Yellowstone Extension to Black Sand Pool

Yellowstone Extension to Black Sand Pool 7 If you continue west where the two walkways around Daisy become one, you’ll see the white Pyramid (or White Throne), the cone of an extinct geyser, across the meadow to the north. At its base is small but active Pyramid Geyser. A little farther west is the almost perfectly circular Punch Bowl Spring. The center of this beautiful spring boils a foot or so above its rim, which is nearly 2 feet (0.6 m) in height. It overflows constantly, creating a colorful runoff channel. It’s a short distance to Black Sand Pool, the last major feature on this route. Black Sand acts infrequently as a geyser and has a large and colorful runoff stream to its west. The area at the base of the runoff was named Specimen Lake (when it had more water) for the specimens of still-standing silicified trees killed by Black Sand’s runoff. In and around Black Sand Pool you’ll see good examples of the black obsidian sand (a volcanic glass) that gives the pool and the geyser basin to its southwest their names.

The small but deep, dangerous crater just across the path and south of Black Sand Pool is called Demon’s Cave. Avoid going near its overhanging ledge. You can continue from here to Black Sand Basin (described on s 70-72) or turn back to the Daisy Group. 0 If you return via the northern path past Daisy, you’ll meet the bicycle path toward Biscuit Basin. Biscuit Basin is 1.3 miles (2.1 km) from here (described on s 68-70). This path (a former service road) goes through meadow and burned forest and passes near a large hot spring, Cyclops Spring. The ridge at the south end of the bicycle path is wylie Hill, the site of a tent camp from the 1890s until 1916. William W. Wylie set up several such inexpensive camps around the park for stagecoach passengers. His managers at this camp piped water from Punch Bowl Spring to the tents, in this case without apparent deleterious effect to the spring. They made a notch in the geyserite rim (obvious even today), through which most of the spring’s runoff still drains. A short distance beyond the bicycle path, Geyser Route Two ends at the main walkway. To return to the Old Faithful Village area, turn right. To see more of the geyser basin, turn left. Grotto Geyser is just up the short hill, and Riverside Geyser is not far beyond. The walk from Grotto to Morning Glory Pool is described on s 92-95. Geyserite precipitating from Punch Bowl Spring has created a finely sculpted bowl.

Yellowstone Extension to Black Sand Pool Photo Gallery



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