We joined a hawkwatch event today. A Ranger gave a pretty good talk about differentiating the raptors most commonly found here in Yellowstone then we headed out to the Hayden Prairie to watch. Even with that tutorial, I am awful at it. We saw over a dozen birds, all soaring pretty high. I did manage to recognize a juvenile golden eagle and a Harris’s Hawk. Red tailed, Swainson’s and Ferruginous all look like blotched black or brown and white to me. I definitely need more practice at this.

More sightings of Elk and the seemingly ever present Bison. Both appeared today along the roadside and among the thermal features. It is quite evident that they consider every inch of this park their home and we are just visitors who need to stay out of the way.

It stinks like sulfur. It is hot enough to cook you. It is so acidic that the vapors have eaten the storm drain grates in the parking lots, even the actual parking lots in some places. But, wow. It is really cool.
The Mud Volcano and the West Thumb Geyser Basin bubbled, burped, steamed and boiled from mud pots, hot springs, and pools. We took a couple ranger led walks and got the whole scoop on why this all happens here. It is the Hot Spot, you know! It is all very fascinating. Memorable too, I can still taste the sulfury smell that has permeated my sinuses. Our ranger, Guida, assured us that it can’t hurt us. She has been is this park 42 seasons and shows no ill affects.

We spent the day in the hydrothermal basin of Yellowstone today. They have redone the Old Faithful visitor center and the exhibits all about geysers, mud pots, hot springs and a bunch of other thermal features are fantastic. We have been here before but I didn’t remember a lot of it so it is like new. Great colors and wonderful sights and sounds. The smells are not so great but hey, they come with the territory! I think the sounds are really my favorite. The springs and mud pots bubble and burble at your feet. The colors are pretty cool too. They are caused by mineral deposits and lots of different kinds of bacteria and stuff that grows in the warm water. It is like no other place in the world, pretty cool.