 This
is a little scenic view along the Seven Mile Hole Trail. This wonderful
trail leads down into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. If you
have looked at the canyon from the rim and gotten the urge to hike down
to the bottom, then this is the trail for you. The trail is often
steep and hard to navigate (loose rock and stuff) and even hard to follow
in spots, but if scrawny old cigarette smoking me can do it so can you.
There are two or three back country camp sites at the bottom, so it makes
a good overnight trip. There are several small thermal areas along
the way, and a creek just beyond the farthest campsite with strange green,
sulphery smelling water in a series of small falls and pools, and it is
lined with small hot springs. Be sure to ask if the water is OK if
you camp. I found a sign on the way out that wasn't there when I
hiked in for an overnight trip warning that the river water was not safe
to drink even if filtered. I was just waiting to see what kind of
disease I would get from it, but I stayed healthy. |
 The
Natural Bridge, near Bridge Bay. Yes, Yellowstone has just about
everything, including natural bridges. I think I read somewhere that
way back in the day you could drive over it, or ride horses over it or
something. My sister contributed a shot
that is a bit closer than this one. |
 Cupid
Spring, at Mammoth Hot Springs. The streaks of color are due to different
sorts of algae that grow at different temperatures. |
 An
elk grazing at Mammoth Hot Springs. Mammoth is often overrun with
elk feeding on the lawns around the buildings. Actually, most of
Yellowstone is overrun by elk. They do seem partial to the lawns
at Mammoth though. During breeding season the males have been known
to attack motor homes. Elk are also called wapiti. That way
you don't get them confused with european elk. |
 Elephant
Back Terrace, Mammoth Hot Springs. Elephant Back is on the Upper
Terrace Drive, a short one way road. It's unusual shape comes from
hot mineral laden water seeping out of a linear crack in the ground, but
not necessarily along the whole length at once. You can see in the
picture that water is seeping along only a few short sections of the elephant's
spine. The terraces at Mammoth are a very dynamic area. The
mineral deposited is travertine, which builds up much more rapidly than
the geyserite in the geyser basins. Very active formations can change
noticeably from one year to the next, and activity shifts from one spring
to another frequently. Elephant back is not very active in this picture.
The gray color is travertine with no water flowing on it. |
 This
is a pool on top of the Main Terrace at Mammoth Hot Springs.
I liked the milky blue color of this one. Milky color like this is caused
by suspended bits of minerals in the water. |
 An
algae bed in a runoff channel of Canary Spring, Mammoth Hot Springs. Algae
(which are usually really bacteria rather than true algae) is responsible
for most of the colors in the runoff channels of hot springs and geysers.
My sister has an algae picture
also. |
 A
sort of reddish bird. I don't know what kind. Birds aren't
my strong point. |
 As
long as we are on the subject of birds, these are the nests of Cliff Swallows
under the eaves of the old gas station at Lake. The nests are made
of mud, and would be all over the eaves of all the buildings if we let
them, but that is a story in itself. |