Tag Archives: Yellowstone National Park

A few more thoughts about Midway Geyser Basin

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There’s More to Midway Geyser Basin

Leaving Midway Geyser Basin had me thinking. Have you ever watched the Nat. Geo program about Winter in Yellowstone? There’s a scene with Bison walking toward a hot spring while clouds of steam drift across the landscape. The narrator says animals migrate to the hot springs for warmth. I can say I experienced that first hand. It might not have been 25 below but the afternoon breeze had a bite to it. When I was surrounded by the steam from the hot springs I was quite comfortable. When the wind shifted and I stepped out of the clouds it was brisk. You could definitely feel the difference.

Bison at Hot Spring

More Than Just Grand Prismatic Spring

Even though Midway Geyser Basin is dominated by two very large features, the 200-by-300-foot-wide Excelsior Geyser and the 370-foot-wide and 121-foot-deep Grand Prismatic Spring, there are other  smaller thermal features along the boardwalk. In some respects, they are easier to appreciate because they are smaller.

Opal Pool SIgnThe Opal Pool

Turquoise and Opal

Two of the other named pools along the board walk are Turquoise and Opal. Both of these steaming pools are well named and due to their smaller size easy to view. The Grand Prismatic Spring is so large that much of it is obscured by it’s steam cloud when you try to view it from the board walk. It’s nice to be able to see all of the smaller pools. The boardwalk takes you right past them for a good close up.

Turquoise pool sign

The Turquoise pool

Otherworldly landscape

The run off from these steaming thermal features leaves behind streaks of colored minerals. Added to the minerals are the various algae and bacteria that thrive in these hot springs. The result is a a mist covered landscape of colorful bands of algae and travertine terraces surrounded by wavy run off. Enchanting and otherworldly it looks like a setting out of a fantasy novel.

Fantasy Landscape

Midway Geyser Basin

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Crossing the Firehole RiverThe Moonscape that is Midway Geyser Basin

Midway Geyser Basin is my next stop on the lower loop road. You can see the stream rising in huge clouds as you approach. There’s a large parking area and even now, in the off season, it’s pretty full. Its hard to imagine what it would be like at the height of the tourist season. A solid wooden bridge crosses the Firehole River. Steaming, boiling water flows down the bank into the river.run off into Firehole river

Huge billowing clouds of steam blow across the bridge and walkways.

 

Excelsior Geyser Crater

Boardwalk zigs and zagsExcelsior GeyserExcelsior Geyser Crater

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Boardwalk crosses the Firehole River before zig-zaging first to the right then back to the left always climbing upward. The first hot spring we pass is the Excelsior Geyser Crater. Its the water from this crater that is flowing into the Firehole River. Dumping 4000-4500 gallons of boiling water per minute into the river its not surprising that there are always clouds of steam. Excelsior Geyser used to erupt in a powerful plume from 100-300 ft high but after some particularity powerful eruptions it subsided to the simmering hot spring that it is today. Scientists speculate that those powerful eruptions damaged the internal plumbing ending the  more spectacular thermal displays.

 

Grand Prismatic Spring SignGrand Prismatic Spring

Bacterial matt at Grand prismatic

Orange algae and bacteria float on the Grand Prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest in the world. The vivid colors in the spring are the result of microbial mats around the edges of the mineral-rich water.

 

The mats produce colors ranging from green to red. In the summer, the mats tend to be orange and red, whereas in the winter the mats are usually dark green. The center of the pool is sterile due to extreme heat. The deep blue color of the water in the center of the pool results from the intrinsic blue color of the water. The effect is strongest in the center of the spring, because of its sterility and depth. Usually the photos you see in magazines are taken from above.

From the boadwalk

The View From Above

Fairy Falls

Unattributed photo from the internet.

Most photos of the Grand Prismatic Spring are taken looking down. Many are aerial views taken from airplanes or maybe a helicopter. There is also a trail that leads from the Grand Prismatic Spring to Fairy Falls. Along the way there are 2 other geysers and a lookout above the hot spring. The trail is only .5 miles but it climbs 105 ft. I’ve added this hike to my bucket list. For now it was time to leave the clouds and steam of Midway behind and turn for home. 

Aerial view Grand Prismatic Spring

Unattributed photo from the internet. I wish I could have taken this one.

 

 

Geyser Grill, Black Sand and Biscuits

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Geyser Grill signLunch at The Geyser Grill

The Geyser Grill at Old Faithful  is a fast food restaurant. It’s pretty typical of the restaurants at attractions or Theme Parks. You stand in a line, order from a menu of hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries or maybe a salad and get a souvenir mug for your soft drink. I didn’t know where or when I’d find another restaurant so I stood in line for almost an hour. It was just my luck that 3 tour buses pulled in right before I got to the grill! Still, once I placed my order it was up in minutes and it was fresh. With that many customers there wasn’t time for anything to sit under a heat lamp! Somehow I managed to find a table but I didn’t linger. Based on the cautions I received from the concierge at the resort I wanted to be on my way back before dark.

