{"id":4463,"date":"2017-04-28T21:34:41","date_gmt":"2017-04-29T02:34:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awanderingjill.com\/?page_id=4463"},"modified":"2017-05-02T16:16:51","modified_gmt":"2017-05-02T21:16:51","slug":"yellowstone-day-1-part-3","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/awanderingjill.com\/?page_id=4463","title":{"rendered":"Yellowstone Day 1 Part 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We’re not even halfway done with the loop and the shadows are getting long. \u00a0I’m getting a bit tired too. \u00a0Not sure if this is just because of all the driving or lack of sleep or whatever else it might be. \u00a0Firehole Lake – definitely not a swimming spot.<\/p>\n

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Although the bison that live here seem to think it’s fine to bathe in. \u00a0There’s a small boardwalk that goes around this little area and over the lake. \u00a0I’m pretty happy here. \u00a0Apparently this isn’t that popular because no one else is around.<\/p>\n

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…that’s an interesting name. It’s a ‘newly’ formed geyser and no one is sure if it’s going to last.<\/p>\n

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You can see how newly formed – the vegetation is still growing along the borders of it.<\/p>\n

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Mini-eruption!<\/p>\n

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The Artesia Geyser. \u00a0Black and hopeless, just like Artesia, NM. \u00a0Obviously the blackness is not due to being deep…maybe it’s a different type of bacteria?<\/p>\n

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Yep. \u00a0More warnings.<\/p>\n

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Serious bacteria growth. \u00a0It’s like the bacteria have built whole cities under the water.<\/p>\n

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That bright, shiny spot is a penny. \u00a0Apparently those kill the bacteria living here and this area is going to die right around the penny.<\/p>\n

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A teeny steaming waterfall that the boardwalk crosses over. \u00a0I didn’t take further pictures of this area. \u00a0At one though, the steam rose up and covered most of the boardwalk from view. \u00a0It was eerie to walk along and not see anything around me.<\/p>\n

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More driving. \u00a0SO much driving in this park, just to see things. \u00a0You can get permits to hike off into the trees in areas like what you see beyond here, but I don’t know if I’d have the cahones to do it knowing that there are vents that just open up and grizzly bears and moose roaming around.<\/p>\n

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Gibbon Falls. \u00a0A big waterfall that the picture does not do justice to.<\/p>\n

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More driving. \u00a0We decided not to stop at Norris Geyser Basin. \u00a0We have seen enough springs and geysers. \u00a0 The Norris Basin is where someone died this past June, so we’re not sure if part of it is roped off or not. \u00a0I have no idea why anyone, with all the warnings, would think any of these springs are ok to even attempt to touch. \u00a0I feel bad for the guy and his family and anyone who had to witness any part of that…but at the same time, so, so many warnings that he willfully ignored.<\/p>\n

We drove past the ‘Grand Canyon’ part of the park – we’re heading that way tomorrow, so no need to visit it today. \u00a0Heading back to our campground, there’s a few other stops and the famous Hayden Valley, where buffalo and wolves roam.<\/p>\n

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…a dead buffalo?<\/p>\n

It’s not. \u00a0We saw him move after we drove by. \u00a0Stunningly, there are no tourists stopped and backing up traffic near this…<\/p>\n

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Oh…here they are. \u00a0Must be something ahead.<\/p>\n

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Traffic was pretty much at a standstill at this point. \u00a0Might as well take pictures of the valley.<\/p>\n

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Canadian geese. None of the tourists except me cared. \u00a0Actually, I didn’t care, but we had already spent almost an hour inching along the road – we’ve gone less than a mile because of the idiots up the road holding things up.<\/p>\n

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Ah, this is why traffic is so bad. \u00a0Buffalo at sunset. \u00a0Because apparently no one has ever seen a buffalo before. \u00a0It’s not like they roam Wyoming or South Dakota or Montana or anything like that.<\/p>\n

I know, I know, I shouldn’t grumble at city folk…and we should have done better research about how undrivable the road is when people want to see wildlife (seriously, we were backed up yesterday because of a coyote…a freaking coyote). \u00a0 Unfortunately, we don’t have any other way to get back to our campground, unless we want to take a few hours to go back the way we came. \u00a0And its close to getting dark and I’m tired.<\/p>\n

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Ok, it is pretty cool to see this.<\/p>\n

