Mammoth Terraces, including beautiful Palette Spring, is not the only reason to visit this area. Coming through Yellowstone’s North Entrance, we drive up almost 1,000 feet along five miles to Mammoth Hot Springs. This is the home of historic Fort Yellowstone, still the park’s administrative headquarters. The significant conservation policies developed here lead to establishing the National Park Service in 1916. From 1886 to 1918 the US Army administered the park, turning those duties over to the fledgling Park Service in 1918. Enjoy Yellowstone’s fascinating history by taking the virtual tour. Delight in the stories that gave us the world’s first National Park.
Today, though, we are driving by the Visitor’s Center, hotel, dining areas, gas station, and the only heated restroom along the Norther Tier road–you have no idea how welcomed that is in winter! Our destination is the massive rock mound call Mammoth Terraces. Palette Spring is the colorful introduction to Yellowstone’s unique hydrothermal area called Mammoth.
Oh my, it doesn’t look quite like this anymore. Those incredible hanging “teeth” are the legacy of calcium-laced water. This was the view in March 2014.
The overflowing water from Palette Spring poured down the terraces . . .
. . . forming pools and flowing to flatter land on either side of the boardwalk.
Then in March 2015 word went out–the beautiful hanging formation crashed. May have been the weight of the travertine formation. Maybe the water headed to lower crevices undermining the overhang. We will never know for sure.
In the meantime, New Palette Spring made the area more colorful as water flowed down the steep drop. Remember, we can tell where the water runs, even if we can’t clearly see it, by the thermophiles. These microorganisms are different colors each living in differing water temperatures and PH levels.
We recently walked the higher area of the Lower Terraces. Coming down from Mound Spring, we saw both Palette Spring (left) and New Palette Spring (right).
The beauty created from New Palette Spring’s runoff was spreading in January 2017. The winter ice on dead trees added sparkle to the landscape.
Viewing Palette Spring now, it is clear the broken areas are changing.
Further right we have new “teeth” forming. The runoff is heading in new directions leaving once vibrant areas “dead” and awakening older areas.
Fast forward to January 2018. We see gorgeous runoff from New Palette Spring giving us a watercolor hillside.
Returning April 29, most of Palette Spring’s runoff flows far right awaking older formations. Meanwhile, some activity from the top broken area keeps original portions vibrant. New Palette Spring, closest to us, just keeps getting bigger.
Now we can see the rising edges of New Palette Spring (top ) with small “teeth” galore. We will watch the changes over time.
The colors from New Palette Spring runoff differ from last January. As April air warms the water, different thermophiles thrive giving us different colors.
Today you can barely see the massive broken overhang. The runoff smooths the area and continually creates new features.
Mammoth Hot Springs, an ever-changing landscape that pays respect to limestone and boiling water. Two mundane components that interact to create beautiful travertine terraces that continually amaze and delight.
Until next time . . .
