A whole lotta hot water

The weather was just beautiful at Yellowstone National Park today. Temperatures hovered around freezing as I entered the park and took the road north to Mammoth Hot Springs, but warmed up later. My first destination was the terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs. There was a nice boardwalk that allowed visitors to see the geothermal activity, both old and current.

 

After inquiring at the visitor center in Mammoth, I headed a couple miles up the road to see the Boiling River. A short hike brought me to literally to a river of hot water bubbling out of a bank, which joined the adjacent Gardner River. Where boiling water meets cold mountain water...a natural hot springs! There were about a dozen people in the soaking pools fashioned out of smooth river rock. I didn't join them, but I DID feel the water...yeah, it was comfortably warm! When I backtracked to Mammoth, there was a minor commotion in town. Sitting on the lawn next to a building was an adult bull elk! In the fall, male elk can get pretty aggressive, so the Park Service tries to keep people safe. In this case, traffic cones were set up to create a perimeter around the elk. After snapping a few pics, I left the elk still sitting there.

I spent the rest of the day looking at a petrified tree, seeing more geothermal features at Artists Paintpots and admiring the various falls around the park. One especially picturesque sight was the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. It has been said this canyon is as impressive as the real Grand Canyon, but I just know it made for a great photo!

 

Tomorrow, I revisit Old Faithful. The last time I saw the famous geyser, I saw it erupt from afar. This time, I want to be right there. I just hope I time it right...it only goes off approximately every 90 or so minutes. And, I don't want to wait that long!