Bubbling, plopping, belching, spurting and burping! Yellowstone's magnet, the witches' cauldrons. Old Faithful leads in popularity but all the 'hot and steamy' hot springs, mud-pots, fumaroles, travertine terraces and geysers are visitor magnets extraordinaire. Because of these curiosities-of-our-earth, Yellowstone was established as the world's first national park in 1872. It claims 10,000 hydrothermal features, more than the rest of the entire planet. One-quarter of the world's geysers are visible from the Yellowstone visitors center.
Old Faithful did not meet my expectations 50 years ago, and it didn't again today. Lots of steam and fuss and waiting with too little show. But, Old Faithful is faithful and that alone is an attribute to be honored. Today it was cold and windy and the clouds were a pour backdrop but, hey, a must-do is a must-do and honoring a tradition is, well, faithful.
From beginning to end...
Norris was our favorite thermal display with beautiful colors and the endearing sounds of gurgling and bubbling and sizzling. The whole place hissed, growled, gushed, spurted, plopped and splashed...
Viewing Mammoth Hot Springs is a stinky and dramatic stair climb on boardwalks built in and among and over bubbling, flowing, steaming, other-worldly wonders. Unsettling for me as well as awe inspiring.
The boardwalks are impressive...
Liberty Cap...
Minerva Terrace...
And, up the road a few miles, the Roaring Mountain...
Views to wow...
It all leaves me agape.
~~~
"Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble!"
~ William Shakespeare, Macbeth
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