The rust color in the top picture - a product of algea that can live in the boiling hot water - is so vibrant that these thermal features look like they've been painted! That's why it's named Minerva Terrance, after the Roman Goddess of the Arts. But as far as I'm concerned, it's named after Professor McGonnagall.
My fat toes in the bottom picture - a product of the 12 miles of hiking the day before - are so swollen that they look like little sausages. That's why I had to buy a pair of Tevas (... I know) because my feet wouldn't fit back in my sneakers. Trying to put them on the next morning was like trying to put a dog in crate to go to the vet. It knows what's about to happen and it is not going in there.
There was some minor confusion, on my part, about what the Mammoth Hot Springs entailed. I was really looking forward to a nice long soak. But, apparently touching the 170° water will burn your skin off. It made me thankful for the National Park Service and their very helpful signage.
[(1 and 2) on 800iso film with Pentax k1000. Full frames on Flickr.]
Sounds painful!! Looks like a really cool place though!
ReplyDeleteAh, no! You do the nice, long soak at the Boiling River...just north of the Mammoth Hot Springs near the border of Montana. It's a little known secret, but very much worth going to if you have a chance...if you stop by any visitor center, they'll give you directions!
ReplyDeleteYes, in the Sequoias, next to a river, there are some mineral springs. There's a bucket that you can lower down to the river to pull up cold water so to temper the hot springs' water for a soak. It smells like rotten eggs, so we always bring some eucalyptus oil to scent it, and that works like a charm and doesn't damage the environment.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures!
ReplyDeleteanon and sheri : I should have asked for travel tips before I went. A natural jacuzzi would have been ah-maz-ing!
ReplyDelete