Ordering a meal at Geyser Grill

Black Sand basinBlack Sand Basin

With a full tank of gas and a full tummy I left Old Faithful to see what was ahead on the Loop Road.  About 1/2 mile from Old Faithful I saw a sign for Black Sand Basin.  I hadn’t seen anything about that in my guidebooks so I made a quick stop out of curiosity. I remember the black sand beaches in Hawaii so I wasn’t sure what to expect here. It certainly wasn’t a beach!

 

Spouter geyser

Colorful ruin offA geyser right next to the road was sputtering and bubbling. This is SPOUTER GEYSER and erupts almost continuously. No big plumes like Old Faithful but its constantly dancing and gurgling away. There are a variety of colorful hot pools and a board walk. I looked around but due to the time decided to skip the walk for now.

Steam covers teh boardwalk

 Biscuit Basin

Biscuit Basin Sign

BoardwalkUp next is Biscuit Basin. Named for the biscuit shaped formations around the edges of some of the thermal features. After an earthquake in 1959 most of the “biscuits ” were destroyed. My GaperGuide said they were starting to reform but I didn’t see any. There’s plenty of parking and a heavy wooden walkway so you can get up close  and personal with the thermal features. There’s plenty of mini geyser action here and clouds of steam.

 

 

Biscuit Basin Run Off

Natures Hot Tub

The Continental Divide

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Craig's Pass Continental DivideCrossing the Continental Divide

Do you remember what the Continental Divide is from High School geography? On one side of the divide, water flows to the Gulf of Mexico. On the other it flows to the Pacific Ocean. When I saw the Continual Divide sign I thought of an old John Belushi movie by the same name. Ha, that’s not even relevant! Anyway because of the way the road and the mountains intertwine you actually cross the Continental Divide two or three times between the South Entrance and Old Faithful.

 

Each time there is a sign with the elevation. As you can see, there’s snow at these higher locations. This stop is between West Isa LakeThumb and Old Faithful called Craig’s Pass.  Lake Isa is  another spot on the Continental Divide. 

It’s marked by a sign because it drains on both sides of the divide. Although I passed it several times, it didn’t look like much from the road so I just tucked it in my mind as an interesting fact. 

Grant Village

Grant Village Visitor Center;
Ed Austin/Herb Jones;
1987

I should mention Grant Village. It was closed for everything except gas so I didn’t even slow down but it’s located on Yellowstone Lake. Named for President Ulysses S. Grant it is mainly lodging inside the park. Grant Village is made up of 6 two-story chalets, each containing 50 rooms. This complex is close to many of Yellowstone’s famous attractions. Old Faithful is just a little over 20 miles away, and Grant Village is also closer to Grand Teton National Park than any of Yellowstone’s other in-park lodges. It’s also just before the road splits. The left goes toward Old Faithful while the right goes to West Thumb. I was on my way to Old Faithful. After all, that’s a bucket list stop for sure!

Marker for Kepler CascadesKepler Cascades

As I left Craig’s pass (the dividing line of the Continental Divide) behind, I came upon a large turnoff for Kepler Cascades. This was definitely worth a stop but I wouldn’t know what a great stop until I explored a little. 

The South Entrance

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South Entrance Yellowstone

At the South Entrance  my Senior pass again allowed me entrance to the park. Moose Falls was just a short distance after the entrance. There’s a pull out so you can park and an easy trail to the top of the falls.  I grabbed the camera and wandered over to take a look. I had been told that the trail went to the bottom of the falls but I didn’t see it. Photos from the top would have to do for now. There was a nice water flow. I wonder what it’s like in the spring when you have the creek swollen with the snow melt.

Moose Falls near South Entrance

 

Crawfish CreekCrawfish Creek

The bridge over Crayfish Creek was visible from the top of the falls. Bridge over Crayfish Creek

Crawfish Creek must be affected by the geo thermal activity in the area because it’s temperature is unusually warm for a Wyoming mountain Stream. It’s these warm temperatures that make the waters a suitable habitat for the crawfish that give the Creek it’s name. The creek begins in the southern portion of the Yellowstone Volcanic area and feeds into the Lewis River.

The Lewis River and Canyon

Leaving Moose Falls I entered a portion of the park where the road was lined by tall straight pine. These are called lodge pole pines and are very common in this section of the park. My Gaperguide was explaining about the role the lodge pole pines play in the natural spread of fire and new growth throughout the park. Interesting but not really scenic. I was apparently driving along the Lewis River named for Meriweather Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame.  Gaperguide told me to watch for beavers and lodges but the tree growth was too dense to spot anything. Finally as I rounded a curve the vista opened up and I got my first look at Lewis Canyon.

Lewis Canyon Yellowstone