We strolled along the elevated sidewalks as water boiled underneath, a constant reminder of the massive Super Volcano that sits below. We could not help but ask our guide to tell us the gruesome stories of death at Yellowstone. Since Yellowstone was established, grizzlies have mauled five people to death and three visitors have been killed by bison. While backcountry hikers may be well aware that grizzlies and bison can be dangerous threats, Yellowstone visitors can get into serious trouble while wandering near the park's heavily visited geyser basins and other geothermal features. Just this June, a six-year-old Utah boy suffered serious burns after he slipped on a wet boardwalk in the Old Faithful area. The boy fell into hot water that had erupted from nearby West Triplet Geyser. He survived, but 20 park visitors have died, the most recent six years ago, scalded by boiling Yellowstone waters as hot as 250 degrees Fahrenheit. I can’t help but wonder what it was like for the Native American’s and early explorers of the park. Yellowstone is a constantly changing landscape. The dozens of earthquakes that quietly rock the park every day shift the “plumbing” of the geysers and often change the temperature of the water. The boiling water beyond Evan and I in the 1st picture is on the location of what once was a Yellowstone Parking lot. Ground that looks firm may be only a thin crust of mud above a boiling cauldron below. We saw a bison that had recently burned its tail off; raw bloody flesh still oozing from it’s fresh wound. Surely large numbers of people were injured and killed before they were armed with the knowledge we have today. This was a truly amazing experience that everyone must see firsthand.
