Finally, Yellowstone

Finally, Yellowstone National Park.  The first feature to catch my eye was this beautiful falls, Lewis Falls. Lewis and Clark never entered the Yellowstone region, but a scout from their expedition named John Colter did. He returned with what most considered fantastical tales of smoking sulfurous pits and steam fountains shooting from the ground. Other trappers and mountain men including Jim Bridger followed and began calling the area "Colter's Hell." For a good history of Yellowstone read Empire of Shadows by George Black.                                                                              

I love waterfalls, probably as a result of living in the desert. Lewis River drains from the glacially created Lewis Lake upstream. The falls were created as the water flowed over older granitic rocks carving down through rhyolite flows at the Yellowstone caldera rim.  All that aside, this was a beautiful spot.

Until a few years ago the park only reported 50 or so waterfalls. Three local hikers and explorers didn't accept this notion and set out to find every fall they could. As a result close to 300 waterfalls are now documented throughout the park.  These guys did an amazing job. It is always a good reminder that modern explorers still exist and make substantial contributions to our knowledge of remote areas.

The West Thumb geyser basin is one of my favorites. While most of the geysers are dormant, the pools and location at the edge of the lake are spectacular. Here there are features within features. The surrounding area is the Yellowstone Caldera and the West Thumb of Yellowstone lake is another smaller caldera. It mostly consists of small hot pools varying in size, temperature and depth.

This feature has a nice outline of thermophiles surrounding the main pool. The mixture of bacteria and other organisms thrive in this environment. There is an economic use as well since rangers reported these organisms are used in isolating DNA for testing. There is no thermophile mining in the park of course, though that is a theme in the C.J. Box novel Free Fire.

Thermal features continue into the lake as deposits of sinter, the whitish silica-rich mineral deposited from the action of the hot water, build up around the outflows of these cauldrons.

Reportedly trappers would catch fish in the lake then drop them into these pools to cook.  I like to think it was true and wanted to try it but was afraid of getting caught. Sigh.

Thermal features have been detected under the lake. These have been photographed using unmanned subs and are said to look just like the features seen in the deep ocean.

Here's some information on budget travel. Don't be afraid to venture out.  I knew this trip would require six tanks of gas.  I have a National Parks multi-agency annual pass for entrance in all areas.  Camping in the park cost $16.00 per night and was free in all other national forest and BLM lands. I have all my own camping and backpacking gear and brought my own food or purchased food to cook locally.  The expenses can be kept to a minimum for a trip of a lifetime.