Finding the elusive "Tomato Soup"

July 14, 2010. Today was the day that we would find "Tomato Soup" This thermal hot spring is unique due to it's color. Most thermal features are blue or green, some rusty in color, but this one is as red as tomato soup. Last year Claire and I attempted to locate this awesome thermal pool, but alas, we could not find it. This year we solicited the help of my friend Larry who is from Colorado. I have been working with Larry the past three years in the gift store. Larry is also a photography nut like me. The only problem I have with him is that he has a bigger and better telephoto lens then me. Claire, can I buy one too? We also had Abel, a young man from Singapore whom I work with and Shannie a young lady from Malaysia that Claire works with. They were very excited to come as this was a new adventure for them. By the way, the hike is 6 miles round trip as long as you don't get lost.

We drove just past Old Faithful to the area that we would start our hike. This hike is unmarked and Park Service does not want visitors to hike in the area. The ground that we walked on is quite thin and one wrong step could put you through the thin crust into boiling water. Remember, we are in a Caldera and an active volcano is below us. Since Larry was our guide, and the biggest one, we thought he should lead. He had done this hike before and had a pretty good idea where we needed to go.

Since there is no trail we try to follow the stream which meanders through a beautiful flower filled meadow. In the distance we see a large wooded area with a wisp of steam rising up. That is where we have to go. Along the way we have to climb over hundreds of fallen trees, jump over streams of hot water, tip toe through a wetland, forge through trees and at the same time climb over more fallen trees. Along the way we see Bison and Elk Bones. Claire is in her glory and is trying to collect these bones to bring home for the kids to see at the school where she teaches. Now you can't remove rocks or bones from a National Park so I am seeing a Ranger escort her off to jail. But you know Claire, she just keeps on collecting those bones.

We are now beyond the stream and we encounter several deep blue thermal pools and a bubbling mud pot. This was pretty cool watching the mud bubble and spit. We are now starting to climb a rather large hill and soon approach the wooded area that we need to go through. Now we are in the pine and fir trees, climbing over roots, limbs, trees, and some bones. At this point even Larry is not sure which way we need to go but we keep going. We come out into a clearing and find a display of bones and a Bison skull. Are we in Indian territory? Are we the next victim? That was fun and we posed for pictures and had a hard time getting Abel & Shannie away from it all. Ahead we come across an orange thermal pool. Could this be Tomato Soup? Larry said no, it's one of four thermals but it was not tomato soup. We stumbled across two more and still no Tomato Soup. Larry could not understand where the heck it was as we are deep in the forest and everywhere you look, its all the same. He told us to rest while he searched the area. So we drank water, ate oranges and apples that Claire supplied and enjoyed our view of this pool that looks to me as Tomato Soup.

We hear Larry in the distance, "I found it". So we tell him to keep talking so we can follow his voice. Out of the thickness we stumble into the spot where the elusive "Tomato Soup" was. What an awesome sight for sore eyes, sore feet, sore legs, sore back, man we are tired. After taking several photos and commenting on how neat this was it was time to leave. Three miles back to our cars. We have to follow the same path as we know it is safe and we can not wander off our trail. We did make it back and we were so happy that we were able to do this hike. Would I do it again? Yes I would as this hike gives you so much to see and only a few eyes have seen "Tomato Soup".