Yellowstone National Park, home to over 10,000 thermal features and over 500 hundred of which are geysers. With half the earth’s geothermal features and more than two-thirds of the world’s geysers can be found here in Yellowstone.
Yellowstone is actually a massive caldera of a supervolcano whereby most area of Yellowstone sits inside an ancient volcanic caldera. Measuring 72 x 48km, it is one of the largest caldera in the world.
Last night was really cold. Luckily there were heaters in the chalet. Temperature is cold in Yellowstone, winter average from -20°C to -5°C throughout the day. Yellowstone’s record low temperature is -54°C. Even during the summer nights, temperature may drop below freezing point.
Well it was even colder in the morning. Better put on more clothing, its freezing.
All ready for more Yellowstone’s wilderness exploration.
Saw some elks.
At last saw the famous American bison just beside the roadside.
First stop, the Fountain Paint Pot at the Lower Geysir Basin.
Nature Trail, the half mile boardwalk loop will passes several geysers, mud pots and bacteria mats.
The ribbons of colour that you see here comes from the bacteria and other thermophiles. This green, brown, and orange mats are cyanobacteria, which can live in waters as hot as 167 F (73 C).
Its colour may change when the water cools or due to stress, such as the intense sunlight of mid summer.
The bacteria mat.
Silex Spring, Silex is silica in Latin. When the hot water escapes to the ground surface, it dissolves a large amount of silica, thus its name.
You can see steam everywhere in the area.
Bubbling mud pots at Fountain Paint Pot.
Fountain Paint Pots are mud pots, a hot spring that contains boiling mud instead of water.
Red Spouter originated from the 1959 Hebgen Lake Earthquake. It exhibits the behaviour of fumaroles, hot springs and mudpots, depending on the seasons. If there is a lot of water in Red Spouter, then Red Spouter is a hot spring. If there is little water, Red Spouter is a mudpot. And if there is no water, Red Spouter is a fumarole.
In fall when the water table is lower, Red Spouter becomes a hissing fumarole.
The reason why Red Spouter changes is that it's sitting on top of a platform, which means it can't access the underground water table like the nearby geysers do.
The rotten egg odour that I smell here actually caused by a heat-loving microorganisms called “thermophiles”.
The beautiful Leather Pool. Prior to the Hebgen lake earthquake of 1959, it was a warm pool that supported leather-like brown bacteria. After the earthquake, water temperatures rose to boiling and killed the microorganisms. It then became blue in colour.
Here comes the eruption of the Jet Geyser! The Jet Geyser can erupts every few minutes up to 20 feet (6 meters) during its active period.
Spasm Geyser is quieter and calmer compared to its bigger neighbour. It can splash up to 3 feet.
Dead lodgepole pine trees in the area.
The pine trees are thriving here.
Taking a nap under the sun.
We bid farewell to Fountain Paint Pot and head to our next destination: Upper Geyser Basin.
The Upper Geyser Basin has the highest concentration of geothermal features on the park, including the most famous geyser in the world, Old Faithful Geyser. This basin alone contains more than 150 geysers.
Oh no, the Old Faithful Geyser has already started to erupt by the time we reached there!
Hmm, guess I would have to come back later. The Old Faithful is the most predictable geographical feature on earth, erupting almost every 90 minutes. When you think of Yellowstone, Old Faithful is what comes in mind.
Old Faithful Inn, built in 1903, claimed to be the largest log building in the world.
Old Faithful Inn has 327 rooms and is a National Historic landmark.
A cute little boy wanted to get onto our coach bus for a mini tour.
Some fishing enthusiasts trying out their luck by the river. Yellowstone River is one of the greatest trout streams of the world.
The Firehole River flows through several significant geyser basins in the park, including the Upper Geyser Basin and Midway Geyser Basin.
The river is surrounded by geothermal features which empty water into it.
Midway Geyser Basin, despite its smaller size comparing to the other basins, has two large features including the Grand Prismatic Spring and Excelsior Geyser.
The bridge that crosses over to Midway Geyser Basin.
Excelsior Geyser Crater pours 4,000 to 4,500 gallons of water per minute directly into the Firehole River.
Although in the late 19th century, it was an active geyser that erupted frequently and powerfully, it now only boils as a hot spring most of the time.
The still water of Turquoise Pool reflected its surrounding like a mirror.
Opal Pool is another hot spring in Midway Geyser Basin. It is easily recognised by the yellowish ring surrounding its blue water.
It is a pretty hot spring, don’t you think so?
Grand Prismatic Spring measuring 110m wide and 37m deep, is the largest hot spring in America and the 3rd largest in the world.
This hot spring discharges 2,100 litre of water per minute into the Firehole River. The microorganisms living around the hot spring makes the pool colourful.
It is hard to capture the picture of the whole Grand Prismatic Spring due to its size unless you’re looking down from the sky.
After visiting the Grand Prismatic Spring, I pass by Excelsior Geyser Crater again.
This time the steam clears a little allowing a better view of the geyser.
In the 1880's Excelsior Geyser violent eruption formed the jagged crater and apprently ruptured the geyser's underground system, causing eruption to cease after 1890. In 1985, this geyser roared back to life with major eruption but has since been dormant.
No one can predict when this powerful geyser will once again erupt.
The bridge crossing the Firehole River.
The water from the Excelsior Geyser Crater discharging into the Firehole River.
Standing on the shallow river bed of Firehole river.
Okay, back to Old Faithful. The crowd is already waiting there to witness the eruption of Old Faithful.
Here goes…..
Simply marvellous. This is my first time seeing a geyser erupt so high. It can erupt up to a height of 185 feet, lasting from 1.5 to 5 minutes.
Well, according to my beau, the eruption is not as great as the one he saw in Iceland.
The eruption of Strokkur Geyser he saw in Iceland in the year 2000 just beside the Great Geysir gave rise to the word geyser. Geysir, the word derived from the Icelandic verb geysa, meaning ‘to gush’.
The one he saw in Iceland is a fountain geyser which erupts from pools of water, typically in a series of violent burst. The eruption is bigger and more frequent then Old Faithful, less than 10 minutes per eruption. Furthermore, he got to stand so close to the geyser.
The Old Faithful Geyser is however a cone geyser whereby steady jets of water erupts from a cone.
It may not be the highest or the biggest, nevertheless it certainly is the most famous geyser in the world.
The lovely bear shadow lantern inside Old Faithful Inn.
Yellowstone is actually one of the world’s largest petrified forest. The lush green forest spawn across the landscape.
Time to bid farewell to the Yellowstone National Park.
The park area is mostly covered by forest interspersed with grassland and water. Impressive mammals including the grizzly bears, elks, bison and moose can be found strolling through the park’s majestic landscapes.
I am very fortunate to watch some elks crossing the Yellowstone River.
Too bad I didn’t get to see any grizzly bear. If I see one, should I run or play dead? Haha.
Remember to keep a proper distance from the wild animals. If you cause an animal to move, you are too close!
Yellowstone is truly America’s greatest wonder, host to incredible natural features and awe inspiring scenery. It takes weeks to really experience the park’s true wilderness.
Simply two days in the park has mesmerised me with its fantastically diverse geological features and stunning scenery. With a heavy heart I bid farewell as I cross over to the state of Montana.
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