Yellowstone, my favorite place

Yellow, yellow, oh so yellow. What makes those stones so gosh darn yellow? Yellowstone - my favorite place. The very hot water in many of the springs contains limestone which is deposited on the surface where the water flows. Over time, the springs have built up terraces that are shaped like very colorful hills. Some are brown or a reddish-color but I think the prettiest are bright yellow - like Yellowstone. Mostly the colors are the result of algae in the water. The water is crystal clear and the reflection from the bottom of the spring basins give it a fascinating blue color. Many of the hot springs in the geyser basins have really dazzling colors.

Yellowstone has the largest and most astonishing discoveries of hydrothermal features on earth. Steaming geysers, boiling mud pots, fumaroles and hot springs spit and spew way up into the air. In some places molten rock lies just beneath the earth's surface. It's so amazing; I could watch it for hours. Yellowstone is the world's first national park and it contains more than two million acres of panoramic vistas, roaring waterfalls and wildlife sanctuaries. No wonder Yellowstone is my very favorite place to see.

We entered Yellowstone on the north side at Gardiner, Montana, on Highway 89. There are 121 campgrounds in Yellowstone and the one we stayed in was called Norris. We really liked it because it's located in the dramatic "Mammoth Country," which is a main geyser area of the giant national park. No reservation was required as it was a first-come, first-served basis, but you better arrive early to get a campsite. Each site had a table and fire grate and a bear-proof food storage locker. Drinking water, Dumpster and a nice bathroom with flush toilets was nearby.

As we pulled into the campground on our motorcycles, a very large buffalo was standing about 30 feet from the road. He had three different colors of long hair that was shedding in big chunks. He looked right at me as I was sitting in the sidecar of our motorcycle and he acted like I was some other big animal invading his domain. This big bison was very intimidating so I punched my husband and yelled "Let's go!"

Our whole time in Yellowstone seemed magical. Besides all the geothermal activity going on, there were the exciting animals. Wow - it sure didn't look like Fish Springs. Well, maybe we still see bears occasionally around here. Get close to nature and camp out when you go to Yellowstone.

Help! Keep our Carson Valley clean. The Pine Nut Mountain Trails Association is sponsoring a one day cleanup. They will be picking up trash, appliances and abandoned cars in our local backcountry and they need lots of help. The date is next Saturday, July 14, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

There will be water, sodas and corn dogs for all participants and suggest you bring gloves, sun screen, a hat and more water to drink. You'll enjoy the great feeling of helping to keep our wonderful Valley clean.

Where: 5 miles east of end of Johnson Lane on Sunrise Pass Road. The road is wide and smooth for cars and signs will point the way from the east end of Johnson Lane.

When: 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.Saturday, July 14.

Your help is needed and much appreciated. If you have any questions, please call Gerald Hutchinson at 782-9795 or Dennis Bargman at 782-7074. Thank you.

-- Linda Monohan can be reached at 782-5802.