| The
Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers |
| The more popular geysers often overshadow the mud pots. Although the mud pots are not as picturesque as the hot springs and pools, these turbulent pools of hot, muddy water, and bizarre landscapes are another feature that makes Yellowstone National Park so unique. Karen Duquette liked the mud pots, but approached them with caution because the mud pots are close to one of the major vents from which lava flowed through the caldera's collapse. These areas are active and known as resurging domes. They are being monitored closely for information about future volcanic activity. Mud pots have a distinct odor. The presence of sulfur in mud pots separates them from Hot Springs. In the form of hydrogen sulfide gas, sulfur is what creates the infamous odor. | |
The two RV Gypsies had
to walk up a trail to get to the mud pots |
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| Where hot water is limited and hydrogen sulfide gas is present (emitting the "rotten egg" smell common to thermal areas), sulfuric acid is generated. The acid dissolves the surrounding rock into fine particles of silica and clay that mix with what little water there is to form the seething and bubbling mud pots. The sights, sounds, and smells of areas like Artist and Fountain paint pots and Mud Volcano make these curious features some of the most memorable in the park. | |
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Below: The two RV Gypsies
walked to the top of the trail and looked down at the steam vents . |
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Below: The two RV Gypsies
enjoyed the view looking down at the trail. |
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| Below: Leaving the mud pots, the two RV Gypsies came to an area in the road that was so different from the rest of the road area in Yellowstone. In just this short area, big boulders lined the sides of the curvy road and it was quite a beautiful site to behold. Photos had to be taken through the front window of the moving car. | |
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Below: Wrath Falls is a short, easy trail that passes through sagebrush meadows, marshland, and mixed conifer forest to the base of 79-foot waterfall on Lupine Creek. The trail begins at a pullout ½-mile east of Lava Creek Picnic Area on the Grand Loop Road. No pets are allowed on this trail. Wrath Falls itself is not accessible due to topography. |
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Below: A Petrified Tree |
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in Yellowstone National Park |
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