Day 8 - Staycation saga - Part 3 - Tower Falls

Day 8 - Part 3

Good thing we only have two days like this, but with so much to do and so much beauty to see, there is no way it can all fit in a single blog post . . . .

On our way to Tower Falls we came across the road to see the petrified tree. I remember coming through this area not long after the fires that came through and burned up HUGE portions of the park back in the 80's. You can still see where the fire burned the forest down, but many new trees have started growing up and a young forest is replacing the burned out places.

This is one of the few petrified trees left as most of the rock trees have been carried of by sight-seers over that past couple hundred years. This is a tree made of rock, not organic material. See educational notes below for more information.


Now that it is late afternoon we finally arrive at Tower Falls, but I was a tad bit disappointed because the trail down to the base of the falls is closed :( You can hike down to the river, which we did, but the trail currently ends before you can even see the falls. It was a fun stop though and gave us a chance to stretch our legs.

This is the Canyon that Tower Falls flows into.

These are some really cool rock formations from the view point at the top of the canyon before going down to the visitor center.

Zooming in closer.

Even closer yet.

I thought that this looked really cool because they are very square long crystals that form this particular rock sctructure. It is really neet to see up close.

This is a shot of Tower Falls from above.
Close up, again from above.I remember as a small child hiking down into this cayon with Uncle Jay and Aunt Kaye and looking up at the falls from below while the mist of the waterfall got us all wet. I really wanted to take Shari there because you can get so close to the falls from below. (Most falls in the park you only get a close view of when your at the top of the falls)

Here is our view of the canyon from the bottom of the trail as well as a few pictures of us on our way back up.



That is a beautiful woman! I love nature!

Isn't that that hottest thing you have ever seen?!
Okay, this day is almost over. We want to see if we can squeez the falls of Yellowstone Canyon into this day. Enjoy some of the scenery that we viewed as we finished off the north loop on our way back to Yellowstone Canyon.

Can you see the buffalo in this picture?

How about if I zoom in a little? Can you see the buffalo now?

If you cannot see the buffalo in this picture it is time for new glasses or a new computer monitor!

I thought that the weater in AZ changed fast, but here in Yellowstone, especially when you are driving at 35 mph, the weather will change on you in a matter of a few minutes. It sure makes for a beautiful drive though!

As our day was coming to an end, we stopped by Canyon Village as we were planning on seeing the upper and lower falls of Yellowstone Canyon. We wandered around the visitor center and learned some cool things about calderas, and the size of the volcanic blast the probably created Yellowstone, as well as other interesting facts about the geology of the area. We then saw a movie about the park and stopped by the gift store for a souvenir or two. As we finished this, Shari was not feeling 100% so we decided to call it a day and head for home. Wow! What a day! It has been a wonderful day and it is amazing to think of how God has created so many beautiful places for us to enjoy each and every day! Our trip this couple of weeks only scratchs the surface of all the wonderful creations that God has placed on this plant. May we all enjoy the creations nearest us and blog about them so everyone else can enjoy them too! Have a good night. I am bushed!

Educational notes:

Norris Geyser Basin

As you walk through Norris Geyser Basin, you may feel as if you are encountering another world. in the basin - far below the towering peaks of the Gallation Mountains - water accumulates underground, and Heated by the Yellowstone Volcano, the water travels upward to erupt from the acidic geysers, rise from steaming fumaroles, and simmer in shimmering pools.

Dangerous Groud

In thermal areas the ground may be only a thin crust above boiling hot springs or scalding mud. There is no way to guess a safe path: new hazards can bubble up overnight, and some pools are acidic enough to burn through boots. More than a dozen people have been scaleded to death and hundres badly burned and scarred.

Leaving the boardwalk or trail, or taking pets beyond this point, is unlaful and potentially fatal.

Throwing objects into thermal features, sollecting specimens, or defacing formations destroys what nature took centruies to build. Violators will be prosecuted.

(I just thought that this would give you an idea of how dangerous some of the place we have been really are! People have died here at Norris Geyser Basin! Be careful or you will be next!)

Living Thermometer:

Can you imagine living in a geyser? Thermophiles - microorganisms that thrive in heat - are perfectly adapted to living in geysers and their runoff channels. Some live where temperatures are hottest, while others reside in cooler areas. As you look at the colors in and around Whirligig Geyser, you are looking at a "living thermometer."

Red Algae Box: At 122 -140 degrees Farenhieght Whirligig's runoff channel is hot enough to burn you. Thermophiles living here use iron for energy from Whirligig's iron-rich water, and become coated with rust. These chemical-users are called "chemotrophs."

Bullet Points right of Red Algae box:

Communal Life

- Norris Geyser Basin is highly acidic. Amazingly, thermophiles living here thrive in heat and acid.

- Thermophiles are too small to see without a microscope, but thier vast sommunities are clearly visible.

-The number of thermophiles living beneath a ten-inch square may exceed the number of people on Earth!

Green Alge box: Thermophilic algae, including Cyanidium. Like plants, these tiny single-celled organisms photosynthesize, or use sunlight for energy. These "phototrophs" loive where temperatures range from 100 - 133 degrees Farenheight.

Bullet point right of green algae box:

Did you Know?

-Scientits study these thermophiles to learn how life has adapted to iron-rich, acidic conditions.

- Mineral deposits here record one of earth's most extreme habitats. Scientists use this record to aid their search for similar deposits and possible life on Mars.

This exibit (sign) made possible by a generous grant to the Yellowstone Park Foundation from NASA Astrobiology Institute and Lockheed Martin Space Operations.

Bridging the Golden Gate

To reach Yellowstone Plateau from Mammoth Hot Springs, the Corps of Engineers in 1885 built a wooden trestle along the sheer wall of the "Golden Gate" (named for the light-colored volcanic rock). The alternative was the direct route through Snow Pass, scene of many carriage breakdowns.

"So steep is the climb that if the tailboard of a wagon falls out . . . the whole load is promptly dumped out in the road."

The route through Golden Gate saved a half-day's travel up the plateau. Since 1900 two different concrete trestles have replaced the rickety wooden structure.

Petrified Tree

Subtropical Yellowstone

This petrified redwood is a clue to a warmer, damper, more violent Yellowstone landscape. Anatomically the trunk is indistinguishable from present-day redwoods in California.

When a chain of volcanoes erupted here in Eocene times 50 million years ago, they triggered massive landslides into mountain and valley streams. The rolling mix of ash, water and sand buried whole forests. Before the trees could rot, abundant silica in the volcanic flow plugged living cells, creating "forests of stone."

Small picture camption: Colcanic ash and mudflows oblieterated a living landscapre yet preserved this tree for the ages. There were three redwoods standing here before thoughtless souvenir-hunters chipped away the other two. the 107 photograph shows a second trunk in the background (before this trunk was fenced).

Large photo an sign: Trees on Mount St. Helens after 1980 eruption.