If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 675

 

 

 

 

 

Lion Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

 

Featured on this week’s postcard is a photo by Tom Murphy of Lion Geyser found in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park.  The card is a Yellowstone Forever product.  A blurb at the upper left on the reverse:  “Heart Spring’s vibrant hues bring color to the surrounding snow-covered landscape at Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin.  The colors of the deep spring come from thermopiles—heat loving organisms that live in the park’s geothermal features.  Behind Heart Spring, Lion Geyser is erupting.”  The number 29 is found on the back center line.

 

The Upper Geyser Basin is also home to the famous and predictable Old Faithful.  Lion Geyser gets its name from the roaring sound it makes as the steam is released during an eruption.  The steam can reach up to 90 feet or 27 meters and lasts anywhere from 1 to 7 minutes.  It is a cone geyser and is the largest one in the Lion group which also includes Little Cub, the inactive Big Cub, and Lioness geysers.  There are several other geyser basins throughout the park.

 

 

Boardwalk around the Norris Geyser basin

 

 

 

 Grand Prismatic Spring

 

 

Geyser basins are places where rainwater and melting snow collects and percolates into the ground.  There are super heated hot spots underground in Yellowstone Park that cause the seeping water to erupt at the surface as geysers, hot springs, and fumaroles.  Boardwalks are found around these areas, with warning signs posted about how dangerously hot the ground is. 

 

 

 Water boiling in stream

 

 Yellow monkey flowers growing next to boiling water in stream

 

 In some places one can see fumaroles, mud or water boiling, and when the wind blows the steam toward visitors on the walkway the smell of sulfur can be strong.  It was amazing to see yellow monkey flowers growing so close to the boiling water.  We normally see these along cold water streams. The days we walked around on the boardwalks were windy with a cool to cold outdoor temperature making the warmth of the steam welcome, but not so much the smell.

 

 

 We could still see the beautiful blue of the pool as the steam started blowing on this day.  On another day the wind was so strong and the steam so thick the pool could not be seen at all.

 

 In the distance steam can be seen rising from small geysers or pools

 

The card was purchased a Yellowstone gift shop in the park this past June.  It is impossible to see all the features in the park on one trip.  The last time Bob and I were here we spent more time in other sections and only had a couple of days to try and see as much as we could.  This time it was for a 10-day extended family gathering where we stayed just outside the park boundaries in Island Park, Idaho.  It was a short drive to the West Yellowstone Park entrance that gave us the opportunity to take several trips to see various sites and animals.  With 20 people in our group, we carpooled with at least one person in each car having a National Park pass.  It was a wonderful time with wonderful people.  We feel especially grateful to have been included.

 

For more information, see:

 

https://en.wikpedia.org/wiki/Lion_Geyser

https://en.wikpedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_areas_of_Yellowstone