Yellowstone Part 1

I guess you could call it part three since we drove through once and stopped at Mammoth Hot Springs the second time but I'll go with one to keep you from asking where's the other two? We got out of the campground and drove into West Yellowstone where we hit the stone wall of traffic. I don't know where everyone came from but it was packed in bumper to bumper. Of course Becky and Patrick jumped out to run over to a yarn shop. I stayed in traffic and when I got too far away pulled over to wait for them to catch up. Then it was into the traffic again.

Tracks of the day out and back. What a long drive through the park. If you come, stay in the park.

 Traffic getting into the gate.

 Terrance Spring our first stop.

 Gibbon's Falls

 Artist Paint Pots

Mud Volcanos above Artist Paintpots. Becky and Patrick walked up to see them. I sat on the boardwalk and watched a guy in his sixties walk onto a little bridge over a run off stream from the spring. He said, I want to feel how hot the water is an bent down and stuck his hand in the water. He withdrew it in a hurry. It was like sticking your fingers in boiling water it was at least 200 degree. Water boils at 212. I laughed it was quite funny.

 Norris Geyser Basin. There are a lot of little geysers in this area and there is a wooden walkway through the field. We did not take it around because it is quite steep in places and we didn't want to be worn out. After all, a geyser is a geyser is a hot springs. We will (and so will you) see plenty of them.

This is Steamboat Geyser, the world's tallest active geyser. It shoots water 300 feet into the air. It's eruptions are infrequent and the last one was about two years ago.

This is Virginia Cascade. It is viewed from a short drive off the main road between Norris Geyser and Canyon Village. 

 We turned north at Canyon Village and drove to Tower/Roosevelt on a new road that opened in 2015 and what a spectacular piece of engineering it is. Becky and I were continually in awe of the flowers, the variety and the matching colors. It seemed at each new elevation there were new flowers to delight in.  

 Looking down on the Yellowstone River north of the falls.

Across the road from where we took the above pictures, was this impressive cliff. It looked like jagged giant's teeth.

Across the canyon were basalt cliffs that have worn away to leave these pillars.

 The Tower Falls. I was thankful that Becky is willing to push me around so that I can see these things because even though the path was paved, it was not ADA compliant. She had to hold on to the back of me to keep me from skidding down the hill and push hard to get me back up.

 Leaving the Tower Falls, I spotted this big boy on the left side of the road just ambling along. There was no traffic so I ran up the road and turned around at the nearest spot and came back to find him again. He was just out for a stroll and Becky was able to snap these pics. We just rolled along beside him until traffic piled up. I took off and turned around again and stopped where he was. He walked right across the road behind the Tahoe and on down the side of the road without a care in the world. It was pretty awesome.

 Views climbing out of the valley up to Mount Washburn.

The Madison River runs along the west entrance road and makes for some great views.

 We got home about seven oclock. Just in time to beat a thunderstorm that blew in. we were treated to this awesome sight to let us know God is great. What a beautiful end to the day!