YELLOWSTONE, USA - Part 1

Yellowstone National Park, designated as the world’s first national park in 1872 is also a World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO in 1978. Covering an area of 2.2 million acres, the park is huge.

So how does the name Yellowstone came about? ‘Mi tse a-da-zi’ meaning Yellow Rock River is named by the Native Indians who have lived in Yellowstone for more than 10,000 years.

Yellowstone comprises of lakes, canyons, river, mountain ranges and of course the geothermal areas. Half the earth’s geothermal features and more than two third of the world’s geysers can be found here in Yellowstone. Famous for its diverse and vast collection of geysers, hot springs, mudpots, and fumaroles, Yellowstone is like no other place on earth.




 



West Thumb Geyser Basin is my first stop in Yellowstone National Park. West Thumb derived its name from the thumb like projection of Yellowstone Lake is one of the smallest geyser basins in Yellowstone and has lesser geyser activity than other basins.
  




The bay results from a small volcanic eruption about 174,000 years ago. This created the source of heat and water that feed the West Thumb Geyser Basin today. West Thumb is a caldera within a caldera.





The Yellowstone Lake is North America’s largest high-altitude lake. It has 141 miles of shoreline and is 20 miles long by 14 miles wide. Its deepest spot is about 410 feet.




Big Cone is a geyser on the lake shore. It rises from Yellowstone Lake about 7 metres away from shoreline.



Fishing Cone, a geyser on the lake used to be popular among the fisherman where they can catch their fish and then immediately dunk it into hot spring and cook it on the hook. The “Hook and Cook”. But fishing at the geyser is now prohibited after a fisherman was badly burned in Fishing Cone in 1921.



The Fishing Cone at the background is the most famous feature in West Thumb. The symmetrical cone geyser is unusually located along the lake shore.





The boardwalk at the West Thumb Geyser Basin.







Abyss is the deepest pool known in Yellowstone.



The Abyss Pool is as deep as 53 feet. It was named as such because its dark green water gives the illusion of being bottomless.






A warning sign that warns visitors to stay on the boardwalks and avoid walking on other areas as the surface here is thin and unstable.









The Black Pool appeared to be an exceptionally dark green to almost black until 1991. The pool is now blue when its temperature became hot enough to kill all the cyanobacteria in the pool. But the name remains as “Black Pool”.





The other hot springs in the area.







OK, time to make a move.



West Thumb has it all. Springs, pools, lake, mud pools, fumaroles and lake shore geysers.



West Thumb is the largest geyser basin on the shores of Yellowstone Lake and ranks as the most scenic because of its location.






Well you can buy your souvenirs here.



Please keep Yellowstone clean.





The dead snags still stand 24 years after the massive, months-long wildfire in the summer of 1988.



But the Lodgepole Pines are thriving in the area.



Natural wildfires are allowed to burn. There is importance of fire to the natural ecosystem such as restoring of soil nutrients and creating grazing land for animals.




The Yellowstone River.



There are three deep canyons in Yellowstone and the most beautiful is none other than the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone River. I am now at Artist Point, a cliff on the south rim of the canyon.



The colourful canyon in various hue such as white, yellow, pink and red.






Overlooking the Lower Yellowstone Falls in the distance.



It was believed that this was the spot where Thomas Moran, the painter sketched the falls. It was later determined that the sketches were made from the north rim. However, the name “Artist Point” remains.



I think the Artist Point is worthy of its name with its breath-taking view of the Lower Yellowstone Falls.



There are more than two hundred waterfalls in Yellowstone, highest being the Lower Fall of the Yellowstone River at 94 metres.







The V-shaped valley of the canyon.









The backcountry trail near Artist Point.









Just be careful while sitting at the edge of the canyon walls. The canyon is more than 250 metres deep.





Ain’t it beautiful? Like a painting, the view from Artist Point is truly a sight to behold.





Mammoth Hot Spring Hotel, established since 1911,  is where I stayed for the night.



These mammoth rock formations are the main attraction of the Mammoth District and are accessible via boardwalk. The Mammoth Hot Spring is just a short walk from the hotel.  



The calcite terraces of Mammoth Hot Spring used to be flourished with water until the late 1970s. Earthquakes has disrupted the plumbing system that allows hot water from underground to reach the surface. The place is currently dry.



The restaurant at the hotel. Time to have dinner.




I had tortilla with bison meat. Yummy!


After dinner decided to walk around the hotel area.


Bought some souvenirs here.



Fireplace at the hotel lobby. It’s really cold out there.




A uniquely shaped water dispenser.





Enjoying a beer outside the cabin with my beau, while I call it a night. Time to get some rest before I continue exploring the beauty of Yellowstone the next morning. 



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