Upper Geyser Basin Hike

Friday, Sept. 24, 2010. Our day off, yahoo. We had been planning for sometime now to go to Old Faithful and see the new Visitor Center that opened at the end of August. It is of utmost importance that Claire visit every Visitor Center in the USA. As a good husband I thought it best to comply so off we went. Most people go to Old Faithful to see it erupt every 90 minutes which is an awesome sight. Old Faithful is also the home of the Upper Geyser Basin. The loop through the basin is about 3 - 4 miles round trip and is the home for many thermal features and geysers. The Park Service has done a wonderful job of providing safe boardwalks in and around these beautiful but deadly thermal pools. It is amazing to see the beauty and hear the sounds coming from the ground and the geysers. To think that we are standing and walking on an active volcano is amazing! Our goal was to see the Morning Glory Pool which happened to be the furthest away. The colors are so vivid and a sight to behold! This area is a must see, as is the entire park, but be prepared to leave your car and walk. I would guess that we have walked and hiked over 100 miles this summer. The most challenging hike was climbing Mt. Washburn (see my previous blog) which was a 3 mile hike, up hill, only to return another 3 miles downhill. As with every hike the end results are breathtaking. Thank you God for allowing Claire and I to witness your creation. The old saying goes, "All good things must come to an end". Yes, our time here in Yellowstone will come to an end on Sept. 28th. when we will head home to Florida. I hope that whomever has been following my blog has enjoyed reading it and seeing my photos. I have had so much fun doing this. We have two more days off and most likely we will be packing and preparing for our departure. Will there be more blogs? The final chapter will be written I'm sure. However, today was a beautiful day.