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But not coupled with this. \u00a0The line of cars was so ridiculous that I tried (and failed) capture it. \u00a0Cars as far as the road goes. \u00a0After this, I climbed out of the car, calmly walked to the back where the cooler was, got us some snacks and drinks, and, without the car even moving once during this, got back in. \u00a0Apparently we get to look forward to this for two more evenings.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, once out of sight of the buffalo herd, traffic resumed a normal pace.<\/p>\n

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Another example of the changing landscape. \u00a0This is a recent addition to this parking lot near the Sulphur Caldron. \u00a0A vent just opened up one day and ate the pavement, then started smoking.<\/p>\n

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For KL. \u00a0Buffalo poop. \u00a0 That someone apparently thought they should poke at with a stick.<\/p>\n

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The Sulphur Caldron! \u00a0Seriously, it smells of farts everywhere in this park. \u00a0You know you’re close to a geyser or spring when the smell gets stronger.<\/p>\n

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This is pretty different from the other springs\/geysers we’ve seen. \u00a0Despite the smell, the sight is pretty cool.<\/p>\n

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It’s boiling. \u00a0Because we’re right on top of a volcano. \u00a0And it’s full of sulphuric acid.<\/p>\n

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Not sure if it’s the buffalo or moose doing this to the trees. \u00a0Or elk – I think they have elk up here.<\/p>\n

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I went back to look at the newly-fenced off part of the parking lot. \u00a0Maybe in ten years it’ll be a new geyser?<\/p>\n

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Okay, last stop today. \u00a0JA is worn out and not interested in seeing more boiling pits of water. \u00a0I can’t help myself though, I think all of this is just plain cool. \u00a0This is the Mud Volcano area. \u00a0Another boardwalk with bonus points due to the lack of people.<\/p>\n

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The buffalo frequently come here to roll in the mud. \u00a0So this area isn’t too terrible for you.<\/p>\n

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I saw this sign and could hear something making whooshing, watery, kind of ‘roaring’ noises…aptly named, apparently.<\/p>\n

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This was just too cool. \u00a0It’s a whole in the side of the hill that spews out water. \u00a0Water goes back and forth – whatever the force is that shoves it back out creates the roaring noise heard before and vents a lot of steam at the same time. \u00a0Definitely draconic. \u00a0This was probably one of my favorite features at Yellowstone. \u00a0I took some videos but it just doesn’t do the noise justice.<\/p>\n

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The Mud Volcano. \u00a0Not as impressive as the name suggest, but it was still neat. \u00a0Violent, bubbly, churning mud.<\/p>\n

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I don’t know how recently this boardwalk was built. \u00a0But the wood is in pretty good shape. Maybe just recently repaired? \u00a0We’re running out of daylight so I didn’t have a lot of time if I wanted to see everything here. \u00a0So…I ran from sight to sight. \u00a0And a lot of it was up stairs\/uphill. \u00a0I felt like a little kid and enjoyed myself thoroughly.<\/p>\n

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Apparently a fumerole is just a hole in the ground through which sulphur from the volcano beneath vents. \u00a0A scary thought, except it smells like farts.<\/p>\n

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More running!<\/p>\n

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Interesting name.<\/p>\n

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It bubbles and boils from that one spot\u00a0where I guess the geyser used to shoot up. \u00a0The rest of the mudpot simmers.<\/p>\n

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It’s erupting! \u00a0This whole little area is super cool! \u00a0Lots of activity and a nice little hike. \u00a0And I had it all to myself.<\/p>\n

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Apparently the buffalo don’t care about gasses and acid. \u00a0This is the spot to be for morning mud bathes if you’re big and shaggy.<\/p>\n

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Okay. \u00a0I’m exhausted at this point. \u00a0It’s getting cold and I’ve seen enough. \u00a0We’re close to the campground now and ready for some food and sleep.<\/p>\n

Back to Yellowstone Day 1 Part 2<\/a>\u00a0::: On to Yellowstone Day 2 Part 1<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We’re not even halfway done with the loop and the shadows are getting long. \u00a0I’m getting a bit tired too. \u00a0Not sure if this is just because of all the driving or lack of sleep or whatever else it might be. \u00a0Firehole Lake – definitely not a swimming spot. Although the bison that live here seem to think it’s fine to bathe in. \u00a0There’s a small boardwalk that goes around this little area and over the lake. \u00a0I’m pretty happy…<\/p>\n

Read More Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":3828,"menu_order":28,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4463","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/awanderingjill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/awanderingjill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/awanderingjill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awanderingjill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awanderingjill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4463"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/awanderingjill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4463\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4750,"href":"https:\/\/awanderingjill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4463\/revisions\/4750"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awanderingjill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/awanderingjill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}