Mudpots and more

We got away from the camper an hour earlier today because we knew we would be driving over some of the same roads we had driven yesterday just to get to the lower loop.  It took us about 45 minutes to drive as far as Norris Geyser Basin; but today we headed south into the lower loop.

Along the Gibbon River that parallel to the road for a few miles, what looked like a miniature volcano except that it was spewing steam rather than lava. 

Within just a couple of miles, we stopped at Artists Paintpots where we were hoping to see our first mudpots.  We parked the car and began walking this gravel trail.

 

Once we were past the trees, we began seeing more hot springs.

 

Then we crossed the bridge...

 

and began walking a loop trail that took you up and around the mudpots.

 

Initially, all we saw were hot springs everywhere.

Then the trail headed further up the hill...

 

...to where you could see the hot springs below.

Up on the hill, there were more hot springs...

 

...and "mini-geysers" or fumaroles.

 

Then, we finally reached the mud pots

They were so much fun to watch.

We could have stayed there watching the mudpots/paintpots longer but we had a lot more to see today so we had to get going.

 

After we passed the turnoff to the west entrance of Yellowstone, we went by National Park Mountain which has an elevation of 7,500 feet...

 

...and Firehole River is the river running parallel to the road now.

 

Traffic was stopped for a buffalo walking down the middle of the road.

 

After Mr. Buffalo moved over, we made our way to Lower Geyser Basin.

 

Lower Geyser Basin had hot springs everywhere.

Also, there were more paintpots here. 

Below is the recipe for a mudpot in case you wanted to make one for dessert tonight.  :)

Behind this paintpot was a hot spring called "Red Spouter" that was born with an earthquake on August 17, 1959. 

He is very noisy!

As we walked further around on the boardwalk, we came upon a geyser called "Spasm Geyser."

The trees may be dead in the thermal areas...

 

but living microorganisms giving the hot spring pools their colors...

 

and little flowers still spring up here and there.

The dead trees around the thermal areas look like they have sock on.  Their called"Bobby Sock" trees.  These dead lodgepole pines "wick up" the mineral-rich water making them look like they have socks on.