Just back from the other YNP

[sierranomad]

Just got back from my first real trip to Yellowstone (that's why I haven't been on this forum much, as of late.

I added a trip report and some images to my blog (http://www.southwestnomad.blogspot.com/), if anyone cares to look.

Great to be back in the Sierra!!

[Wawona1]

I lived in Yellowstone for ten years before coming to Yosemite and really enjoyed your blog.

"Also here, a layer of basalt was present (had also seen this in other places in the park). This layer looked like hexagonal columns of stone. They were formed when a several foot layer of molten lava cooled quickly."

Know as Columnar Basalt. Cool geology!

[sierranomad]

Thanks Wawona1, I'm glad you enjoyed my TR.

Yes, I was fascinated by the Yellowstone geology. I was dumbfounded by the number and variety of geysers, mudpots, hotsprings and fumeroles. Yellowstone is really a neat place.

[Wawona1]

More than 10,000 different features. Cool stuff for sure!

[sierranomad]

Yosemite has a soda spring. I like to go there and just stare at it, thinking about all the activity underground, and the interacting forces that cause this marvel.

So you can imagine how I felt at Yellowstone. In going to see Old Faithful I thought that it was probably the only geo-thermal feature in the area. Boy was I ever astounded! Going over the bridge and seeing all those fumeroles on the edge of the river!? Seeing the geyser (name?) that has such an odd shape that they speculate it is in the middle of some ancient tree stumps, and that the stumps have been covered in layers of (geyserite?).

Astounding.

[Wickett]

I was just in Yellowstone too! I only got to spend one day there but I plan to go back next summer for some leisurely exploration.

[sierranomad]

I was just in Yellowstone too! I only got to spend one day there but I plan to go back next summer for some leisurely exploration.

What did you get to see there?

[Wawona1]

Yosemite has a soda spring. I like to go there and just stare at it, thinking about all the activity underground, and the interacting forces that cause this marvel.

So you can imagine how I felt at Yellowstone. In going to see Old Faithful I thought that it was probably the only geo-thermal feature in the area. Boy was I ever astounded! Going over the bridge and seeing all those fumeroles on the edge of the river!? Seeing the geyser (name?) that has such an odd shape that they speculate it is in the middle of some ancient tree stumps, and that the stumps have been covered in layers of (geyserite?).

Astounding.

Grotto Geyser?

[sierranomad]

Yeah, that's it!

[Wickett]

We did the highlights tour. Old faithful and the stuff around it. I thought the drivers were bad in Yosemite, yellowstone is worse. Came around a curve at 45 with a trailer and everyone had stopped their cars in the middle of the road. It almost was crunch time. The bear that they were looking at was nice though. I will post a pic once I relax a little. I just drove 3,200 miles...

[bill-e-g]

Hi Jon,
Great stuff. Only been to Yellowstone once myself... but spectacular.
If you haven't been to Lassen NP then you should check it out sometime.
Yellowstone is superior by far... but Lassen has many of the same features ... just no gysers.

[sierranomad]

I thought the drivers were bad in Yosemite, yellowstone is worse. I will post a pic once I relax a little. I just drove 3,200 miles...

Yeah, I know. I thought Yosemite drivers were bad, too. In Yellowstone, it is COMMON for drivers to stop dead in the middle of the road, on both sides of the road. That would be bad enough even if at least the people behind them could see what they were looking at, but often you're stuck 20 cars back and have no idea why. No excuse for that kind of behavior.

We drove 2,400 miles, and I feel your pain.

[sierranomad]

Hi Jon,
Great stuff. Only been to Yellowstone once myself... but spectacular.
If you haven't been to Lassen NP then you should check it out sometime.
Yellowstone is superior by far... but Lassen has many of the same features ... just no gysers.

Thanks Bill. I've thought about going to Lassen. Will have to try it. It sure is a lot closer than Yellowstone. Yellowstone was great, and would like to go back often, but as far as pure beauty is concerned, Yosemite stands head and shoulders above it, IMO.