Yellowstone trip; day 2, part 2.

Continued rainy fun from Monday.  We headed to the Norris Geyser basin (where a human fell in last year and was dissolved in less than 24 hours) after the paint pots.  We then made it to Canyon Village to dry out, warm up, and have some lunch.

Rain gear!  Someone wasn't too happy about the rain.  :(

Once again, the cool weather made for some great steamy contrast.

Down into the abyss.

He was fighting his slightly too big poncho.

And he was having trouble taking pictures.

Big sky.

Information.

Way out towards the trees is where the dissolved man fell in.

Trees growing next to 199 degree water.

Ahh, isn't that special.

Fumeroles.

Note the steam hanging near the water.

Boiling!

Opal like colors.

Wow!

Information.

Sulfur yellow.

Gorgeous.

One little bubble of steam would occasionally pop up out of this pool.

Info.

Bacteria info.

The colors represented different bacteria.

Red and green bacteria.

Closeup of the green bacteria.

Iron oxide out in the middle of limestone.

Ground view of the Norris basin.

Looking East back towards the trailhead.

Fumerole.

Note the rain drops.

I don't think the whale cared if there was rain.

Hot water stream.

Lots of geysers means lots of run off water.

Beautiful.

Aptly named.

Raining much harder now!

It was wet!

Oh my God!  Look at this place!

1960's goodness!

Warming up next to the gas fireplace.  Note the copper hood that's original to the lodge built in 1966.

Oh. My. God.  I had the pot roast with some of the best mashed potatoes I've ever tasted!

The table tops were reproductions that feature 1960's squeens and stars.

Someone else was enjoying his lunch.  Veggie meat balls with penne pasta for Skyler.

1939 White Motor Company 14 passenger bus.  Xanterra purchased 8 of these busses from Alaska in 2002.  Ford Motor company re-powered the busses with E-450 frames, transmissions, 5.4 liter engines, and brakes.  Each retrofit cost $250,000!

Head view.

Interior.  Hard to see here, but the gauges are reproductions of the White originals complete with white faces.  Note the airbag equipped steering wheel.

Day 2 part 3 coming tomorrow.  We visited the upper and lower falls in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone after our lunch break.