There are 2.2 million acres in Yellowstone. You'd think that crowds wouldn't be an issue. Alas, the infrastructure has not kept up with the ever-increasing number of visitors. We had a difficult time finding parking at Norris Geyser Basin. It has a prime location between Mammoth and Old Faithful. Add to that the beautiful day in the middle of summer, and you've got a recipe for a lot of traffic.
I dropped Ma off at the entrance and went to find a parking place. When I rejoined her, Ma was sitting on the ground. Her blood sugar had become dangerously low. And, thanks to Murphy's Law, this was one of the few times I was traveling light. I had water, but I had no snacks to offer her. I sprinted back to the car and grabbed every carbohydrate in sight. Ma's blood sugar eventually stabilized, but it scared the hell out of me. I vowed we would never be caught without food again.
Once the incident was behind us, we explored Norris Geyser Basin.
Norris Geyser Basin has two trails. They start on opposite sides of the small geyser museum. This side is the Porcelain Basin.
Just like at other geyser areas, this one was inhabited by exotic thermophiles that turned the runoff into a kaleidoscope of colors. The water behind me was heated by the Pinwheel Geyser.
Sometimes the colors produced a "Lord of the Rings" setting: dank, dark, and dangerous.
These pools were no less impressive, though.
This might look like just a couple of holes in the ground...
...but look closer. The geyserite silica has settled into a network of "veins". So awesome!
Ma was feeling a bit tired after the earlier ordeal and the Porcelain Basin hike. I continued to the other trail, Back Basin, solo.
Emerald Spring
Why is the sky blue? It's because particles in the earth's atmosphere scatter the blue light the most. Emerald Spring's sides and bottom are coated with yellow sulfur deposits. And the minerals in the water work a lot like the particles in the earth's atmosphere. During the day, the sun's light refracts in the pool as blue. So, the yellow sulfur and blue light combine to make the pool appear bright green. In the morning and evening, the pool is yellow.
This is Steamboat Geyser. Its major eruptions are currently the highest in the world. Recent eruptions have topped out at 300 feet. I use the word "recent" loosely. The last event was May 23, 2005.
I witnessed several minor eruptions of just a dozen feet or so. I was fairly itching for it to shoot out a big eruption. My odds were not good. It could lay dormant for fifty years like it did between 1911 and 1961.
Cistern Spring will drain completely during a major Steamboat Geyser eruption. It takes days to refill.
Echinus Geyser is acidic. It's nearly the same pH as vinegar. That reddish deposit you see at its edge is a combination of iron, manganese, aluminum and and arsenic. It's eruptions are erratic.
Puff 'N Stuff Geyser
Like its name suggests, it made a lot of noise.
Blue Mud Steam Vent
This was possibly the stinkiest spot on the trail. As I've described a couple times before, the acid in the water dissolves the rock around it and it turns into a mud pot. This one plopped and spit a bluish colored mud.
Algae
Porkchop Geyser
An underground thermal "disturbance" affected the entire basin area in 1985, and Porkchop Geyser was affected most of all. It began to continuously jet water and steam. And it didn't stop for four years! Then it mysteriously became clogged. On September 5, 1989, Porkchop abruptly exploded, hurling rocks and debris at eight stunned tourists. Thankfully no one was hurt. You can see some of the larger rocks that were displaced by the explosion.
Pearl Geyser
The white dots are deposits of geyserite.
See? Sometimes geyserite forms blobs instead of veins.
Vixen Geyser
Despite her crusty appearance, she erupts every five to ten minutes. Like a vixen.
***
That's enough geysers for a while. Let's go see some stinky mud pots!
I dropped Ma off at the entrance and went to find a parking place. When I rejoined her, Ma was sitting on the ground. Her blood sugar had become dangerously low. And, thanks to Murphy's Law, this was one of the few times I was traveling light. I had water, but I had no snacks to offer her. I sprinted back to the car and grabbed every carbohydrate in sight. Ma's blood sugar eventually stabilized, but it scared the hell out of me. I vowed we would never be caught without food again.
Once the incident was behind us, we explored Norris Geyser Basin.
Norris Geyser Basin has two trails. They start on opposite sides of the small geyser museum. This side is the Porcelain Basin.
Just like at other geyser areas, this one was inhabited by exotic thermophiles that turned the runoff into a kaleidoscope of colors. The water behind me was heated by the Pinwheel Geyser.
Sometimes the colors produced a "Lord of the Rings" setting: dank, dark, and dangerous.These pools were no less impressive, though.
This might look like just a couple of holes in the ground...
...but look closer. The geyserite silica has settled into a network of "veins". So awesome!Ma was feeling a bit tired after the earlier ordeal and the Porcelain Basin hike. I continued to the other trail, Back Basin, solo.
Emerald SpringWhy is the sky blue? It's because particles in the earth's atmosphere scatter the blue light the most. Emerald Spring's sides and bottom are coated with yellow sulfur deposits. And the minerals in the water work a lot like the particles in the earth's atmosphere. During the day, the sun's light refracts in the pool as blue. So, the yellow sulfur and blue light combine to make the pool appear bright green. In the morning and evening, the pool is yellow.
This is Steamboat Geyser. Its major eruptions are currently the highest in the world. Recent eruptions have topped out at 300 feet. I use the word "recent" loosely. The last event was May 23, 2005.I witnessed several minor eruptions of just a dozen feet or so. I was fairly itching for it to shoot out a big eruption. My odds were not good. It could lay dormant for fifty years like it did between 1911 and 1961.
Cistern Spring will drain completely during a major Steamboat Geyser eruption. It takes days to refill.
Echinus Geyser is acidic. It's nearly the same pH as vinegar. That reddish deposit you see at its edge is a combination of iron, manganese, aluminum and and arsenic. It's eruptions are erratic.
Puff 'N Stuff GeyserLike its name suggests, it made a lot of noise.
Blue Mud Steam VentThis was possibly the stinkiest spot on the trail. As I've described a couple times before, the acid in the water dissolves the rock around it and it turns into a mud pot. This one plopped and spit a bluish colored mud.
Algae
Porkchop GeyserAn underground thermal "disturbance" affected the entire basin area in 1985, and Porkchop Geyser was affected most of all. It began to continuously jet water and steam. And it didn't stop for four years! Then it mysteriously became clogged. On September 5, 1989, Porkchop abruptly exploded, hurling rocks and debris at eight stunned tourists. Thankfully no one was hurt. You can see some of the larger rocks that were displaced by the explosion.
Pearl GeyserThe white dots are deposits of geyserite.
See? Sometimes geyserite forms blobs instead of veins.
Vixen GeyserDespite her crusty appearance, she erupts every five to ten minutes. Like a vixen.
***
That's enough geysers for a while. Let's go see some stinky mud pots!
