Geyser Gazing Geezers (not!)

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I can’t begin to describe what it is like driving from Mammoth to Norris and seeing steam rising from a pool of water at the side of the road. When we stopped, we could see, hear & smell the boiling cauldron. Thus it was for all of today. Tonight everything we wore, plus our skin, smells like sulpher and other ugly-smelling noxious gases, the names of which escape me, primarily because the beauty of what we saw far outranked any temporary unpleasantness. However, be forewarned. Anyone with a sensitive nose should avoid the geysers, steam vents, fumaroles and mud pots of Yellowstone.

Make no mistake. Underneath all of this crunchy crust is some very active magma. We didn’t need the signs warning us to stay off the landscape, but we wondered how all the wild animals do it. Buffalo, wolves, bears, and all sorts of living creatures make this their home, and manage to stay alive without getting boiled.

Assault to the noses aside, this was an area of incredible beauty, and we haven’t even seen Old Faithful yet. Today we wandered all around the Norris Geyser Basin gazing at the geysers with all the other old geezers who decided that September was a good time to visit Yellowstone National Park. Seriously though, we don’t really count ourselves as old geezers yet, but it is great to travel with many like-minded others, and to avoid the incredible crowds and long lineups that Yellowstone is famous for. We couldn’t imagine what it would have been like in July and August, just trying to get in position for a good photo. Today we had the geothermal features all to ourselves, empty benches to sit, relax and contemplate life, and the pick of the prime photo spots for as long as we wanted.

Richard carried the tripod (thanks Judy!) and made good use of the opportunity to hone his cinematography skills. The HD Handicam is very much up to the job, but we can’t upload the large files to this travel blog. Too bad, as they are awesome, even when played back on our old workhorse laptop that can’t really keep up.

Meanwhile, Kayla was in photographer’s heaven with all the colours and strange features, some of which you see here.

Tomorrow it’s off to see Old Faithful.

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Photos

Hot Spring
Just off the side of the road.

Boiling Cauldron
Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble ...

Bubbling Pool
Porcelain Basin

Norris Geyser Basin
Back Basin

Artist Paint Pots
A walk near the Norris Geyser Basin.

Comments

[Jim]

Enjoying the pictures!
Great photos! I agree with Karen. I'm jealous! Keep the photos coming. They're gorgeous. May I suggest on the video camera? Forget the on camera microphone if you haven't already done so. Buy a clip on lapel mic at Radio Shack (It comes with a lengthy cord). Have Richard do the narration while you film, or vice versa. You will get much better audio and meaningful narrative. Have fun. Love, Jim

[KaylaRichard]

Enjoying the Pictures
Thanks for the suggestion on the microphone. The HD Handicam was Richard's birthday present so he does most of the video while Kayla does the stills. Almost everything requires a tripod, which can be a bit of a pain, but the result (no jiggling or bobbing up and down) makes it worth the extra trouble.