “Yellow Stone.” 

The poor mountain, nothing but
pick-up-sticks

The highway heading north away from Old Faithful takes us to Mammoth Hot Springs for day 2.  Along the way, the mountains tell the tale of the fire of 1988.  The sides of the mountains seem to be covered with pick-up-sticks, thousands of them that used to be trees.  Slowly, reforestation is taking place but the bark beetle is the new enemy.  Another enemy is flooding that takes place when some of the hot springs get overexcited.  The flood waters have so much acid and mineral content that it kills the trees. 

"Bobbysox trees"

When the waters recede and evaporate, the trees are dead and have a white ring of silica around the lower trunk.  They have been nicknamed “bobbysox trees.”  Cute but they’re sort of dead and I doubt they appreciate it. 

There are a number of springs along the way.  The water is so crystal clear and deep in some of them that the ponds are beautiful dark blue, turquoise or emerald green.  It depends on the temperature of the water because some thermophiles can live at certain temperatures.  If no bacteria are present because the water is too hot, the water is crystal clear and reflects blue just like the ocean does.  If the water is bright green, it might mean that the sides of the spring have yellow colors in the rocks.  The colors also change depending on the amount of sunshine. 

Roberto at Sapphire Pool

The blue, blue water of Sapphire Pool

The Palette Spring was the most spectacular of the terraced springs.  It resembles a natural amphitheater with white, yellow, orange and brown tiers stepping downward to the flat where we could stand on the boardwalk. 

Devil's Thumb at Palette Springs

Various thermophiles create the many colors as the boiling water flows over stalactites at the top and down over the terraces, living and changing with the deposit of the colorful minerals.  Devil’s Thumb, a dormant hot spring cone, rises in this group of terraces.  I suppose it is called “dormant” rather than “extinct” because it could always get all activated and springy again.

Palette Springs

Palette Springs

Also at Mammoth Springs is an extinct hot spring cone called Liberty Cap.  It was named for the hats that guys liked to wear to the French Revolution.  It is 40 feet tall and has been extinct since before the park became a park in 1872.  What a greeting:  “Hi!  I’m Liberty Cap!  I’ll be your stunning monument for the day!”

Liberty Cap (Looks just like a hat, hey?)

   

Orange Spring Mound

Along the drive back, we encountered Orange Spring Mound.  This is another active, living spring with bright orange colors created by the thermophiles they call cyanobacteria that love the temperature of the water here.  Everything is so precious and fragile.  We were very careful not to park or even step in the wrong places. 

Boiling water springing from Orange Spring Mound

They cautioned us that just touching the water to feel the temperature can alter the ecosystem.  (This was after I’d done that, shame on me… Sorry, God.  FYI, the water is freezing in places and hotter than hell in others).

It was a long drive home, delayed by the natives:  elk and buffalo.  I guess the locals get used to it.  I am far from that, nearly hypnotized by the majesty of these beautiful animals.  Tomorrow, we will be off to Deer Lodge, Montana to see what there is to see.