Grand Prismatic Spring

roaddog52

Grand Prismatic Spring, the jewel of Midway Geyser Basin. This is one of my favorite places to visit when I get to Yellowstone N.P. This view point is a short hike in, and a short climb up the hill.

10 years ago I would see 4-5 people out on the hill during my hike. On this occasion, I easily must have encounter 50-70 people in my 2 hour jaunt, 40 minutes of which was spent waiting for people to move out of my frame. All in all, still worth the short trek.



Larger; https://roaddog52.smugmug.com/Photography/New-Images/i-CG83dLs/0/X2/IMG_9810-X2.jpg

Phil

jaharris1001

nice work Phil, I've always been fascinated with that area, the textures and colors are really something, I've never been there personally but it's on my "bucket list" fighting the crowds though lol I guess comes with the territory

roaddog52

jaharris1001 wrote: »

nice work Phil, I've always been fascinated with that area, the textures and colors are really something, I've never been there personally but it's on my "bucket list" fighting the crowds though lol I guess comes with the territory

Thanks for the comment Jim. IMHO, this shot is better in the afternoon, late afternoon or evening is the optimal time for photog's. The elevation here is a little above 7000ft, it's 20-40 minutes each way, depending on your physical condition, and I recommend at least 32 oz.'s of water.

Phil

BBstringer

Hey fellas...just came across this and without being too much of a downer I thought I'd let you know that the social trails up those hills were officially closed to hiking. While I know of no one being cited for it this summer it was made clear that should a ranger happen upon anyone on the trails they could get a ticket. They're closed for revegetation. The erosion was seen as a contributing factor to the death that occurred there last year when a tree fell on a hiker/photographer. There were plenty of hikers on the trail this summer but the signs that were there early in the season mysteriously disappeared. So please be careful. Obviously there are lots of snags on those hills and we know that they're dangerous. Particularly on a windy day.

roaddog52

Thanks for the heads up. I was actually quite surprised to see how deteriorated the hillside was at this "unofficial" viewpoint; I figured it was only a matter of time before it was shut down, and rightly so. This is a dangerous climb, loose soil and deadfalls are the norm, the majority of the public are not likely aware of the term "widow maker" and there is a serious lack of common sense. I saw parents pulling and pushing their 4-5 year old children up this hill and people without the proper type of footwear. It is amazing there has not been more serious injuries.

This area would be a great spot for the Park to build a set of stairs and a viewing platform, but with a budget shortfall for the park system, that isn't likely to happen.

Phil

BBstringer

I agree with you on it being a good spot for the park to establish a legal trail Phil and they are discussing that but as you've pointed out, funds are not easy to come by for such projects. However, the overlook that exists on the east side of the loop road was still considered a legal hiking area provided you don't go straight up the front where they've closed those social trails due to overuse/erosion. If you climb up from the south side of the rise and come in from the east the cliff/overhang up there is a pretty good view as well. It's a bit longer than the trails we've been discussing but I think the climb is easier. Snags are not much of a concern either.
Anyway, the shot from a higher perspective is so nice...it's a shame to lose it.