When I was in Yellowstone two years ago, I had an incredible day hiking the North Rim of the Canyon (about 9 miles roundtrip). Unfortunately, this time around, the Brink of Upper Falls was closed for construction. Not getting discouraged, I was off to the Brink of the Lower Falls; thinking that I would just hike to the Upper Falls. But that trail was closed too. A little frustrated, I hiked down to the overlook for the Lower Falls, an easy but steep 3/8 of a mile hike. The Lower Falls (308-foot drop, twice the distance of Niagara Falls) are impressive in their own right but, in my opinion, don’t compare to my memory of the power I felt by the Upper Falls (only 100+ feet) two years ago.
When I got back to Amerigo to walk the dogs, the parking lot was a zoo. I guess with the Upper Falls being closed I should have expected as much. Since I was there early, I was able to park in a spot that would prevent anyone from blocking me in. Leaving the area, I noticed a line of cars to make the turn onto South Rim Drive – I decided my day at the Canyon was over and proceeded south to see what I could see.
On the way to the Fishing Bridge, I passed through Hayden Valley and came across Mud Volcano. The turbulent pools of hot, muddy water; hillsides trees cooked by steam; and the smell of hydrogen sulfide; all provide for a mysterious landscape. The Mud Volcano consists of springs, fumaroles, lakes, caldrons, and basins. The easy .6-mile walking tour is intriguing, to say the least.
Churning Caldron 
Black Dragon’s Caldron 
Sour Lake
Mud Caldron 
Mud Volcano
I have to admit that at the end of the day I was a little down. Perhaps it was because the day did not go exactly as planned; I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I came to realize that I was trying to recreate a memory; a perfect day with my godsons hiking the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone; but you can never recreate a memory – all you can do is create new ones. Cherish the now; you can’t live in the past – stimulate your mind and body and you will have a blast.
#dofunshitalways #dfsa247 #yellowstone #nps #resist