Mellow Wanderer

Tag: Yellowstone

  • Yellowstone National Park Explosion Aftermath: Should You Worry About Visiting?

    Yellowstone National Park Explosion Aftermath: Should You Worry About Visiting?

    Photo From Biscuit Basin hydrothermal explosion: Boardwalk condition post-explosion. NPS / Jacob W. Frank

    Yellowstone constantly vents steam like an overbearing boss blowing off stress. However, this doesn’t mean we should fear it. In fact, millions of visitors gather every year to watch Yellowstone’s iconic geyser, Old Faithful, erupt approximately every 92 minutes. My family and I waited patiently, cameras ready, for the spectacle to begin some 15 years ago. Old Faithful did not disappoint.

    Old Faithful Photo Progression

    Old Faithful Crowd

    True, visitors at Biscuit Basin got more than they bargained for when an unexpected explosion sent them running for their lives. Fortunately, no one was hurt. They certainly have a harrowing vacation story to share for years to come.

    So, what exactly happened? The United States Geological Survey, a science-based federal agency, succinctly explains the event in the video below. The agency constantly monitors activity at Yellowstone and other environmentally sensitive and potentially volatile areas across the country.

    My desire to visit Yellowstone all those years ago was driven by a half-joking urge to see it before it “blew to smithereens”—probably the result of watching too many Hollywood doomsday movies. Don’t let one isolated incident deter you from visiting Yellowstone. It’s a majestic place, full of biodiversity and wonder.

  • Wild Weed: Psychedelic Road Show

    Wild Weed: Psychedelic Road Show

    Yellowstone

    (Mellow Wanderer) Spring-summer wildflower season is here, painting highway medians, meadows and parks in a collage of color. Bloom schedules vary according to climate and location, but every region of the U.S. pops in a spectrum of splendor, giving new meaning to road tripping.
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    So grab your favorite tie-dye, highway ahead, windows down, crank-up Joe Cocker and get a natural high as a visual botanical display blurs by. Coreopsis_close-up_(8472085978)
    The U.S. Forest Service has an extensive and impressive list of what blooms, when and where in every region of the country. Also, the National Park Service issues daily reports based on park ranger and scientist observations.
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    In fact, wildflowers are such a bloom’n big deal there’s a law to beautify our nation’s highways and roads with federally funded seeding programs. Bird seed, you might call it. As in Lady Bird Johnson, the First Lady of President Lyndon Johnson, who in 1973 supported and helped establish Operation Wildflower. Lady_Bird_Johnson_portrait_by_Shikler,_1978Garden clubs and other community groups participate with states in receiving federal grants to purchase native American wildflower seed. Volunteers plant seed, according to the guidelines of each state.
    Wildflower watch groups have sprouted. Wild About Wildflowers, an internet club for fanatics, is on a mission to “develop the most extensive and comprehensive wildflower database in the world!”
    That’s real flower power. Enjoy the ride!
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