Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Artists' Paintpot and More

7/22/2010


There is so much to see at Yellowstone. Here are more geysers, hot springs, and mud pots.
Are first stop.
Many of the different stopping spots are very large and the walks on the boardwalks give you a good daily workout. This one had many steps to get up this high to view the springs below.
In this area, the springs look like how when you first open a can of paint, and it needs to be stirred.

The mud pots are fun to watch as they pop up like boiling food in a cooking pot.

A pretty flower among all this heat.
This is a very unique one.
Looks like someone was trying to stir the paint with a stick.


A dragonfly near the hot springs.
Then we drove to Firehole Falls.
Can you see the people who climbed down the steep hill and are standing on the boulder below.
At the falls, this chipmunk climbed up on this rock and was begging and hopping I would give him a handout. I didn't give him a handout, but I did get his picture. As we continued the drive around Firehole Falls loop, we came upon this swimming area.
Everyone looked like they were having fun. A few days later, someone told us the water was very cold. But kids don't seem to notice that.
We go up the road a bit and enter Fountain Flat Drive.
This is a large meadow, like Hayden Valley, but without the buffalo
But there is a Great Blue Heron there. I think that is what he looks like.
Along the river is this hot spring.
Our next stop is Fountain Paint Pot.

It is really interesting how the trees around the area have the white at the base of them. The trees just can not handle the extreme heat below the surface.
Celestine Pool
When the pools drain down in a stream, you get the bacteria mats, because the water is cooler.
Silex Spring
I love these turquoise ones.
On the edges of this one you have bacteria mats. close up of bacteria mats on edges.
We like these clear ones, because you can see into the pools and see their bottoms.
Fountain Paint Pots


Pop, pop, pop goes the mud pot1
Some are dryer than others. This one has a lot of pink in it.
Leather Pool.
Some of them, we have problems understanding their names.

Sign said, " Volcanic Tableland" in this view I pictured.


Fountain Geyser
Clepsydra Geyser

Spasm Geyser
This place is so magical. I really needed to get out of Iowa. I didn't know this stuff existed, I afraid to say.
Hilicopter flying over carrying buckets of water to fight the on going forest fire.
Our next drive to Firehole Springs.

Surprise Pool
It is really boiling.
Great Fountain Geyser.This one has approximate times to go off. Unfortunately, it is too long for us to wait.
The fountain slowly forms these layers around the fountain.
So pretty.
White Dome Geyser.
We waited for about 10 minutes for this one to go off. But it never happened. Joe said he saw it go off when we were at Great Fountain Geyser.
We drove over to Firehole Lake area and walked on the boardwalk. Now you see Joe and now
you don't. He didn't move. The wind just blew the steam our way. My glasses fogged up so bad I couldn't see out of them.
Fire Lake, very red. Picture does not show true color.
I think these are called Mountain Marmots. They didn't seemed to be bothered by people.
I hope you enjoyed our walk.

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