Off again at 8:00, today is hydrothermal day. Our first gift this morning was a beautiful elk buck feeding just off the highway creating a car jam as cameras clicked away. We drove the backbone of our continent today along the Continental Divide. 
This small unassuming Lake Isa has more significance than the lily pads reveal. In the Spring the water runoff from one end of Lake Isa drains into the Pacific Ocean and the other end drains into the Gulf of Mexico. What a great unexpected tidbit of knowledge we gained today. 
The viewing platform for Kepler Cascade was a deck cantilevered over the edge of the ravine which provided a great vantage point. 
Upper Geyser Basin, with the Yellowstone Inn in the background, has the largest concentration of geysers in the world. In fact this basin has more active geysers than all of the others in the world combined.Today Old Faithful lived up to its name as spewed boiling water and steam over 100 feet into the air for over three minutes.
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| Before |
The color in and around the thermal features are caused by Thermophiles which are heat loving organisms typically algae and bacteria.
Morning Glory Pool is one of the most iconic photos taken in the Upper Geyser Basin. Again, the vibrant colors are caused by bacteria each with its own temperature range and color.
The fireplace at Old Faithful Lodge was pretty impressive. This lodge was built in 1928. The Old Faithful Inn was built in 1903 and is one of the largest log structures in existence.
As we passed through Hayden Valley once again there was a large herd of bison so we had to stop to enjoy the view.
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| Hayden Valley |
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| Yellowstone River from Fishing Bridge |
When we approached the Fishing Bridge cars were stopped on the road and rangers were present. Then we realized there was a group of 20-30 bison trying to cross the road directly into our campground. It was an amazing end to our day.
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| Entrance to Fishing Bridge Campground |
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