Thursday 29th September

Today was intermittently cloudy and sunny and we decided to have an easier day.We drove through Firehole Canyon and then visited the lower Geyser Basin with the Fountain Paintpot and wandered around the boardwalk. We then drove around Firehole Lake Drive viewing the Great Fountain Geyser which unfortunately wasn't being very active. We then drove past Madison Junction to the impressive Gibbon Falls,

Beryl Spring and then parked at Artist's Paint Pots. There was a short half mile walk to the overlook where you could view the Paintpots which displayed wonderful colours.

There was also a fascinating white mud (?clay) pool of mud blooping away merrily.

We then went to Norris Geyser Basin and did the short loop around the Porcelain Basin, leaving the longer Basin trail until tomorrow.

Encountered a Bison jam on the way back but got some good photos of the herd and an old solitary male.

Friday 30th September

Today was another mostly sunny day and we did the Monument Geyser walk (Slightly over 2miles) which entailed a steep climb, through young pine forest, of 640 feet to the deserted geyser basin at the top.

we then revisited Norris Geyser Basin to do the 2 mile walk around the Black Basin which included Steamboat Geyser and Vixen Geyser both of which were spouting merrily.

We then decided to drive along the Norris to Mammoth road until the closure 5 miles up so that we could see the Roaring Mountain.