Driving to Jackson, Wyoming

It's time to leave Yellowstone and head south to Grand Teton National Park.  But first, we walk over from our hotel in Canyon Village to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and along the rim trail for one last look at the canyon and the Upper and Lower Falls (watching out for bears as we travel the short trail).

Last look at Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Leaving Canyon Village, we drive south through Yellowstone and stop at interesting viewpoints, including Lewis Falls, a spectacular 30 foot (9 meter) waterfall on the Lewis River (known for its brown and brook trout fishing).

Lewis Falls

Grand Teton National Park is just south of Yellowstone and as we enter Grand Teton, we immediately spot the mountains that give it its name.  It's a rainy, cloudy day, but we'll be here a few days to later get pictures of the mountains on sunny, clear days.

Grand Tetons

We're staying in Jackson for our exploration of the Grand Tetons and drop off our luggage to explore the town.  One intriguing sight is the elk-antler arches (built by the Jackson Hole Rotary Club) at the entrances to the city park in the center of town.  One corner of the park has a stop for stagecoach rides around town and everywhere there are views of the ski area just outside town.

Jackson, Wyoming

We do find a lot of great street art in our walk through Jackson and enjoy the images of the area's natural wonders through the eyes of the artists.

Street art

For dinner, we stop at Trio, dining on wood-fired foccacia with basil-infused olive oil, whipped butter, and leek powder, and two specials:  halibut and bison.

Wood-fired bread

Halibut and bison

We've settled in and are ready for a few days of exporing the Grand Tetons.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs is located in the northwestern corner of Yellowstone National Park and we drive over from Lamar Valley on the eastern side of the park.  The large complex of hot springs on a hill of travertine was created over thousands of years as hot water from the springs cooled and deposited calcium carbonate.  The hot water that feeds Mammoth comes from the Norris Geyser Basin, travelling underground along a fault line that runs through the limestone (which provides the calcium carbonate) between the two locations.  Shallow circulation along the fault allows Norris Canyon's superheated water to cool slightly before surfacing at Mammoth (at about 170°F, 80°C) and the algae living in the warm water pool have tinted the travertine shades of brown, orange, red, and green.

Approaching Mammoth Hot Springs

Palette Spring

Boardwalks through the area

Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces

Mound Terrace

We continue to wander on the boardwaks, absorbing the incredible colors and geography of the ladscape.

More incredible landscape

Looking back at the town of Mammoth

We walk out of the area past Liberty Cap, a 37 foot (11 meter) structure that was created by a single thermal spring whose internal pressure was sufficient to raise the water to great heights and allow mineral deposits to build slowly and continuously over hundreds of years.  Liberty Cap was named in 1871 by Hayden Survey because it resembled the peaked knit caps worn during the French Revolutoin.

Liberty Cap

Looking back at the hot springs

What a spectacular spot!