August 18-21, 2007.

We are staying in Grizzly RV-Park in West Yellowstone, Montana just out the west gate of Yellowstone National Park. We had reservations this time for a back in FHU backin site for $37. Grizzly is a nice park, the nicest campground in the area. Bottom line is if you are planning to visit WEST YELLOWSTONE during July thru Aug-15 you need a reservation as every campground in the area is FULL. After August 15 you can have your choice of campgrounds with no reservations. While Grizzly RV-Park is the "BEST" camping location in West Yellowstone it is also the most expensive. There is a PPA PassPort America Campground a few miles west of town that is both nice and has great views, and I imagine it will be less than half what it cost at Grizzly.

Our son and grandson are spending the week with us touring Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone. Come join us for some fun.

Fountain Paint Pot is a mud pot located between the Midway and Lower Geyser basins in Yellowstone National Park

This is one of the Fountain Paint Pots.

Year after year, this huge mudpot has chanted with the seasons. Fountain Paint Pot spits thin, sloppy mud in spring. In dryer conditions, thick bubbles of mud and gas ooze through cracks, then burst and collapse, forming cone-shaped mounds.

Paint Pots are created by:

Heat (derived from Yellowstone's volcano) ---- in the form of hot magma welling up in a dome beneath Yellowstone.

Water

A thick layer of rhyolite (volcanic rock)

And Thermopiles (heat-loving microorganisms)

The volcanic heat and gases rise through the Earth's crust boiling water deep underground, creating gases. These gasses and super hot water are forced upward through cracks in the rhyolite where they simmer here on the surface. The thermophiles, simmer in this stew while they consume gasses and help turn the mixture into an acidic marinade. Eventually the rhyolite turns into clay.

And there you have it --- this vat of bubbling mud contains the perfect mix of ingredients to create mudpots:

The earth's extreme habitats, like this one, are studied by scientists who seek to understand life's ultimate limits. Knowledge gained from "earth-bound" studies aids scientists who search for life (and evidence of its past existence) in the extreme environments found elsewhere in our solar system.

Fumarole in Yellowstone National Park

This is a fumarole---gases are escaping from within the earth.

Fumaroles are different from Hot Springs and Geysers. Hot springs are ponds of hot water while geysers are hot springs that have a habit of throwing the water high in the air from time to time.

Fumaroles just belch steam and other gasses.

Fumerole, Paint Pot or Hot Spring?

This thermal feature was created by the 1959 earthquake that occurred about 25-miles west of here.

The 1959 Earthquake also know as the Hebgen Lake Earthquake

While this kiosk is located in the Fountain Paint Pot exhibits in Yellowstone National Park the Hebgen Lake Earthquake was miles and miles away. We have visited the Hebgen Lake Earthquake site located possibly 20-miles north of West Yellowstone, Montana. The scars from this earthquake are still visible.

Fumerole, Paint Pot or Hot Spring created by the 1959 Hebgan Lake Earthquake

This is another of the thermal features created by the 1959 Hebgan Lake Earthquake.

Layers of sinter form the geyser wall

Yellowstone's hydrothermal features provide a glimpse into the distant past when intense volcanism was widespread on the young Earth. The lifeforms found here help scientist understand the type of life that likely arose and diversified billions of years ago on our planet.

Formations like this that entomb microbes may offer clues in the search for life on other worlds. Volcanic hot spring systems are believed to have existed on other planets in our solar system.

If similar formations are found, they may contain evidence that life existed elsewhere in the universe.

If you enjoyed this page you may like one of these:

Firehole River

hot springs

Thermopiles

geysers

Old Faithful

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Yellowstone's Animals

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Until next time remember how good life is.

Mike & Joyce Hendrix