Did you know that Yellowstone National Park is a hotbed of volcanic activity???? It is called HYDROTHERMAL, baby!! The central portion of the park is an immense depression or caldera (remember Crater Lake?) that resulted from a volcanic eruption that occurred 640,000 years ago. Fractures in the earth's crust underlie areas within and around the caldera making it easier for superheated underground water to rise to the surface.
Lee and I visited Old Faithful, the world's most famous geyser (bottom picture). Then we hiked the Lone Star Trail (5 miles round trip) to visit the Lone Star Geyser (looks like a big rock erupting) which is the second largest geyser next to Old Faithful. We were very fortunate to see both of these geysers erupt since their eruptions occur at specific intervals. It was amazing to see all the bubbling water and steam. (And the smell - not too pretty since it smelled of sulfur and there were numerous warnings about the dangers of getting too close both because of water temperature and gases) However, we really enjoyed seeing the Lone Star Geyser since there were only 4 other couples watching with us. It was a special moment away from the crowds.
The other pictures are of Emerald Spring, Terrace Spring, and the Norris Geyser Basin.
Traveling around in the car, you could see steam rising from all around - some being steam vents, hot springs, mud pots, and geysers. Just fascinating!!! Sometimes I felt as if I entered a whole different world. It was like traveling back in time when the earth was still new. Wow!!!
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