Lying just up the road from Keplers Cascades is the world famous geyser Old Faithful. I didn’t get a chance to see Old Faithful the first time I was in Yellowstone, the summer of 2010, because there wasn’t anywhere to park near the geyser. The entire parking lot, which is by no means a small lot, was packed to the brim with tourists eagerly double parking to watch the geyser erupt. The scene would have been much less unusual in a theme park, luckily this time the parking lot was all but empty.
We waited patiently for Old Faithful to erupt, then made our way around the geothermal features located nearby. A wooden boardwalk traverses the landscape keeping the tourists safe and giving incredible views of the numerous geothermal pools. If you ever find yourself in Yellowstone near the geothermal pools, do not, I repeat, DO NOT GO OFF THE BOARDWALKS! There are too many tales to tell of people getting eaten by the pools. I can’t imagine sinking into boiling water until you drown. STAY ON THE BOARDWALKS!
As impressive as surface water being heated by the earth’s core is, what really fascinated me was the legendary Old Faithful Inn. Built in 1903 from local timber and stone, the inn is considered the largest log structure in the world, and I’m a sucker for log cabins. Although if I’m being honest, I probably wouldn’t buy or build a log cabin unless the area was remote enough to necessitate it. Who’s trying to keep on with the maintenance on an all wood structure? But I sure do the appreciate a beautiful log dwelling. And once again, nope, no photos. Well, just the one from the outside of it next to Old Faithful.
Photographs appear in A Series of Things 00003 – Ranger East