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| | | Mammoth Hot Springs Upper Terrace, WY | | | |
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Mammoth Hot Springs Upper Terrace, WY
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| Hiking | 1.84 Miles |
259 AEG |
| | Hiking | 1.84 Miles | 1 Hour 20 Mns | | 1.53 mph |
| 259 ft AEG | 8 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Two days ago we had driven over the Beartooth Highway (called most scenic highway in America by Charles Kurault), something that caught my eye when I was researching something else. It was a very scenic way to enter Yellowstone Park and I highly recommend it; especially if you like switchback driving up a mountain or two.
After extensive Rx and limited time, this would be our day to pick our mini-adventures in Yellowstone Park. The previous day we had taken the All Day Yellowstone Tour and true to Trip Advisor, the guide concentrated a little too much on the wildlife but it was still a great way to get the lay of the land. And for us, places to figure out where we could park Snowball, the 31ft RV with 3 ft extension for my brother's bike and motorcycle.
We had stayed in Gardiner, MT at the Rocky Mountain RV Park the last two nites. It's just 5 miles north of Mammoth. Mammoth Campground is first come and we didn't arrive until around 6PM. However, I really liked our backup choice as we were lucky and had a great view. Plus the Tour Bus came right to our door to pick us up the previous day.
I think the most important thing to keep in mind when you see all these geysers and hot springs is to think back to the stories that the first onlookers had and would tell to others who thot they had gone mad. Looking at it today, it is just so incredible; on top of being in such a large caldera for several days.
So our first stop on this busy day was the Upper Terrace of Mammoth Hot Springs as we had done part of the lower Terrace the day before (Liberty Cap and Palette Spring). There was ample parking for Snowball as we couldn't take the RV in on the auto loop and walked it instead.
We went down to the Main Terrace and checked that out (Dryad and Canary Spring). The views north looking toward the mountains of the Gallatin National Forest/Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness from here were pretty cool as well. Fortunately it wasn't crowded yet so we got to soak in the area, saw a bluebird on our way up to the Upper Terrace and started the loop counterclockwise.
The road is pretty narrow so really not a lot of room for pedestrian traffic. We passed by Prospect Spring, New Highland Terrace (with tree skeletons created from the 1950s-1980s when New Highland was very active) and then came to what we considered the highlight: Orange Spring Mound. As we came to that part of the Terrace you could hear the elk bugling; couldn't see them, only hear them but that was pretty cool as we were more or less out there by ourselves except for a very occasional auto.
Orange Spring Mound comes from several vents. They say the striking colors come from the themophiles living in the hot water. The road was recently moved away from the spring to allow the free flow of water and travertine formation. This is where we spent the most time. I had run out of SD card room so we transferred my brother's SD card to my camera so we could have movies of it.
Next we passed by Bath Lake which was apparently a popular swimming hole until it dried up in 1926. Interestingly it filled up again after the '59 earthquake and stayed full thru the 70s. The White Elephant Back Terrace was pretty cool looking altho I don't see the elephant back part myself. It is essentially a long calcium carbonate ridge.
Last was the Angel Terrace. It was dry for decades but resumed activity in 1985. It seems many of the thermal features cut in and out. They say the overall activity of the entire area and the volume of water coming out of the springs is constant. Shawn would like this, "At Mammoth Hot Springs, GEOLOGY isn't just history, it's an active process -- happening before your eyes"!
Here are a couple videos that include movies and pictures:
https://youtu.be/X1 ... gPFU
https://youtu.be/ZH ... hTRw |
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For me, sometimes it's just as much about the journey as the destination.
Oh, and once in awhile, don't forget to look back at the trail you've traveled. |
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