Wyoming - Yellowstone National Park (2) Aug 30-Sept 6 (Water)

The West side of Yellowstone National Park is filled with some of the most amazing scenery. 

Yellowstone Lake is North America's largest mountain lake at 20 miles long, 14 miles wide and 430 feet deep.  While August surface temperature is about 60 degrees, the bottom temperature never rises above 42 degrees.

Here is another view that gives more of a perspective for the size of the lake. The photos just can't portray the expansive size of this body of water!

 
 
 

We then headed up to the Northern section of the park called Mammoth Hot Springs. Hot water from underground rises to the surface and mixes with disolved carbon dioxide and as it rises through the limestone rock it creates the rock that forms these beautiful terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs.

 

Here is the view of New Blue Spring (and the terraces) which can become active or inactive several times in one year.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

While overlooking New Blue Spring you can see luxurious Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel in the distance. We had to climb about 1000 steps to get this to this view point. It was quite the trek, but it was worth it.
 

Just to give you another perspective of the amazing living sculptures in this area, here is Orange Spring Mound. The spring flows from its top and side with the orange colors coming from the thermophiles living in the hot water.
 

Next stop, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone where glaciers contributed to carving the current V- shaped canyon.
 
 





Inside of this canyon is the most spectacular site in all of Yellowstone, Artist Point, one of the most photographed views in the park.  From this overlook, the Yellowstone River thunders more than 308 feet over one of the two dynamic falls. This, the taller of the two is Lower Falls.
 

 
 

You can go to varying viewpoints. From the "Brink of the Upper Falls" you can see the rush of the water as it races to the fall 109 feet into the Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River.

Then we hiked out to the Brink of the Lower Falls Trail and saw just how clear the water is where every second 37,417 gallons of water plunges the 308 feet over the Lower Falls.
 
 

Following the trail you descend to the brink on a steep trail that drops 600 feet to view the Upper Falls up close.  The walk down was easy but it was quite the hike back to the top!
 

Our last stop was back to the beginning at the Lake House Restaurant with a full side of windows facing where all the flow of water began, Yellowstone Lake.  And, yes we ordered the local trout...how can you lose when it comes right out of the local streams!

 
Next is the last update for Yellowstone...the watchable wildlife!!!  Then, on to Grand Teton National Park.