Yellowstone - Early visitors where treated as mad or crazy

Yellowstone Lake Sunrise July 2013

A visit to Yellowstone will overwhelm your senses and leave you with a sense of awe.

My recent trip did just that to me.  Though this is the forth or fifth trip into Yellowstone for me, I am still blown away by what I see.  The area is ever changing and many of the things I saw I do not remember seeing 10 years ago.  Everyone may be familiar with the famous Old Faithful Geyser, but there are hundreds of other just as interesting sights.

Early mountain men, and others, that visited the area back in the 1800's, tried to describe what they saw in this area.  Most didn't have the words or the knowledge to convey their thought's .  How would you describe a geyser if you had never heard of one, didn't have the word(s) for it?  Some early visitors reported waterfalls that went backwards, and other such wild claims.  Who would believe such a tale?

Even early journalists that ventured into the area tried to write stories for major newspapers, ran into problems.  When their descriptive articles were screened some newspapers would not print the material.  They though that somehow the people had gone mad.  Some journalists reporting the sights they had seen, were labeled crazy and just spouting wild stories or lies.

The history of adventure into the area and the establishment of the area as a National Park makes for interesting reading.  If you have never actually visited YNP, you need to put it on your bucket list.  The area is just packed with very active volcanic steam vents, geysers, and such.  You need to experience the smells, the heat, hot moist mist, and rumbling as a geyser releases its pent up power.

From the active volcanic areas, to some of North Americas largest roaming mammals, there are a variety of sights to interest anyone.  YNP will leave you with memories and an impression that will last forever.  And no... I am not crazy...I too can't paint an accurate  picture for you with words.  Photos hardly capture a fraction of the real thing.  You just have to see it to really see and feel the beauty.

A perfect place for a hot soak?  I wonder what lives in the deep dark hole from which the hot water flows up?  Creepy?

No it wasn't just my eyes telling me I saw blue mist!  The photo captures it too.

Steam vent in the Geyser Field around the Old Faithful Geyser area