September 18, 2013 3:28 am
Mr. Selfish and I didn’t have any real expectations for the hot springs and geysers in Yellowstone. We had visited some areas with volcanic activity recently in New Zealand and weren’t too sure how they would be different. We were happy to discover that Yellowstone is quite different since it has the most geysers on earth.
Mr. Selfish and I had heard about Old Faithful on numerous occasions and assumed that it would just be a lot of hype and a huge tourist trap. We were wrong. Old Faithful is worth all of the hype.
Erupting almost every 91 minutes, Old Faithful is known as the most predictable geyser on earth. It erupts between 3,700 to 8,400 gallons of water at a height of 106 to 185 feet for approximately one to five minutes. It was quite impressive to watch. Mr. Selfish and I showed up just in time to catch an eruption.
After watching Old Faithful’s eruption, we headed to the Midway Geyser Basin to see the Grand Prismatic Spring. We came upon a tour bus of Chinese tourists, about which we were not too thrilled. Luckily, the trail around the hot spring is a loop, and we smartly decided to go in the opposite direction of the large tour group.
Although we saw the largest hot spring in the world in Rotoura, New Zealand, I found the Grand Prismatic Spring (the third largest in the world) to be the most beautiful. The colors are crazy vivid due to the bacteria that grows on the edge of the spring.
We hiked up a nearby hill to get a better view of the Grand Prismatic Spring. The hill is at the start of the Fairy Falls Trail. It is a short hike with an amazing view at the end.
Because we didn’t get enough hot springs, Mr. Selfish and I also drove the 2-mile stretch known as the Firehole Lake Drive. It is one-way drive through different hot springs and geysers. We particularly enjoyed the Great Fountain Geyser (which was not erupting) and the White Dome Geyser (which was erupting).
Finally, we saw some wild life near the geysers. We were lucky enough to see some buffalo and elk. I imagine that the hot springs are quite toasty and that’s why the animals like it.
That’s it for our one and a half day visit at Yellowstone. Tomorrow, we’ll go over where we stayed near Yellowstone.
Posted by mrsselfish
Categories: Cross Country, North America, United States
Tags: Cross Country, Fairy Falls Trail, Firehole Canyon Drive, Firehole River, Geysers, Grand Prismatic Spring, Great Fountain Geyser, Midway Geyser Basin, North America, Old Faithful, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, United States, White Dome Geyser, Yellowstone
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awesome, thank you!!!
By JSFlyer on September 19, 2013 at 10:56 am
I haven’t commented at all but have followed your blog faithfully and thoroughly enjoy it! Do you have suggestions of where to stay for the Yellowstone Park trip?
By JSFlyer on September 18, 2013 at 10:13 am
Yes, we do. Mr. Selfish’s post tomorrow will go over where we stayed and our recommendations for accommodations in the area. Tune in tomorrow!
By mrsselfish on September 18, 2013 at 8:15 pm