Yellowstone 2008 - Day 5

Jul 15, 2008

Current mood:fabulous

Day 5: After packing up all of our gear and saying farewell to the folks we decided to make a quick trip up to Norris Geyser Basin, as we skipped it last year so it was new to Landis, and a fun refresher to me. Norris geyser Basin: Named so because years ago Chuck Norris roundhouse kicked the earths crust repeatedly creating the worlds most dynamic, and violently unpredictable Geyser Basin.  Hehe. Anyway, I am hella stoked we went, it was perfect weather, I remember last time I went it was like 300 degrees, but it wasn't too hot today.

Also Steamboat geyser is currently active. As I didn't see an actual Major Eruption (at over 300 feet currently the worlds tallest geyser) the minor eruptions are quite spectacular at almost 80 feet as high or higher than old faithful!

Down the trail there are tons of little, and large, almost lake size hot springs, as well as a few geysers.

Here is equines

 
Green Dragon Spring

This is in front of Green Dragon Spring. The picture didn't quite capture what I had hoped but those two streams on either side are both flowing IN to that puddle… where it is draining apparently below ground, probably to be churned up again in that cave. I donno I thought it was cool.

Beautiful blue spring with red runoff, from below ground. This is actually Porkchop Geyser, which had a giant eruption that blew it open like it is now. No longer the shape of a pork chop.

Pearl Geyser – I like the piddy colors.

Some of the hot spring lakes from way above.

and from below.

 

Scientists doing.. scientific stuff. I believe they said they were from the University of San Antonio… I know it was a San something that wasn't Francisco…  Either way, extinct or not that is closer than I would get to the opening of a geyser. Wooo.

This giant steamy geyser has a name but I can't seem to remember it.

Piddy Colors, I guess one of those pools is Pinwheel Geyser

 

Yellowstone Hearts You.

Nupahr Lake – Obviously at flood stage, there's a trail running through the center of that.

 
This is Cistern Spring somehow the plumbing of this spring, even though it is hundreds of feet away, is connected to Steamboat Geyser. Apparently just before a Major Eruption this spring drains completely.

Steamboat again.

We then came back the way we came on our way out of the park, and we passed this random riverside spring.

 
On the way out we passed a pull out for Monument Basin. I had never even heard of this before and thought we should check it out. So we pull out check the sign and it's a mere mile with a slight incline up the mountain. Okay sounds reasonable…

After a short flat hike, the trail switched back, and UP. Almost completely vertically I swear.

This trail was in the heart of the 88 fire, and as you can see some of the original trees still stand, with the slowly recovering forest around it.

Pretty view, but look at what is in the foreground, yes that is fucking SNOW. This trail sent me deep into the snowy woods, the snow at times 3 feet deep.

The geysers up here were well, interesting but not very exciting. Just a lot of weird shaped cones and steam.

 
We finally make it back to the car safe and sound, cold, wet, tired and sore. I am glad I saw Monolith Basin, it was completely new to me, but wow that was a freaking hike. I probably wouldn't recommend this to anyone on their first or 2nd trip to Yellowstone, there are more exciting things to see that are easier to get to.

Driving back through Idaho I saw

A horizon. Okay, I know this is perfectly normal, but for someone who has lived in Utah forever it is quite unsettling. The earth is not round, it is mountainous and scraggly! I don't know how I feel about this… seeing until the earth curves back around… well, its just not natural. 

Anyway this was another great Yellowstone vacation. We explored a lot of backcountry areas I've never seen, even some my parents have never seen. Next time I go up I would like to try and make it down to see Lonestar Geyser.

 

• Ashley OK you damn attention whore! I already read it and looked at the photo's and heard the actual stories in person! But I totally wanna steal your effing Nikon. Next year we should plan a group vacay or something... but somewhere there isn't bears... maybe just the baby ones. They're so cute!

  3 years ago

 

• taliea beautiful!!!!!!!! the pics are amazing.......
  iam glad u had fun

  3 years ago