The journey continues...
Here is our last scenic shot from the terraces section
and one that shows the moisture that had gathered on a small section of grass. Props to Darlene for getting creative with her photography!
After three pages, it is time to move on from the Terraces section of the park.
First up... The Fumaroles of Roaring Mountain which sort of looks like a moguls ski run.
A Fumarole is an opening in the earth's crust, near a volcano, where steam and gases escape. These are the hottest features (temperature wise, that is) in Yellowstone.
Critter ALERT!!!
Cutie Pie
We stopped at Frying Pan Spring. What a neat place!
As we headed down the boardwalk....
LIFER!!!!! This California Tortoiseshell Butterfly (Nymphalis californica) was vacationing in Wyoming.
What an unexpected surprise to find this newly hatched beauty.
Frying Pan Spring
was living up to its name and
was a bubbling hot bed.
The unique Chocolate Pot is noted as a moderately hot spring by Yellowstone standards.
It is a mix of iron oxide deposits and cyanobacteria with a high tolerance for iron.
We were not the only ones appreciating this interesting feature.
At Artist Paint Pots things were stirring
and the scenes were striking as always.
Springs were spouting and steaming.
Mudpots were gurgling and bubbling. What a neat feature these are. Microbes and sulfuric acid break down the rock into clay.
These "double boilers" are a shallow depression on top that holds water and a layer of thermal water below which produces steam with a layer of rock in between. The lower thermal water heats the surface water and creates the neat bubbling reaction.
This one was quiet and calm on the day we visited.
These took on a bluish tint when at rest.
Even when not "painted" with mud, the edges of the holes are a palette of colors on their own.
Just realized how long this post has gotten. So, we'll leave it off there and continue with our Yellowstone journey in the next post.
See ya then!