Now, you might think from the title that this is an article about the behavior
of geysers and hot springs. However, it is not. It is an article about the
behavior of people on the boardwalks in the basins. Have you ever been out and
seen someone doing something in one of the basins that you know they shouldn't?
What do you do? What authority do you have to protect both the thermal features
and the lives of those risking their lives to do foolish things amoungst the
thermal features?
Following are a couple of stories of my own experiences.
Once, while waiting for Beehive Geyser, I noticed a man pointing out the hot
springs to his kids. What I at first believed to be a lesson in hot springs for
his children turned out to be something a lot more dangerous. He was
encouraging his kids to go off the boardwalk and stick their hands in a hot
spring. As the kids began to leave the boardwalk, I shouted my warnings to him
that the water was too hot and the ground dangerous for his kids to be on
(Note: The hot spring that was being approached was quite possibly caused by
the foot of an animal going through the sinter. The ground there is very
dangerous!) Unfortunately, they did not speak English and the end result was a
very unhappy child with a scalded hand and a bewildered-looking father.
Another situation was much for successful for me in preventing harm. I was
taking observations at Penta Geyser when I noticed some college kids about my
age approaching. I took little not of them until I heard one of the guys say
something along the lines of, "Hey, check this out!" I looked over my right
shoulder and noticed that the guy was going to impress the girls he was with by
sticking his hand in Spasmodic Geyser!!! Well, I once again relayed my warnings
to him and the group and they actually thanked me for warning them. They had no
clue that water was that hot. Or, at least that is what they said!!
So what can you do in situations such as these? Here is what I would do. Let
them know first of all that it is not lawful to be off the trail or to disturb
any of the features in the geyser basins. Then, stress that these laws are in
place to protect them and the features themselves. The water temperatures in
geyser basins can get up to about 203 degrees farenheit (at which point the
water is so superheated, it evaporates). This is high enough to cause serious,
painful, and even deadly burns. Also, is some areas, especially Norris, the
water contains acid which can be harmful. Finally, conclude by saying that it
is best that they view the features from a distance, as established by the
boardwalks.
While this reminder will work for some, others will figure that you are just
trying to ruin their good time. If you see someone who is off the established
trail and is not responsive to your reminder, report that individual to a ranger
and let the ranger handle the situation. Also, report anyone who is endangering
themselves by acting irresponsibly around wildlife. While this might make you
feel like a snitch, it is better for both the park and for the people who don't
understand the wonders within.
Another interesting thing you might encounter in the geyser basins is garbage.
Often, people will dump their garbage on the boardwalks or use the hot springs
as wishing wells and trash recepticals. (Report this activity as well!)
Sometimes, it can get very windy in the basin and things (brochures, hats, etc.)
can get blown off people into the springs and/or thermal formations. If the
garbage is on the boardwalk, please do the Park Service a favor and grab it! If
the garbage is off trail or in the middle of an active runoff channel/algae bed
DO NOT attept to get it yourself. You never know how dangerous the ground is
between you and the trash. Also, if it is in a runoff channel, the water may
be hot and dangerous. If it is in an algae bed, you risk doing physical and
chemical damage to the algae if you try to extract the garbage yourself. Report
this sort of trash to the Visitor Center. They have a group of Thermal
Volunteers who are VERY familiar with the geyser basin and who go out weekly to
clean the basins. They always appreciate people reporting garbage to them.
So, as you can see, by taking a few easy steps and understanding the
relationships between humans and mother nature, we can make Yellowstone safer
for all! Hey, to me this seems like common sense, and I suppose a few of you
reading this article are saying to yourselves, "Does he think we are stupid? I
know this stuff already!" Well, I don't think you are stupid!! I just want to
stress that some people out there don't understand what they are dealing with in
Yellowstone and those of us who do can help by sharing our knowledge with them.
By doing so we can insure that Yellowstone's many thermal features will be
around and accessable for generations to come!
