Today we decided to visit Mammoth Hot Springs. On the way we decided to stop at the Roaring Mountain, which is a mountain with fumaroles all over it. It was neat to look at. We also stopped at Sheepeater Cliff. Isn’t that such a fun name? The cliffs are made of Basalt rock and are very easy to climb up. We didn’t climb all the way up, because we wanted to hurry to Mammoth Hot Springs, but we did climb some of the way up, and it was delightful. There are a bunch of very tame chipmunks near the edge of the cliff area, and they came right up to us even when we didn’t have any food to give them. After we climbed the cliff, someone gave mom sesame seeds, which she than passed out to Elie, Brynn and I. The chipmunks came right up to us and actually climbed onto our hands to get the seeds. It was so adorable!
After Sheepeater cliff, we stopped at the look out for Golden Gate Falls. There was a steep drop down to the falls, and it was so windy, we had to stand back a little so that we didn’t fall over the edge!
We’d only driven a little farther – literally just around the bend, when we stopped again because someone had spotted a mountain goat. It was really neat, and it reminded me of Gillamon from Jenny L. Cote’s Epic Order of the Seven series. We’ve also seen several crows – they’re huge!
Right before we reached Mammoth, we drove through a little area where there was a rockslide. It looked really cool, and Mom mentioned that it wouldn’t be that hard to imagine rock monsters.
We parked in Mammoth Hot Springs (a mini town) and then walked over to the hiking path. There were some really cool hydrothermal features, but for the most part it looked pretty dormant. You can climb pretty high, which gives such a neat view of the surrounding area.
After this we visited the areas general store and bought souvenir’s and ice cream. It was a smaller store, but contained neat items. Every general store we’ve visited has contained different souvenirs than the last one. There is a few of the same items at some of the stores, though. Each general store has a food section, a camping/fishing section and a souvenir section.
I want to make another note about the app we’re using. It really enhances the trip. The guide (on the app) gives history, directions, and suggestions. He tells interesting facts about how the different features of the park work (scientifically), how the park has helped advance science, and the history of Yellowstone. It’s a really great feature. The app does cost money, but it’s worth it.
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