One of my "leftovers" from Yellowstone that I never got to until this morning. As I kept staring at this one Paintpot (in the Norris Geyser Basin) geyser, I kept thinking that Yellowstone can't just be seen; it has to be experienced.
Yellowstone is not just anything. Not wildlife, not scenics, not wildflowers, and not just Old Faithful. "Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, with parts in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. It was established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. Yellowstone was the first national park in the U.S. and is also widely held to be the first national park in the world. The park is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially Old Faithful geyser, one of its most popular.While it represents many types of biomes, the subalpine forest is the most abundant. It is part of the South Central Rockies forests ecoregion."
I've been fortunate to experience Yellowstone seven times since 1947. Well, I've visited the park for more than six days each visit, but haven't experienced the 3,468.4 square miles! I've "done" perhaps 50. My parents had to show me its wonders, and I had to show my wife, and then my kids. So we always stated with Old Faithful, but during the visit of 2014, we took in Coulter Bay*, and most of the geysers, and the Bison and Pronghorn herds during calving, and what was open on the Lamar Valley. We were there for the two weeks before the park was officially open for 2014.
The geothermal areas of Yellowstone include several geyser basins in Yellowstone National Park as well as other geothermal features such as hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. The number of thermal features in Yellowstone is estimated at 10,000. We managed 20, and were fascinated by the colors. The bright, vivid colors in the spring are the result of microbial mats around the edges of the mineral-rich water. ... The deep blue color of the water in the center of the pool results from the intrinsic blue color of water. The effect is strongest in the center of the spring, because of its sterility and depth. We were lucky to see 20.
Footnote though a highlight: I added 11 species of birds in our first three days. *Coulter, technically part of the Grand Tetons.
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