Lower and Midway Geyer Basins

We're really headed to Old Faithful geyser and Old Faithful Inn for lunch. Our history of hitting our goals are sometimes not realized, leaving open other exciting adventures.

The geyser basins are 3 in a row: lower, midway and upper. After that you eventually reach Old Faithful Inn.

This is the Lower Geyser Basin. If you don't believe Yellowstone is a volcano in waiting, take a look at these pictures. Rangers and volunteers have built a boardwalk all the way around this area. It's quite amazing to walk over to these boiling fissures and just look down into them.

We started out early and it was chilly still so the steam was very visible. I don't know that anyone can ever duplicate the colors that you see as you walk around.







Next we drove to the Midway Geyser Basin. 
Home of the trail head for Fairy Falls if you pass a several acre flat area of mud pots, small to large geysers and many ground level springs. Our intention was to hike to Fairy Falls on this spectacular day. So we suited up with jackets, hats, camera, back-packs, and hiking sticks and headed up the trail.







Ahh, the greeting committee of one.

2nd plateau

What is it about a challenge that I can't resist?? The trail head to start up to Fairy Falls is one mile from the parking lot. We were about 3/4's of the way there when this guy with a large camera stops us to say "If you want a great picture of Grand Prismatic, take the 3rd trail up to a small plateau area." This was totally unsolicited but we looked at each other and said, sure, we're game, let's go.

Top Bluff Area

So we get to the first area and another camera buff says "if you go straight up there (pointing up!) you'll get a better view and less obstructions for your pictures." Okay, so up we went.



We got there and a 3rd camera buff was just leaving and said "go across this small valley and up to that bluff and you'll get a totally unobstructed view and pictures."

Grand Prismatic Spring

Seriously??

Well, of course we went there...(with me huffing and puffing by now). But oh my, what a view.

This is looking to the left of Grand Prismatic Spring to the Firehole River. It's very appropriately named as it is basically created from all the water running off from the springs, mud pots and geysers.

We're back down now. This is another smaller spring. When you look into it you see trees that must have at some time grown along the edge and they died from the intense heat and are preserved in the mineral water. It looks like you can just run and jump in there but it's not advised. Well, unless you enjoy losing your skin...ahhh, nevermind!

The amount of water these water features dump into the various creeks and rivers is astounding. The Firehole River runs into the Gibbon River runs into the Gardiner River that runs into the Yellowstone River. When it rains, oh buddy, does the water level go up!

We never made it to Fairy Falls. We instead hiked these 3 miles for a surprisingly wonderful view. But we were still on plan for lunch at the Inn!

Miles hiked: 100